Crepe jasmine – The Secret Garden of 1 Utama.

The air was refreshingly invigorating. The grounds were wet from the afternoon rainstorm that stopped just a while ago. We were greeted by these pinwheel-like crepe jasmine as we traipsed around the Secret Garden of 1 Utama with our cameras. The deluge may have washed away their intoxicating fragrance but the water droplets clinging on to their white petals made them look pristine still.

Weaved rattan canes.

These are weaved rattan canes of an Ikea chair. The shallow depth of field caused bokeh in the foreground and background with a very narrow range in between that is in focus. When I look at this image, I am reminded of the many instances in my life when I was unsure of what I should be doing. The past is a blur, the present unfulfilling and the future uncertain. Having gone through these phases, I also understand that nothing stays the same forever. As sure as the sun sets at dusk, it shall rise again at dawn.

Weeping tea tree flower – The Secret Garden of 1 Utama.

A soft breeze was blowing down from the hills. The pendulous branches of the weeping tea tree swayed back and forth. I pointed the camera at one of the flowers and waited for the swaying to subside. I was not even sure if the autofocus could pick up this tiny little bloom that measured a mere 5 mm in diamater only. In between the lull, I quickly took a few shots. This is one of the sharper ones.

Lily magnolia bud – The Secret Garden of 1 Utama.

This magnolia bud should have bloomed into a beautiful purplish pink flower already by now. I hope that when we go to The Secret Garden of 1 Utama again this weekend, the other buds would have just unfurled their petals for us to train our cameras on. I like how the fine hairs, called sericeous, contrasted with the silky petals, both in texture and colour. This is certainly one of the better photographs that I have taken since I started using the monopod to reduce camera shake.

Osmoxylum lineare – The Secret Garden of 1 Utama.

The osmoxylum lineare has a unique cluster of flowers. Little buds of white seemingly burst forth from the closely packed black seeds underneath. The juxtapose of colours and texture make for an interesting sight, and photography opportunities. Apparently, osmoxylum thrives in Southeast Asian countries, namely Malaysia and the Philippines. I have not seen one before until Wuan and I went to The Secret Garden of 1 Utama. This photograph was taken with the Canon Powershot A610 attached to a monopod to reduce camera shake. I have very unsteady hands.

Table accessories – silk flowers, soya sauce and toothpicks.

This shot was taken with the Canon Powershot A610 while I was waiting for my food at the Restoran New Curry inside Taman Maluri Shopping Centre. I turned the dial to P, set ISO to 100, turned off the flash and fiddled with the white balance. This camera has been with me for four years and it was only recently that I started using the manual focus function. The result was better than I expected. I am slowly weaning myself away from using the Auto mode to learning to play with the manual settings.

Eugenia sp. at Secret Garden 1 Utama.

Wuan and I went back to Secret Garden at 1 Utama again last Saturday. This rooftop garden at the new wing is an oasis of green and serenity. 500 species of plants from various climates and elevations are cultivated together at different themed sections. Photography opportunities are plenty. We will be visiting this place often with our cameras. This is where I will be polishing my macro photography skills. Loafing at 1 Utama on weekends has suddenly become productive and enjoyable.