Teater Muzikal Natrah 2018 at IIUM, Gombak

On Friday 30th November 2018, I attended the Natrah Musical Theater that was held in IIUM main auditorium. It was brilliant acts by all, well at least they were good enough for an engineering people like me. They also had a nice collection of songs (check them here). These are some pictures I took that night.

Natrah and her siblings

Natrah, Linda, and her family members on her wedding day

Natrah and her siblings at the end of the show

Natrah 1

Natrah 2

Natrah 3

Natrah 4

All pictures were shot by Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G lens on classic Nikon D90.

Photography at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur

I went to Taman Tasik Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur on 23rd September 2017 and managed to capture some of the beautiful moments there. These are some of them:

Reflection of the coconut trees in the lake

Various kinds of bikes for rental

View of Kuala Lumpur City Centre from afar

No cycling.. but

Quality time. Family time.

Istana Budaya

Horse carriage for family and friends

Kayaking

Macroshot using Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8 D lens

Macroshot using Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8 D lens

Macroshot using Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8 D lens

All pictures were shot by Nikon D90 with Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8 D lens.

Take what you need, Give back the rest

"Take what you need only, give back the rest."

Penyakit orang berharta, beli rumah/tanah lebih daripada yang diperlukan. Katanya nak buat pelaburan.

Akibatnya, yang kaya bertambah kaya, seronok kumpul harta. Harga rumah/tanah makin melambung. Yang miskin terus miskin, sampai mati pun tak boleh beli rumah.

Habis tu salah ke kumpul harta (dengan cara yang halal)? Eh, tak lah, tak salah pun. Silalah kumpul. Nanti esok lusa mati, lepas ke tangan orang lain juga, bukan boleh bawa masuk kubur pun.

Teruskan tersenyum :)

Gambar hiasan: Penjual sayur-sayuran & ulam-ulaman di pasar pagi di Matang, dalam daerah Taiping, Perak. (by Nikon D90, Nikkor 35mm lens)

Never She Fails to Amaze me

She looks stunning from the top

..and amazingly beautiful from the side

 

#photography #nikonphotography #D90 #Nikkor #35mm #primelens #balikkampung #raya #aidilfitri #KotaBharu #Kelantan

Photography: Kulliyyah of Engineering, IIUM Gombak

In IIUM, the term "Kulliyyah" means Faculty/School or Pusat Pengajian if it is to be written in Malay.One of the Kulliyyah is the Kulliyyah of Engineering (KOE), which was officially established in 1994, 11 years after the establishment of IIUM as one of the higher learning institutions in Malaysia.  Below are some pictures of the KOE in IIUM Gombak.

The compound of E0 building, the oldest building of the KOE. The KOE have a total of six buildings, up until E5 building. 

 (Picture taken by Nikon D90)

The E0 building is quite classic compared to other buildings. A KOE professor used to describe the kulliyyah (while joking) as the "Jungle of Concrete in the Garden of Knowledge and Virtue." 

(Picture taken by Nikon D90, HDR image generated by PhotomatixPro)

The entrance of KOE, taken from inside of the Kulliyyah  

(Picture taken by Nikon D90)

"Our greatest glory is not in falling, but in rising every time we fall." (Confucius)

As part of the large IIUM community, I wish to welcome everyone to this amazing Garden of Knowledge and Virtue, particularly to the Kulliyyah of Engineering. Together we strive for the best, Educating the Ummah & Serving the Nation.

Nazri Nawi
06 Jan 2017

Photography: IIUM, the Garden of Knowledge and Virtue

After almost 5 years, I am now back at this university, trying to do my very best to contribute towards the betterment of the ummah. Be kind to me, please..

IIUM Mosque during the golden hour (sunset) on 29th Jan 2016, a few days before the new semester begins (Sem II 2015/2016). 

(Picture captured by Nikon D90 and HDR image generated by Photomatix 5.0.5a)

Photography: Sunset at IIUM Gombak

A few days ago, while I was walking towards the SHAH masjid from the Kulliyyah of Engineering just before the Maghrib time, I saw this amazing sunset scenery. I stopped near the river side for a while, enjoying the scene. It was pure beautiful, praise only be to God.

Sunset scenery at IIUM, captured by BlackBerry Z10. The foreground is the Cultural Activity Centre (CAC). (HDR picture generated by Photomatix Pro 5.0.5a)

 

"If I were the Prime Minister in 2020"

Back in 1995, when I was in Standard 6, I was selected to represent the school in an inter-school public speaking competition called "Pertandingan Pidato Di Raja". I went on and won the competition with quite a clear margin, judging based on the crowd reaction at that time.

The tittle of my speech was "Seandainya Saya Sebagai Perdana Menteri pada tahun 2020." While on stage, I spoke like a true politician -lobbying and campaigning as if I was asking people to support me and vote for me, but never did I say anything bad about my "opponents" at that time. It was truly one of the moments I would never forget, the one and only moment I acted and spoke like a "politician".

I know it was not real, and it never will. But deep inside my heart until now, when I see things around me, things that I thought are wrong, things that could be much improved, I wish that one day, all those words I uttered about 20 years ago will become reality. Though I very much doubt that I shall be capable of doing it, I pray that God will not abandon me and guide me all the way to the end.

----
 
Only if I have the political power, and more importantly human compassion, I would have offered the people of Rohingya some food and shelters without any condition, and that's the least I could and must do as a human being. So when God calls and questions me of what did I do the moment my brothers and sisters were left to starve until death while I had the power to act, I would be able to tell Him that I've done my part and leave the judgment to Him, for He is the best to Judge.

The reality is, no one would listen to me.. it's just a tiny and unheard voice.

p/s: Terima kasih para guruku, atas segala nasihat & tunjuk ajarmu.. Selamat Hari Guru..

16 May 2015

Photography: Macro Photography Shots

Some macro photography shots I've seen on the web were simply stunning, that made me thinking to have another lens - a macro lens. Other simpler words to describe macro photography is "close-up photography", not just an ordinary close-up, but an extreme close-up. Smashingmagazine.com defines macro photography as the art of taking close-up pictures that reveal details which can’t be seen with the naked eye.

I've had this 60 mm Micro Nikkor AF f/2.8D lens for about 5 months now. It's a macro lens, though Nikon name their macro lens as "micro" lens (I don't know why). I just wish that one day I'll have the chance to really go deeper into macro photography, and capture some stunning pictures like a real pro. I love nature very much! Though the lens that I purchased is not for a pro photographer, but based on some reviews I've read, it is not a bad start for someone who would like to venture into macro photography.  

I haven't really had much time to start using the lens quite seriously. Probably I need to go into the wild, and isolate myself from the crowd to be able to explore the lens and find the ideal shots. I tried a few shots anyway, not too far from where I lived, basically to get some insights of how good (or bad) my so-called macro photography skills. Some of the pictures are as follows. They're not good enough (not close enough, and less sharp), but the good thing is, I will only get better in the future, hopefully.. :p  

I don't know what flower is this.

 

A much closer look at the flower

 

  

This one is known as Senduduk

Photography: Taman Tasik Taiping (Taiping Lake Gardens)

Taiping Lake Gardens is the first public garden established during the British rule in Malaysia. It was officially open in 1880, about 135 years ago. The lake was originally a tin mining ground. Some of the panoramic views of the gardens are as follows (pictures were captured by Nikon D90 with Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8G AF-S DX lens):

 

 Swan Lake, one of the many lakes and ponds distributed throughout the gardens. (HDR picture  generated by Photomatix Pro 5.0.5)

A very nice secluded spot to have a cup of cold drink with someone on the weekend..

Spectacular view of Pokok Hujan-Hujan (Scientific name: Samanea saman) that were planted around the lakes, providing cool shades to visitors. The earliest trees were planted in 1884, some 130 years ago.

Photography: Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Lens - Sample Picture

When I decided to replace my Nikon D3100 with D90, I also thought that I would need to let my D3100 go to compensate the cost of the D90 body. In that case, I would also need to let go the Nikkor 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6G lens that came along with the D3100 I purchased about 3 years ago. I hardly used the lens since I had a more versatile and the ideal all-in-one Tamron 18-270 mm f/3.5-6.3 lens. However, I've been thinking of having another lens for quite a while. Some people say that it is a "must have" lens, mainly for general photography. It is a standard wide aperture Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX lens, sometimes referred as "prime lens".

A brand new AF lens would cost around £120-130, while a second-hand lens would cost around £95-110, depending on conditions. So after giving so much thoughts about it, I then decided to get a brand new lens, as its price does not differ much from a second-hand lens. 

Sample picture taken by Nikon D3100 with Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8G AF-S lens

The main advantage of the lens is its wide aperture, i.e. up to f/1.8, thus makes it fast enough to capture fast movement. At wide aperture, I could increase the shutter speed without the need to use high ISO that would decrease image quality due to noise.Without a doubt, the image is simply stunning I would say. The displayed picture is just one of the earliest that I took using my Nikon D3100 with the Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8G lens.

Photography: From Nikon D3100 to Nikon D90

About 6 months ago, I decided to replace my compact Nikon D3100 with an old classy Nikon D90. It was just a second-hand D90 body as Nikon has already stopped manufacturing it when it was replaced by a newer model of D7000 in 2010. 

Classic Nikon SLR D90 with Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Lens. (picture captured by BlackBerry Z10)

 

Nikon D90 was first announced in August 2008, but it could still be considered as an elegant and affordable mid-size DSLR camera when compared with the compact and newer D3100 or the more expensive mid-size D7000. Though I like my D3100 very much (it was my first DSLR camera), the main reason I chose D90, other than its affordable price, is because it is equipped with built-in auto-focus (AF) motor that my D3100 doesn't have. It means I can use any non-AF lens with my D90, which is obviously much cheaper than AF lenses. Wait for my next posts to see some pictures captured by the D90.  

Photography: City of London Skyline at Night

A cruise ship passing under the Tower Bridge, indicated by its light trails.

The City of London Skyline (picture taken from right in the middle of the Tower Bridge)

The Shard (London skyscraper), London City Hall building, and the HMS Belfast (floating museum on Royal Navy cruiser)

Fenomena Habib di Nusantara

Gambar Hiasan: Queens Tower, Imperial College London

Sejak beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini, fenomena Habib semakin menjadi-jadi dalam dunia Islam, khususnya di rantau Nusantara, i.e. Malaysia, Singapura, Indonesia, dll. Sudah lama saya ingin bertanya akan hal ini. Soalan saya berbunyi begini:

1. Siapakah mereka ini, dan dari mana mereka datang? (Saya tidak bertanya apa maksud 'Habib' sebab saya tahu maksudnya 'Yang dikasihi', tapi saya mahu tahu siapa mereka ini. Tolong jangan bagi link daripada Wikipedia atau blog-blog yang tiada sandaran hujah ilmiah.

2. Adakah benar mereka ini adalah dari keturunan Rasulullah? Apakah sandarannya jika ia benar? Kenapa Imam Syafi'e rahimahullah yang secara jelasnya berketurunan Rasulullah tidak menggunakan gelaran 'Habib'?

3. Adakah mereka mempunyai kelebihan tertentu berbanding manusia lain? Jika ya, sila nyatakan apakah hujahnya.

4. Adakah nama 'Habib' itu adalah nama rasmi mereka, i.e. ada dinyatakan dalam ID (kad pengenalan, lesen memandu, atau passport), atau sekadar gelaran yang manusia lain berikan?

5. Adakah boleh saya namakan anak lelaki saya dengan nama 'Habib', contohnya Habib Yusuf bin Mohd Nazri? Apa kata pegawai di Pejabat Pendaftaran Negara dalam hal ini?

Photography: Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge was built in between 1886–1894, which crosses the River Thames in London. It is perhaps the most iconic symbol of London, located near the Tower of London. These are the two pictures that I managed to capture, during daylight, as well as at night.

 Picture of Tower Bridge with Olympic rings that I captured back in 2012. London was the host city for 2012 Olympics Games at that time.

Spectacular view of Tower Bridge at night, captured on 22nd November 2014, from the other side of the River Thames.

Photography: The London Eye at Night

The London Eye, one of the iconic landmarks and a symbol of modern Britain. It is also known as the Millennium Wheel, but this name is perhaps less known to many people. The London County Hall is right behind the wheel, while Hungerford Bridge lies next to it, crossing the River Thames. The picture was captured from Westminster Bridge at around 10pm, 1st Nov 2014.



Updated: Another picture captured on 6th Dec 2014..

Photography: Autumn in My Heart

Autumn in Kensington Gardens, London (1st Nov 2014). It was in fact at the end of the season, and winter will be coming soon. This could be my final autumn in the UK (well, as a student..)

Photography: "Supermoon" Phenomenon

There was a "supermoon" phenomenon on 10th August 2014 (14th Syawwal 1435 H), where the moon was at its closest point to the earth. But this picture (already cropped) was taken a day later at Du Cane Road, London, so it might no longer be that full "supermoon". I then realised that the camera lens is not 'long' enough to capture such a spectacular moment. And I should have used tripod + shutter remote to get a sharper and more stable image. Anyway, this is the so-called best shot I've had on that cold and breezy night.

Photography: Breathtaking Scenery of Scotland

The breathtakingly beautiful scenery along the way to Edinburgh, Scotland.. 

Just a tiny little creation of the Almighty Lord.

Photography: Kew Botanic Gardens, London

Miraculous symbiotic relationship between bees and flowers.  
Location: Kew Botanic Gardens, London, during autumn 2012.