Some mornings are this colourful in Malaysia, particularly in Terengganu, a north-eastern state on Peninsula Malaysia.
The above is a stunning image of a man climbing up a coconut tree at sunrise which was featured on Apple's official Instagram page. Picture was taken by Nor Azmeer Iskandar Amir Hamzah.
The Kuala Lumpur native said he took the image in August last year at Kampung Rusila in Marang, Terengganu, a fishing town located on the main highway between Kuantan and Kuala Terengganu.
Everyday, day or night, you switch on to CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera or Skynews and you'd be hit with news about the violence in Egypt. It used to be news about Syria. Both situations are just as bad, worrisome and saddening, like why are we killing each other?
Egypt, like China, has a rich history and civilization that date back centuries so it should be a very interesting place to visit from what we know. If you are thinking about going to Egypt, you may want to hold on to that plan for now.
With the escalating unrest, many countries are issuing travel warnings about going to Egypt including the seaside resorts along the Red Sea though one owner of a diving centre in Hurghada said:
"Most of the events are 600 kilometres away in Cairo and in Alexandria, but people just don't realise that," he told Reuters by telephone.
"Downtown Hurghada is absolutely quiet. All I saw today were some people and police sitting together protecting the church."
He said the media coverage of the deadly violence was partly to blame.
Let's see which countries are issuing travel advisories to their citizenry..
German tour operators Thomas Cook Germany and TUI Germany, part of Europe's largest tour operator TUI Travel, cancelled all trips to Egypt after the German foreign ministry advised against travelling to the beach resorts popular with European sun-seekers and divers.
Similar advice from Sweden's foreign ministry led Swedish tour operators to stop all trips to the resorts of Sharm el-Sheikh, 400 kms from Cairo on the Sinai Peninsula, and Hurghada on the Egyptian mainland.
Belgium followed suit, extending a travel warning to tourist resorts on Friday that led to travel agencies Neckermann and Jetair cancelling all trips to Egypt until August 31.
The United States on Thursday warned Americans against travelling to Egypt and urged U.S. citizens living in Egypt to leave the country.
Egypt attracted 14.7 million visitors in 2010 including 2.8 million Russians, 1.5 million Britons and 1.3 million Germans, according to OECD figures.
Three years ago the $13 billion (8 billion pounds) industry accounted for 11 percent of GDP, according to the World Tourism Organization.
Russia, the biggest source of tourists to Egypt, said its citizens should not travel to the country and its tourism agency advised against tour operators promoting Egyptian holidays.
Britain's foreign office has advised against travelling to Egypt except to Red Sea resorts, although a spokesman said this guidance was under constant review.
He said some tourists in resorts at Hurghada had been advised not to leave their hotel grounds after one man was killed in clashes there on Wednesday.
Millions of foreigners visit Egypt each year to laze on its beaches, tour ancient ruins and cruise along the Nile.
Travel advice issued by governments affects tourism as travel health and cancellation insurance will often not apply to locations deemed unsuitable for travel. Source: The Star..Travel firms cancel holidays as violence grips Egypt
The two images above capture the views from the top of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. They are two of a number of illicit photos taken by tourists in March of this year who secretly climbed the wonder of the world at night.
A group of Russian tourists waited until official visiting hours were over at Egypt's famous Giza Necropolis, before scaling the enormous Great Pyramid as the sun began to set.
The Russians managed to escape the attention of security guards at the ancient site, allowing photographer Vitaliy Raskalov to snap pictures of the surrounding desert and the majestic Sphinx from the top of the 455ft structure.
Here's another view from the top of the Great Pyramid..
Better yet, view a video by CNN from which the above photos have been taken, I think.
The Russian photographer has apologized for ignoring regulations prohibiting the public from climbing on the Pyramids at Giza, Egypt.
"No words can express the fascination I felt when seeing my childhood dream come alive. Probably this very feeling made us climb onto the top of the Pyramid and see the the panorama of the whole complex, the desert and Cairo itself.
"It took us around 20 minutes to get to the top. We were taken breathless by the view.
"What we saw from up there was the seventh wonder of the world. We tried to capture the beauty of the scenery in the photos, so that the others could also see this magnificent panorama."
He said they were not the first to scale the pyramids.
Some of you share wonderful pictures of places you visit on your blog. They are so good they are good enough to be made into postcards to give away as souvenirs of your travel or even for sale.
With the Chinese New Year just ahead, orders must be rushing in for postcard printing online. A former colleague used to have his family portrait printed on greeting cards for sending out to friends and family. I think that's a great idea. The cards not only go out as a greeting card from the family, it also acts as an update of the family from year to year.
Have you ever experimented with taking fun or cheeky photographs? No? Here's an inspiration from Victoria Beckham, wife of famous footballer, David Beckham.
She posed for this cheeky photo which husband David posted on his Facebook page.
The fashion designer stands on a New York street - strategically distancing herself so she appears to cup David's nether regions in a huge advertisement on the side of a building behind her. Read more about She's got her hands on David's Goldenballs!
Everyone loves a love story - especially when it leads to a wedding. A little Hong Kong celebrity trivia here.
Toby, the daughter of famous TVB producer, Tommy Leung, married her boyfriend, Aaron Wong, a businessman, last month. The newlyweds are set to hold their wedding banquet at InterContinental Hong Kong on Tuesday night, tonight, I suppose.
Toby Leung cries at hubby's love declaration. The 28-year-old recalled: "I'm very touched when he told me that, 'it's gotta be you'! At that moment I feel like I'm the happiest person in the world!"
Toby Leung officially married her boyfriend, Aaron Wong, on Nov 24.
The couple had earlier flown to Shanghai and Taiwan to take their wedding photographs. Below are three among the Wedding photos of Toby Leung released.
Toby, 28, first entered the music industry in 2004, and was a member of the disbanded Girls' Only Dormitory group. She later joined TVB and was given supporting roles in TV series.
Toby now owns a wedding planner company in Hong Kong and has plans to open a branch in Taiwan next year, and is working with a company to explore the market in China.
Aaron is a businessman specialising in luxury home investments. At only 32, he has earned the nickname of "The Property Investment King" and has assets estimated at HK$200mil (RM79.6mil).
The bridesmaids included Charmaine Sheh, Janet Chow, Angela Tong, Natalie Tong, Florence Kwok, Margaret Chung and more.
Guests at the 53-table wedding banquet at InterContinental Hong Kong Hotel included TVB Chairwoman Mona Fong, new boss Chan Kwok Keung, Norman Leung, Stephen Chan and other executives. Toby’s wedding was surely a star-studded banquet as many artistes attended including: Alan Tam, Nick Cheung, Louis Koo, Anita Yuen, Christine Ng, Michael Miu, Jamie Chik, Felix Wong, Nat Chan, Roger Kwok, Cindy Au, Michael Tse, Fala Chen, Raymond Lam, Charmaine Sheh, Tavia Yeung, Kate Tsui, Edwin Siu, Ron Ng, Kevin Cheng, Niki Chow, Amigo Chiu, Natalie Tong, Sharon Chan, Joyce Tang, Derek Kwok, Timmy Hung and many more. It was much more star-studded than the TVB Anniversary!
Image source of the four images above: Asiancrunch
Watching documentaries of the beautiful marine life in the oceans around the world makes me appreciate the efforts of the photographers, at the same time marvel at the advancement of technology particularly the camera equipment they use.
Speaking from a layperson's point of view, I suppose with camera goggles, any novice can take pictures under the water although they may turn out a little less professional. What do you think?
Incidentally, Christmas is not too far away but enough time to make an order of such a camera if you are looking for such a gift for a photography enthusiast, be it family member or friend. He or she would be forever grateful for this hands-free camera which can be used for filming or taking digital images. He/she can go snorkeling, spearfishing, free-diving, or scuba diving with it. What fun!
Visiting Australia soon? When planning a holiday, we would want to know the weather conditions, particularly in relation to average temperatures and rainfall of the place we will be visiting. Here is one source that has weather forecast information around the globe. Better yet, as Australia is a popular holiday destination for Malaysians, The Weather Channel is just the perfect resource to aid holiday-planning.
The Weather Channel, launched in 1999, is Australia’s premier 24-hour meteorological media outlet providing subscription television viewers up-to-the-minute local, state and national weather reports together with LIVE detailed coverage throughout severe weather events. Viewers can expect the most up-to-date commentary and analysis from their expert team of Meteorologists and Presenters 24/7. While you are at it, do check out their blogs. They are chockful of interesting and realtime weather information you wouldn't want to miss. The Weather Channel has become a leading voice of meteorological commentary across Australia.
Looking for weather forecast information is practically effortless on The Weather Channel site. The set of navigation buttons on the homepage allows you to easily scroll to any town or city of your choice to get weather forecast for Now, 3-hourly, Today and Tomorrow. Weekly weather forecast is also available.
Do bookmark The Weather Channel to easily access the latest weather forecast and information to save you time and help you plan activities in advance. The site not only provides weather forecast, it also has other useful information including breaking weather news like the flooding in Queensland right now. For rural Australians, the Country Skies Report has the most up-to-date data. You can also get to know about great travel deals. For photography enthusiasts, check out the amazing images submitted by their viewers. The Weather Channel, everything weather forecast and more..
Here is a site for photographers, photography enthusiasts and someone checking out Canon digital SLR cameras or simply checking out cameras and camera accessories.
CamerasDirect is a store for all things camera and more. Whether you are looking for DSLR cameras or compact digital cameras, you will find a wide selection of the popular brands including Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus and more.
I think you'd be able to find everything you need on this camera store. There's a good selection of lenses, flashes, filters, memory cards and cardholders, batteries, camera bags, tripods and other accessories like lens covers and lens hoods, etc. Camcorders and binoculars are also available on CamerasDirect. There's more. The site is a resource for photography tips and answers to FAQs. Their product reviews can come in handy when you are looking to compare cameras to make an informed buying decision. Got questions of your own? Call them tollfree. Oh, by the way, there's a sale going on right now and you may be in for a good deal. So, check it out! You may never know what good deals you can find. Happy shopping!
I'm thankful for friends who keep me in their thoughts. They may not pen as much as a "Hi, how are you?", but they continue to forward me emails with all sorts of information, stories and articles that make me go ooh and aah(!) at times, cry a little or laugh aloud or even swear at other times.
Through their emails, I get to visit beautiful exotic places, see things I might not get to see otherwise, get political stories that are not in mainstream media, funny stories and jokes and much more. Yesterday, when I received the images below, I thought I'd have to share the beauty with you who are into art and photography. For the latter, KS and Mei Teng come to mind. Enjoy them! There's more where these came from.
Anyone who is into photography and bird-watching would appreciate this gadget, the bird camera. There are many models of bird cameras in the market to suit every need and budget.
Birds, these gorgeous creatures of flight, have fascinated people for a long time. Their colors, shape and size, their movements and habits have always been subjects of study. No doubt binoculars have helped in getting a closer view of these objects of beauty but that's as far as it goes - allowing one to view the birds from a distance.
Cameras for birds have taken bird-watching a step further. They allow one to capture bird habits and movement for further study and admiration. Birdcamera.com has a bird camera for every purpose. There is the bird nest camera to document development of the bird from egg to adulthood. A bird house camera captures the goings and comings of the birds that come and go in your backyard. Birds, like all other animals, are sensitive and alert creatures. A wireless bird camera would allow for candid shots of the pretty birds.
To manage my photos online, I use Webshots. It is very easy to use. I have a 35mm camera. I get my film developed on a CD. I load the pictures from my CD onto my computer. I then take those pictures and create a folder for them. I name that folder. I then go to webshots.com.
To load my pictures from my folder, I would click on the upload button. Then click on the browse button to search for that folder. Once the folder is found, click on upload. Once your pictures are uploaded, Webshots will ask you to name your photo album. Once that is done, you can filter each picture into the album it belongs to. For example, you might have a photo album named South Dakota. Any picture that relates to South Dakota can be moved to that photo album. After you name your album, you can then categorize it. Since South Dakota is a state, you would probably want to categorize it under travel.
Webshots is also a sharing site. Anyone who is a member of Webshots can view your pictures and download them. You may also view and download any members photos. This is great if you are taking a trip somewhere. If a member of Webshots has already been to that same place, you can view those photos before you go.
Since I use hughes wireless, sometimes the upload process can be rather slow. It is better to do any uploading or downloading in the morning. Internet traffic is not as busy during that time.
The bright orange sky yesterday morning at about six-thirtyish. I have not seen anything like it, probably because I don't get up that early, so I thought I'd document its glory.
Here's a quiz. What do chocolates and roses have in common? Why, they are both everyone's favourite things, of course.
The image above is borrowed from Mei Teng's blog, her latest post on dark chocolates. Mei Teng is a photography hobbyist and is game enough to experiment to hone her skills. For more of her works of art, visit her Foodientravelbug site.
It is easy to relax too much and not do any blogging for a while. A while for me would be a number of days at a stretch. It could go on, of course, but guilt would set in.
I have been blog-hopping though and leaving comments here and there and having a good laugh at some of the posts. It just goes to show that the world never sleeps just because someone does. The sun still rises the following day and things still happen around the world - good and bad and it's the good things we want to focus on, don't we?
Friends who continue to forward me emails are among my blessings. Rain or shine, whether I respond or not, the good stuff keeps coming in from far and wide and I thank them. I have no doubt you too have friends like that.
One of the good stuff I want to share today is about a polar bear and a huskie playing together. This set of photographs was taken by Norbett Rosing, a renowned German wildlife photographer.
Norbert Rosing's striking images of a wild polar bear coming upon
tethered sled dogs in the wilds of Canada's Hudson Bay.
It looks like lunch-time for the bear when he wandered in..
but it didn't happen, instead they were engaged in play.
The Polar Bear returned nightly for two weeks, until the ice froze and the bear left to hunt seals.
This is a unique encounter as polar bears and dogs are natural enemies and 99 percent of the bears behave quite aggressively toward dogs. However, according to the US National Institute for Play, playfulness crosses species lines.
Sustaining a hobby takes passion, time and money. Take photography, for instance. Photography can be an expensive hobby if you are committed enough to invest in owning expensive equipment, replacing them and adding on new improved pieces over time.
For convenience and probably in order not to be saddled with high costs and maintenance, even big corporations, such as BBC, MTV, Getty Images, Samsung and others turn to camera hire. Indeed, it is true. Camerent has been supporting camera and video camcorder rentals for clients like them, even Kodak is a client.
I'm not a photographer per se, so do not own expensive photography equipment but now I know I could secure a Sony camera hire if I need to if I were to be in the UK, Ireland, France or the US. For video-shooting, I could go for a Sony z1 video camera hire. So, if you are in the countries mentioned, and if you are thinking of camera rental, think Camerent who prides themselves on offering the highest levels of service, the best possible price along with the latest in technology.
What do we do with all the photographs that we have taken for all the special occasions in our life? Chances are, they are saved in a pen-drive or still in our computer hard-disk while the hardcopy photographs are just filed away in a photo-album or still in a box awaiting sorting.
Have you heard of photobook albums? These are stylishly designed photo-album books of professionally printed photographs. These Premium Photobooks are aimed towards special occasions such as weddings, anniversaries, and others. Wedding photo albums are a popular request.
Photoproductions is the only company in the UK to produce premium photobooks direct to the public, without them having to go through a photographer who will increase the cost.
The process is easy and can be done online. Say you already have your wedding photographs and would like to have the best ones put together into a Wedding photo album , something like in a storybook.
Go to Photoproductions.com and load in your photos, choose the desired photobook, professional designers will then create the interior, you review and approve the design. Any change can be adjusted before printing. After you click 'approve for print', printing and binding will begin followed by delivery of your beautifully completed Premium Photobook.
Weddings can cost big bucks for happy couples looking to tie the knot unless it's just a simple ceremony at the courthouse or the marriage registration office. In addition, there are the thousand and one things to look into leading up to that happy day. One of the most important action items on the list has got to be the photography. Wedding photography has come a long way.
Professional wedding photographers like those from Hendricks Kim Photography provide a fresh, distinctive approach to weddings. They capture your day as it truly happens providing you with real, unscripted images with the end results being extraordinary with timeless pieces of art reflecting the story of your celebration.
With their highest level of technical merit and artistic creativity, Hendricks Kim photographers offer only the best coverage for your celebration ensuring that your wedding day will be smoothly captured providing fond memories in years to come.
These accomplished photographers are based in Seattle but travel extensively and frequently - commissioned across the country and worldwide.
Nice graffiti - artistic artwork indeed. Life is like that. We live among beauty and ugliness side-by-side sometimes.
The children in the picture look like they are in play but in reality, they are not. The caption reads Somali children run across a front-line between Islamist militants and soldiers in the capital, Mogadishu, where clashes have flared. The country has lacked a functioning central government since 1991.
Such is the state of affairs in Somalia which if you recall is the source of all that high-profile piracy off the coast of Africa.
The image above is one of BBC's selected pictures of the week. A few more have been compiled below. You can visit site for more.
If only we would stop to smell the roses, fascination and pleasure can be derived from the simplest of things around us. Below are pictures submitted by readers of bbc.com whose subject is based on the theme, Wonder. What gives you a sense of wonder? Here are more pictures of what BBC readers find wonderful.
Girl timidly turning a Tibetan prayer wheel
Beauty of a spider web
A local park transformed by the sun
A reading spot in Fiji
And still on the element of Wonder, out in the sands of the Gobi desert, Buddhist relics have been recently uncovered. More pictures available on BBC.
This is a pen. It sure looks like a pen, doesn't it? Only thing is, it is not a pen per se but rather a camera under the guise of a pen. Great invention, and like all great inventions they serve the better good of mankind but if used inappropriately, they can get people into trouble.
Last month, The New Paper of Singapore carried a story about a Comfort taxi-driver exposed for snapping secret 'upskirt' shots in his cab with his hidden pen camera.
The cabbie has since been fired from his job and is under Police investigation. If found guilty, he could be jailed for up to a year, or fined, or both.
I hope this 'act' is not happening here though there have been some instances of hidden camera found in changing rooms and restrooms. There are also emails warning of camera affixed on shoes or cameras that shoot through clothes. Have you experienced any such untoward incident? I hope not.
By the way, did you notice that there has not been any news of cab-rapes lately in KL after the culprit has been caught? It sure is a big relief because I do take cabs sometimes.
