Saturday, May 7, 2011

Digital (This week's Photo Hunt theme)



When I saw this Photo Hunt theme on the tnchick's list a few weeks back, my reaction was along the lines of "Oh, an easy one". After all, every single snap in the photo archive on my computer was taken on a digital camera. However, when I decided to restrict myself to shots showing digital items, I discovered that I actually didn't have that great a choice of photos!

To be sure, I could have made things easier for myself by proceeding to take fresh shots of such as some of my digital video discs (DVDs) or digital audio compact discs (CDs). But that just seemed too obvious a thing to do. So on I proceeded with my hunt through my photo archive -- and finally came up with a pair of photos that fit this week's theme... though it's true enough that I had to go back some three years for one of them!!

For the record: that photo -- showing a digital countdown clock for the 2008 Beijing Olympics on prominent display in Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok Airport -- dates back to a time when China, including Hong Kong, was in the throes of Olympics fever. (Wow, was it that long ago now? How time really can fly...)

And while the photo below it in this post is taken in more mundane surroundings (i.e., the inside of a green minibus), it actually is the more digital item-filled -- with two digital displays rather than just one. More specifically, the larger of the two displays in it shows the speed of the vehicle -- and yes, I happened to take a photo when the minibus was travelling at only 9 kilometers per hour! -- while the smaller one indicates the fare price (HK$7.40) to be paid to the driver -- either electronically using an Octopus card or in cash form.

On the subject of minibuses: they are a form of public transportation that somehow seem more local than the bigger double-decker and other buses and the MTR. So for me, it was a sign that I had truly "arrived" in the Big Lychee when I took to regularly riding them. Also, the Hong Kong film fanatic part of me often does think of Lost in Time, Derek Yee's touching romantic drama whose main characters are minibus drivers... so yes, riding in a minibus can often make me feel like I'm in a Hong Kong movie even after all these years (four plus now) that I've been a resident in this part of the world. :)

17 comments:

MaR said...

You truly look for the challenge!! well done, love your clever take on the theme. And the minibus!

Happy digital weekend!

Anonymous said...

Excellent choices. I thought about digital numbers displays but went a little different.

LifeRamblings said...

these are great examples for the theme. love your choices.

jams o donnell said...

You really have gone for great choices for the theme, especially the minibus. Have a great weekend!

Carver said...

You did a great job with the theme and as always an interesting post.

To answer your question, I rarely work with photographs once they are downloaded. Most of the time I think they look fake when I do. The only time I work with them is when the shot doesn't show what I saw and I might tweak the colors to be more true. However, now that my camera died and I'm play with my cell phone camera which is very inadequate, I might try to work with them since they never look like what I saw. I'll probably use more shots from my archives until I replace my camera because the cell camera is lousy.

HelpXtra said...

Good take!
I was looking for Digital displays too, but couldn't find anything I liked.

Sue said...

We are thinking along the same lines this week :) Happy photo hunt!

Dragonstar said...

I particularly like the mini-bus. They're so convenient for short distances.

In response to your comment - I', afraid the fires were the result of arson. We've heard of lads throwing lit firelighters from cars. The fires involved quite a large area, with a twelve mile front. It's still smoking, as most of it is peat bog which dried and burned. It's horrifying!

YTSL said...

Hi Mar --

I wasn't trying to make it *too* difficult for myself... but yeah, I do like a challenge. :)

Hi archiearchive --

Sounds like you wanted to go beyond the obvious in your own way too. :)

Hi Life Ramblings --

Thanks, appreciate your positive reaction to my photos. :)

Hi Jams --

Welcome back to my blog as well as Photo Hunting. :)

Hi Carver --

Re cel vs camera cameras: Yeah, I hear about new cel phone cameras having more megapixels than many camera cameras -- and yet, I think that camera cameras still take better photos.

Hi Gitwizard --

Thanks and I think there's digital displays all around us -- it's just that we often don't think to take photos of them! :b

Hi Sue --

Great minds think alike? ;b

Hi Dragonstar --

Minibuses here in Hong Kong often serve routes that regular buses don't. Find them particularly useful to get to hiking start points! ;b

Re your fire post and comments: so sad about the arson. Some people can be so... thoughtlessly destructive. :(

Trekcapri said...

Hi YTSL, great photos and choices for this week's theme. I agree with you, time can really fly by. I'm a huge Olympics fan and I thought the Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony was the best I have ever seen. I think it is interesting that the minibus there displays the speed on their buses.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Gattina said...

I could have published all my 4000 pictures, they are all digital, I never touched a camera before ! Hated that !

peppylady (Dora) said...

I can recall when nothing was digital but most things are now.
Thanks for stopping in.

Coffee is on.

Jama said...

Excellent choice especially the display on the bus. We too are using similar kind of digital machine to deduct fare from our EZlink card.

Maya said...

Wow, you take this seriously--you are a champ!

YTSL said...

Hi Trekcapri --

More re the minibus' speed display: if it goes above 80 kilometer, a beep gets activated -- a sign to the driver that he or she should slow down... ;b

Hi Gattina --

Wow, would never have known from viewing your photos that you didn't have experience taking photos on non-digital cameras! :O

Hi peppylady (Dora) --

Times and technology really has changed, haven't they?! :O

Hi Jama --

Is Singapore's EZLink card only for public transportation or more than that? The Octopus card can be used to do such as pay for purchases as McDonald's and pharmacies too! :b

Hi Maya --

Hehe... to be honest, I didn't realize that I would be making things that hard for myself. But yes, there is a sense of achievement in passing one's own test! ;b

Marta said...

Both pictures are fun and very appropriate. I like the minibus memories. :)

YTSL said...

Hi Marta --

Re the minibus musings: they're not so much memories as... fantasies, really! ;b