Ming Thein

Review: Sony Cyber-Shot RX100 Mark III

June 25, 2014 by Ming Thein

In full Transformer mode

Two of the most interesting cameras in recent memory – the 645Z and RX100III, at completely opposite ends of the imaging spectrum but both pushing image quality – are arriving this week and I have a fundamental problem: a lack of light. Kuala Lumpur is blanketed in a horrible 100+API haze again that’s eating light and turning the sky into a giant drybox; right after two weeks of fantastic crystal-clear weather during which we had stars every night. I’ve made the most of the windows of opportunity, but in an ideal world I’d have liked to push the dynamic range of the thing a bit more.

Photoessay: Melbourne monochromes, part II

June 23, 2014 by Ming Thein

The continuation and completion of the previous photoessay.

It occurs to me I never addressed why these images were presented as monochrome rather than color – Australia has wonderfully intense blue skies (I suspect this has something to do with the ozone layer, or lack of it at those latitudes) which in turn produce extremely intense colours. Personally, and I suspect also for a lot of other people, monochrome images are associated with a sort of timeless quality; I don’t – and didn’t – want the impressions to be affected by my current color choices and preferences. It’s one of the reasons we associate certain color palettes with certain eras in history – think of the 1960s and 1970s, or late 1980s, for instance; unfortunately I suspect the current period is going to be defined by over filtering, low-fi and HDR. The least I can do is spare my subjects from that…

New workshop video: How To See, Ep.3: Penang now available!

June 21, 2014 by Ming Thein

It’s been a little while in the making, but we’re pleased to announce that How To See, Episode 3: Penang is now available!

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Teaching Tagged With: episode 3 penang, how to see, malaysia, ming, ming thein, mingthein.com, penang, photography, teaching, thein, video

Last day to order Ultraprint Edition 2: The Cars of Havana

June 19, 2014 by Ming Thein

A gentle reminder: today is the last day to order an Ultraprint from Edition 2. Once the order period is closed, the images will never be reprinted in this format. Click here to order or for more information. Thanks! MT

Filed Under: Prints Tagged With: cars of havana, ming, mingthein.com, printing, prints, thein, ultraprint, ultraprint edition 2

Ricoh Pentax update: confidence restored, resolution and conclusion

June 18, 2014 by Ming Thein

Firstly – and a lot of you will probably consider this ironic – I’d like to attempt to retain some objectivity in this matter. Here are the facts:

The developer/ agency at the instruction of the locally appointed Indonesian representative, and without any protest from them, used one of my images without permission or licensing.
The Indonesian representative – or claimed representative of Ricoh Pentax – was clearly aware of the matter and removed the image together with an unacceptable reply of “The decision to used your picture are my decision to fulfill my target to make my company’s website looks wonderful, therefore please accept my deepest apology.”
Ricoh Pentax HQ was informed through every possible channel I have had access to. Though they were not directly responsible, an agent claiming to represent their brand and acting as their brand was. However, it is the responsibility of the principal as any person who sees that representation would assume in good faith that it is affiliated with the principal.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Off topic Tagged With: apology, image theft, indonesia, ming, ming thein, mingthein.com, pentax, resolution, ricoh, thein

Photoessay: Melbourne monochromes, part I

June 18, 2014 by Ming Thein

This photoessay is the first part of my monochrome work from the Melbourne workshop in March; some of my students may recognise the images. I’ve been criticised in the past for not getting ‘close enough’ for my images to qualify as street photography, so I’m not going to claim it as such even though there’s no strict definition of the genre to begin with. Rather, it continues a theme I’ve been exploring for the past couple of years: the exploration of people in their environment, and the idea of modern man in context as a species as opposed to an individual. Perhaps I should take up social anthropology in my spare time…

Name and shame: ‘Pentax Ricoh Indonesia’ stole my image UPDATE: resolved.

June 17, 2014 by Ming Thein

One of my readers (thank you) brought this to my attention earlier today. It is with great disappointment that I have to do this, because clearly the company involved – AW Photo, unclear whether they are distributor or subsidiary or something else to do with Pentax Ricoh but claiming to be ‘Pentax Ricoh Indonesia’ – has used one of my images for commercial promotion purposes without permission or credit, from my review here. Note how the watermark is still in place – how could their web designer have failed to notice that? On top of that, the page was apparently last updated in October 2013 – that’s eight months of unauthorised use, and eight months in which HQ could have done something.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: image theft, indonesia, ming, ming thein, mingthein.com, pentax, ricoh, thein, thieves

Images to be remembered for

June 17, 2014 by Ming Thein

Name any one of the most famous and prolific photographers, and chances are you can probably remember only a small handful of their images. Even more surprisingly, if you spend a bit of time digging into their published collections, you’ll find that there are dozens more that you probably like better than their famous ones; photography is, after all, personal and subjective. But think about this for a moment: assuming that what you see is only what they choose to show you (being the effect of conscious exclusion at work again) – it makes you wonder exactly what didn’t make the cut.

Photoessay: Living the Australian Dream, part II: signs of life

June 15, 2014 by Ming Thein

Dinner out

This set continues my ‘Australian Dream’ mini series – think of it as a small exhibition in instalments, or a little series of observations on the Australian psyche from an outsider’s point of view – well, not a total outsider because I did live there during my childhood. Today we add the protagonists. To quote Shakespeare: “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players”.

Photoessay: Living the Australian Dream, part I: the landscape

June 13, 2014 by Ming Thein

The set

Interestingly, the notion of the ‘Australian Dream’ is much like the American one: a land of opportunity, space, freedom, big skies, friendly people and a relaxed, laid-back lifestyle. Though I grew up in Melbourne until I was 9, I haven’t been back in nearly 18 years; I was surprised by how much the place had changed, and at the same time, how much it hadn’t. There was a sense of international polish about it that wasn’t there before, or perhaps I hadn’t noticed it.