If you asked me what my photographic pursuits or accomplishments were for 2011, I would have to say there were few rather interesting opportunities within the boundaries of Brunei that pretty much happened unexpectedly and they became my career highlights of the year.
Tropical Basic Offshore Safety Induction Emergency Training (BOSIET) to prepare for photography assignment at CHAMPION offshore platforms. Here is an exercise simulating a sinking and capsized Sikorsky helicopter and escaping through the punch-out Jettison windows.
[ more photos from Tropical BOSIET course at Megamas Training Company ]
Only when one has successfully completed the necessary training is one given the permission to finally board a helicopter to the remote work site where working safely means putting theory into practice.
[ A Sikorsky helicopter taking off at the SAV Anduki Airfield ]
A self-portrait at the highest allowed vantage point of Champion 7 offshore platform.
I have no idea how high I stood at or for that matter how far I was from land but from this vantage point, I was able to catch a glimpse of the DST Tower using a 70-200mm lens not to mention also the gorgeous sunset from the heliport as we were winding down after a tiring day’s shoot.
A Sikorsky helicopter readies to take off after dropping off passengers bound for Champion and at the same time pick up passengers leave the platform.
The weeks leading up to the Brunei Energy Expo 2011 had been nothing short of breathless as I juggled other tasks and responsibilities while keeping up with momentum of editing and delivering super high-res images my client required for the event. After countless text messages, phone conversations, IM chats and delivery of revised images in large TIFF formats, here are the results of my client and their designer piecing the art together for His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei and visitors to appreciate. It’s not very often I get to have my work printed and exhibited this way so please bear with my higher-than-usual appearances. Less even was the opportunity to photograph the night lights of Brunei’s ministerial buildings from the rooftop of Brunei’s tallest building (Borneo’s third tallest) — the Ministry of Finance building. [ read more ... ]
[ Night view from the roof of Ministry of Finance building ]
The view from the rooftop of Brunei's tallest, Borneo's third tallest building — The Ministry of Finance — quite the exhilarating experience I could say no to.
[ Check out this cool panorama of Empire Hotel & Country Club ]
My fear of height makes this vantage point the least favourite place to be. Photo by Gavin Goh.
High above the crude oil tanks, a view of the Seria Crude Oil Terminal (SCOT) landscape.
The following two aerial images over BMC and BLNG were possible with the help of an oversized D-I-Y lenshood to eliminate unwanted reflective glare, the kind standard circular polarizer would be good for but not practically deployed under such circumstances. Because the hood was designed solely for this application, I named it JETT HOOD.
Brunei Methanol Company (BMC) Plant | http://brunei-methanol.com
Brunei LNG Plant | http://www.bruneilng.com
Thumbs-up from the pilot and my last photography assignment of 2011 is a wrap! Our mission to capture aerial photographs of specific targets of Seria, Lumut and Tungku were hampered by weather conditions not once but twice.
