New Video Tomorrow!

We posted a behind-the-scenes video a few days ago, and a new one is coming tomorrow. You can see previous ones on the Videos page.

Updated Woopra Video Review (Thanks London!)

I recently updated my Woopra Review, which is a cool real-time analytics tool for your website or blog. I recommend it! You can try it for free and be up and running in just 10 minutes after a visit to the Woopra site.

Daily Photo – Ripping Through the World

I know everyone has their own various tastes for HDR, and mine is all over the map! Sometimes I really feel artsy and go crazy with one, like this car below. It’s hard with awesome cars… because the reflectivity in HDR is so off the map.

I’ve been meaning to get to one of those high-end car shows and go crazy with my tripod. I’ve heard the Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach is really one of the best in the world… but maybe you all know of some other stellar car shows you can recommend?

Mega-Photowalk During SXSW? How about March 13

Yes, I am thinking about putting one together based on a series of very enthusiastic requests! I don’t have anything formally planned yet, but some pieces are coming together. I know we have people coming to Austin for SXSW from all over the world. If we hold it, it will be around sunset on Saturday evening, March 13 (it was March 14, but I understand now the Austin Photography Group meets that evening). So… pencil in the 13th !

We might even have a little contest of sorts… see who can get the most interesting Austin evening / SXSW / party / social / or Austin-y shot!

Daily Photo – The Beautiful Airport in Kuala Lumpur

Ahhhh… Asian airports. I really love them. They all remind me, for some reason, of these clean-white scenes from the beginning of 2001: A Space Odyssey. The architecture in these places is inspired and the textures are impeccably chosen. I literally cannot help myself from taking photos. Whenever I walk through them and I compose a scene with my eyes, I am compelled to get out my camera and tripod and shoot away.

And yes — this is a common question I get on Twitter and all over the place. I always carry my tripod on the plane. I’ve never had a problem except for one international flight, when they told me it was a few inches too long. Now, this might have been a fluke because I have a big tripod. I’m just sayin’.

Workshop Fun!

We are just starting an amazing HDR workshop down here in Austin. It won’t be the same as being there, but a DVD will be available soon after, so be sure to sign up for the free newsletter so you can find out first!

The Austin workshop ended up being a fairly exclusive event, and we priced it at $1,000 per attendee.  I  knew it would be popular and that there was an enthusiastic group of people out there, but I did not expect the whole thing to sell out in 11 minutes (after crashing the StuckInCustoms server for 30 minutes after it became available!)!   I’m excited the date has finally arrived and I am very excited to teach people, make new friends, and do my best to take their photography to the next level.

My other workshop next weekend with Scott Bourne in Florida is also sold out!  There may be last-min cancellations, so watch for that.  That will be a fun event and I look forward to meeting a bunch more people and sharing this new sport with them.

People always ask about potentially doing other workshops. I have no immediate plans, except perhaps one in New Zealand next month.

Appearance on Sunday night at BookPeople

On Sunday evening, come to BookPeople before 7 PM to the Austin Photography Group.   Feel free to come by and hear my little talk on HDR.  I’m also happy to meet people, sign books, and this sort of thing.  Come to the presentation hall on the third floor.  See you there!

New Limited Edition Print Available

Every week, we release a new print, and this week’s is One Night in Bangkok. This was shot very soon after I arrived in Thailand. It took me forever to find a good view of the famous Wat Arun. But then, not only did I find the perfect spot, but it happened to be on the deck of a delish Italian restaurant.

Daily Photo – Getting a Bottle at the Bar

What a cool place! This is another one of those photos that just has amazing detail of the incredible decor. It is an underground bar in Kuala Lumpur that I could not stop taking photos inside! As you can see, there are no bad angles in a place like this, so it is very fun to compose.

I’ll have a little challenge that I will give out at the workshop where we all shoot the same subject matter to see who can get the most interesting composition. This bar is a very cool place because there are a ton of interesting compositions, but also some bad compositions. I’m not sure one can actually “teach” composition… but I suppose I can try!

Book Sellouts on Amazon and in bookstores around the world! “A World in HDR” is almost impossible to get! Wow! You guys are awesome – thank you so much. I can’t even believe it… After the book was released, it almost immediately sold out on Amazon in the UK (My UK friends are cuuurazy), then Canada, and now in the USA Amazon store. It’s really crazy to sell out on Amazon – so I hardly have enough words to thank you! Check some of the other stores on my HDR Book page to see where it is still avail – these sites typically update inventory on an hourly basis.

Daily Photo – The Temple Deep in the Caves

Borneo is known for its amazing limestone caves. Just on the other side, over in West Malaysia, there are a ton of the same strange cave structures that twist and turn in unexpected ways through old mountains. This one is called the Batu Caves, and if you walk through it long enough, you end up in the very center of the mountain, where an opening appears high overhead. Deep in this innermost sanctuary lies this unique Hindu Temple.

Some of you may remember that old woman who has never cut her hair (2nd photo below), walking up the stairs to visit the temple every day. I’ve never posted a photo of her final destination until now.

There is a very cool and swank area of Kuala Lumpur that has a collection of trendy and well-designed restaurants. The whole place is a photographer’s paradise! The only problem is that the entire place is quite dimly lit. But, as you know, I’m a nerd that takes my tripod everywhere, so that doesn’t pose too much of a problem! Well, it does pose a problem when it comes time for dinner and all my gear takes up an entire table. I don’t like to put it in the corner. Nobody puts baby in the corner.

Kuala Lumpur has one of the best Airport-to-city train systems in the world. It’s fast, efficient, and comfy. It stops here at this train station which is always a nice spot for all kinds of activity. All of the girders, struts, and light makes it a good spot for HDR Photography.

Speaking of that, I heard that many of you are over checking out www.HDRSpotting.com. This site has not been officially announced yet, and it’s still in early testing. Many are asking me personally for access, but I don’t control that list of who gets early private invites… (anyway I am indirectly asking that you don’t email me to “get you in”!) hehe… You can sign up, however, and I know they are keeping track of a list. When the formal announcement comes, I’ll describe more in detail what it’s about. Essentially, it’s a new, eye-candy rich gallery that is designed to drive traffic and attention to YOUR website, YOUR portfolio, or whatever site you might wish.

Isn’t this place awesome? It’s a bar on top of a roof of the Trader’s Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. It looks out across the new skyline at the Petronas Towers. Malaysia is a pretty hot and humid country, so sometimes it’s not quite so comfy to sit outside. I don’t like to sit outside in muggy conditions… I just don’t. I remember that I played indoor soccer there in Kuala Lumpur on another night and it was one of my top 10 sweaty nights. Afterward, the only way to cool off was to drink about 128 oz of iced carrot-milk. That doesn’t sound very good, but it is.

Also, I’ve gotten a few questions about how to make those videos. I use Screenflow, and I I have a little review there along with a video. It’s a great program — only for the Mac, I’m afraid… but very cool and fun to use.

In completely unrelated news (if you follow my Twitter, you already get these little life-tidbits), my 3-year old daughter Isabella will no longer sleep alone because she is scared of the Burger King after she saw this commercial. BTW, I try to keep my tweets about 34% inspirational art finds from other artists, 33% interesting life tid-bits (and no, I don’t tweet when I am standing in line at a coffee shop), and 33% links to new works/projects of my own.

]]> http://www.stuckincustoms.com/2009/09/25/an-open-air-lounge-in-kuala-lumpur/feed/ 17 http://www.stuckincustoms.com/2008/12/01/sometimes-its-fun-to-be-impractical/ http://www.stuckincustoms.com/2008/12/01/sometimes-its-fun-to-be-impractical/#comments Tue, 02 Dec 2008 04:54:07 +0000 Stuck In Customs http://stuckincustoms.com/?p=1863

Isn’t it? Of course it is… I’m really not too much of a materialistic guy. I think my three biggest expenses are travel, good food, and camera equipment.

Speaking of that last one there, the Nikon D3x was finally made official, and I’m gonna be the first (or so they tell me) person to get one in Austin! Sadly, I think I will have more fun with that camera than with this car.

It’s a great city! I always have a good time there… I wish I could get back more often, and I’ve been about 7 times! I’m always surprised how I much I enjoy the times over there even though I should be getting tired of it by now.

This is the top floor of the Hilton in Kuala Lumpur.

The club floor lounge area has all this really cool furniture and decor. They serve breakfast in the morning and drinks in the evening. The view is amazing too (as you can tell)!

Hiltons in Asia are typically 100x nicer than most others for some reason. Why this is, I have no idea.

This was one of the most intricate burial sites on a remote hill outside of Kuala Lumpur. Janus and I stopped there on the taxi ride down to Malacca for some exploration and photography. You can look at the large version of this to see all the details of this single family’s grave.

Here is what greets me and several close friends many times a year upon entry into Malaysia.

I hiked through the Batu Caves just outside of Kuala Lumpur and afterwards, I found myself surrounded by monkeys. They were a little more than “friendly”, and ventured into a word that is better described as “vicious”.

They were all over the place, at my feet, above me, jousting through nearby bars. All of these monkeys were utterly wild and in your face.

We had a company lunch today here at the studio in Kuala Lumpur so it was a fun day of eating massive amounts of Chinese food and running around, talking with the team. Afterwards, I went out with Janus and Will to the top of the Trader’s Hotel to visit the Sky Bar for some drinks and snacks.

This bar is up on top of the roof and it is all open air. There is a pool down there that is always available for use, and it is surrounded by a ultra-chic bar. It was raining when I took this… I am up on the 2nd level of the bar, where there is a spa… you can see the little massage rooms down the lefthand side there.

I am here in Kuala Lumpur for another two week stint.  These are the famous Petronas towers that I see every time from almost everywhere in the city.

On Saturday I am taking a side trip down to Java to visit the Buddhist temple of Borobudur, so I am really looking forward to that!

Shot while skydiving and using a tripod.