Today I was faced with a situation where I had to help someone troubleshoot some video shenanigan, and had to teach a little bit about video codecs, however, after thinking through it, I found that my "would be" answer was going to be too technical to be of any use in the situation so I thought maybe I can talk a bit about codecs here instead.

Basically, everyone's heard of MOV, WMV, MP4, M4V etc etc right? Let me clarify this myth and say that these are NOT codecs. They are "Containers" that store all the video and audio information.

So what is a codec? A codec is an algorithm that compresses your raw video and audio information. For example, H264/AVC, is a very popular codec. AVC is a variant of H264, they're technically almost the same thing. MPEG2, is made popular because it's the codec used for DVDs. MPEG1 is the codec used for VCDs. So, technically you can use the same codecs for different containers. So, you can actually have the same video file compressed by H264 but placed in a different container, like WMV or MOV. The different containers are just different companies trying to be funny to make your life difficult so you will only use their "propriety" format. Okay, it's not that simple, but this is sort of the gist of it.

Next, there's a million and one codecs out there, and they all work differently, but the end goal in mind is all the same; to EFFICIENTLY reduce file size without compromising too much on quality.

Okay, for those who are still confused, let me try to explain this with an example - Imagine you want to package some potato chips, and laid out before you, you have Lays, Pringles, Calbee and Ruffles. Lays, Ruffles and Calbee all have similar types of packaging, which is basically an airtight plastic bag that usually contains a lot more air than chips. (codec is weak here because it's not efficient) Pringles, on the other hand, uses a tube container to efficiently package a large quantity (large raw video) of chips into a small tube, hence, Pringle's "Codec" is very efficient. It manages to squeeze a lot of chips (information) into a small package (small file size).

Now I'm hungry.

The animal kingdom has always held a special place in my heart. I grew up staring at glossy pictorials of predators tearing their preys apart and daydreaming about exploring the Savanna.

Although I have lost this zoological zest, stories about animals never fail to amaze me even till now. I love the works of Nick Brandt, who has captured the grace and grandeur of African animals. More recently, I chanced upon a new series on National Geographic - Great Migrations.

Produced over 3 years, this series show us the struggles and triumphs of animals as they make their movements around the world. These great migrations of different animal species, ranging from the Monarch Butterflies to the Sperm Whale, are documented in spectacular fashion.

YZ

To me, cameras have this magical draw that is likened to bourgeois women to LV bags. But, not all cameras are made the same, and not all cameras capture my attention the in same way. Below is a list of 10 cameras in my books that have that magical soul to them and are charismatic in their own unique way. The list is in no particular order or preference.

1. Hasselblad Xpan I/Xpan II/ Fuji TX-1/ TX-2 - They're basically all the same camera, just branded differently, with the version II having a few minor bugs fixed. I love it that it's a true panoramic camera, (it takes 2 frames of 35mm) instead of using a rotating lens like some other panoramic do. Everything just looks better in pano mode in my opinion, especially landscape. They don't make them anymore, I read it's due to some EU law that taxes the use of precious metals, and since the Xpan/TX uses a Titanium body shell, it's no longer cost effective to produce them. A real shame, because it's a really nice camera.

2. Epson R-D1/R-D1s/R-D1X - All 3 iterations are very similar, with very minor tweaks here and there, nothing really earth-shattering. If you look to the end of the list, you'll realise that the list doesn't contain many digital cameras, simply because I feel digital cameras of today seem to serve one purpose only, that is, to make the most money out of you, and they no longer think of the photographer anymore, hence, i have a greater affinity for film cameras. The Epson, however, is one of the only 2 digital cameras to make it to this list. It's the world's first digital rangefinder, and has this really cool analogue display that's made by Seiko, one of Epson's affiliate companies. The analogue display is reminisce of a car's petrol gauge. Really cool stuff. Looks aside, the camera does perform very well. It uses a Nikon D70/D100 sensor but in my opinion, Epson has done a much better job at tweaking it to get much more natural looking colours out of it. The ISO is also better controlled than the D70 in my opinion. Pity that Epson has made no announcement of creating a version 2 of this wonderful camera. The Epson is one of the only digital cameras that have managed to hold their value so well. They're hard to come by in the 2nd hand market and are often quite pricey.

3. Hasselblad 500 series - The camera that went to the moon. Which other camera can boast of that accolade? I love medium format cameras that take square images, and the Hassy is one of the best at doing just that. It's a very well thought out design that is still relevant today, even though its more than 30 years old. Everything is modular on the camera, meaning, everything can be changed or swapped. It was THE fashion camera of the 70/80s because it was considered small enough for handheld use, albeit still quite large, but compared to it's competitors, its really quite remarkable how they managed to keep it to this size. The lenses that accompanied the Hassy were made by Carl Zeiss and are all tack sharp and a real joy to use. The only 500 series that Hasselblad still makes is the 503, and to stay relevant, they've made a CFV, which is a digital back which can make any of the 500 series cameras into digital cameras instantaneously (modular, like I said before). There are many used 500 series out there that are really worth it to get if you want to foray into medium format photography.

4. Leica MP - Need I say more? The name itself is a cult in the photography world. They're the "Apple" of the photography world. Oddly enough, the other M series camera never caught my attention before, even though I know many others swear by them. The MP is Leica's flagship fully manual camera. Meaning, if you're in Antarctica and all your batteries went dead, your MP is supposed to still work. I like the manual-ness of this camera and how this camera stands out from the crowd. The looks of it is also very alluring to me. However, these Leicas cost an arm and a leg, but, they're cameras that hold their value very very well.

5. Mamiya 6 - The Mamiya 6 is a medium format rangefinder camera that takes 6x6 square images, similar to the Hassy above. Some of you would ask, why not the Mamiya 7/7II? They're very very competent cameras as well, but like I said in the top of my post, this list is about cameras that I like and cameras that I feel have charisma, and I'm strangely drawn to cameras that can take square images. (The 7/7II take slightly rectangular images) The camera is pretty big in the hands but nothing as big as the Hassy, and the images from it are simply awesome. The pictures taken from the 50mm lens is really really sharp. It's a rangefinder, so not everyone will like it. They don't make them anymore, they're also harder to find on the second hand market than the 7/7II.

6. Konica RF - The Konica RF is often associated with the Leica M7. It's got automatic film advance and rewind, built-in metering. Leica owners prior to the M6 and M7 had to live with external light meters. The RF is actually very well built, with Titanium top and base plates. The camera, in my opinion, is one of the best rangefinders out there. It failed because of bad marketing. I'm quite sure if Leica built something like this, they would be selling like hotcakes. These go relatively cheap (compared to Leica) on the 2nd hand markets but prices seem to be increasing. Perhaps because more and more people are starting to realise the practical plus points of the camera over a Leica. Paint doesn't stick to Titanium very well, so many 2nd hand copies have their top and base plate's paint chipped off, it's very normal. So don't judge the camera based on it's looks. It's hardier than you think.

7. Nikon FM2 - The FM2 were often professional photographers' backup cameras, because they were fully manual cameras. However, they were so good, that often, these cameras became the main cameras too. They're built like rocks and they never die. Small, compact, simple to use, rugged, trustworthy. These are some of the adjectives associated with the camera. If you want to learn SLR photography, I'd suggest you get one of these. There's plenty on the 2nd hand market and they're indestructible, so getting one wouldn't be that difficult.

8. Nikon F4 - The F4 was the camera that most professionals went for. It was well made, had good functions, was easy to use and very very very reliable. Often complementing the F4 was the FM2. The duo was a must-have for any professional photographer of that time. It's still possible to get these on the 2nd hand market but they're harder to come by of late.

9. Canon 5D Mark I - This is the 2nd digital camera on my list. It offered full 35mm frame sized sensor in an era when APS-C was the faze. It quickly took centre stage as not many other camera companies made full-frame cameras. Sensor size aside, this camera was picked by me simply because of the way the sensor rendered colours. There is no other camera (in my opinion) that renders colours like the 5D Mark I. Images out of the 5D were the most pleasing and natural to me. Pity that the camera's colour profiles were not carried over to it's newer brother, the Mark II.

10. Minolta CLE - I've had a love-hate relationship with this camera. It's a magnificent little camera that was so modern in its day. The CLE is 3/4 the size of a Leica M, hence, a very nice coat-pocket friendly camera. The CLE had a very advance touch sensitive shutter, (it detects your finger touching the shutter release and will automatically show you the metering results and recommended shutter speeds) The camera is a joy to use because of its simplicity and size, but it was also a pain because the metering only worked in Aperture priority mode and in manual mode, the meter doesn't activate. Pity it was branded Minolta, although, it was actually the newer iteration of the Leica/Minolta CL. I've read reports that Leica didn't want to endorse the CLE under it's name because the CL proved to be very popular and Leica wanted to remain a niche and exclusive camera brand. None-the-less, Minolta carried on to develop the CLE and they did a very good job of it. The camera is rarely seen on the 2nd hand market, if you do see one, be sure to check on the metering, because the metering was known to be quite fragile and many CLE's have problematic meters.

DT

If you've been shopping around for a new LCD monitor lately (or intend to upgrade soon), you'd have noticed that prices vary quite a lot for different panels. So what's the difference between these panels? I'm no expert at this, but I do know enough about LCD monitors to give a little guidance to those who are thinking about upgrading their monitors for photo editing or video editing.

Basically, there are 3 types of of TFT-LCD monitors out there.

1. TN (Twisted Nematic) panels
2. VA (Vertical Alignment) panels
3. IPS (In-Plane Switching) panels

Let's break them down briefly. TN panels are the cheapest of the lot here. They are panels good for gamers and people who need fast refresh timings. However, these panels have a problem of shifting colours and narrow viewing angles (anything that is 170 degrees or less are probably TN panels). Most of them are also unable to show 24bit colour (in other words, it's not showing as wide a range of colours as it is possible with other panels) So, these panels aren't good/accurate for photo editing and video editing purposes.

I'll skip VA panels and explain IPS panels first. IPS panels are the the creme de la creme for photo and video editing. They retain colours well, they render colours well (able to show 24 bit colour) and have good viewing angles (IPS panels usually have more than 170 degree viewing angles), so these are the professional monitors. However, the refresh rates aren't as good as TN panels, so gamers beware.

VA panels come in a variety of guises, simply because of different manufacturers calling it different names, but they're basically all about the same. VA panels, (sometimes called MVA, or PVA) are sort of an in-between TN and IPS panel. They're like the middle ground, so they offer a couple of compromises here and there, they take some good points of IPS and some good points of TN, a little of a jack of all trades master of none kind of panel. However, these panels are losing ground as prices of IPS panels are falling. Hence, VA panels are losing their strongest edge, which is their price point.

So the next time when you see a 24 inch panel going for 200 odd dollars in Sim Lim, it's probably a TN panel, and if you see another 24 inch panel going for 800 bucks, then it's probably an IPS panel, either that or you look like a foreigner whom the sneaky Sim Lim salesmen will try to con you.

DT

“休息是为了走更长的路。”
Here at little red ants, we truly believe in this quote. After a miserable attempt to hold a company retreat in Phuket (when we had to rush back for a last-min shoot), we were determined to have another one to celebrate our first anniversary. This time, the destination was Pulau Redang, which is a good 11 hours away by coach.

But alas, lightning does strike twice. We were notified about a presentation/pitch that clashed with our retreat schedule. Committed to our projects, Alex and I decided to leave a day earlier and we had to readjust our retreat meetings. Nonetheless, we maintained our focus and held hours of discussions over a hearty buffet lunch and barbecued dinner at Laguna Redang. We even sneaked in some hours at the beach!



This video, produced by Darren, Adeline and Kang Li, sums up our Redang adventure. =)

Fish You Were Here! from Little Red Ants on Vimeo.

Recently I had a conversation with a friend about fairy tales and how warped they all actually are, and so I thought I'd post some of my random theories that I have observed in daily life.

1. People who can tell really lame jokes are actually very intelligent. It takes quite a abit of intellect to be able to think of and come up with witty and lame jokes and takes another equal to appreciate and understand the jokes. It's true.

2. Humans were meant to sleep the whole day. This is quite universal. What is the very very first thing on your mind when you wake up? The answer is, that you'd want to go back to bed.

3. Fairy tales are teaching our children everything that's out of the ordinary and sometimes wrong. For example, The girl and the 3 bears, I can't remember her name suddenly, but you all know who I'm talking about, the "qia char boh" who trespasses into a stranger's house, eats their food, drinks their milk, sleeps on their bed and complains about it. She's a fairy tale "ah lian." Next, Winnie the Pooh is most definitely "happy". Which hotblooded male in the right mind would wear only a t-shirt and no trousers or pants, calls himself by the name of Winnie and has a sweet tooth for honey and prances around singing songs. Smurfs, why is there only one female smurf in the whole smurf village.

4. If you have two spots on your body that is at least an arms length apart from each other that itches at the same time, and you were to scratch both of them simultaneously, your mind would be too confused as to which one has stopped itching.

DT

I think many people have the impression that I don't like to do wedding photography because it is not "serious documentary work". The truth could not be further away. To say that weddings are not important enough for anyone's attention is an imperious act.  The truth is I am always fearful of doing weddings. Making people look good is not something I am very good at. Making people look real is what I like to work on. And I am inclined towards catching moments of nuances, such as subtle placements of objects, little ironies, the absurdities of the scene, the light which mirrors what I feel is the emotion of the bride and groom, these little things give a sense of what's going on that is beyond the first layer. Wedding doesn't equal happy. There are so many different emotions involved. Sadness, loss, anger, frustration and even boredom! This is the truth and it is real and it is human. When I see a picture, I then try to feel it as well. For every picture, there is always a good reason behind it.



Mandy's grandmother was wheel-chair bound and looked pensive amidst the rowdy celebrations of the younger generation. Of course, it doesn't mean she doesn't enjoy the celebrations, as other pictures of her would testify against. But this particular scene was perhaps, I sense, too noisy for her liking.



I thought it was quite clever to use Skype as a medium to catch the action outside the room while waiting for the groom to clear the stages. I found it hilarious that a person was assigned to be the skype carrier and the look he has in this photograph gives the role so much purpose. When I was photographing, I was always acutely aware that I might be blocking Mandy's view. It's a weird variation of having a virtual relationship. And it was strange that a laptop could be more powerful than anyone else in the house.



I always take my eyes off the bride and groom to look for what's happening around them. Often, interesting things happen. I think this was a moment right after a kiss has taken place, I would think both photographers were checking if they have gotten the picture, while the host prepares to announce the next programme.



I have since photographed a few church weddings and I understand the importance of God in a God-fearing Christian relationship. This picture was my way of showing His blessings and His presence.



Mandy's sister having her make-up put on while her newborn baby rests in a pram beside.



The wedding had a pop art theme. Part of the wedding set-up was this backdrop where guests could choose from a variety of props to decorate themselves with for an instant photograph at the booth manned by the photo team. After everyone has entered the hall for the banquet, it was the helpers' turns. But helpers being helpers, they had to attend to every call. This photograph caught a moment between play and work.



Tim is putting together a thank you speech while Mandy, who is having her gown adjusted, looks on.

-kl

I've been wanting to learn how to develop my own film since forever, but today is the day when I finally got down to actually doing it. The whole process was immensely satisfying and I guess I'll be doing it more often. Some shots from my test roll. Everything was shot on the Tri-X 400 film.











DT

R.I.P, Mdm Kwa.