Anthem for the times

Despite my love of photography, there has only been an instance when I felt so moved by some photos that I felt like crying.

But in the case of music... I've been moved to tears before, and it wasn't just once. Perhaps I should have gone into music instead of photography?

A song I stumbled upon last weekend was Mr Children's Hanabi. I'm not one of their biggest fans, but there are a couple of songs from them I really liked: 旅立ちの唄 and 君が好き. I heard both of these while I was in Japan.

Hanabi means fireworks in Japanese, and from what I understand, the song is about seizing the moment and living and loving to the fullest. Perhaps just what I needed to move on. 

HANABI, Mr Children

作詞：Kazutoshi Sakurai 作曲：Kazutoshi Sakurai

どれくらいの値打ちがあるだろう?

僕が今生きているこの世界に

すべてが無意味だって思える

ちょっと疲れてんのかなぁ

手に入れたものと引き換えにして

切り捨てたいくつもの輝き

いちいち憂いていれるほど

平和な世の中じゃないし

一体どんな理想を描いたらいい?

どんな希望を抱き進んだらいい?

答えようもないその問いかけは

日常に葬られてく

君がいたらなんていうかなぁ

「暗い」と茶化して笑うのかなぁ

その柔らかな笑顔に触れて

僕の憂鬱が吹き飛んだらいいのに

決して捕まえることの出来ない

花火のような光だとしたって

もう一回　もう一回

もう一回　もう一回

僕はこの手を伸ばしたい

誰も皆　悲しみを抱いてる

だけど素敵な明日を願っている

臆病風に吹かれて　波風がたった世界を

どれだけ愛することができるだろう?

考えすぎで言葉に詰まる

自分の不器用さが嫌い

でも妙に器用に立ち振舞う自分は

それ以上に嫌い

笑っていても

泣いて過ごしても平等に時は流れる

未来が僕らを呼んでる

その声は今　君にも聞こえていますか?

さよならが迎えに来ることを

最初からわかっていたとしたって

もう一回　もう一回

もう一回　もう一回

何度でも君に逢いたい

めぐり逢えたことでこんなに

世界が美しく見えるなんて

想像さえもしていない　単純だって笑うかい?

君に心からありがとうを言うよ

滞らないように　揺れて流れて

透き通ってく水のような

心であれたら

逢いたくなったときの分まで

寂しくなったときの分まで

もう一回　もう一回

もう一回　もう一回

君を強く焼き付けたい

誰も皆　問題を抱えている

だけど素敵な明日を願っている

臆病風に吹かれて　波風がたった世界を

どれだけ愛することができるだろう?

もう一回　もう一回

もう一回　もう一回

I found a rough translation on Yahoo Answers, click here to see it!

© Lin Zhaowei, 2009.

  

A thing for swings

I love swings. There is something liberating about just flinging yourself into the air with your feet dangling, and watching the world spin around you.

I remember going to the neighbourhood public playground with my sister when we were both young, and the swing was probably my favourite structure. (Another fav was the merry-go-round) In those days, playgrounds were simple. They were built on sand. Structures were mostly made of metal and coated with a layer of paint. Usually there was a slide, a swing, a merry-go-round, a see-saw, a monkey bar and a few spring riders. Of these, the swing seems to be the one that is usually broken, perhaps because of rusting chains? We would go to the playground in the evening, when the air was cooler and run around for a hour or so, before we had to return home for dinner.

But as we grew older and entered primary school, I think the town councils (or whoever was in charge) began upgrading public playgrounds. For some reason they replaced the sandy playgrounds with those with rubber padded floorings, and perhaps for safety, swings were mostly taken off. In their place we have plastic all-in-one structures, which were still fun but never quite provide the same excitement as a simple swing.

I've missed them ever since, and everything time I spot a swing, I can't help but feel a little nostalgic and excited.

Which probably explains why I was quite thrilled  to find a swing — actually two — at a chalet resort on Pulau Ubin last week. I was there with some colleagues for an news-gathering exercise as part of our basic reporting course. "Wow, a swing!" I blurted out. My colleagues probably didn't notice. For a moment I just left aside what I was supposed to do — speak to the guy who runs the place — and just stood there gazed longingly at the swings.

I would have loved to jump on, but work beckoned. 
© Lin Zhaowei, 2010.

You may have noticed that one of my top 10 photos from my year in Japan was of a swing. Maybe I should do more work on this theme.

As I wrote this, a song came to mind. Sixpence None The Richer's Kiss me. I quite liked that song when I was in secondary school. The second stanza goes:

Kiss me down by the broken tree house
Swing me upon its hanging tire
Bring, bring, bring your flowered hat
We'll take the trail marked on your father's map

Breezy. Just like those days on the swing.

It's funny how some old songs seem to be more meaningful when I listen to them again these days.

*************************

PS: For those interested in reading more about Pulau Ubin, I found a blog written by a guy who has been visiting it regularly to chill out and take pictures. While it's a not a serious archival project per se, it makes for a good introduction to many of the personalities, stories and attractions on one of Singapore's few non-urban escapes. Click here to check it out.

A Quote

To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else. -- Emily Dickinson, Poet

Found this from a friend's blog. 

Another reminder to myself to live well. Halfway through Feb now, and I still haven't started on any of my planned photo projects.

How I learnt to love digital again

Until last week, I hadn't used my Nikon D40X for almost three months. The last time I did was when I took a couple of shots at the Apec Leaders' Meeting held at the Suntec City Convention Hall in November.

I'd actually thought it was the end of my D40X. I was already planning to replace it with a "pro" digital body. 

Then I bought a Nikon F3HP film camera on ebay (after one failed attempt) for a good price. Next came the problem of getting lenses to go with it -- because it's an old-school manual focus camera, I can only use it with old-school manual focus lenses.

The first to come was the Nikkor AIS 28mm f2.8, a legendary wide-angle that respected lens reviewer Bjorn Rorslett calls the best ultra-wide-micro-Nikkor, because it can focus as close as around 11cm from the front of the lens.

When I paired the diminutive lens with my tiny D40X (initially just to test for sharpness), it was like pure magic. To begin with, the 28mm is a joy to use, even though it's a manual focus lens. Like all old-school lenses, it's solidly built, with almost all metal parts, and the focus and aperture rings turned oh so smoothly. The combination balances perfectly and fits into any of my bags, including those that I use for work.

It has totally usurped the AFS 60mm f2.8 as my one-lens solution for the D40X. I can bring it anywhere. It's so light that I can barely feel the weight. It is super sharp at f2.8. (I got an excellent copy)

© Lin Zhaowei, 2010.

Meanwhile, the F3HP has arrived, condition just as described. But with the D40X rising from the ashes, I think I'm moving further and further away from film. While I enjoy shooting film, the tediousness of scanning and colour correction has taken almost all the fun out of it. Maybe I'll just use film for B&W from now on. Still got a few rolls of Kodak Ektar 100 to run through though. The F6 looks likely to go, sadly. Maybe even the 85mm f1.4.

© Lin Zhaowei, 2010.

Next lens to buy: A manual focus 50mm f2 or 35mm f2 lens, since the D40X is hogging the 28mm.

Next to sell: F6?