M&Mymss

M&Mymss

This picture was taken on my study desk at home. I had my white study lamp on at the time of shooting. The colourful M&Ms create a pleasing colours to the eyes and of course gives the tendency to lick your monitor. The M&Ms packaging give even light to the chocolate inside. I was eating lots of this before my final year exam.

M&M's are small, sugar-coated, milk chocolate candy pieces popular in many countries around the world. They are produced by Mars, Incorporated.

The candies were originally made in six colors: red, orange, yellow, green, brown, and violet. (Peanut candies were made in the same colors, except violet.) In 1949, Violet was taken out of the mix and was replaced by tan. Red was eliminated in 1976^[1] because of health concerns about the red dye amaranth (FD&C Red #2), a suspected carcinogen. Despite the fact that M&M's did not contain the dye, red M&M's were removed to satisfy worried consumers. By 1987, the public had forgotten the scare, and the red candies were reintroduced. They currently contain Allura red AC (FD&C Red #40). In 1995, tan was replaced by blue.

The most popular (and the most common) M&M's are milk chocolate and peanut (with a layer of chocolate between the peanut and the candy shell). Several variations exist, but are harder to find: mint chocolate, dulce de leche, toffee, crispy, almond, peanut butter, white chocolate (with and without peanuts), and dark chocolate.

M&M's, one of the most popular candies in the United States, are based on the older British product, Smarties. Forrest Mars Sr. saw soldiers during the Spanish Civil War eating chocolate pellets that were coated in sugar to prevent chocolate from sticking to their fingers. After the rights were purchased by Americans Forrest Mars Sr. and R. Bruce Murrie in 1939, they had to reintroduce them to the domestic market with a different name because there was already a candy product sold in the U.S. under the name Smarties. To identify their new brand, they combined the first initials of their last names: M & M. M&M's were first sold in the United States in 1941. By World War II, American soldiers were given the candy by the United States Army because they were a convenient snack that traveled well in any climate; soon after this it was marketed to the public. M&M's soon became a hit because, in those times when air conditioning was not usually found in stores, homes, or the automobile, melting chocolate candy bars were a problem; but with M&M's, the candy coating kept the chocolate from getting messy.

In 1954, Peanut Chocolate Candies were introduced, while the M&M's brand characters and the famous slogan "The milk chocolate that melts in your mouth, not in your hand" were both trademarked.

In 1993, Mars ran a promotion in which consumers were invited to vote on which of blue, pink, or purple would be introduced. Blue was the winner, and with the removal of tan, it was added in early 1995.

In 1996, Mars introduced a new M&M candy: the "M&M's Minis." These candies are very small and are usually sold in small plastic tubes instead of bags. A video game, M&M's Minis Madness, was also eventually released, based on this candy.

In 1998, the "Crispy M&M's" were released. These are slightly larger than the milk chocolate variety and feature a crispy rice center.

In 2002, Mars ran another vote to add a new color from 3 choices. Once again, the general public were the voters. The 3 choices were turquoise, pink and purple. This time, purple won.^[2]

In June 2004, M&M's were spotlighted in the media when Mike Melvill, who flew a weightless suborbital arc in SpaceShipOne the world's first private piloted space flight, opened up a package of the chocolate brand when he reached the border of space (100km) in order to demonstrate weightlessness as the candy floated in the cabin. Melvill chose the candies because they were both colorful, therefore showing up well on camera, and because once the g-level increased, if they fell into any of the controls they could be easily crushed and not interfere with the mechanisms (and maybe M&M refers also to his own initials). The stunt was totally unauthorized. Melvill stated that he never told his bosses that he was planning this.

In April of 2005, M&M's ran the "mPire" promotion to tie in with the Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith movie release. M&M's were offered in a dark variety for the first time.

In the summer of 2005, Mars added "Mega M&M's" to the lineup. These candies are 55% larger than the traditional M&M's and are available in milk chocolate and peanut varieties. Most of the colors for Mega M&M's were also changed to less-bright colors—teal (replacing green), beige (orange), maroon (red), gold (yellow), brown (same as regular M&M's) and blue-gray (blue)—to appeal more to adults. In the fall of 2005, the mPire promotion ran again to coincide with the DVD release of the Star Wars movie.

In 2006, Mars offered eight new flavors of M&M's via online sales. The flavors were All That Razz; Eat, Drink, & Be Cherry; A Day at the Peach; Orange-U-Glad; Mint Condition; AlmonDeeLicious; Nut What You Think; and Cookie Minster. The first five have a white chocolate and milk chocolate center with a flavored shell. The two nut flavors have an almond or peanut center with white chocolate and candy shell. Cookie Minster has a crispy center with dark chocolate and a mint flavored shell. The company also released a Crispy Mint variety in Australia. Also in July 2006, the dark chocolate M&Ms reappeared in a purple package with the Green female M&M (see trivia section, below, as aphrodisiac urban legend) as the mascot. In 2006, the company also trialed white chocolate M&Ms as a tie-in with their Pirates of the Caribbean promotion.

In 2006, M&M's could be ordered and purchased online with custom phrases, replacing the traditional "M" on each M&M, excluding the Special Edition Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbean designs. Released around Christmas, these phrase M&M's were meant for holiday greetings. Also, the M&M's could be chosen from 17 custom colours.

(courtesy of wikipedia.com)

Cendle Glow

Cendle Glow

This photo was taken at the pepper and salt restaurant in Melbourne. I had purposely underexposed the photo to just get the glow of the candle through the red glass. The scratches of the wax on the inner side of the glass can also be seen and it reflects the flame. This image is subjective to the viewer's monitor. This is because if your monitor is brighter than mine, you will see more details in the dark area and vice versa.

A candle is a light source usually consisting of an internal wick that rises through the center of a column of solid fuel. Prior to the mid 19th century, the majority of candles were tallow (a byproduct of beef fat rendering). The fuel now is nearly always some form of wax, with paraffin wax being the most common. Gel, soy, beeswax, and vegetable-based candles are also available. A candle manufacturer is usually known as a chandler.

Prior to the candle being ignited, the wick is saturated with the fuel in its solid form. The heat of the match or other flame being used to light the candle first melts and then vaporizes a small amount of the fuel. Once vaporized, the fuel combines with oxygen in the atmosphere to form a flame. This flame then provides sufficient heat to keep the candle burning via a self-sustaining chain of events: the heat of the flame melts the top of the mass of solid fuel, the liquified fuel then moves upward through the wick via capillary action, and the liquified fuel is then vaporized to burn within the candle's flame.

The burning of the fuel takes place in several distinct regions (as evidenced by the various colors that can be seen within the candle's flame). Within the bluer, hotter regions, hydrogen is being separated from the fuel and burned to form water vapor. The brighter, yellower part of the flame is the remaining carbon soot being oxidized to form carbon dioxide.

As the mass of the solid fuel is melted and consumed, the candle grows shorter. Portions of the wick that are not evaporating the liquid fuel are, ideally, consumed in the flame, limiting the exposed length of the wick and keeping the temperature and rate of fuel consumption even. Some wicks require manual trimming with scissors or a wick trimmer for even burning.

(courtesy of wikipedia.com)

Megapus

Megapus

This flower was once again taken in Trinity College. It is the same flower which I took with my reversed lens in the Melbourne Royal Botanical Garden. The photo was processed to change its hue to become something exotic. The colour add to the emotion of fear due to the "clutching" center portion of the flower. The title was thought from the word "octopus". In this case, mega (millions) instead of octa (8) to describe the hands of the flower.

Wrinkled

Wrinkled

This was taken in Trinity College. I'm guessing that this flower was withering due to the strong sunlight as summer arrived. A few shots of the flower was taken. The part where the flower rolls up was replaced by another picture as the other shot has got that part sharper. I prefer to have this photo in black and white as it will enhance the wrinkly texture of the flower. The strong sunlight gives a little overexposure but having it only falling on the upper side of the flower bring out the composition.



A wrinkle is a ridge or crease of a surface. It usually refers to folds on fabric or clothes, or on the skin of an organism; the folds are generally random and do not exhibit any repeating pattern.

Skin wrinkles typically appear as a result of aging processes such as glycation or, temporarily, as the result of prolonged (more than a few minutes) immersion in water. Wrinkling in skin is caused by habitual facial expressions, aging, sun damage, smoking, poor hydration, and various other factors. ^[1]

The wrinkles that occurr in skin after prolonged exposure to water are sometimes referred to as prune fingers. This is a temporary skin condition where the skin on the palms of the hand or feet becomes wrinkly. It is caused when the keratin-laden epithelial skin is immersed in water[1]. The skin expands and the resultant larger surface area forces it to wrinkle. Usually the tips of the fingers and toes are the first to wrinkle because of a thicker layer of keratin and an absence of hairs which secret the protective oil called sebum. Wrinkled fingers often occur after taking a shower or bath and lasts up to fifteen minutes afterwards, until the water has evaporated or is absorbed into the body.

Prune fingers is named for the skins' resemblance to the wrinkled, rough surface of a Prune.

(courtesy of wikipedia.com)

Poppin Poppy

Poppin Poppy

I took this picture in Trinity College. I was actually late for my class and had to stay outside for about 10 mins so as not to disturb a presentation going on inside. This poppy plant is doing to spring open. I took this picture from several angle and I prefer from this view as it is a unique angle. The long stalk with the shallow depth of field make it looks very tall and formidable. I failed when I tried to look for a poppy plant in this state for the next few days.

A poppy is any of a number of showy flowers, born one per stem, belonging to the poppy family. These can be enjoyed in the wild, but are also grown for ornament.

There are white, pink, yellow, orange, red and blue poppies; some have a dark centre. The centre has a whorl of stamens. Poppies have 4–6 petals. Prior to blooming, the petals are crumpled in bud.

The poppy of wartime remembrance is the red corn poppy, Papaver rhoeas. This poppy is a common weed in Europe and is found in many locations, including Flanders Field. In many Commonwealth countries, artificial, paper versions of this poppy are worn to commemorate the sacrifice of veterans and civilians in World War I and other wars, during the weeks preceding Remembrance Day on November 11. It has been adopted as a symbol by The Royal British Legion in their Poppy Appeal.

Poppies are used as emblems on tombstones to symbolize eternal sleep.

The golden poppy, Eschscholzia californica, is the state flower of California.

Although the drug opium is produced by "milking" latex from the unripe fruits ("seed pods") rather than from the seeds, all parts of the plant can contain or carry the opium alkaloids, especially morphine and codeine. This means that eating foods (e.g., muffins) that contain poppy seeds can result in a false positive for opiates in a drug test.

This was considered "confirmed" by the presenters of the television programme MythBusters. One participant, Adam Savage, who ate an entire loaf of poppy seed cake tested positive for opiates just half an hour later. A second participant, Jamie Hyneman, who ate three poppy seed bagels, first tested positive two hours after eating. Both tested positive for the remainder of the day, but were clean 18 hours later.

The results of this experiment are inconclusive by current standards, because a test was used with an opiate cutoff level of 300 ng/mL instead of the current SAMHSA recommended cutoff level used in the NIDA 5 test, which was raised from 300 ng/mL to 2,000 ng/mL in 1998 in order to avoid false positives from poppy seeds [1]. However, according to an article published in the Medical Science Law Journal, after ingesting "a curry meal or two containing various amounts of washed seeds" where total morphine levels were in the range 58.4 to 62.2 µg/g seeds, the urinary morphine levels were found to range as high as 1.27 µg/mL (1,270 ng/mL) urine [2]. Another article in the Journal of Forensic Science reports that concentration of mophine in some batches of seeds may be as high as 251 µg/g [3]. In both studies codeine was also present in the seeds in smaller concentrations. Therefore it is possible to cross the current standard 2,000 ng/mL limit of detection, depending on seed potency and quantity ingested. Some toxicology labs still continue to use a cuttoff level of 300 ng/mL [4].

• In an episode of Seinfeld, the character Elaine tested positive for opioids in a round of tests mandated by her workplace. She eventually found out that this was coming from her poppy-seed muffin habit.
• The sale of poppy seeds from Papaver somniferum is banned in Singapore due to the morphine content.
• Poppy is widely consumed in many parts of central and eastern Europe. The sugared, milled mature seeds are eaten with pasta or they are boiled with milk and used as filling or topping on various kinds of sweet pastry. Some consider this cuisine tradition has Pagan roots.
• Poppy seeds are widely used in Bengali cuisine.

(courtesy of wikipedia.com)

Exaggerated Bow

Exaggerated Bow

This photo is from a poppy plant. The extra long stalk and the large bud at the end caused this to bent over. The bow reminded me of a Japanese bow. Gaussian blur was applied for this picture. However, the bud was left sharp and the stalk gradually blur towards the top of the picture.

Pearly Drops

Pearly Drops

I took this picture in Trinity College after a heavy rain. The sun was out not long after the rain even though there are still some clouds hanging in the sky. This caused a slightly stronger shades on the shadow of the flower. I focused mainly on the rain droplets and not on the center of the flower. If I had done the opposite, the droplets will still cause a distracting blur due to the depth of field.



Woke up one morning half asleep
With all my blankets in a heap
And yellow roses gathered all around me;
The time was still approaching four
I couldnt stand it anymore
Saw marigolds upon my eider down.

Im just sitting watching flowers in the rain
Feel the power of the rain making the garden grow,
Im just sitting watching flowers in the rain
Feel the power of the rain keeping me cool.

So I lay upon my side with all the windows opened wide
Couldnt pressurize my head from speaking
Hoping not to make a sound I pushed my bed into the grounds
In time to catch the sight that I was seeking.

Im just sitting watching flowers in the rain
Feel the power of the rain making the garden grow,
Im just sitting watching flowers in the rain
Feel the power of the rain keeping me cool.

If this perfect pleasure has the key
Then this is how it has to be
If my pillows getting wet
I dont see that it matters much to me.

I heard the flowers in the breeze make conversation with the trees
Believed to leave reality behind me
With my commitments in a mess my sleep has gone away depressed
In a world of fantasy youll find me.

Im just sitting watching flowers in the rain
Feel the power of the rain making the garden grow,
Im just sitting watching flowers in the rain
Feel the power of the rain keeping me cool.

(courtesy of lyricsfreak.com)

Flowers In The Rain by The Move

	Album:	The Move
	Date:	1967

This was the first ever song to be played on BBC Radio 1. (thanks, Adam - Wrexham, Wales) Members of The Move formed The Electric Light Orchestra in 1971.

(courtesy of songfacts.com)

The Affair

The Affair

This photo was taken during Erisca's birthday. In the photo, from the left, Lius, Erisca and Meriana. They were showing a TV commercial which the man was holding another woman's hand over the back of his own woman. The photo was processed to make it Black and White and added some Gaussion blur while leaving the palm totally clear and a graduating blur towards the shoulder.

Notes

Notes

This was the hand of Felicia from Indonesia. She was playing at the Spring Concert Festival. I was having my 50mm f/1.8 attached to my camera. The picture was taken at 1/25s & f/2.8. I must say that I'm quite luck to get such a sharp image at such a shutter speed. I had pre-focused my lens to roughly that distance as I noticed that her right hand makes a frequent visit there. I snapped the photo when her hand landed in that special area. The two blurred whitish spots on the black piano was caused by the reflection of the light. A dark line running across the photo in the background was removed in photoshop so keep the picture simple and focused.

For the arrangement of the keys on a piano keyboard, see Musical keyboard. This arrangement was inherited from the harpsichord without change, with the trivial exception of the colour scheme (white for notes in the C major scale and black for other notes) which became standard for pianos in the late 18th century.

Almost every modern piano has 88 keys (seven octaves plus a minor third, from A0 to C8). Many older pianos only have 85 keys (seven octaves from A0 to A7), while some manufacturers extend the range further in one or both directions. The most notable example of an extended range can be found on Bösendorfer pianos, one model which extends the normal range downwards to F0, with one other model going as far as a bottom C0, making a full eight octave range. Sometimes, these extra keys are hidden under a small hinged lid, which can be flipped down to cover the keys and avoid visual disorientation in a pianist unfamiliar with the extended keyboard; on others, the colours of the extra white keys are reversed (black instead of white). The extra keys are added primarily for increased resonance from the associated strings; that is, they vibrate sympathetically with other strings whenever the damper pedal is depressed and thus give a fuller tone. Only a very small number of works composed for piano actually use these notes. More recently, the Stuart and Sons company has also manufactured extended-range pianos. On their instruments, the range is extended both down the bass to F0 and up the treble to F8 for a full eight octaves. The extra keys are the same as the other keys in appearance.

(courtesy of wikipedia.com)

Caught on Web

Caught on Web

Not sure of what you are looking at? Click on the picture. It was taken at the Federation Hall at the Victorian College of Arts. It had a bug which had itself caught on spider web. I use my tripod which had one og the leg shortened and lying on the corner of the wall to get as near to the subject as possible. The picture was then processed into a black and white with an additional sepia colour filter.



A spider web, spiderweb, spider's web or cobweb (from the obsolete word "coppe", meaning "spider" [1]) is a device built by a spider out of proteinaceous spider silk extruded from its spinnerets. Not all spiders build webs to catch prey, and some do not build webs at all.

The spider, after spinning its web, will then wait on, or near, the web for a prey animal to become trapped. The spider can sense the impact and struggle of a prey animal by vibrations transmitted along the web lines.

Spiders do not usually adhere to their own webs. However, they are not immune to their own glue. Some of the strands of the web are sticky, and others are not. For example, if a spider has chosen to wait along the outer edges of its web, it may spin a non-sticky prey or signal line to the web hub to monitor web movement. Spiders have to be careful to only climb on the non-sticky strands of their webs.

(courtesy of wikipedia.com)

Freeze

Freeze

Jonathan standing very still over at Lonsdale and Swanston Street. This was taken using a ten seconds shot with me constantly chanting the phrase "do not move". The blur or shadow in the background is created by the by passers crossing the roads and the tram zooming across the Swanston street. The photo was later processed in photoshop to sharpen the model as far as possible while keeping the noise level low.

Swanston Street is a major thoroughfare in the centre of Melbourne, Australia. It is the main street of Melbourne.

It is part of the Hoddle Grid, the layout of major streets that makes up the central business district, which was laid out in 1837 by Robert Hoddle. It is named after Captain Charles Swanston, a Tasmanian banker and prominent member of the Port Phillip Association. Swanston Street runs roughly north to south, between Elizabeth and Russell streets, just to the east of the centre of the rectangular Hoddle Grid. After crossing the Princes Bridge over the Yarra River at its southern extremity, it becomes St Kilda Road. As it runs north and leaves the CBD, it passes the University of Melbourne, and ends at the Melbourne General Cemetery. This section was originally named Madeline Street.

Swanston Street was a major thoroughfare, funnelling traffic from the northern suburbs onto St Kilda Road, but as of the 1990's it was closed to daytime private through traffic between Flinders and La Trobe Streets, roughly half its length. This section is known as Swanston Walk. 9 tram routes run along the street, and the frequency of trams is the highest in Melbourne. It has two railway stations - Flinders Street Station at its southern end, which is the hub of the suburban railway network; and Melbourne Central station, an underground station beneath the Melbourne Central shopping centre, at La Trobe Street. Swanston Street is also a major route for commuting cyclists from the University of Melbourne and the northern suburbs, through the city, joining up to the bike lanes on St Kilda Road, and the Capital City Trail on the Southbank of the Yarra River.

Swanston Street passes a number of Melbourne landmarks, including St Paul's Cathedral, Federation Square, Flinders Street Station, the Melbourne Town Hall, the State Library of Victoria, the City Square, the Melbourne Central and QV Village shopping centres, the pub Young and Jacksons as well as the Hi-Fi Bar, which is a prominent live music venue. Both the University of Melbourne and RMIT University are on Swanston Street.

Swanston Street has historically not had the best of reputations, due to problems with homelessness and loitering, and a plethora of discount stores, fast food outlets, and sex shops. However, in recent years, after lobbying from local traders, the Melbourne City Council has begun to turn the street's image around, enticing many new shops to move in, and driving several major developments.

Many protests involve the use of Swanston Street, and every so often, it will be closed due to people advocating one cause or another. It is also used for the annual Anzac Day parade, which passes through much of the city centre, but uses Swanston Street as a centrepiece on its way to the Shrine of Remembrance in St Kilda Road.

Swanston Street was also the shooting location for the 1976 video for AC/DC's song "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)".

(courtesy of wikipedia.com)

Lemon Zoom

Lemon Zoom

The "model" in this picture is Dewi, or often called Dew Dew. We were at the Pacific House in South Melbourne for Carla's farewell. The picture was taken with a zoom technique where the lens was rotated while the shutter was pressed. It was a real luck shot. The picture turns out interesting due to all the newspaper clips behind her which add the zooming effects. I noticed that this effect works well for a single subject framed with many complicated environment and lighting.



The lemon (Citrus × limon) is a hybrid citrus tree of cultivated origin. The fruit are used primarily for their juice, though the pulp and rind (zest) are also used, primarily in cooking or mixing. Lemon juice is about 5% citric acid, which gives lemons a sour taste and a pH of 2 to 3. This acidity makes lemon juice a cheap, readily available acid for use in educational chemistry experiments.

A lemon tree can grow up to 10 meters (33 feet), but they are usually smaller. The branches are thorny, and form an open crown. On a lemon tree, flowers and ripe fruits can be found at the same time.^[1]

Lemons grow in tropical and sub-tropical climates and cannot withstand frosts and very cold temperatures. Their favored temperature is between 15–30 °C (60–85 °F) and they need ample quantities of sunlight. They thrive in fertile, well drained soils, but are notable for tolerating very poor, infertile soil, such as sand. ^[2] Lemons need plenty of water but should be allowed to dry out between waterings. Lemons are grown commercially in Spain, Portugal, Italy,Turkey, and other Mediterranean countries. They are also grown in Argentina, India, Brazil and the United States. They can be grown as plants in a garden as well as indoors in containers, if they are pruned to keep a small form.

Lemons and other citrus fruits contain amounts of different chemicals and are thought to have some health benefits. They contain a terpene called limonene which gives their characteristic lemon smell and taste. Lemons contain significant amounts of citric acid, this is why they have a low pH and a sour taste. They also famously contain Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) which is essential to human health. 100 milliliters of lemon juice contains approximately 50 milligrams of vitamin C (55% of the recommended daily value) and 5 grams of citric acid.

A common school experiment involving lemons is to attach electrodes and use them as a battery to power a light. The electricity generated may also be used to power a motor to move the lemons (on wheels) like a car or truck. These experiments also work with other fruit like apples and with potatoes.

(courtesy of wikipedia.com)

Party Girl

Party Girl

The girl featured in this photo is Melissa. We were shooting for the Trinity Hollywood Ball 2006 DVD when I need some pictures to go along with. This was shot at the Union Law over at Melbourne University. There was this "stargate" looking structure on display permanently there. The structure was touched up in Photoshop to cover up the dirty bird faeces and huge rust marks.



Stargate refers to the science fiction media franchise that began in 1994 with the feature film Stargate, and the subsequent body of works that detail an elaborate fictional universe.Stargate productions all center on the premise of a "Stargate", a ring-shaped alien device that allows for personal teletransportation to complementary devices cosmic distances away.^[3] Most Stargate productions are set in the present day,^[4] with plots constructed so that there is no immediate contradiction between the depicted events and reality.^[5] The existence of the Stargate devices is described as a military secret.^[6]

Guiness World Records recognized Stargate SG-1 as the longest currently running consecutive sci-fi series in 2006. The show is second only to the Doctor Who series, which holds the title for longest running sci-fi show overall.

Stargate SG-1 is a television series that debuted on Showtime on July 27, 1997, and moved to the Sci-Fi Channel after its fifth season.^[18] Created by Jonathan Glassner and Brad Wright, it starred Richard Dean Anderson (as the respelled O'Neill), Michael Shanks (as Jackson), Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge and Don S. Davis.

The cast has remained fairly regular for most of SG-1's run but has experienced some changes. Michael Shanks left the show at the end of Season 5 and was replaced by Corin Nemec as Jonas Quinn. Shanks returned at the beginning of Season 7 and Nemec was written out. At the end of Season 7 Davis left the show and Anderson filled the gap he left in the story. Season 9 saw an unpopular departure of Anderson, but added new regulars Beau Bridges and Ben Browder. After a debut episode in Season 8, followed by appearances in eight episodes of Season 9, Claudia Black's popular reaction^[19] earned her a position in the regular cast in Season 10.

MGM put an average of $1,400,000 into each episode of the show, and regard it as one of their most important franchises.^[1] It has won the Saturn Award for Best Syndicated Television Series on numerous occasions, as well as its cast having won similar awards for their acting.^[20] More recently it has received acclaim for its visual effects which have increased in quality and realism as the show gained a larger budget.^[21]

(courtesy of wikipedia.com)

In Style

In Style

The person in the picture is called Nigel. This picture was taken in the later afternoon in Trinity College. The sky was cloudy and an even shadow can be achieved as shown in the picture. This picture was further processed in photoshop to lighten the background. A diffused look was also done but fine details on the eyes, lips, "Nike" logo and the cross necklace was preserved.

Lost In The Woods

Lost In The Woods

This was taken near my house. This insects, looking like a cockroach was dwelling on the flowers. I cropped the picture as my nearest possible focus is 17cm on my 55mm lens. Haix, miss my compact camera which can focus even less than 4cm. But then it would give me another problem, being too near to this creepy thing. This title of being lost was given because when I was back home, I can still find it on that flower. Anyway, this is the first post after the lengthy Great Ocean Road trip pictures.

Think a Thought

Think a Thought

This was again my friend Jonathan Yong. This picture was taken in the Chemistry Laboratory. The bright outdoor creates a silhouette of him though the camera. The photo was later processed as sepia and a curve correction was made to his cheek and nose area to bring out the texture and gradient.

Break a Leg

Break a Leg

Featuring two of my drama friends, Michael Tan and Jonathan Yong. The venue of this shooting was at the drama room when the sun was strong upon the dark unlighted room. Both of them were lying on the carpets resting and the perfect fall of light and shadow caught my attention. The title had been given not only to remind the person underneath and also as a good luck wish for that afternoon's drama.

"Break a leg" is a well-known saying in theatre which means "good luck". It is typically said to actors before they go out onto stage to perform.

The expression is a theatrical superstition that replaces the phrase "good luck" which is considered bad luck. The expression is sometimes used outside the theatre as superstitions and customs travel through other professions and then into common use.

Traditional Theory

In the U.K., the most common idea of origin for the expression comes from tradition. Historians know from the time of King James I and Shakespeare's King's Men that actors would on occasion receive tips on top of their salaries. Rather than receiving tips directly from the company or theatre, tipping was left to the audience. During the final bows or curtain call, audiences would throw money, usually coins, onto the stage depending on how well they enjoyed the performance. In some bad performances they would throw rotten vegetables, but in the good cases, money. Actors would then 'take a knee', effectively breaking their leg line, on stage and pick up the money. As a result when you wish someone to 'break a leg' it refers to wishing them success in their performance so in end they would have to kneel down and collect a welcoming tip. Theatre evolved and the tradition of tipping changed. This tradition led to the tradition of throwing flowers on stage, as well as presenting flowers. The expression continued through theatre as it was still applicable and later became tradition.

Antonym Theory

Breaking one's leg is not a good thing to hope for - therefore by some superstition, if "good luck" causes bad luck, then the perceived bad luck of breaking one's leg causes good.

Bowing

This theory is thought to be an extension of the Traditional Theory. For the curtain call, when actors bow or curtsy, they place one foot behind the other and bend at the knee, 'breaking' the line of the leg. In theatre, pleased audiences may applaud in which time encore bows sometimes occur. On Broadway this is considered the highest compliment to an actor. In wishing someone to 'break a leg' you are ultimately wishing them to bow many times effectively causing them to break their leg line. A continuation of this theory is joke where you wish someone to bow too many times that they 'break a leg'.

Greek Origin

In the time of Ancient Greece, people didn’t applaud. Instead, they stomped for their appreciation and if they stomped long enough, they would break a leg. Or, some would have it that the term originated during Elizabethan times when, instead of applause the audience would stomp their chairs – and if they liked it enough, the leg of the chair would break. ^[1]

Roman Origin

In the time of Ancient Rome, gladiators would fight to the death as a form of popular entertainment in the colloseum^[2]. Spectators would sometimes shout "quasso cruris", the Latin equivalent of "break a leg". This essentially would be wishing them "good luck" by requesting they keep their lives and only cripple the other opponent by breaking his leg.

German Origin

A translation from the German phrase "Hals- und Beinbruch" ("neck and leg fracture"), which comes from the Yiddish phrase "Hasloche un Broche" ("success and blessing").^[3] The phrase has also been adopted from German into Polish language as połamania nóg, "breaking of legs", with the word połamanie, meaning fracturing, połamania being the genitive case. In Polish, życzyć, "to wish", governs the genitive case, thus the underlying structure is życzę ci połamania nóg, roughly translated as "I wish you a fracture of the legs". Both in German and Polish, the phrase is most typically used to wish a student good luck before an exam.

Lincoln Theory

Popular etymology derives the phrase from the 1865 assassination of Abraham Lincoln. John Wilkes Booth, the actor turned assassin, leapt to the stage of Ford's Theatre after the murder, breaking his leg in the process ^[4]. While Booth's roles as an actor are not well remembered, wishing an actor to "break a leg" is to wish them a performance worthy of remembrance. However, there are references to the expression before the 1860's.

Non-Literal

There are many non-literal references this expression could be referring to.

• In traditional curtains, the legs of the curtain were constructed from long wooden rods. In the case of many encores, curtains would be lifted and dropped numerous times causing them to 'break'.

• The term 'break a leg' may be an abbreviation for the phrase 'break a legend' which roughly means 'go get yourself out there' or related to meaning 'break' (example this is your big break).

• The term 'break a leg' may also be related to the members of a play / performance since they are known as the 'cast'.

Peasant Theory

A very whimsical theory is the Groundling or Peasant Theory. In the times of Shakespeare, theatres such as the Globe Theatre were open-air amphitheaters. People who could afford to, sat in the covered balcony seats while those unable to afford the balcony seating prices had crowd the front of the theatre in the open. Mockingly, these audience members were referred to as Groundlings (today's nosebleed audience status). Transfixed by well done performances the 'Groundlings' would drool. Actors would wish each other good luck by saying, "may you give such a stirring performance that you fall on the ensuing spot of the drooling Groundlings, and break a leg". ^{[citation needed]}

Alternate Terms

In some areas, the phrase "break a leg" itself has fallen into bad superstitious repute. In Australia, the term "chookas" can be used instead, and in the UK, "fall down backwards" may also be used. The origins of these terms are as unknown to us as is the origin of "break a leg".

(courtesy of wikipedia.com)

Glamour Shot

Glamour Shot

This was my friend Jonathan Yong. This photo was taken beside the window after Chemistry Laboratory session. We were waiting for our friends who were finishing their work. A digital photo filter was applied and a glamour soft glow look was also applied through photoshop.

Ring Of Wreath

Ring of Wreath

Taken yet again in Trinity College, this yellow rose was given a spot of light. This was done through a hole shaped from the fingers of my friend, Jonathan and carefully directing it to the center of the flower. Wreath is normally used to describe the ring of plants which are often used as decorations or in ceremony. However, the word was used describe the rounded spot of light on the middle of flower.




Wreaths are commonly made by evergreens as a symbol for the strength of life, with these plants overcoming even the harshest winters. Such wreaths often use Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis) and can be categorized as laurel wreaths. Other components of a wreath can be pine, holly or yew, symbolizing immortality, and cedar, symbolizing strength and healing. The Greek god Apollo is often associated with wreaths, and was a god of life and health. This inspired the Greek to use the symbol as crowns of victory at the Pythian Games, a forerunner to today's Olympic Games. The circularity of wreaths can be used to symbolize eternity or immortality.

(courtesy of wikipedia.com)

The Photoelectric Effects

The Photoelectric Effects


Featuring my friend from Malaysia, Mr Peng Cheng posing in the Physics Laboratory of Trinity College. He was carrying one of the coloured filters for an Photoelectric Effects experiment. That day was also the last session of laboratory in Trinity. We studied this effects both in Chemistry and Physics.

Upon exposing a metallic surface to electromagnetic radiation that is above a threshold frequency (which is specific to the type of surface and material), the photons are absorbed and current is produced. No electrons are emitted for radiation with a frequency below that of the threshold, as the electrons are unable to gain sufficient energy to overcome the electrostatic barrier presented by the termination of the crystalline surface (the material's work function). In 1905 it was known that the energy of the photoelectrons increased with increasing frequency of incident light, but the manner of the increase was not experimentally determined to be linear until 1915 when Robert Andrews Millikan showed that Einstein was correct.^[3]

By conservation of energy, the energy of the photon is absorbed by the electron and, if sufficient, the electron can escape from the material with a finite kinetic energy. A single photon can only eject a single electron, as the energy of one photon may only be absorbed by one electron. The electrons that are emitted are often termed photoelectrons.

The photoelectric effect helped further wave-particle duality, whereby physical systems (such as photons, in this case) display both wave-like and particle-like properties and behaviours, a concept that was used by the creators of quantum mechanics. The photoelectric effect was explained mathematically by Albert Einstein, who extended the work on quanta developed by Max Planck.

In the one-step model an electron can take multiple paths through this three steps. All paths can interfere in the sense of the path integral formulation. For surface states and molecules the three-step model does still make some sense as even most atoms have multiple electrons which can scatter the one electron leaving.

The photoelectric effect helped propel the then-emerging concept of the dual nature of light, that light exhibits characteristics of waves and particles at different times. The effect was impossible to understand in terms of the classical wave description of light, as the energy of the emitted electrons did not depend on the intensity of the incident radiation. Classical theory predicted that the electrons could 'gather up' energy over a period of time, and then be emitted. For such a classical theory to work a pre-loaded state would need to persist in matter. The idea of the pre-loaded state was discussed in Millikan's book Electrons (+ & -) and in Compton and Allison's book X-Rays in Theory and Experiment. These ideas were abandoned.

(courtesy of wikipedia.com)

Rock a Lane

Rock a Lane

This is the road towards my house in Melbourne. It is located in Wells Street, Southbank. It was during an evening with the sun hanging low which creates the dark long shadows. There was this particular rock which by the walkway which caught my attention. I get down on my knees and took this picture hoping to get the focus and angle correct as I was not able to view through the viewfinder.

IGNEOUS ROCK FORMATION

Molten rocks called magma is found under high temperatures in the Earth's interior. Some of this molten rock remains inside the Earth and some is ejected as lava onto the Earth's surface during volcanic eruptions. When the molten rock cools and solidifies, it becomes mineral crystals. The process of forming mineral crystals is called crystallisation. As the mineral crystals form, they join together or interlock into masses of igneous rocks.

Sedimentary ROCK FORMATION

Sedimentary rocks are generally stratified, fine-grained or composed of fragments of older rocks from which these were derived, such as pebbles, sand, angular fragments of older rocks, broken shells, rounded mineral grains and alteration minerals such as clays. Limestones are easily identified because they effervesce in dilute hydrochloric acid. Many sedimentary rocks also contain fossils.

Metamorphic ROCK FORMATION

Metamorphic rocks are sedimentary or igneous rocks that have been altered by heat and/or pressure. As they are derived from previously existing igneous, sedimentary or even metamorphic rock, their appearance is variable. They are identified by the types of minerals they contain and their texture. Thermally metamorphosed rocks occur bordering igneous intrusions, which altered the surrounding rock originally because of their intense hear, resulting also in the formation of new minerals such as andalusite and garnet. Regionally metamorphosed rocks occur in the roots of mountain ranges, where intense pressures and high temperatures formed platy minerals (e.g. mica) and high-pressure minerals (e.g. staurolite).

(courtesy Qin)

Row of Hats

Row of Hats

A photo shot in Trinity College. The original purple coloured rose had been processed into a black and white image added with a blurred and burnt outer image. This pointed rose was taken from it's dead front to expose it's beautiful petals which curves like a hat.

Invader

Invader

This picture was once again taken in Trinity College. The photo was processed to create soft or glamour look by applying Gaussian blur on a duplicated layer and changing its blend mode and opacity. These insects seems to be stuck there and not moving. It may have been caused by a sticky liquid produce by either the big insects, the green insects or the rose.

A pest is an organism which has characteristics that are regarded as injurious or unwanted. This is most often because it causes damage to agriculture through feeding on crops or parasitising livestock, such as codling moth on apples, or boll weevil on cotton.

The term pest may be used to refer specifically to harmful animals but is also often taken to mean all harmful organisms including insects, weeds, mites, fungi and viruses. Pesticides are chemicals that are used to control or protect other organisms from pests.

It is possible for an animal to be a pest in one setting but beneficial or domesticated in another (for example, European rabbits introduced to Australia caused ecological damage beyond the scale they inflicted in their natural habitat). The Western honey bee, one of the most beneficial of all insects, is itself a pest when it escapes into the wild in the Western Hemisphere, where it is not native (e.g., "killer bees"). Many weeds are also seen as useful under certain conditions, for instance Patterson's curse is often valued as food for bees and as a wildflower, even though it can poison livestock.

Deep In Touch

Deep In Touch

This yellow rose, exposing its opening petals shows a typical yet a strong image of freshness and complexity in the picture. Taken in the Trinity College and processed in photoshop to create its exotic shadows and deep colours.

Pray

Pray

This was taken at my house in Indonesia. My brother was praying to the Heavenly God (Tian Gong) for a blessing for his coming marriage. This photo had been processed to make it black and white while leaving the three oversized joss stick in original colour. The background had also undergoes photoshop new filter, "Lens blur".




Chinese religious belief that predates Taoism and Confucianism, but was later eventually incorporated into both Taoism and Confucianism.

Ancient Chinese believed in a non-corporeal entity called Shangdi, an omnipotent, just, monotheistic supreme God. Over time Shangdi became synonymous with Tian, or Heaven. Worship of Heaven is highly ritualistic, and the emperor has to hold official sacrifices and worship at an altar of heaven, the most famous of which is the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. There are no idols allowed in Heaven worship.

Heaven worship is closedly linked with ancestor veneration, as ancestors are seen as the medium between Heaven and humans. Rulers of China, also known as Sons of Heaven, derived their Mandate of Heaven, and thus legitimacy, from their supposed ability to commune with Heaven on behalf of his nation.

Early Abrahamic missionaries saw similarities between Shangdi/Tian and the Abrahamic God, and therefore translated their God into "Shangdi" in Chinese. Some Chinese Christian scholars assert that the Christian God and Chinese Shangdi are in fact the same entity.

(courtesy wikipedia.com)

Yin Yang

Yin Yang

Trinity College does has many interesting flowers, and when its blooming, unique arrangement shows a similar symbol in daily life. The soon to bloom bud and the fully grown flower while seperated by the curvy yet gentle petals hinted this title.

The concepts of Yin and Yang originate in ancient Chinese philosophy and metaphysics, which describes two primal opposing but complementary forces found in all things in the universe.

In Western culture, Yin and Yang are often erroneously portrayed as corresponding to "evil" and "good" respectively. The truth is that neither Yin nor Yang is preferable or morally superior.

1. Yin and Yang do not exclude each other.

Everything has its opposite: although this is never absolute, only relative. No one thing is completely Yin or completely Yang. Each contains the seed of its opposite. For example, winter can turn into summer; "what goes up must come down".

2. Yin and Yang are interdependent.

One cannot exist without the other. For example, day cannot exist without night. Light cannot exist without darkness. Death cannot exist without Life.

3. Yin and Yang can be further subdivided into Yin and Yang.

Any Yin or Yang aspect can be further subdivided into Yin and Yang. For example, temperature can be seen as either hot or cold. However, hot can be further divided into warm or burning; cold into cool or icy. Within each spectrum, there is a smaller spectrum; every beginning is a moment in time, and has a beginning and end, just as every hour has a beginning and end.

4. Yin and Yang consume and support each other.

Yin and Yang are usually held in balance: as one increases, the other decreases. However, imbalances can occur. There are four possible imbalances: excess Yin, excess Yang, Yin deficiency, and Yang deficiency. They can again be seen as a pair: by excess of Yin there is a Yang deficiency and vice versa. The imbalance is also a relative factor: the excess of Yang "forces" Yin to be more "concentrated".

5. Yin and Yang can transform into one another.

At a particular stage, Yin can transform into Yang and vice versa. For example, night changes into day; warmth cools; life changes to death. However this transformation is relative too. Night and day coexist on Earth at the same time when shown from space.

6. Part of Yin is in Yang and part of Yang is in Yin.

The dots in each serve:

1. as a reminder that there are always traces of one in the other. For example, there is always light within the dark (e.g., the stars at night); these qualities are never completely one or the other.
2. as a reminder that absolute extreme side transforms instantly into the opposite, or that the labels Yin and Yang are conditioned by an observer's point of view. For example, the hardest stone is easiest to break. This can show that absolute discrimination between the two is artificial.

7. Forces regain balance with yin-yang curves

Look at curves, where one thing is resolved with another. Our own bodies possess plenty of yin-yang curves, as do the bodies of all other organisms. Yin-yang curves can be internal (part of the physique) or external (part of the trajectory of motion). Select and adapt with curvature.

(courtesy wikipedia.com)

Pink Encounter

Pink Encounter

This was once again taken in Trinity College compound. I cannot remember if I had taken this image with the help of my flash light. The white light with the not so gentle shadow from the insect give me the hint. This bee must have been there looking for some nectar and in turn, pollination is helped by the bee. Even with an aperature of 5.6, in such a close up, the focus was turned on the yellow bunch of "bean sprout" and blur on the bee.