Two United Nations Space Command (UNSC) soldiers in full battle dress standing at ready. If you ever played Halo, the computer game, you would know who they are. Judging from their near spotless armour, they have yet to see action.
Puzzled? Those familiar with Halo will understand. (Clue : XBox)
Photo Technical Data:
Canon 7D, EFS 17 – 55 mm, f/3.2, 1/20 sec ISO 800
Last year, 2015, was a bad year as far as haze pollution goes. Making the best of a bad hazy night, this is a photo of a deserted street when the Pollution Standards Index, PSI was hitting a very unhealthy range.
Hazy nights are almost monochromatic so they are very suitable for black and white treatment. The post processing gives a low key treatment to give emphasis to the lit road and the backscatter on the street lamps.
Photo Technical Data:
Canon 6D, EF 24 – 105mm /f4 , f/6.3 ISO 200, 3.2 sec
Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun, so goes the song by Noël Coward. The song was written when Coward was in Vietnam and was first performed on 1 June, 1931 in New York. The song satirizes the British Colonials who ran the Empire in the 1930’s.
In his book, Noël Coward: The Complete Lyrics, he wrote, “I wrestled in my mind with the complicated rhythms and rhymes of the song until finally it was complete, without even the aid of pencil and paper. I sang it triumphantly and unaccompanied to my travelling companion on the verandah of a small jungle guest house. Not only Jeffrey, but the gecko lizards and the tree frogs gave every vocal indication of enthusiasm”.
The shot below was taken near noon in the shopping district and although I cannot confirm if that was an Englishman, I can certainly say it was one very hot day.
Link Noël Coward’s Mad Dog and Englishmen (YouTube) – open in new window
Lyrics below.
In tropical climes there are certain times of day
When all the citizens retire to tear their clothes off and perspire.
It’s one of the rules that the greatest fools obey,
Because the sun is much too sultry
And one must avoid its ultry-violet ray.
The natives grieve when the white men leave their huts,
Because they’re obviously, definitely nuts!
Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun,
The Japanese don´t care to, the Chinese wouldn´t dare to,
Hindus and Argentines sleep firmly from twelve to one
But Englishmen detest-a siesta.
In the Philippines they have lovely screens to protect you from the glare.
In the Malay States, there are hats like plates which the Britishers won’t wear.
At twelve noon the natives swoon and no further work is done,
But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
It’s such a surprise for the Eastern eyes to see,
that though the English are effete, they’re quite impervious to heat,
When the white man rides every native hides in glee,
Because the simple creatures hope he will impale his solar topee on a tree.
It seems such a shame when the English claim the earth,
They give rise to such hilarity and mirth.
Ha ha ha ha hoo hoo hoo hoo hee hee hee hee ……
Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
The toughest Burmese bandit can never understand it.
In Rangoon the heat of noon is just what the natives shun,
They put their Scotch or Rye down, and lie down.
In a jungle town where the sun beats down to the rage of man and beast
The English garb of the English sahib merely gets a bit more creased.
In Bangkok at twelve o’clock they foam at the mouth and run,
But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
The smallest Malay rabbit deplores this foolish habit.
In Hong Kong they strike a gong and fire off a noonday gun,
To reprimand each inmate who’s in late.
In the mangrove swamps where the python romps
there is peace from twelve till two.
Even caribous lie around and snooze, for there’s nothing else to do.
In Bengal to move at all is seldom ever done,
But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
Photo Technical Data:
Canon 6D, EF 70 – 300 mm /f4 , f/6.3 ISO 320
Wandering around Bugis Village many small shops I came into a stairwell painted a garish red. Looking out the casement window I can see the edge of a more modern building, the Bugis+, once known as the Iluma.
The wall colour, the weathered window frame and the view outside makes an interesting composition. It was impossible to get all in a single shot so using exposure bracketing, I combined 3 images get the correct exposures for the brightly lit exterior and the dim interior. I was glad I had the 16mm with me but even using the widest possible setting and squeezing myself to the wall, I could barely capture the full window frame.
Photo Technical Data:
Canon 6D, EF 16 – 35 mm /f4 at 16mm, f/7.1 ISO 640 (Multiple image)
