Breakfast Near The Docks

The new blog is coming along...almost done. I have been showing some people to get their opinion, and most seem to like the new version better, but some like this blog better because of the black background....tell you what....I will give you a peek...just be aware that it is not finished yet....most of the links at the top of the page are empty...I am trying to get one done per night, but keep going back to edit what I have written....but I think it is ready for you to take a peek...please let me know what you think...you can comment over there or here...

CLICK HERE TO TAKE YOU TO A PREVIEW

The address will change once I am finished....I have another site up at scottygraham.com that I will take down and replace it with the new blog, so that I can use scottygraham.com as my root site...the next step is to move my galleries over to smugmug....will get that done soon, I hope.

By the way, the photo below was edited with Nik's Color Efex Pro 4... With Google purchasing Nik's filters, I thought I better buy it before it might disappear...who knows what Google will do with my favorite plug-ins...I also bought Nik Sharpening 3....I love all of their software, and also own Silver Efex Pro 2, and Viveza which both ROCK...they all ROCK....get them quick, you never know....

Man In The Window

I have a hard time naming my posts...I am sure there is a better title for this one other than "Man In The Window"...it is hard to be creative when it comes to the title...I guess writing was never one of my strong suits.

In any case, I took this shot from the canoe as we glided past the back of one of the Bugis Schooners...He was looking inside the boat, so I yelled up to him, "Hey Bapak!!", he then turned to look, and I shot the photo catching a nice smile...

The Indonesian Squat

Have you ever tried to sit like this? Indonesians do it all the time...and they can sit like that for hours. I tried to do it, but got tired after a couple of minutes, and it was tough to keep my feet flat on the deck.

By the way, what's up with the helmet?

Reflections

Man, I can't get enough of those old wood boats...they are awesome! The colors, the textures, the character. Not many places in the world where you can see these big Bugis Schooners...it's like walking back in time.

Boat Captain

After we walked around the big Bugis Schooners at Sundah Kelapa, we boarded small canoes, and our captain would take us around the backside of the boats, and then to the kampung (village). This guy was our boat captain...

Different Version of The Boat Guy

A few days ago, I posted a portrait of the boat guy I have seen most every time I go up to Sunda Kelapa. I posted the photo on Google+ . Another photographer that I admire on Google+ is Mike Shaw. He really does some fine post work in Photoshop, and I have always admired what he does with his portraits. He chimed in on my post, and after a couple of emails back n forth, he took the challenge to work his magic on my portrait. Below is his version of my portrait. I like it...

I am off to Singapore for a couple of days....I won't be making any posts during that time....see you on Thursday!!

Same Guy, New Photo

I took a photo of this same boat guy at Sundah Kelapa this past August. He is still there doing his thing with the boats. I told him I already had a good photo of him (one of my all time favorite shots), and asked him if I could get another. He happily posed again...hard to beat the lines on his face...the stories he could tell...

The Nikon D800 Vs. Canon 5D Mark III

This review cracked me up (link below), but I think it sums up the two cameras quite nicely...In case you are wondering, I still have my Leica M9, and have no plans on changing cameras anytime soon. However, I DO need a new underwater camera (and housing), and I am considering the D800 for the job...there are even housings already on the market...amazing how that happens, heh?

If I do end up getting the D800 for my underwater camera, I will then be able to do my own review of the D800 vs the Leica M9...that would be fun!!

CLICK HERE FOR THE REVIEW

SOME SALTY DUDES

I originally processed this photo in color, but ended up liking the black n white better. These guys have been working down at the pier for a long time...salty dudes!!

Sundah Kelapa

This is the old harbor at Sunda Kelapa in Northern Jakarta. I really like this place as you can just imagine the old Spice Ships from the 17th century coming into this harbor to deliver their goods to the old Dutch town of Batavia...I am sure the docks have not changed much since those days...

Hanging Out With Bikes

A kind of "behind the scenes" look at Sunda Kelapa. I went strolling on the back side of the Bugis Schooners, and found these dudes just hanging out with their bicycles...

Just Back From Fishing

The boats go out early in the morning...really early...like 2:00 in the morning. They return at around 7:00am or so...this "red, white and blue" boat had just returned...I like the little red bridge in the background...

Have a great weekend!! I will be back on Monday with some photos from China...I hope.

Nice Toss

These guys had a great system going...there would be a couple of guys in a truck tossing boxes to a couple of guys standing on a small plank of wood between the docks and the boats. Those guys would then toss the boxes to some guys on the boat who would neatly stack them...who needs cranes and fancy loading equipment?

Off To China

I am now at the airport getting ready to board my flight to Shanghai. I will be in China until Sunday. Really looking forward to exploring some sights in Shanghai. I will have at least a day to do that in between work...I have pre-posted a couple of photos for Thursday and Friday to keep you entertained while I am away...

This guy (below) had just wrapped up his bed...can't say that I would want to sleep in that location, but he seemed ok with it...I think...

Working and Fasting

These guys were one of the few that were both fasting for Ramadan and working. Most guys were not fasting because they were working hard in the hot sun.

This one I do like better in Black n White...

An Open Bedroom

The guys that work down at the docks also live down by the docks...

Photo Walk A Success

On Saturday, I led a photowalk in Jakarta. We had about 30 people show up to take photos. It was a blast, and I think people walked away from the walk with some good photos, and a new and better understanding of the community we all live in together. Most expats living in Jakarta rarely venture outside the comfort of their homes, work and the mall to see the "real" Jakarta. A Photowalk into the Kampungs of Jakarta can be a real eye opener to what life is really like in this city.

One of my favorite shots from the day is below...it is sad, but I think it speaks volumes...

Repairing and Destroying

I am leading another Jakarta Photowalk in a couple of weeks. This photo was taken the last time I was up in Sunda Kelapa. I find it interesting how much work and effort it takes to keep these wooden schooners painted and in good repair, yet the garbage around this area continues to grow...seems like nothing is done to clean up the water these big boats sit in. I have to admit, though, that the garbage kind of enhances this photo...I don't think it would be near as interesting without it...but...well, you know...

Three Salty Dudes

I originally processed this photo in color with the ship being a vibrant green, but I thought it would look better as a black n white photo. These guys have been around ships a long time. The guy in the middle told me they were headed to Sulawesi in the morning to load up some fresh coffee...cool. I wonder how the coffee is...

The Sewing Man

My wife always says, "If you want something done in Indonesia, just walk down the street, and you can find some guy that can do it for you"....if you want some sewing done, "just walk down the street"...

So here it is...a guy with his sewing machine tucked beneath the underpass of the toll road...

Plugging Holes

These old wooden Schooners are a LOT of work. These guys are hammering shredded wood into the cracks of the wood...talk about tedious work.