Some photos to share from the Singapore Zoo

Just a few shots to share with a very pleasant visit to the Singapore Zoo.  Unlike zoos of the past where animals are kept behind bars or in cages for visitors to see, the new generation of zoos seem to like the concept of being open.  The Singapore Zoo is no exception and I must say it has been a very delightful visit.  Our original intention was to visit the zoo for 2 hours but we ended up being there for about 6 hours and would have stayed longer if we were more prepared.

The Singapore Zoo specializes in primates and if you ever wonder why they have a restaurant called “Ah Meng Restaurant” which seems to be out of place for this very cosmopolitan city, Ah Meng was actually the name of an Orang Utan that died earlier this year (2009).

Apologies on the lack of crisp sharp pictures as it is hard to take pictures whilst carrying a kid around.

If you ever visit, try to go early, walk around and be early for the following shows which I think was good.

• Polar Bear feeding time
• Rainforest Fights Back
• Elephant show (just don’t sit right in front)
• Splash (watch out for Carlos)

One of carlos’ friends, the penguin.

No, the picture above was not post processed, they have white tigers there.

And of course, there’s the pony rides for the kids.  This fella looks kinda bored with his job. I guess walking around with a kid on your back for a short distance is really not all that exciting.

Definitely worth a visit.

Design you own camera bag and fill it with A Canon 5D!

There are so many manufacturers for camera bags with uncountable number of models collectively.  Obviously the most well known ones are Lowepro, Kata, ThinkTank, Crumpler, Bagman, Jenova, Winner, Billingham, National Geographic and many more.  So, there are probably 1000s of camera bags of whatever shapes and sizes BUT somehow you just can’t seem to find one that fits what you need.  Wouldn’t it be great to have a small backpack that can fit in a body with a 70-200 f2.8 lens, a flash, a 16-135 lens, a 10” Netbook, a 4” x 6” wacom device, some filter and an additional battery for the Netbook (not the camera?) … oh, and for good measure, a tripod as well.  If anyone can recommend a bag that fits the above, please tell me where.

If not, then you are in luck!  You can design your own bag and if you are selected by professional judges, then you will get a hand-made KATA bag.  Wait, it will also be filled with a Canon 5D Mk II, 2 Canon Lenses, Tripod, and more!  (Hint: Make sure you design a bag that can fit in the prizes).  If you are interested and want to know how, visit their competition website!

Have a look at the entry catalog … I am sure you may agree with many of the designs submitted too!

Sony Xperia X10 – Android!

Well, the unveiling of “rachael” (the codename for the phone … or is it a camere? before it became the Xperia X10) has been long awaited.  It’s slim, it’s a Sony … ahem, sorry, Sony Ericsson, it’s a smartphone, it runs on Android and it has Sony’s own User eXperience interface …

They also have a promotional video for racheal.  I wonder if the the girl’s name is rachael?  Anyway, it has an extractive and catchy music in the video.

Oh, got carried away with the catchy video.  The phone comes with a 8.1 megapixel camera and 12x digital zoom.  The Xperia X10, coming to you in 2010!

Win a Canon S90 with a waterproof case!

The first prize is a Canon Powershot S90, Canon WP-DC35 Waterproof Case (worth around USD200/- and is rated for a depth of 40 meters!) and the Canon Selphy ES40 photo printer (which of course can’t be used underwater =).  How can you win it? Visit The Powershot S90 Street Photography Challenge for further details!

In short, you don’t need to be a Canon user, it is open since 23rd October and the closing date is end of this year (actually 29th December 2009), limited to 3 entries per participant (from the following countries; Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam) and submission is to be in JPEG with a file size of not larger than 1MB.

I personally find the 10 tips interesting but I guess most people will probably not be adhering to tip number 2 (use a compact camera!) as most photographers will have a DSLR handy.

By the way, the Canon S90 is very similar to the Canon G11 and it is reviewed against the Sony WX-1 here.