While in KL, we visited a few different mosques. One of the ladies from the Ritz-Carlton was with me and all women need to wear these cloak things. It’s one of those strange religious things that never make sense to me. I know Islam is a fairly patriarchal system, so I think little subtle requirements like this keep females a bit more subservient and less by forcing them cover themselves.
These sorts of situations are perfect for a strong HDR treatment. I am always impressed by the way some interior designers choose to decorate and light their interior spaces. When you really crank up the HDR, it gives it a bit of a “fantasy” feel where you are not sure if it is real or make-believe. I like the tension between what is real and what is not real.
It was fun to hang out with my friend Liz in Malaysia! We visited this mosque and they force women to cover their hair and other parts that may be enticing to men. I suppose that is the reason. I’m not a Muslim or anything, but it does seem a bit weird to suppress the human form to reinforce a mutually agreed-upon fiction. Anyway, after this, we went out with the team and had an amazing meal, sans silky self-sheeting.
Here’s a cool video I hope you like! While I was on tour across Europe a few years ago, I would give art talks at different Ritz-Carlton hotels along the way. One of the gentlemen there that helps run the show, Nick Teare, asked me if I’d be interested in making the video for the new Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. It was a very fun project! I ended up with about 22 iterations before we finally ended up with what you see now. If you end up staying at some of the Marriott Luxury locations, you will probably see this video playing in your room on a loop! Also, a big thanks to Sam Mehrtens for composing the music!
Daily Photo – Visiting a Mosque in Kuala Lumpur
If you’re headed to any Muslim country, I always recommend you go visit a few mosques. They are great for photography and generally very interesting places. You don’t have to worry about dress too much (well, don’t wear shorts) because most of them have a little station in the front where you can put on the appropriate garb.
Here’s a little video I made for my friend Jose in Porto, Portugal! You can find his //photo tours here/..
Daily Photo – Amazing Kuala Lumpur
It was fun to go back to Kuala Lumpur after being gone for over seven years. You still can’t go wrong with a photo of the amazing Petronas Towers and the KLCC area. This one I tried shifting the temperature over into the Incandescent area. This is a good trick to try for a few of your cityscape shots. When you go into that area (called Tungsten in some white balance settings), you get this cool Blade Runner kind of feel.
I should do more of these! Here’s one from a few weeks ago when I went live on Facebook to stream my screen while editing some photos. (If you click through to Facebook you can read the comments.)
Daily Photo – Kuala Lumpur from the Traders Hotel Bar
I think the bar on the top of the Traders Hotel has the best view of the Petronas Towers. I tried a few other rooftop bars in the area, but this one is still the best. While I was there, you can see that dark, foreboding Four Seasons hotel on the right. Maybe it wasn’t open yet? I can only imagine that because not many lights are on and the sign on top is not lit up.
I now have five 360 Podcasts I’ve created and another four that are being edited. I’m figuring out this new format as I’m going along. Check out the new Playlist on YouTube and subscribe/hit the bell to get the newest when they come out!
Daily Photo – Chinese Lanterns in Kuala Lumpur
KL in Malaysia is one of those cool cities in the middle of worlds where they have most of the world’s main religions represented. It’s predominantly Muslim, so there are more mosques than anything, but you’ll also see Christian churches, Hindu temples, and Chinese temples like this one. I asked my driver if there was a temple for Atheists, and he said he could not think of one.
I recommend a show called Mr. Robot. It ranks up there in the Westworld category as being somewhat confusing, but I sort of like that, I think. You really have to pay attention… but it’s a cleverly written show.
Daily Photo – Alone in the Mosque
I visited the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur between services. I would not be allowed to take photos otherwise. But, mosques are almost always open to anyone that wants to come in to pray or relax, like this gentleman is doing. Sometimes, on very hot days in these Muslim countries, I will go into mosques to relax too. They are often air-conditioned and I just sit on the floor with all my equipment and relax/meditate. Running around all day long in the heat can really get to ya.
Oh, and I’m giving some of these bags away! To be in with a chance of winning, step 1 is to subscribe to my YouTube Channel. Be sure to check out this video which explains step 2:
360 Video when flying the Phantom
Join me and Tane on this early morning flight! 🙂 Don’t forget you can grab the screen and move it around.
Daily Photo – When Tane Had That Epiphany
While we were in Malaysia, something possessed Tane to shave his head on the same day we went to go visit a Mosque. I think he was trying to trick his dad into thinking he was converting from Atheism to Islam. I don’t think he actually tricked anyone, but he certainly played the role well.
