Streets in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai was no doubt a great place where you can do street photography comfortably. The mix of traditional culture and modern city development had made the place attractive and interesting. The streets were quite safe to wander around aimlessly and most of the people didn’t really care if you took their picture. Some said they just love being photographed.

Chinon MA-8, Kalimar 50mm f/1.7, Soligor MC 24mm f/2.5
Kodak TriX 400 (Pushed 2-stops)
Developed and scanned by ColorDotCom

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Chiang Mai, The Rose Of The North

Located on an elevated plain, surrounded by mountains and lush countryside, Chiang Mai has become one of the main choices for many to settle down. Compared to the capital city of Thailand, Bangkok, Chiang Mai is much greener and quieter, providing the relaxing and peaceful mind to both locals and visitors. Being the hub of Northern Thailand, Chiang Mai has changed from an ancient city to a modern dynamic city by combining its rich histories and traditions with its increasingly modern side. It is a city that manage to develop without sacrificing the old ancient elements, hence leading to a cultural significant city.

About 3 weeks ago I traveled to Chiang Mai for a week long with my friend, Eong Xien. Like many other backpackers, we started exploring the city after we dropped our backpacks at the guest house. We didn’t even bother to take public transport since the main town is small. We just grabbed the free local map at the guest house reception and started walking our way to the local interest points. Of cause, with our camera on our hands.

The Sunday night street market along Ratchadamneon Road from Thapae Gate to Wat Phra Singh is a paradise that one who visits Chiang Mai should not miss. Unlike the typical night bazaar that fills up with imitation products, this Sunday night bazaar offers numerous of arts and craftsmanship from Northern Thai people. Many independent vendors sell their own products and their quality of work is superb. Its like a mass art exhibition from different artists to show off their work. Street performers are also covering the whole place, with their unique high standard performances. Also there are a number of hawker stalls, restaurants and coffee shops along the road providing local specialties, as well as western food.

And not to forget the modern part of Chiang Mai.

Well, like what the last photo says, most places and local point of interest in Chiang Mai are easy to find, but the awesome experiences we have are hard to forget.

Nikon D80, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 AF Lens
Chinon MA-8, Kalimar 50mm f/1.7, Soligor MC 24mm f/2.5
Kodak Ektar 100

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Un-mask Film: Rollei Digibase CN 200 Pro

Remember few months back when my friend was ordering some films on the internet on behalf of me, the word “Rollei” had captured my attention and I straight away asked my friend to place an order for 1 pack of the film (they are selling in 2 rolls per pack), without knowing the characteristic of the film, and without any research prior purchasing the film. I still have no idea what I actually got until I brought the film along with my recent trip to Chiang Mai. I was initially assuming it was just another typical colour negative film, only until I found out more on the internet after I developed the film.

Rollei Digibase CN 200 Pro is an unmasked colour negative film for general photographic uses. It has no orange dye mask which is usually found in other films. On the film description, it is actually produced by Agfa Belgium factory, not by Rollei. Later only I found out that the film is actually owned and manufactured by Maco Photo Products, as they have bought the Rollei and Agfa names and formulas.  It is claimed by the manufacturer that the film shows high degree of sharpness and distinguished grain, as well as consistent tonality. It has a wide exposure latitude (around +/- 1 stop) so that the film is capable to work under a variety of lighting and weather conditions. It also has a special coatings on the polyester-based film that minimize its potential for scratches and anti-static flaws. There are a few more highlights of the film which can be found from B&H website.

My first roll of this film gave me great satisfaction. The colour is rich, saturation is great and sharpness of the film is there as promised. Grain is not as fine as it is claimed, especially at indoor condition, but it is still acceptable for me. Yes, the tonality is consistent throughout the whole exposure range. This roll of film was developed at a local photo lab in Chiang Mai which I have no experience dealing with, and scanned in standard definition. Still, the result is great, so I guess this film is easy to develop and scan, with excellent results.

 

Chinon MA-8, Kalimar 50mm f/1.7, Soligor MC 24mm f/2.5
Rollei Digibase CN 200 Pro
Developed and scanned by Best Photo Photography Lab, Chiang Mai

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Nadalama Jamu Spa & Bar

Nadalama Jamu Spa & Bar is an eco-spa located in Bukit Lanjan, a hill in the Petaling district of Selangor. Surrounded by luxuriance of greenery, the place has become a sanctuary for people who desire to escape from the busy, hastiness, and mad metropolitan life. Nadalama is a place that serves fusion and traditional Indonesian dishes, as well as some health tonic meals. Besides, Balinese massage, Thai massage, and organic spa are also the services provided for those who seek body, mind and soul rejuvenation. On 20th of January 2012, while looking for a venue during an impromptu photo shooting activity, my friend Xien suggested to scout around Bukit Lanjan, which is pretty near to his housing area, and figure out if there is any suitable location for our activity. Surprisingly, we discovered such a nice getaway after some aimless driving around that area. Since the visit wasn’t planned, we didn’t spend much time over there, but just to learn more about the place. What we learn? Definitely a place to visit again for the spa and the meals.

Chinon MA-8
Kalimar 50mm f/1.7 MC Lens
Soligor 24mm f/2.5 MC Lens
Kodak Elitechrome 100 (cross-process)
Developed by Fotosun SS2

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Kodak Professional Ektar 100

Kodak Professional Ektar 100

Kodak Professional Ektar 100, my first encounter to professional film ever since I started to shoot in film one year ago. Kodak claims that this film is perfect for digital scanning and offers extraordinary enlargement capability from a 35mm negative. This film features ISO speed of 100, high saturation and ultra-vivid color, and it offers the finest grain of any color negative film available today.

My impression: This film makes life easy and shows the world how great a film is. The film is developed easily with C41 process. There is not much problem with grain and the scanned photos are always clean. When people argue about image quality of a film, Ektar 100 will always be the one to win back the argument. Here in Klang Valley, I can send the film to the lab for develop and scan, and within a few hours I get my nice images back from the lab. Besides, compared to other professional films, this film is also easily available for me. I get mine from The Click Shop at SS2, Petaling Jaya.

Here are some photos I have taken from the past, using Ektar 100:

Chinon MA-8, Kalimar 50mm f/1.7

Chinon MA-8, Kalimar 50mm f/1.7

Chinon MA-8, Kalimar 50mm f/1.7

Chinon MA-8, Soligor MC 24mm f/2.5

Nikon F100, Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8D

Nikon F100, Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8D

Nikon F100, Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8D

Nikon F100, Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8D

Nikon F100, Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8D

Nikon F100, Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8D

Nikon F100, Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8D

Nikon F100, Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8D

Nikon F100, Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8D

Nikon F100, Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8D

Nikon F100, Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8

Nikon F100, Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8

Nikon F100, Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8

Nikon F100, Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8D

Developed and scanned by Fotosun, SS2

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