Star trail 02

I miss night at Churchill. A place where you can find millions of star during night time. However, a different night situation in Malaysia, after i observed a few place such as Kuala Lumpur and Kuantan. There's a lots of light pollution. Do you know that what is light pollution? Obviously, it is harmless, but when you come into star trail, you'll find that light pollution is really annoying. It can destroy your star trail thus make your 2 hours time waste.

In making of star trail, you must find a clear night which is free from light pollution. Usually, if you live at city or urban area, there's a lot of light pollution comes from different source of light (of course) such as street light and building. I hope you know what i mean. When this kind of light appear in your pictures, you can edit it in PS, but if it is worst, like it totally ruin your pictures, just accept it. I have a few pictures which have light pollution effect.

Picture above is one of example of my pictures that have light pollution. The street light had ruined the color of the picture and turned it into orange. I hate it, but i had no choice. This was my second picture of star trail which i spend almost 2hours. Well, It was good coz i'm still learning that time. From my experience, you must know that little light pollution can appear in your star trail picture.

However, it doesnt mean that light pollution can kill your pictures. I have made experience in shooting star trail in dark night and night lighten by moon. In dark night, everything is dark and you have to light up your subject with torch light or anything that give light source. The advantage here is you can capture every single stars present. In night with the present of full moon,your dont have to light up your subject. It is better since the intensity of moon light lighten up subject is all same. However, this moon light can ruin your picture by reduce the star light therefore, less trail can be captured. 

Selamat Tinggal Churchill!

2tahun 4hari, slama ni lah name churchill terpahat didalam hidup aku nih.3julai 2009, tarikh yang mane aku smpai kt churchill terpencil. Memang terpencil bagi org local (mat saleh). Totally lain dari Melbourne. Banyak shopping mall, entertaiment, kawan kawan dan sememangnya Melbourne best. Tetapi, aku lebih suka churchill nih. Itulah Kebenarannya!

Awal-awal dtg Churchill ni mmg agak terkejut ngn suasana uni, sume mat saleh. Nk jmpe student dari luar mmg susah lah. Tak mcm clayton, kebanyakan student international. Tp Gippslnd ni byk mat saleh. So, i dont mind about it. Kawan-kawan sekelas tak banyak. Paling ramai pon berbelas-belas orang je. Kwn mat saleh aku pon tak banyak. Boleh bilang dengan jari. I dont know actually how to get involve with them. Kalau ngn orang-orang malaysia, Insyaallah aku boleh. Mat saleh ni lain. Jenis xhirau kt org. So, aku tak kisah pon. Hehe.

Nape aku suka sangat Churchill nih? Kalo ikutkan, city lg best. Banyak benda best yang aku boleh buat. Main futsal, volley, ambik gmbar dan banyak lg lah. Kengkawan pon rmai. Akan tetapi aku lebih suka Churchill. Sbb aku ade family kt churchill. Kat sane ade 2 family. Abg akmal n kak ja, n abg kamal n kak linda. Haa..korg jgn fikir dieorg ni dah tua. Anak kecik2 lg. Ni lah family Churchill aku. Hehe. Aku dh anggap dieorg ni mcm abg2 n akak2 aku dh.

Aku ni anak sulung n bukan lah abang yang baik sgt pon. Dengan adik aku pon jarang aku spend mase. Time cuti skolah jelah. Dari form 1 to form 5, msuk matrik smpailah masuk uni. Sebab tu lah aku jarang sangat spend mase. Pernah jugak aku degar kengkawan aku cite masalah dengan abg n akak dieorang, gadoh, pinjam duit sume (biase la kot, adik bradik gaduh tu biase ler, hehe). Aku senyum jelah sebab aku paham. Tapi satu je, aku tak boleh bayangkan macam mane parasaan ade abg n akak. Yelah, dh anak sulung kan. Tu yang aku cube bayangkn, tp tak terbayang. Sampailah aku kat Churchill nih. Aku rase Allah dah bagi aku rase macam mane ade abg2 n akak2. Dieorg ni lah yang banyak tolong aku n hilangkn sunyi kat Churchill ni. Anak-anak dieorg dh mcm anak buah aku sdiri. Kecik2 lg. Best lah main, wat ilang bosan. Hehe.

Sbb ni lah aku suke sgt churchill. Sedih jgk nk tggalkan churchill. Dh smpai kt malaysia, masing2 dh ade keje sdiri, aku pon maybe dh keje nnti. Aku mintak moga2 Allah kekalkan hubungan ktorg sume nih. Insyaalah aku xkan lupe dieorg. 

Terima Kasih Abg Akmal n Kak Ja, n Abg Kamal n Kak Lindah. Mintak halal sume makan minum n mintak maaf lah kalau saye pernah terkasar bahasa, tersalah cakap or ape-ape lah. InsyaAllah jumpe lagi kat Ganu! hehe.

P/s: kepada kwn2 aku di Melbourne, bkn maksud aku kerek or sombong, aku just rase slesa spend mase di churcill ni bsame2 abg2 n akak2 aku nih. Tp aku still dtg melb, at least sbulan skali. Lepak2 ngn korg. No hurt feelling okey? =)

Mimpi 2

Alhamdulillah. Sampai sudah di tanah air ku nih. Banyak betul cobaan. Dari Churchill sampai la airport. Kat airport pon macam macam jadi. Sampai je Southern Cross, aku jumpe Waseem n Sajid. Member dari Singapore and India. Dieorang ni aku jumpe taun lepas kt Gippsland. Then, member aku kat melbourne offer nak antar sampai airport. Sampai kat Southern cross dah dalam pukul 10. Aku tawakkal jelah. Confirm sempat, kate member-member aku nih.

Dah sampai kat Airport, ape lagi, terus pecut lah. Sampai je kat counter check in, tak ramai orang dah. Baru dalam pukul 11 aku sampai kat airport tuh. Pelik jgk. Takpelah. At least ade orang lagi. Masuk beratur je, ade orang islam dari Uzbekkistan kot (aku agak je, sebab muka pon lebih kurang org cine, macam orang mongolia pon ade) tengah check in.

 "What the F***,................."

Terkejut aku. Tibe-tibe je orang tu marah-marah kat counter check in. Aku tengok jgk. Based on ape yang die marahkan tu sebab hand luggage die lebih dari 5kg, dalam 7kg. Pastu beg-beg lain die dah check in dah. Pastu mat saleh ni suruh die bayar pulak. Gile ape. Marah la die. Tak efficient la tuh kan. Die taknak bayar. Tapi aku rase die bayar jugak sebab mat saleh tu tak bagi boarding pass. So, bayar la die.  

Aku tak tau kejadian ni bagi effect kat aku jugak. 

Then turn aku pulak, kat sebelah counter mat saleh tadi. Aku kene ngan minah saleh name Pamela. Nasib baik aku tak jumpe gambar die kat internet. Kalo tak, aku dah post kat sini dah. Aku pon bagi lah pasport aku n die sruh letak check luggage. After that, die sruh letak hand luggage. Check in lugage aku tu beg camera n laptop. Laptop dieorg lepas. Letak je atas penimbang. 

"That's exceed limit, you have to remove anything that cause that weight. Seriously i said, you really have to be quick, otherwise you will miss this flight"

Gile ko! ko nak aku buang barang camera aku. Aku dah explain kat die sume nih. Die tak trime alasan aku tuh. Die siap ugut aku lagi, if tak, aku miss flight. Terkejut aku. Dah la aku mimpi pasal miss flight. Die pon cakap pasal ni. Cuak dah time tu. Aku pon cakap la kat die. Aku nak transfer masuk dalam lugage aku tu. Bagi aku mase. Nak tak nak, aku terpakse letak barang camera dalam beg baju aku.Check lugage aku tuh memang cukup 25kg. Buang buang, then aku timbang lagi, 6.9kg. Kali ni die lepas. Tapi checked lugage aku yang problem pulak. Lebih 2kg. Takpelah. Aku bayor jela. Kene dalam 78AUD aka 39AUD per kg aka almost RM120!!! Melepas aku. Tapi ni lagi ok dari aku lepas barang camera aku yang beribu-ribu. 

Lepas je check in, aku wat status kat FB. I hate MAS airlines, Bukan sebab ape, sebab mat saleh tuh and system mas. Tak salah aku camera die lepas je if dalam hand lugage. Kalo tak, ko nak ganti ke camera aku yang ilang tuh (andai kata lah). Walaupon service dieorg ok, staff die mmg suck! Tak pasal-pasal ade sorg stewardess pakai nametag ade bendera INDIA! nak je aku jerit dalam flight. 

"WOI!! Ko keje ngan MAS airlines, MALAYSIA AIRLINE, tak payah la pakai name tag yang ade flag india tuh. Ko tak tau ke pasal Satu Malaysia. Bangang!"

Hangit aku. Andai kate MAS airlines takde duit sangat nak cari stewardess lawa. Tak payah la ambik minah india. Cukup la mamat-mamat kt kedai mamat tuh. Ni sampai stewardess pon nk import india. Tak ke sakit ati aku tengok. Nasib baik die tak serve line aku. Kalo tak, memang aku tanye dah nape ko pkai nametag ade flag india. Yang serve line aku mamat cine nih. Ni lagi sorang tapi ok lagi lah. At least die Cine Malaysia. Walaupon ade sikit-sikit sifat racism tuh, tp ok lah. 

"Maybe aku dalam mode "angry bird". and ade kemungkinan aku salah. Maafkan aku!"

Mimpi!

Ape kene ngn mimpi nih? Org kate mimpi ni mainan tdo. Nk kate jd realiti pon x. Ade org cite, mimpi dieorg jd reality. So, depend atas korg lah nk pikir mcm mane. Back to topic, dh byk jenis mimpi aku pnah alami. Mimpi best, mimpi xbest, pling xbest mimpi antu seram. Lagi satu mimpi yang aku xsuke, mimpi yang berterusan yang xbest! Yang ni mmg aku pntng. Contohnye result exam. Nk tdo blik mmg xboleh.

Dalam bulan march 2011, aku mimpi satu peristiwa nih. Aku mimpi yang aku miss flight aku time nk blik malaysia nnti. Mmg terbaik! Dh bukan skali, bekali-kali aku mimpi. Miss last bas nk pg airport, then miss flight. Next mimpi plak, aku lupe bwk pasport kt churchill tu. Confirm xleh wat ape. Last skali, mmg aku dtg lmbt. Last2 minit. Miss lg. Aku tak tau lah korang boleh bayangkan ke tak. Naik trauma aku ngn mimpi ni.

Nak jadikan cite, mimpi aku tu mcm nk jd reality je. Siot! Aku tulis ni time aku dlm train nk pg melbourne. Mmg xsdap dduk dah ni. Flight pkul 1215 tghmalam. Now, pkul 8 n dlm 2jam lagi smpai kt melbourne. Dlm pkul 10mlm smpai kt southern cross, melbourne (southern cross ni mcm kl sentral lah, center train station). So, ambik skybas, smpailah dlm pkul 1030. Aduhhh...xsdap duduk ni....Ya Allah, selamatkanlah aku ni, moga2 urusan aku ni bejalan dengan lancar..

Train Timetable V-line. Kalo aku ambil train before tuh mmg lagi rilex ah (click for large view)

p/s: ini adalah kisah benar yang aku tulis based on ape yang aku tgh alami sekarang. Segala yang terjadi, akan aku update dlm post kemudiannya. (Fresh dari ladang nih..huhu)

Star trail-01!

I'm in love with star trail. The movement attract me so much. Every night, we did not realize that the star is moving. It so beautiful. How to capture star trail? I will tell my experience here. It is related with my first post in my photography world (Long exposure). In capture star trail, you need a lot of patient, and some good subjects for example car, house or anything that make a story behind it. To make good star trail, I suggest that you spend time about one hour and half to make good circle. This is based on my experience. However, it is up to you because the more you spend, the longer trail you'll get. AND, it also depend on the weather. Sometimes, when you start the capture the trail, the cloud is invisible. After 30 minutes, it is possible that the cloud slowly appear. This will make star trail not visible and then cover up by cloud movement.If this happen, it is normal and it happened 2-3 times for me. Urgh!

Source: Adib.wahab Flickr

The first star trail I made was early of this year. After read some advice and suggestion in digital camera magazine, I gained some of basic knowledge to do this. There are two different technique that you can use. Firstly, you can capture star trail with combination of many picture of star trail. To make you clear, I give you example. You capture many picture of star trail with long exposure about 30second, and then you combine it all with Photoshop or more easy, Star trail software. Secondly, you can apply really long exposure like 1-2 hours. This is more easy as you do not need to combine any pictures. However, i havent use this technique yet. I feel more comfortable with first technique as I dont need to think best aperture for it. If you dont choose right aperture, it possible that your picture will be overexpose, or maybe underexpose. That's one of reasons why i didnt apply second technique. 

Picture above is my first try capturing star trail. It was in front of my house actually. That picture was combination of 52 pictures of 30 second exposure at f4.0. Actually, i captured more than 50 pictures but i cant combine it because of unlimited space of my laptop (Weird isn't it?). When you combine all the pictures using Photoshop, it will take long time and use more space to open up all the pictures, then start stacking all of them. It's depend one the file size. One more thing here, make sure you use jpeg format rather than raw format as you dont need to edit the picture. You'll edit the picture after the staking of pictures are done. Then, raw format file size is bigger than jpeg format. That's why my laptop didnt have enough space when staking the pictures. Up until here, and i will tell more in next post.