This Ugly & Beautiful World

The world is a beautiful place, and I am no longer afraid to die. Photographs by Joey Kuala Lumpur

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250103 - The limestone valleys of Ipoh

Ipoh has no shortage of limestone hills and valleys, and carved into these hills are many Taoist temples, and some hidden gems. before the pandemic, i've had the privilege to visit a handful of attractions, including the vaunted hidden gem that is the "Mirror Lake" located within a limestone valley. one would make a small trek into a cave tunnel and come into a lake within the limestone hills. at the time, it was a fairly untouched attraction which was free for entry. fast-forward to 2024/2025, some devious entrepreneur converted this "hidden gem" into a gaudy attraction, complete with entry tickets, souvenir stands, souvenir photographers, and cafes offering a selection of "Ipoh coffee". as in Malaysian standards, everything about the enterprise was far too in your face for my tastes.

i turned my attention to an untouched section of the valley, which was a short limestone corridor located behind the Kin Loong Valley cafe (i for one have no idea if the entire valley itself is called Kin Loong valley, or if this enterprise decided to christen the valley with their own namesake). at the very least this portion of the valley did not have any dreaded entry price, and thus made for a pleasant nature walk of sorts. as they say, there's something about observing nature in its untouched form heals the soul. ironic given how just some yards away is the machinery that is capitalism slowly creeping in and transforming the landscape.

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250102 - Vanishing point, Ipoh

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250101 - The historic city of Melaka

got myself a new camera prior to this little raodtrip, a mirrorless Canon EOS RP. it had come to a point where i was no longer comfortable lugging around my ole Canon EOS 6D due to its weight. in the interest of my ailing lower back and plantar fasciitis, i made the plunge into Canon's new RF system, and i'm fairly pleased with the camera so far. at the very least, it was a full frame camera that is capable of backwards compatibility, which means that all i needed was an adapter in order to reuse all my gear! a great investment, if i say so myself. alas, the 6D is now relegated to the depths of my dry box. here's to many years together with this mirrorless wonder!

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240716 - Twilight Kuching

twilight after the rain in downtown Kuching.

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240716 - KM 0, Teluk Melano

westbound towards the western-most point of the Borneo Malaysian border is Teluk Melano. completely devoid of activity asides from a vendor plying drinks, snacks, and coconuts for the weary daytripper. all is quiet on this late morning weekday, with nary a soul in sight. a warmish, coolish late morning breeze blows, and the waves straddle the coast in a leisurely manner, indifferent to the arrival of the weary traveler from the city. i bask in the sunlight, squinting my eyes as i fiddle with my camera settings, taking a handful of shots that i may or may not look at again. what would it be like to disappear here, to leave without a trace at the literal edge of the earth? two years later, and i'm not anywhere close to disappearing, but the photos still remain.

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240714 - Kuching

insert caption about losing motivation to keep posting on any platform but will attempt to continue posting because of reasons and then disappear again without a word.

such is life.

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240702 - Balik Pulau, Penang

while the northern and eastern side of Penang Island has received most of the tourist attention in the last decade, the western region of Balik Pulau retains its quiet countryside charm. driving through mountainous terrain, old winding roads, and small quiet villages, i find myself reaching a plateau right next to the coastline hosting a patch of paddy fields. its quite a contrasting sight after my walk around bustling George Town - there was not a soul in sight, a few country houses dotted the landscape, and a cool seaside breeze was blowing through the air. it was certainly a refreshing change of pace to be walking along the fields of paddy, and i am reminded of a photography visit i made to the paddy fields of Sekinchan many years ago which felt like a different lifetime. Penang has been undergoing rapid development in recent years and the (literally) changing landscape (which includes many land reclamation projects going underway as well as various urban renewal projects) is something that its residents may or may not be waiting for with various levels of trepidation. yet, it's still a wonder that quiet patches like Balik Pulau still remains intact for the most part. just like in Kyoto, for every busy tourist destination, there will most certainly be places where one will be able to find their own pocket of stillness and tranquility.

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20240701 - Vanishing point, George Town

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looking at you looking at me

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Dark was the night

this pair of photographs are my favourites that i've taken in the last five years - and i've barely taken much in that time span.

for the last 5 or so years, i felt like i've hit a cul de sac with regards to my photography. i'm taking the same pictures, revisiting the same locations, using the same filters, equipment, and mindset. no amount of new camera, equipment, or subject can dig me out of this creative dead end - i am on autopilot most of the time i go out to intentionally take photos because the sheer motivation it requires for me just to go out saps me of my creativity. i find myself somewhere i've been meaning to visit for weeks, and when i pull out my camera, i find myself unable to switch on my "photography mode" like i used to be able to a decade ago. the spark doesn't seem to be quite there, the well is beginning to run dry, and my creativity is running on fumes. i drag myself out to take pictures for the sake of trying to do something creative. granted, it's not that i do not want to go out and take pictures - i very much want to given the opportunity! maybe it's the inevitability of hitting middle age - the malaise begins to set in, the nerves are frayed, maybe it could be a form of ennui and indifference. the results never quite live up to what i expect out of my outings - mediocre and forgettable at best. i sometimes wonder what even is the purpose of the photographs i take - sometimes i don't even care for what i photograph. is it a documentation of a moment? is an artistic statement? when the photographs are too forgettable to be some form of documentation, or too plain to be some form of art, what is the purpose of the photographs i make? i upload my shots, slap on some filters, clean them up, and they live in my hard disk never to be seen my anyone. at least in the past i'd share my photographs on whatever social media i felt like sharing it onto, but then social media is no longer what it used to be and is no longer conducive for people who just want to get their "art" out there for the world to see. perhaps that's why i'm still ranting here on the Tumblr void - it still feels like it has some semblance of the internet circa late 2000s to early 2010s. my relationship with photography has shifted significantly in the last few years, and i fear that eventually i would give up the hobby entirely, like the many photography Tumblr blogs i follow that no longer make updates. what is my take-away from this wall of text? i don't really know, as it is, i myself don't quite know what to make of my own self, let alone my interests in 2025. but i guess i'll just keep posting whatever i feel like posting - until the gas finally runs out.

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Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur

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does it look like i'm here?

Pentax 6x7

Fuji Neopan Acros 100 [Expired]

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20240317 - The lone tree with a sakura bloom on a random street in Tokyo

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20240317 - An early sakura bloom at Asakusa

i hadn't intended for this trip to coincide with the sakura bloom, but we were fortunate enough to catch a few trees that bloomed earlier than the others, and that was more than i could have asked for.

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20240315 - Top of Yebisu, Tokyo

the last time i was here i stayed awhile to photograph (and time-lapse video captured) the sunset. this time, i briefly stopped by after a visit to the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum gift store to pick up John Sypal's (of Tokyo Camera Style fame) photobooks. this view never gets old.

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20240314 - 6:11AM in Shinjuku

barely took any DSLR pictures from this trip - i primarily shot on the Lomo'Instant Wide to mixed results. at the end of the day, as long as pictures were taken, it's all good regardless of the camera used.

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20231213 - The backalley murals of Ipoh