The View From My Kitchen Balcony

My kitchen balcony has all the elements of good feng shui. How do I know this? Quite simply, the term feng shui literally translates as “wind-water” in English and in that respect, the balcony gets plenty of wind, and rain water, sometimes both :). I’m an early riser, a habit that has followed me since school days and on more than a few occasions I had been blessed with picturesque sunrises especially when you factor in addition of the seasonal flock of white egrets flying in formation over my house.

Pay attention to where the sun is at the bottom of the picture in between the roofs and you’ll see where the following photo was photographed. I donated this framed and mounted piece to help raise money for the earthquake victims of Haiti and Chile.

Photography: Reducing the Risk of Tethered Shooting Using a HONL Speed Strap

I photograph food a lot and goes without saying, I tether my EOS 5D Mark II to a 17 inch Dell Studio laptop. There’s really no other way when critical review is key to decisive, quality results. Thing is, working with any sort of exposed cable comes with an inherent risk that requires no explanation. Last week, during a routine shoot, I accidentally stepped on the cable closest to the camera and there was no slack, resulted in a good tug that fortunately didn’t cause any damage to either connectors. I may not be so lucky next time.

Tripping hazard: working with exposed cable comes with inherent risk.

A quick search on the web revealed several kinds of brackets designed for HDSLR videographers to hold HDMI cables securely. This one in particular is designed to interface all 6 cables on EOS 5D Mark II/III and 7D bodies.

This CoolProtector is designed to protect the 6 cable interfaces of your DSLR CANON 7D 5D-2 5D-3(Super expensive to repair your DSLR’s cable interface such as HDMI Cable interfaces).

It’s not my style to buy gadgets online or spend time searching for stores that carry them. So I put on my thinking cap, looked around the studio room for ideas and came up with a perfect instantly available solution that does the same thing — using a HONL velcro Speed Strap. It’s rubber lining provides sufficient traction that when securely fastened around the tripod leg, it offers plenty of protection against a repeat accident.

Using a HONL Speed Strap I’m able to secure my 5M long USB cable to the tripod. This effectively stops the cable from being pulled out of its socket reducing the risk of damage to delicate pins.

Canon EOS M Launches in Brunei Darussalam with Sneak Peek of EOS 6D

Because the EOS M is Canon’s first mirrorless we had this odd situation where all invitees who came with their mirrored Canon cameras (including my PowerShot G11) all aimed at this tiny little thing called the “M”. As soon as Guest of Honour, Mr Seisuke Shimitzu, Japan’s Acting Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam lifted the cover, history was made! Congratulations Interhouse Company for yet another successful event.

The unveiling of the Canon’s first mirrorless camera, the EOS-M, by Mr Seisuke Shimitzu, Japan’s Acting Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam.

An EOS-M with a removable 18-55mm lens attached.

An EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS attached to the EOS-M body via an EF-EOS M Mount Adapter

Interhouse staff Jo Verzola (left) giving invitees a hands-on demo of an EOS-M.

Heng Ting Guan of Canon Singapore holding the newly announced EOS 6D for a Brunei Times video footage.