Alex Leong: Thanks

Nazmi: Try Shutter Asia, it’s more like Flickr, less about gear.

flickr much better than malaysia photography forum, which emphasis mainly on the gear. i learned more in flickr.

Totally true to the last word. Local forum when they comment, they don’t say why the like the photo or why they dislike. Just “nice photo”..please mention a little like nice compo, the color is strong etc….

Matthew: Yup, give a pro a basic camera and give a noob a pro camera I know which will produce better pics.

Azmeen: Most important is learn to use Aperture priority well, that’s the most used mode. Get a good balance with the shutter speed by tweaking the ISO. Hope to see you active on Shutter Asia…life looking through a viewfinder is so different and so many things to consider before pressing the shutter.

pinolam: Yah learn what you have first, only when you find the limitations of what you are using will you really understand what you need next.

Simmonette Tan: Eheh thanks Simmy

oscar: Well you were a little disrespectful on your blog, but that’s your choice As for your points.

1. Many people in Malaysia speak better English than people natively from England and Firefox comes with a spellchecker built in..so there’s no longer any excuse for poor spelling (I don’t spell well either but I make an effort).

2. The camera didn’t make the picture, ask what settings I used, or why I took that angle or what focal length I chose, and why I used that depth of field? Any reasonable camera can take the pictures I take – it’s not relevant.

3. Photoshop can’t replace technique and understanding, if you underexpose and ‘fix’ it you’ll get noise, if you overexpose you’ll lose detail. As above, any reasonable camera can take the pics I take, Photoshop or not. Photoshop can’t fix a bad picture, it can make a good picture great but it can’t make a bad picture good.

4. I don’t doubt it, but when I use compact sometimes people ask me what camera and lens I use…I say Fuji F31fd – they are so shocked. Perhaps limitations and expectations are placed by the people who ask such questins rather than questioning their own skill they expect to blame the poor quality of their own pictures on their equipment. You wouldn’t ask a surgeon what brand of scalpel they used to operate on you? Or an author what keyboard they used?

5. Thanks – but that’s not sincere

Dean: That’s the truth!

grace: Thanks grace, don’t worry I’ll keep on pushing and trying to improve and posting my pics.

wombok: Agree, seen some stunning pics from kit lens well used.

nikz: Yah, respect the artist not the lens.

Bungholio: Now I’m using pin hole camera, cost about rm2 for cardboard box and some tape.

Keep it up, Shaolin Tiger! I wanna see more pics!! =)