A Beautiful Sunset.

I think sunsets can almost be one whole genre of photography. Go onto Google, type in "sunset photography" and you will be greeted with an endless stream of sunset photos. No two are the same, just like snowflakes. You can take a picture in the very same spot every single day and each sunset will be different.

Taking photos of sunset has taught me a lot.

-It takes a bit of luck to get a nice sunset.

 Not every sunset is beautiful and depending on what you're looking for, be prepared to be disappointed day after day after day.

-As the sun sets, it reveals different features and highlights 

As the sun gets lower and lower in the sky, its rays shine upon different nooks and crannies, changing your picture a lot. A few seconds apart can mean a very different photo, believe me or not. Because of this, don't just be satisfied taking one decent photo. Wait and see what the sunset truely has to offer, and take that magical shot.

- Composition helps a lot

Get a bit of foreground to put the sunset in perspective. There may be really nice colors in the sky, but we need some interest in the foreground to make it an interesting picture.

-Its not just about the picture.

Sure, taking that picture can immortalize the feeling of that particular sunset, but its not always just about getting that shot. I've learnt that, with my camera by my side, we focus a little too much on getting that shot, and neglect the most important aspect - living in that moment. Our eyes are the best cameras, use them and take in the scenery.

I could blab on about much more, but would prefer to keep this post short(-ish). In conclusion, sunsets are beautiful, take the time to go hunting for some beautiful ones.

Technical terms wise, mostly the settings i use are around f8-f11. I generally use a tripod, as low ISO as i can afford (ISO100-ISO800), and either my 8mm Samyang Fisheye or the standard 18-55mm Kit lens. Unless otherwise specified, all pictures on this blog are photographed by me and I would appreciate some credit if anyone were to download or use the pictures elsewhere.

-m1n9-

Marche Board Games Cafe

 So, after a super super super busy week, managed to squirrel out some time to spend with some friends. We decided on a new cafe that had just opened in the city. Whats different about this cafe? It has a theme to it. The place comes packed with many many board games to choose from, while also being a cafe and karaoke.

 The interior is very hip and inviting. Its like stepping into a nice bright cafe with a very pleasing environment. For $8 a person, you can stay as long as you wish and play as many of the board games as you want. You are also required to buy a drink, which is quite pricey with the coffees starting from about $5.50 upwards. I ordered my usual coffee, a large Mocha, half strength on the coffee, regular chocolate. It was passable, coffee was a bit strong I think they must've forgotten I wanted it weak on coffee. (that's not the mocha in the picture below)

We only stayed 5 hours because i had to rush home to work the night shift. Would have stayed much longer if I didnt have work. Looking forward to visiting it again.

Pros:
Lots of board games to choose from
Nice environment to play in
Very nice refreshing concept, surprised this isn't done more often

Cons:
Food is expensive, they have no proper menu, only finger food which barely fills you up at all.

Canon EF 50mm f1.8 STM first impressions

So Canon has refreshed a lot of their lenses lately, including the ever so popular must have - the nifty fifty, aka the 50mm f1.8. It now has 7 aperture blades (up from 5), giving it rounder nice bokeh, a metal base (making it supposedly more durable), all time manual focus ring among other not so blatantly obvious upgrades. Price wise, AUD$159 was what I bought it for, a bit more expensive than the old one but still reasonable for a cheap portrait lens for people looking for bokehliciousness on a budget.

Here's a test shot I took.

Very first impressions:

- wide open, around f1.8-2.8 still suffers sharpness wise, chromatic abberations are easily noticeable. f2.8 is the minimum i would say, to get acceptable picture sharpness.

- coming from the old 50mm f1.8 II, I love the build quality, feels more solid in the hand, and the all-time manual focus ring is fun and very controlled in its focusing track

- focus speeds are much faster (or at least, feel that way)

will test the lens out more, and report back soon :)

-m1n9-

Motivation vs Discipline

Hear this,

Motivation is fleeting. It is wavering. Discipline is reliable. It is dependable.

When you're motivated to do something, do it. When motivation wavers, Discipline will see you through.