I understand from my mom that Kuala Lumpur was also one of my grandfather’s favorite cities. He used to work for Exxon, back in the middle of the 20th century. It’s hard for me to imagine what it looked like back then. It’s too bad I wasn’t ever able to show him this photo to see his reaction. KL is called one of the Asian “small tigers” because of its booming economy in the last 20 years or so. Many Asian cities are very pretty with unique architecture. Since many of them are so “new”, the architecture is often much more modern than their Western counterparts. In this one, you can see the gargantuan twin Petronas towers looming high over the city, poking up into some clouds.

Blowtorch

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• Date Taken2023-04-11 16:20:09
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• Exposure Time
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I found this guy in the Batu Caves just outside of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Batu Caves are enormous caverns that hold various Hindu temples and plenty of fruit for monkeys. This was shot after a quarter-mile spelunk through the cave and an emergence into a geological oddity – a shaft of sunlight shining downwards through an open chamber that had been carved through the limestone after centuries of rainfall.

The day was bright and sunny, and the monkey sat alone in front of the inky blackness of the cave entrance. This was shot as a single RAW photo. It only had minor HDR adjustments, to get the texture in the wall and the details in his fur.

Across the Line

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• Date Taken2024-04-19 08:11:58
• CameraNIKON D2Xs
• Camera MakeNikon
• Exposure Time1/60
• Aperture4.5
• ISO500
• Focal Length42.0 mm
• FlashNo Flash
• Exposure ProgramProgram AE
• Exposure Bias

While in KL, we visited a few different mosques. One of the ladies from the Ritz-Carlton was with me and all women need to wear these cloak things. It’s one of those strange religious things that never make sense to me. I know Islam is a fairly patriarchal system, so I think little subtle requirements like this keep females a bit more subservient and less by forcing them cover themselves.

Exploring Mosques in Kuala Lumpur

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• Date Taken2018-03-31 23:10:43
• CameraILCE-7RM3
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time1/1000
• Aperture6.3
• ISO400
• Focal Length18.0 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias+2

These sorts of situations are perfect for a strong HDR treatment. I am always impressed by the way some interior designers choose to decorate and light their interior spaces. When you really crank up the HDR, it gives it a bit of a “fantasy” feel where you are not sure if it is real or make-believe. I like the tension between what is real and what is not real.

The Bar

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• Date Taken2018-03-30 00:51:02
• CameraILCE-7RM3
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time0.5
• Aperture4.5
• ISO160
• Focal Length16.0 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias

It was fun to hang out with my friend Liz in Malaysia! We visited this mosque and they force women to cover their hair and other parts that may be enticing to men. I suppose that is the reason. I’m not a Muslim or anything, but it does seem a bit weird to suppress the human form to reinforce a mutually agreed-upon fiction. Anyway, after this, we went out with the team and had an amazing meal, sans silky self-sheeting.

Liz in Kuala Lumpur

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• Date Taken2020-07-08 14:04:12
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If you’re headed to any Muslim country, I always recommend you go visit a few mosques. They are great for photography and generally very interesting places. You don’t have to worry about dress too much (well, don’t wear shorts) because most of them have a little station in the front where you can put on the appropriate garb.

Visiting a Mosque in Kuala Lumpur

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• Date Taken2018-04-01 00:11:03
• CameraILCE-7RM3
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time1/13
• Aperture5.6
• ISO100
• Focal Length16.0 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias+2

It was fun to go back to Kuala Lumpur after being gone for over seven years. You still can’t go wrong with a photo of the amazing Petronas Towers and the KLCC area. This one I tried shifting the temperature over into the Incandescent area. This is a good trick to try for a few of your cityscape shots. When you go into that area (called Tungsten in some white balance settings), you get this cool Blade Runner kind of feel.

Amazing Kuala Lumpur

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2018-03-30 02:04:27
• CameraILCE-7RM3
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time4
• Aperture2.8
• ISO160
• Focal Length16.0 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias+2

I think the bar on the top of the Traders Hotel has the best view of the Petronas Towers. I tried a few other rooftop bars in the area, but this one is still the best. While I was there, you can see that dark, foreboding Four Seasons hotel on the right. Maybe it wasn’t open yet? I can only imagine that because not many lights are on and the sign on top is not lit up.

Kuala Lumpur from the Traders Hotel Bar

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• Date Taken2018-03-30 02:04:27
• CameraILCE-7RM3
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time4
• Aperture2.8
• ISO160
• Focal Length16.0 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias+2

KL in Malaysia is one of those cool cities in the middle of worlds where they have most of the world’s main religions represented. It’s predominantly Muslim, so there are more mosques than anything, but you’ll also see Christian churches, Hindu temples, and Chinese temples like this one. I asked my driver if there was a temple for Atheists, and he said he could not think of one.

Chinese Lanterns in Kuala Lumpur

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• Date Taken2018-04-01 01:22:19
• CameraILCE-7RM3
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time4
• Aperture6.3
• ISO100
• Focal Length16.0 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias