eh10.org

Singapore Flyer #1

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 13:01 +0000

The Singapore Flyer is the big wheel in...Singapore. It's the biggest ferris/observation/big wheel in the world, apparently, some 30m taller than the London Eye (on which I've never been).
We got some brilliant views of the city, and I'll post some more images, but they've not come out quite as well as I'd hoped since the capsules you ride in are sealed for the duration of your 'flight'. I suppose they've no choice about that given that people are pretty close underneath it, but it was a bit disappointing there wasn't a small window through which you could stick a camera lens. On our visit to Dubai last year, we went up Burj Kalifa, which is considerably taller than the Singapore Flyer, and they'd put small gaps in the glass on the observation deck for photographers (big enough to get my entire camera through though), which was a nice touch. I assume they either care less about people in Dubai...or it's just safer because you can't really wander about right underneath the observation platform there.
This shot was taken from part of the purpose built race track for the Singapore grand prix - the pits are just on the other side of the big wheel as you look at the photo. The track was much narrower than I expected - and very close to the river, but I suppose they put up those huge barriers round the entire track. It was strangely exciting being on the racetrack - despite the fact the grand prix is in September and we were there in March.

Lobby

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 18:19 +0000

That green bit, way down the bottom - that's the lobby.
I really liked this structure for some reason, and took several photos of it. The other guests in the hotel must've thought I was very weird - Becky certainly did.
This was taken from the 30th floor (I think), and we had to get a glass lift up the outside of the building that didn't stop until the 20th floor. It was fine for about ten floors, and then suddenly you realised you were in a glass box, on the outside of the building, hundreds of feet above the ground, and it kinda took your breath away. I'm really not good with heights.
I wanted to make a tilt shift out of this, and tried a few versions, but I really needed someone standing on one of the balconies below for it to work, and we could only get to our floor.

Marina by night

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:40 +0000

So this was the view from our balcony in Singapore - it was quite the view - and you can see the Marina Bay Sands taking part in the 2012 Singapore Festival of Light. Apparently all the hotels have a turn, and it was theirs while we were there.
Unfortunately the view of the marina is somewhat obscured by the hotel in the foreground of the shot - the Mandarin Oriental, which is where we were fortunate enough to stay back in 2006 on our honeymoon. This photo of the Chinese New Year fireworks was taken from the balcony of our room at the Mandarin Oriental in 2006, and the fireworks were being launched from exactly where the Marina Bay Sands hotel now stands. We couldn't quite stretch to the obscene cost of staying at the Mandarin Oriental this time round (particularly given our honeymoon was a wedding present!), but I think we had a pretty good view anyway.
I'm a bit of a grand prix fan, and it was quite strange seeing the city, and the Singapore Flier (pictures to come...) at night for the first time since they've been hosting grands prix; I just felt like there ought to be Formula 1 cars shooting round the streets, but sadly we were about 9 months too early. Also, I'm pretty sure Singapore gets very, very expensive that weekend. We did get to wander round some of the (surprisingly narrow) purpose built track near the Flier, which was quite cool - I've never been to a grand prix, and would very much like to.

Edit: these night time pictures look fine on my Mac at home, but too dark on my PC at work. Is anyone else seeing this problem? My Mac's monitor is calibrated, whereas work is not, so maybe that's why, but interested to hear whether anyone else thinks these don't look right.

A380

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 19:33 +0000

There really isn't a great deal to recommend this photo, but I just wanted a picture of this enormous aircraft - the one that took us to the far east - on my blog.
There's plenty to recommend the aircraft though, most notably for me, the noise when you're in the cabin during flight - there is none. Well, there's some, but it's so, so much quieter than a 747.
On the way we flew upstairs, and on the way home, we managed to nab the emergency exits over the wing, which was a bonus, and on neither deck could we really hear the engines. A very impressive - if extremely long - flight.

Dandelion

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 17:50 +0000

So after a not so subtle break, I'm back not with a bang, but a dandelion.
Becky and I have spent the last few weeks in Singapore and Thailand, taking in the sights, sunning ourselves, drinking the drinks. We've had an awesome time, and lots of love to Natalie for traipsing round Koh Lanta for us, picking up supplies, and generally being the wee star that she is. It was great to see her, as ever.
Plenty more photos to come - even some not-at-all cliched sunset photos, I expect - but this is from one of our first nights in Singapore, walking round the marina. We'd just been on the Singapore Flier (pictures of and from that to come too!) when we saw this image being projected onto...this other thing, from across the marina. There was a big music show to go with it, and the dandelion turned into a butterfly and flew about the place. It was very pretty.
It is a somewhat sterile city, but I like Singapore; you never feel like you're getting ripped off, and the standard of hotel is just something else. The weather's a bit changeable, but I reckon I could live with it.

Forth Bridge

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 18:54 +0000

The last of this set of bridge shots, and this is the real Forth Bridge, as shot from the Forth Road Bridge.
I've taken many shots of this bridge before, but I think this is the first time I've been out taking photos since they finished painting it - which of course has been going on for years. Apparently it won't need to be done for another thirty years this time, which is good news for photographers, but probably not such good news for the guys that do the painting.
As you can see, it was a beautiful day, and I've rarely seen the Forth quite so still.

Marcarbe

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:48 +0000

I wanted to take a picture of one of these SOS boxes, even though Becky thought it was a bit morbid.
I'm not sure how many people jump from the bridge each year, but it's good to know that there's phones there for people that are feeling that might be something they want to do.
I watched The Bridge a few weeks ago, where they filmed all but two jumpers from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco (one person survived!) over the course of a year. Hard to watch, but definitely worth watching.

Bridge Tower

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 10:48 +0000

This is one of the last few photos I'll be posting from my walk across the bridge the other weekend. I had trouble with this shot, not least trying to get the cables straight (which I mostly ended up having to do in post!), but also because every time I looked up at the towers, I felt a very strong urge to fall over backwards!

Jamie

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:05 +0000

This is a slightly younger, but far more boisterous version of his dad as seen in my last New Year photo.
I suspect I know who's more drunk in this two pictures, but can you tell...?

Cable

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:27 +0000

More bridge porn, again from the Forth Road Bridge.
Rather worryingly, one wire a month snaps on the Forth Road Bridge. Apparently that's totally normal and within expectations, but it doesn't exactly reassure. It's a suitably huge structure though, so I'm sure they know what they're doing.