Showing posts with label [Nature]. Show all posts
Showing posts with label [Nature]. Show all posts
There's no better light than natural light from the sun. The quality of light in a photograph can determine the overall mood and tone of the image. Existing light photography or ambient-light photography, can be extraordinarily striking. The secret is to know under which circumstances natural light imaging might work, and how to optimize the results. I do not trust camera flash ~ it's artificial and looks fake. In fact, I have never, not even ONCE in my life use camera flash. Nah, I'm just kidding :)
So what's the trick of a PERFECT natural backlit photo? Well its simple really ~ patience, perseverance and an understanding of the rising sun. As a keen amateur hobbyist photographer, I'm always on the look out for the stunning AHA moment. The best time to capture a backlit leaf is when the sun is rising over the horizon ~ preferably from 7: 30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Personally, I LOVE to get up close and personal for my backlit shots. The leaf, veins and the contrast of the lighter color along with the fine lines of the smaller veins are amazingly SUPERB. You can dump your Photoshop. The combination of natural light and macro view will always result in good outcomes.
Have you tried backlit photography? I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas. There is no joy in possession without sharing. Feel free to leave your comments below.
Title: Mighty Green Veins
About: This is what you get when you mess with The Incredible Hulk. GRRR!
Title: Green Rust: The Dead's Charm
About: This is one of my favorite backlit shots. It looks like a piece of rusted metal infested with red oxides. What caught my attention were the rusted blades, green and white molds + available natural light.
Title: Nature's Green Geometry
About: From a distance, it looked plain and boring. But once you get up close and personal, you'll be mesmerized by the charm of this unique surface and its natural green glow. Words cannot describe this beauty.
Title: Shadow Play: ♪ Tong Tong Chiang ♪
About: Another favorite shot of mine. A big yellow-green leaf overshadowing an irregular leaf.
Title: The 8 Blades
About: Another up close and personal shot. I can only think of two words right now and that is GREEN OVERLOAD.
Title: Green Highway
About: A vibrant beauty. I love a close macro like this showing me details I might not see with my naked eye.
Title: Golden Brown Miracle?
About: A dying leaf illuminated by the morning ray. There can be miracles, when you believe ♪ ♫
Title: The Green Ridges ~ No Mountain Too High
About: Planet Green Mars. Imagine a tiny ant walking along the green unknown terrain :)
Title: The Green Glow
About: Leaves glow light green in the morning sun.
Title: Eco Green Blind
About: Nature is full of surprises. It’s so easy to simply walk right by countless amazing things every day without noticing just how many wonders are all around us. You got to keep your eyes wide open.
Title: The Arrow Boy
About: I was lucky to stumbled upon this junior plant. I wonder what would Arrow Boy say if he could talk. "You found me?"
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About the photo:
This photo was taken during the recent Putrajaya 2010 International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, Malaysia. This is one of my favorite "right place right time" photos that I've taken. It was captured at 8:07 a.m. I was lucky. The color temperature was right, it creates a warm natural glow with the balloons fully illuminated by the sun’s rays.
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Last updated November 28th, 2010 (11:47 p.m.)
Note: My photography works are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported.
The Fallen 1
Location: Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 11th March 2010 (Thursday), 1:44 p.m.
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/8.0, ISO Equiv.: 100
An up close and personal shot. The forest floor was carpeted with layers of fallen leaves. I had been too engrossed with macro shots. I didn't realized five bloody leeches were crawling up my shoes :(
The Fallen 2
Location: Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 11th March 2010 (Thursday), 1:44 p.m.
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/8.0, ISO Equiv.: 100
Same leaf but different angle. The pattern of the veins (venation) are AMAZING! Just like blood vessels.
The Fallen 3
Location: Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 11th March 2010 (Thursday), 1:44 p.m.
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/8.0, ISO Equiv.: 100
SURPRISE! This is the actual leaf. From afar, it looks dull and boring.
VROOM! VROOM!
Location: Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 11th March 2010 (Thursday), 1:41 p.m.
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.6, ISO Equiv.: 140
Halfway trekking, I stumbled upon a Temuan tribe boy. He was doing the VROOM! VROOM! pose. He looked back at me when I pressed the camera button :) Nowadays, Temuan forest inhabitants are tech savvy - with hand phones and motorbike.
After that, I continued with my trekking. Less than 100 m, I heard someone call me....repeatedly. I was shocked! I was searching high and low for that mysterious person. Later, I saw a Temuan elder hiding in the bushes setting up a small trap.
He asked me..."What are you doing with your camera?" I answered "Um...I'm taking photos of the forest :) " I walked off hurriedly. I think he saw me capturing junior with my camera. LOL!
The Fallen 4
Location: Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 11th March 2010 (Thursday), 1:32 p.m.
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.6, ISO Equiv.: 200
Sahara desert??? or the surface of Mars???
The Fallen 5
Location: Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 11th March 2010 (Thursday), 12:18 p.m.
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.6, ISO Equiv.: 720
Toffee flavored leaf :)
The Fallen 6
Location: Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 11th March 2010 (Thursday), 1:32 p.m.
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.6, ISO Equiv.: 180
Into the valley of DEATH!
The Fallen 7
Location: Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 11th March 2010 (Thursday), 1:32 p.m.
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.6, ISO Equiv.: 200
I've never realized the beauty of dead leaves until today :)
Fading Star
Location: Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 11th March 2010 (Thursday), 1:49 p.m.
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/6.3, ISO Equiv.: 100
It's sweltering hot in FRIM. Look at this dying leaf. The lower part was 'burning'!
The Fallen 8
Location: Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 11th March 2010 (Thursday), 1:32 p.m.
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.3, ISO Equiv.: 200
'Wrinkles' everywhere! Signs of premature aging :)
The Fallen 9
Location: Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 11th March 2010 (Thursday), 1:35 p.m.
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.6, ISO Equiv.: 140
Nature never fails to amaze me! Fallen and dead but remembered by mylo :)
Green Highway 1
Location: Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 11th March 2010 (Thursday), 3:03 p.m.
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.6, ISO Equiv.: 200
A close-up shot of a natural backlit leaf.
Green Highway 2
Location: Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 11th March 2010 (Thursday), 3:02 p.m.
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.6, ISO Equiv.: 100
When I look at this picture, I imagine myself as a small little fella sliding down the green lanes. WEE!
Green Highway 3
Location: Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 11th March 2010 (Thursday), 3:03 p.m.
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/6.3, ISO Equiv.: 100
More green goody. I'm a sucker for close-up shots. I just can't get enough of these green beauties.
Green Highway 4
Location: Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 11th March 2010 (Thursday), 3:04 p.m.
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.6, ISO Equiv.: 160
Another diagonal shot.
The Fallen 10
Location: Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 11th March 2010 (Thursday), 12:22 p.m.
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.6, ISO Equiv.: 800
This picture reminds me of tissue paper :)
Purple Fruits
Location: Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 11th March 2010 (Thursday), 11:36 a.m.
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.6, ISO Equiv.: 200
Two interesting purple fruits. About 13.8 inches in length.
The Trunk
Location: Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 11th March 2010 (Thursday), 2:04 p.m.
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.6, ISO Equiv.: 140
Lichens can be found growing on tree trunks. These organisms are widespread and may be long-lived.
After parking my car, I walked almost 1 km to the entrance of Canopy Walk Trail. From there, I trekked 4.5 km covering several trails in FRIM.
At first, it was a peaceful and joyous walk. When I reached the steep climbing trails leading to Canopy Walkway, a big group of school kids (junior and senior high) arrived. OMG! These youngsters were SO LOUD! They were laughing, shouting and mimicking the cry of the primates. It was so ANNOYING! Even 'Mat Sallehs' were quietly complaining.
Do they read the rules before trekking? You suppose to walk quietly, observe your surroundings and listen out to sounds of the forest. I came here to escape the hustle and bustle of KL...but only to be surrounded by a group of loud kids. LOL!
Luckily the group only walk up to the canopy trail. Everything is finally back to normal after one hour. PHEW! I spent another two hours completing the entire trail. Honestly, the forest trails in FRIM are way to easy for me....Easy-Peasy-Lemon-Squeezy! I still prefer to trek in a jungle. FRIM looks like a commercialized forest with too many trekkers.
There's not much to see at FRIM. But there's an awful lot of hungry leeches. Halfway trekking, I took a short rest at a mini waterfall. I removed my shoes and socks only to discover four leeches sucking blood on my feet. I used a twig to removed these parasite. Later, I felt a persisting itch on my left thigh. So, I loosen my pants only to discover another horrible fat blood sucker on my thigh. Fortunately, it didn't crawl up to my dick. There are so many leeches in FRIM! Just like Fraser's Hill.
Overall, FRIM is SO-SO. I still prefer the authentic jungle trekking in Fraser's Hill, Pahang. Anyway, the fallen leaves on the forest floor were quite impressive. I spent some time capturing the fallen beauties.
I'll be updating this post again with more pictures plus informative brochures. It's 2:10 a.m. I'm really tired and sleepy.
Last updated 15th March 2010 (1:17 p.m.)
Forest Research Institute of Malaysa (FRIM) - Directions, Getting There & Maps:
These thumbnails are screenshots. Click link to download.
- FRIM Layout & Complete Map (1 page, PDF file, 235 kb)
- FRIM Keruing Trail Brochure (4 pages, English, PDF file, 1.65 MB)
- FRIM Canopy Walkway Trails & Complete Map (2 pages, English, PDF file, 738 kb)
Note: All PDF files are hosted in MediaFire.
FRIM is located along the Selayang-Kepong Highway. You can take the KTM Komuter train from the Kuala Lumpur Railway station or any KTM Komuter station that is in the vicinity and head for Kepong station. Once you reach Kepong station, alight from the train and take a taxi to FRIM.
Forest Research Institute of Malaysa (FRIM) - Contact Details & Opening Hours:
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM),
52110 Kepong,
Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Tel : (603) 6279 7000
Fax : (603) 6273 1314
The operating hours of the park is from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily.
If you are driving, the entrance fee to the park is RM5/car else the fee charged is RM1/person.
About Canopy Walkway:
200m long, the canopy walkway was constructed in 1992 for scientific studies of above ground flora and fauna. It was built 30m above ground level.
- The walkway is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
- Closed on Mondays and Fridays.
- Last registration --> 1:30 p.m. Operating hours and entrance are subject to weather conditions. The canopy walkway will be closed should it rains. Re-open within 2 hours once it has subsided and the weather is permissible.
- You may download the Canopy Walkway Brochure for more info. CLICK HERE
A small charge is levied for the visit:
- RM10.00 (foreigner adult)
- RM5.00 (Local adult)
- RM3.00 (students age 13 years old onwards – must show your student ID)
- RM1.00 (children age 7 – 12 years old)
Advance booking can be made at Visitor Information Centre by phone, fax or email.
Visitor Information Centre,
Tel: (603) 6279 7575
Fax: (603) 6280 4619
or contact:
Mohd Shazwara Ab Halim
Tel (603) 62797677
Email: mohdshazwara@frim.gov.my
Forest Research Institute of Malaysa (FRIM) - About & FAQs:
The Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) is a statutory agency of the Government of Malaysia, under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. FRIM promotes sustainable management and optimal use of forest resources in Malaysia by generating knowledge and technology through research, development and application in tropical forestry. FRIM is located in Kepong, near Kuala Lumpur.
The 486-ha site in Kepong located 16 km northwest of Kuala Lumpur, is surrounded by the Bukit Lagong Forest Reserve.
Forest Research Institute of Malaysa (FRIM) - Google Maps:
Forest Research Institute of Malaysa (FRIM) - Things to Do/See:
- Keruing Trail - This trail winds its way through one of FRIM’s oldest plantations and boasts of statuesque commercial timber trees.
- Salleh Nature Trail - Named after the first Director General of FRIM, Dato’ Dr.Salleh bin Mohd Nor since our statutory trip on trees and ground dwellers.
- Engkabang Trail - This trail takes you through a former wetland which back in 1930, was partially covered by grassland and by secondary forest.
- Rover Track - 1.3 km, The rover track is a dirt road which approximately the 170m contour on the slopes towards the summits of Bukit Beruang (401m) and Bukit Nolang (439m). It is a very popular track for joggers.
- Canopy Walk Trail - 500 m
- Waterfall Trail - 900 m
- Canopy Walkway - 200 m long
- Fruit Tree Arboretum
- Ethno-Botanic Garden (Requires Written Permission)
- Museum
- Dipterocarp Arboretum
- Bird Watching & Wildlife Observation
- Mini Waterfall
- Insect House
- Picnic
- Jogging
- Cycling & Mountain Biking
- Camping
- Nature Studies
- Library
Forest Research Institute of Malaysa (FRIM) - Read More & Useful Links:
- http://tinyurl.com/yg57yvm (Wikipedia Article About FRIM)
- http://www.frim.gov.my/index.cfm (FRIM Official Portal)
- http://tinyurl.com/y9jzgb9 (Read my previous articles on FRIM)
- http://www.malaysiavacationguide.com/frim.html (An informative article by Malaysia Vacation Guide)
Title: The Wild Beans
Location: Paya Indah Wetlands, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 5th October 2009 (Monday), 12:40pm
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/8.0, ISO Equiv.: 100
Holding a bunch of elongated green beans. Look like 'petai' (stink beans).
Title: Calling Out To Bees and Birds!
Location: Paya Indah Wetlands, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 5th October 2009 (Monday), 10:49am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/9.0, ISO Equiv.: 100
A satellite dish?
Title: THE COMRADE RED STAR
Location: Paya Indah Wetlands, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 5th October 2009 (Monday), 10:34am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/6.3, ISO Equiv.: 100
An interesting star-shaped flower with sticky and fleshy seeds. The flower 'exploded' by itself revealing red coloured seeds.
Title: Run Lola Run!
Location: Paya Indah Wetlands, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 5th October 2009 (Monday), 11:38am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/9.0, ISO Equiv.: 100
I was following these scared gooses around. I was hoping to get some real close-up shots. Luckily I avoided goose attack :)
Title: Five Star Yellow
Location: Paya Indah Wetlands, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 5th October 2009 (Monday), 10:49am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/9.0, ISO Equiv.: 100
A gorgeous flower with heavenly smell.
Title: Time To Rest
Location: Paya Indah Wetlands, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 5th October 2009 (Monday), 10:53am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.6, ISO Equiv.: 200
A nice wooden bench. It reminds me of Forest Gump!
Title: Which Side is UP?
Location: Paya Indah Wetlands, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 5th October 2009 (Monday), 10:57am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/7.1, ISO Equiv.: 100
Reflection on the lotus lake. Look like an oil painting :) Note: All my pictures are genuine shots without any photoshop alteration.
This is my delayed Part 2 (blog post) about Paya Indah Wetlands. Lately, I was too engrossed with the blog competition. I have been spending a great deal of time on those submissions. The chances of winning are very slim. I still need PUBLIC VOTES - at least 10 STARS to push up my average. Please remember to support me and vote for my entries. Click here and VOTE - ALL ENTRIES
The animals in Paya Indah Wetlands are SHY and RECLUSIVE. The three hippos brought in from Africa are still ALIVE. From afar, I can see two hippos munching some green goodies. I walked discreetly to the closest perimeter. But the hippos noticed my presence and 'ran' back to the lake. Darn! I WAS SO CLOSE!
After that, I try my luck at the duckies and goose enclosure. Mother duck was quacking mad alarming the cute duckies. The ducklings quickly swam to the other side of the pond. SUCKS! But the gooses were brave enough to 'pose' next to me.
Overall, Paya Indah Wetlands has limited collection of floras and faunas. If you put effort searching for them, you will find some hidden treasures. I found exotic looking plants such as star-shaped flowers and stinky beans trees.
Paya Indah Wetlands is still a nice place for nature lovers. The new management needs to buck up and make it more interesting and wholesome. It is definitely BIG in size - a whooping 450.76 hectare. More can be done. Do not neglect Paya Indah Wetlands and let it die again.
Paya Indah Wetlands - Download Brochure & Map:
- Brochure 1 (Malay, 2.2MB, PDF file,5 pages)
- Map (388kb, PDF file, 1 page)
Paya Indah Wetlands - Contact Details:
Paya Indah Wetlands,
Jabatan Perlindungan Hidupan Liar dan Taman Negara (PERHILITAN),
Department of Wildlife & National Parks (DWNP)
KM 4, Jalan Dengkil-Banting,
43800 Dengkil, Selangor.
Tel 03-8768 7616/8726
Fax 03 8768 8424
Email piw@wildlife.gov.my
Paya Indah Wetlands - Getting There:
By car (From KL)
Take the LDP Highway, exit at Cyberjaya/Putrajaya Toll Plaza. Head towards Dengkil town. Keep a lookout for the Dengkil Police Station (left side of the road) which faces a set of traffic lights. Turn right here and follow the road. Once you have passed a bridge, and a Palm Oil Factory on your right, you are already nearing the Paya Indah Wetland Sanctuary sign. Turn right and stroll down all the way to the entrance. There is ample parking space.
Paya Indah Wetlands - Google Maps:
Paya Indah Wetlands - Things To Do/See:
- Camping
- Bird watching
- Horse riding
- Kayaking
- Eco learning programme
- Faunas (African hippos, crocodiles, birds & others)
- Floras (Lotus, Fern & Others)
- Lake chalet
- Exploration centre
Paya Indah Wetlands - Read More/Useful Links:
- http://tinyurl.com/y8637cb (Part 1 of Paya Indah Wetlands - My Blog Post)
- http://www.journeymalaysia.com/ML_paya.htm (Excellent review from JourneyMalaysia)
- http://tinyurl.com/ybsfyeu (Details from AllMalaysianInfo)
Article Preview
Title: Nelumbo nucifera (Latin for Lotus)
Location: Paya Indah Wetlands, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 5th October 2009 (Monday), 11:18am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/8.0, ISO Equiv.: 100
This plant is an aquatic perennial. Under favorable circumstances its seeds may remain viable for many years, with the oldest recorded lotus germination being from that of seeds 1300 years old recovered from a dry lake bed in northeastern China. Source: http://www.amjbot.org/cgi/content/abstract/89/2/236
Title: Sacred Pink Water Lily or Lotus
Location: Paya Indah Wetlands, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 5th October 2009 (Monday), 11:16am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/8.0, ISO Equiv.: 100
In Buddhist iconography, Buddha is often represented on a pink lotus. In Buddhist symbolism, the lotus represents purity of the body, speech, and mind as if floating above the muddy waters of attachment and desire. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelumbo_nucifera
Title: Hand Modelling :)
Location: Paya Indah Wetlands, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 5th October 2009 (Monday), 11:18am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/8.0, ISO Equiv.: 100
I LOVE THIS ANGLE. Looking at this picture reminds me of hand wash advertisement.
Title: It's MITOSIS
Location: Paya Indah Wetlands, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 5th October 2009 (Monday), 12:43pm
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/9.0, ISO Equiv.: 100
Look like a cell dividing into two daughter cells :)
Title: Hold me GORGEOUS :)
Location: Paya Indah Wetlands, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 5th October 2009 (Monday), 11:18am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/8.0, ISO Equiv.: 100
The lotus (pink water lily) in Paya Indah Wetlands are simply BEAUTIFUL! I was squatting on the lake side trying to 'pull' this flower closer to me. 99% of the flowers were blooming at the middle of the lake. I was really happy to stumbled upon some lovely lotuses at the lakeside. Not an easy task. I was searching high and low. Wish I had a sampan!
Title: Blooming
Location: Paya Indah Wetlands, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 5th October 2009 (Monday), 11:17am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/8.0, ISO Equiv.: 100
It seems the petals were opening up in front of me :) The smell is HEAVEN!
Title: Green 'Pizza' Anyone?
Location: Paya Indah Wetlands, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 5th October 2009 (Monday), 10:37am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/8.0, ISO Equiv.: 100
A lotus leaf as big as my face! Have you ever seen the back of an adult lily leaf? You'll be surprised! Check this out http://myloismylife.blogspot.com/2009/04/green-revolution-in-kuala-lumpur.html
Title: Exquisite
Location: Paya Indah Wetlands, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 5th October 2009 (Monday), 11:18am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/8.0, ISO Equiv.: 100
It was HOT AS HELL. My face and neck was 'burning'. But, I was momentarily fascinated by the pink lotuses. It was AWESOME standing next to these exquisite beauties.
Title: By The Lakeside
Location: Paya Indah Wetlands, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 5th October 2009 (Monday), 11:15am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/8.0, ISO Equiv.: 100
Remember to watch your steps. The soil on the lakeside is soft.
Title: EXPIRED
Location: Paya Indah Wetlands, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 5th October 2009 (Monday), 10:46am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.6, ISO Equiv.: 160
An ugly dead lotus.
Title: One Big Happy Family
Location: Paya Indah Wetlands, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 5th October 2009 (Monday), 10:38am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/6.3, ISO Equiv.: 100
This is not an easy shot. I have to step as close as possible to the lake and exposed myself to lalang (cogongrass or kunai grass). My hands were so itchy!
Title: Lotus Aplenty
Location: Paya Indah Wetlands, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 5th October 2009 (Monday), 10:37am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/7.1, ISO Equiv.: 100
This is another picture captured at the lakeside. Remember to walk carefully. I was stepping on a loose bed of wild grasses floating on the lake.
I always wanted to explore Paya Indah Wetlands. But, the wetlands were plagued with endless problems since it was opened by Tun Mahathir bin Mohamad (former PM of Malaysia) on 13th October 2001. The wetland park was closed in February 2005 due to financial constraints faced by the Malaysian Wetlands Foundation which was then managing it. The three African hippos in the wetlands were not given proper care at that time. The Wildlife and National Parks Department then took over its management and proceeded to rejuvenate it.
The sanctuary was re-opened to the public on 20th October 2008. But, the park is still unable to attract visitors. I LOVE NATURE! So, I decided to pay a visit and see for myself. It was a long trip from Kuala Lumpur to Dengkil. The place lies between Cyberjaya to the north and Salak Tinggi to the south.
I was stopped by a guard manning the main entrance. He asked me "Encik nak buat apa di sini?" (Translation: What are you doing here?) Huh? Duh? He looks at me camera bag suspiciously. I told him I'm visiting Paya Indah Wetlands. He looks at me again (mistrust) and directed me to the registration counter. I was shocked when I parked my car. The parking bay is HUGE! But, it was E.M.P.T.Y! I was the only visitor that day. This place looks like a ghost town. It was eerie and quiet from outside.
I requested a brochure and start my exploration. The brochure looks impressive. I was so excited seeing so many attractions listed on the brochure. The place is definitely BIG in size. But, I noticed many places are closed or barred with metal poles. I was so disappointed! After driving for such a long distance and paying multiple toll fares, I only get to explore some attractions. A BIG LETDOWN. Malaysia Agriculture Park is way better than Paya Indah Wetlands. Paya Indah Wetlands look so 'empty' or 'kosong'.
The only thing worth seeing are the Typha and Rusiga Lakes. These two lakes has thousands of beautiful lotuses. It was a burning hot day. Honestly, the wetlands look like a 'desert' to me. The management needs to plant more trees. Halfway exploring the place, I took out a mini umbrella. It was like walking on a Sahara desert!
More pictures & rambling in Part 2.
