Pictorials
Tulamben Underwater Pictorial
By Tony on November 21, 2011 | 1 Comment »
As Thomas mentioned in his piece on independent diving in Tulamben, one of our major goals during our 14 dives here was to practice our underwater photography skills.
We spent hours exploring every inch of the U.S.S. Liberty as well as the neighboring sites of Coral Garden and the Drop-Off. We sat at 25 meters waiting next to small cleaning stations where eels and fish allowed themselves to be cleaned by half a dozen species of cleaner shrimp.
We experimented with ISO, flash output, shutter and aperture settings, and custom white balance to see what would produce the best pictures. And gradually we got better. Underwater photography isn’t easy especially with the limited equipment we carry with us. Staying still underwater while focusing on something that is half an inch long requires some serious effort. Despite the challenges, we have produced our first complete underwater pictorial. Even Jacques Cousteau had to start out somewhere. 
Malaysia Pictorial
By Tony on July 31, 2011 | No Comments »
From the futuristic Petronas twin towers to the stunning reefs of Sipidan, the colonial backstreets of Malacca and Penang to the wildlife of the great Kinabatangan River, Malaysia truly deserves the cliched title of “the land of contrasts.”
As we move on to the remote Indonesian state of Kalimantan in southern Borneo, we have put together another pictorial to capture just a bit of the visual overload in Magnificent Malaysia.
Penang Pictorial
By Tony on March 15, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Twenty years ago, I passed through Penang on my way to Sumatra. My two days here were enjoyable, but now I realize that I saw absolutely nothing during my short stay. Wow, did I underestimate this place.
Fortunately, Thomas and I had the opportunity to return and take some time to explore Penang’s amazing cultural and natural heritage. It takes time to appreciate the depth of Penang. No place more deserves the title of World Heritage Site. For that reason, I’ve put together a pictorial to share Penang’s treasures with everyone.
Kek Lok Si Illuminated
By Tony on February 7, 2011 | 3 Comments »
To celebrate the year of the rabbit, Penang’s massive Kek Lok Si, the largest Chinese temple in Malaysia, has been decked out with 12,000 red and yellow Chinese lanterns as well as over 250,000 decorative bulbs. In addition to the temple, the newly constructed super-pagoda built to house Kek Lok Si’s 30 meter (100 ft) Kuan Yin statue is also being lit up each night. The twinkling complex sitting high above historical Georgetown gives a whole new meaning to the term “Buddhist enlightenment.”
Bangkok Pictorial
By Tony on January 31, 2011 | 2 Comments »
As we soar off into the sunset, we thought we should take one last look back at our home away from home, Bangkok. Although the city may have a rather questionable reputation for some, we love Bangkok with its glistening temples, markets full of street food, funky back-alleys, super-glam malls crowded with trendy teens, spontaneous street concerts, crazy weekend events, mammoth Buddhas, and festivals, festivals, festivals.
To celebrate our home in Southeast Asia, we’ve finally put together a pictorial of Thailand’s bustling capital.
