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Snap Shots: Bringing Low-light photography out of the dark
by Harry Flashman
With all cameras these days having in-built flashes,
photographers no longer have any fear of the dark. That’s a shame,
because today’s auto-everything photographers miss out on the chance of
getting some excellent and very different shots.
Take a look at the photo with this week’s column. The
Halloween lantern was photographed at night, and if a flash had been used,
the whole atmosphere of this photograph would have been lost. With flash
you would have had a washed out pumpkin, and nothing inside. Without the
flash, the solitary candle burning inside was the source of light, and the
photo really shows up the carving and the fact that it is a Halloween
pumpkin.
 What
has to be remembered is that the ‘natural’ light comes in many
different colours. There is in fact a light scale, measured in degrees
Kelvin, that shows why the late afternoon shots are ‘warm’ and the
other shots are ‘cold’. It also explains why a household light bulb
looks orange when photographed on ordinary film, and why objects lit by
neon tubes look green.
Getting slightly technical, colour temperature is a
term that is borrowed from physics. In physics a so-called “black
body” will radiate light when it is heated. The “colour” of this
light depends on the temperature of the body. You have all seen this
before, even if you are not old enough to have visited a blacksmith. If
you heat an iron bar, say, it will eventually start to glow dark red
(“red hot”). Continue to heat it and it turns yellow (like the
filament in a light-bulb) and eventually blue-white.
 However,
the photographic colour temperature is not exactly the same as the colour
temperature defined in physics, as photographic colour temperature is
measured only on the relative intensity of blue to red. However, we borrow
the basic measurement scale from physics and we measure the photographic
colour temperature in degrees Kelvin (K).
Here is a table to show the differences in light
sources.
1000 K Candles; oil lamps
2000 K Very early sunrise; low effect tungsten lamps
2500 K Household light bulbs
3000 K Studio lights, photo floods
4000 K Clear flashbulbs
5000 K Typical daylight; electronic flash
5500 K The sun at noon
6000 K Bright sunshine with clear sky
7000 K Slightly overcast sky
8000 K Hazy sky
9000 K Open shade on clear day
The next confusing aspect is that the photographic film
and the human eye do not see the colours with the same intensity. The
usual print film is ‘balanced’ to around 5,000 K, so light sources
lower in colour temperature will look orange, even though it does not look
orange to the naked eye. There are other films available balanced to
tungsten light, so this time the light bulb will look white! There are
ways around all this, called colour correcting filters with numbers like
81 A, through to D, but for the sake of this exercise, don’t worry about
them at all.
You also do not have to know the degrees Kelvin table
by heart to get some different photographs when you turn the flash off.
Try doing the following this weekend and let’s get
some spectacular low-light photographs. Firstly, inactivate the flash, but
turn on the automatic mode for your camera. In other words I am going to
make this very easy for you. No hard exposure calculations. If you have a
tripod, dust it off, but even if you haven’t, continue.
Go to your local markets at dusk and take some
photographs of what goes on there, using just the stall-holder’s naked
bulb for illumination. Be prepared to lean against a telephone pole to
stop camera shake. But give it a go.
Footnote: If you are in Bangkok go to Tamarind Cafe
Gallery F-Stop on Sukhumvit Soi 20. There is an exceptional B&W photo
exhibition from Surat Osathanugrah. Closes February 15th (next week), so
be quick!
Modern Medicine: Casual Sex - What is casual about getting the clap?
by Dr. Iain Corness, Consultant
I have never understood why gonorrhoea was called ‘the
clap’ (gonorrhea if you come from America - their bugs don’t spell like our
bugs). I know of no good reason why one would applaud getting a disease which
has the symptoms of peeing razor blades and is now becoming increasingly
difficult to treat. But then, perhaps I was never that adventurous. (Or if I
was, I ain’t telling!)
Sexually transmitted infections (STI’s for the acronym
buffs) number around 333 million cases each year, according to the WHO who keep
these kind of numbers in their filing cabinets. That excludes HIV, which they
keep in another filing cabinet. The 333 big ones come from Gonorrhoea at 62
million, Chlamydia at 89 mill, Syphilis (yes it’s still around after all these
years) at 12 mill and Trichomoniasis topping the bill at 170 million!
So let’s have a look at some of these casual sex stars (as
opposed to Debbie Does Dallas or our old friend SARS). “Trike” as the
Trichomonas vaginalis infections are called in the trade, was top of the pops
and is a parasitic infection that leads to irritation and discharge for the
female folk, but does precious little to the males (sometimes it’s worthwhile
being a guy). It gets passed on by unprotected sex. It is messy to treat. You
don’t get it if you use a condom.
Chlamydia was next favoured at 89 million cases. This little
gem doesn’t cause much symptoms and is an infection with a bacterium. Because
it doesn’t make its presence known, this makes it very dangerous. The women
who get this can end up with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), tubal factor
infertility and ectopic pregnancy. There are now routine tests available to see
if you have the happy bug. You don’t get it if you use a condom.
Gonorrhoea was the next most popular STI to come home with
after that dream vacation. 62 million sufferers. In Asia, where we live, 70
percent of the gonorrhoea bugs are penicillin resistant and now 25 percent are
resistant to Ciprofloxacin, which was once the golden pill to cure everything.
The reason for this is mainly through inadequate dosing using OTC (over the
counter) medications. Yes, that ‘cipro’ that you can buy OTC here! Do you
really know what dose you need to cure that ‘dose’? I’ll bet you don’t!
This disease needs correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment. You don’t get
it if you use a condom.
Next up is syphilis, written medically as $. So when you see
that in your hospital notes, your doctor is not thinking about your wallet, but
about a nasty social disease. Since genital ulcers potentiate the spread of HIV,
syphilis has become even more important in public health. Never mind the fact
that syphilis can be passed on from mother to child, has a very nasty habit of
recurring and can eventually kill you. I remember from my student days the
stigmata of congenital syphilis were contained in the limerick,
“A dirty old man from Leith,
Had the shocking bad taste to bequeath,
To his beautiful young daughter,
A specific aorta,
And a full set of Hutchinson’s teeth.”
Explanations of all those can be given another day, but $ is
not a disease you want to get. It is not all that easy to cure, even caught in
the first stages. You don’t get it if you use a condom.
There was a message this week. Yes, you don’t get it if you
use a condom!
 Heart to Heart with Hillary
Dear Hillary,
It is refreshing to have you give space from time to time to farang men who
have found bliss with Thai wives or mistresses. (My name should be added to
theirs.) But your asides continue to give bad press to “bar girls”
generically. The French have a saying, “If you want meat attend a butcher,
not a hairdresser.” I propose that if lechers want insight into Thai women of
any kidney that they consult an experienced lecher and not an accepted
authority on champagne and choclates (sic). Help is on the way. Very shortly,
my documentary memoir and guide “A Dirty Old Man in Thailand” will be on
the shelves of a bookstore near you. It has been adopted as the Chronicle,
Bible and Constitution of our worldwide order and addresses in depth all
aspects of relations between Thai females and foreign men. Be patient and ye
shall hear the word.
Chancellor Cyril,
Ancient and Honorable Company of Dirty Old Men, Chiangmai Diocese.
Dear DOM Chancellor Cyril,
Thank you for elevating me to the exalted level of “accepted authority on
champagne and chocolates”. I shall remember you in my next glass. However,
please note, my DOM, that there are two letter “o’s” in chocolate. If you
are writing a book, please let someone who can at least spell check it for you.
I am also pleased that you have found bliss with your “Thai wives or
mistresses”. Bliss many times over it would seem. Even time for a bit of
lechering on the side! And then write about it later. My word, Cyril, you are a
busy boy! I shall look out for your book at the bookstore near me. Oh dear,
there’s two near me, I wonder which one it will be in? Since the book will
also obviously be a ‘meaty’ tome, perhaps I should also ask at the
butcher’s? I notice your reference to kidneys too. Perhaps you are a butcher!
However, I have taken your advice to heart and won’t breathe a word of this
to my hairdresser. Now while I think of it, his name is Cyril as well. Are
there two of you?
Dear Hillary,
Many men from around the world come to Thailand fed up with the women asking
them for money or favors in their home country. Recently some woman in my
country have asked for 15,000 US, 3000 US and a shopping trip. When I tell them
I only have enough money for Champagne and Chocolates they inform me that they
were only testing me to see if I really loved them. I tell them that I only
love Hillary. The way American women ask for money is just brutal and I believe
it is because Thais have 2000 years practice and know how to ask in a gentler
way. By the way Hillary now that we have the Champagne and Chocolates out of
the way 30,000 is available to you.
In Love and Broke
Dear In Love and Broke,
What can I say? Such a truly romantic offer! As you say, “now that we have
the Champagne and Chocolates out of the way 30,000 is available to you.” Err,
30,000 whats? You neglected to put the currency with that offer. As they say,
everyone has their price, but 30,000 baht is not enough, simply not enough,
Petal. Vietnamese Dong ditto or the Burmese denominations. Rupees don’t go
far these days and Lira even less. Since you have already indicated that USD
15,000 was too much, I get the nagging feeling that the 30,000 isn’t in
greenbacks. In fact, In Love and Broke, I get the feeling that you are not the
man of substance that I really need to keep me in the aforementioned champers
and chokkies. I really do appreciate your protestations of undying love, but
feel that the financial constraints are such that we’d never be able to make
a real go of it. I think if I married you for your money, I’d spend your
30,000 whatsits that afternoon and then realize it was all a big mistake. Keep
looking, poppet, you’ll find your ideal lady one day.
Dear Hillary,
I often use my neighbor’s computer at work to access some stuff on the
internet. The other day I looked at the addresses where she had been recently
and was astonished to see that she has been going to porn sites. Do you think
this is a come-on for me? I don’t want to make a fool of myself, but she has
been looking at horny males over the net, and I am sure she would be
interested. She would have to be around 40 years of age. I am 23.
Horny Male
Dear Horny Male,
I don’t know about your being horny, but I do know you are a snoop. What were
you doing, going through the sites she had visited? Sounds to me that you are
more of a voyeur, than a do-er. You say that you are sure she would be
interested in you - so why are you writing to me, my Petal? The answer as to
whether she is really interested is to post your photos in the websites she
goes to and then see what happens. Let me know when you do that and we can all
have a laugh.
A Slice of Thai History: Chartchai Chionoi: Thailand’s Second World Boxing Champion
Part Three: The Championship 1968-1975
by Duncan steam
In June 1968, he fought Raton Mojica
in Managua, Nicaragua in a non-title affair and lost a 10-round decision.
It was his first defeat in 34 months. However, in November he defeated
Bernabe Villacampo on points over 15 rounds to retain his world crown, his
fourth defence of the title.
Chartchai once more ventured to Mexico City, this time
in February 1969, for a rematch with Efren Torres for the world title. The
tough Mexican had learnt a lot from their first encounter and recorded a
stunning victory over the Thai champion, knocking Chartchai out in the
eighth round. This was the first time in 66 contests and 13 defeats that
the Thai boxer had failed to go the distance.
The former champion looked to be on the way out when he
was again beaten, this time by Willy Del Prado, in Bangkok in June over 10
rounds. However, Chartchai bounced back with two knockout wins and then
fought Efren Torres for a third time in their mandatory rematch.
The bout took place in Bangkok in March 1970 and
Chartchai managed to regain his crown by way of a points win over 15
rounds.
After another non-title points win, Chartchai lost his
title to the Filipino Erbito Salavarria on 7 December in Bangkok, being
knocked out in just two rounds.
Chartchai fought only twice in 1971, drawing first-up
and winning his second bout on points. 1972 saw him score four wins in
four bouts but at his first outing in 1973 he was knocked out by Masao
Ohba in the 12th round of their Flyweight title fight in Tokyo.
Sadly, Ohba was killed in a car crash and the now
30-year-old Chionoi knocked out Fritz Chervet in five rounds in Bangkok in
May to win the now vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) Flyweight crown.
He then retained the title with a points win over Susumu Hanagata in
October.
He fought just three times in 1974, losing a non-title
10-round decision in Honolulu, Hawaii in January, and then outpointing
Fritz Chervet to retain the WBA title in April in Zurich, Switzerland
(only his second contest in Europe) before relinquishing the crown to
Susumu Hanagata in Yokohama, Japan when he was knocked out in six rounds.
Sadly, Chartchai’s career on a dull note when he was
knocked out in six rounds by Rodolfo Francis in Panama City in August
1975. The 32-year-old retired with a record of 63 wins (39 KO’s), 19
losses and three draws. He fought for a world title 13 times and won on
nine occasions. He was only stopped five times in his 85 fights, four of
them coming in his last 13 bouts.
Personal Directions: Self-control is the balance wheel that directs action
by Christina Dodd
Last week I mentioned the names of thee great authors and
thinkers in the science of human achievement. I hope you found the article
interesting and that it has given you a little more insight into this field
of study.
As I was flipping through the pages a couple of days ago
of the classic by Napoleon Hill, the Law of Success, I came across
the chapter on Self-Control. It stood out to me because it is
explained so clearly in Hill’s writings as to why we should strive so hard
to attain it and to maintain it throughout our life.
Hill writes, “Enthusiasm is the vital quality
that arouses you to action, while self-control is the balance
wheel that directs your action so that it will build up and not tear
down. If you neglect to exercise self-control, you are not only likely to
injure others, but you are sure to injure yourself!
During the early part of my public career I discovered
what havoc lack of self-control was playing in my life, and this discovery
came about through a very commonplace incident. This discovery taught me one
of the most important lessons I have ever learned. It came about in this
way:
One day, in the building in which I had my office, the
janitor and I had a misunderstanding. This led to a most violent form of
mutual dislike between us. As a means of showing contempt for me, this
janitor would switch off the electric lights of the building when he knew
that I was there alone at work in my study. This happened on several
occasions until I finally decided to “strike back.” My opportunity came
one Sunday when I came to my study to prepare an address that I had to
deliver the following night. I had hardly seated myself at my desk when off
went the lights.
I jumped to my feet and ran toward the basement of the
building where I knew I would find the janitor. When I arrived I found him
busily engaged, shoveling coal into the furnace, and whistling as though
nothing unusual had happened.
Without ceremony I pitched into him, and for five minutes
I hurled adjectives at him which were hotter than the fire he was feeding.
Finally, I ran out of words and had to slow down. Then he straightened
himself up, looked back over his shoulder, and in a calm smooth tone of
voice that was full of poise and self-control, and with a
smile on his face that reached from ear to ear, he said: “Why,
you-all’s just a little bit excited this morning, ain’t you?”
That remark cut as though it had been a stiletto!
Imagine my feelings as I stood there before an illiterate
man who could neither read nor write, but who, despite this, had defeated me
in a duel that had been fought on grounds – and with a weapon – of my
own choice.
My conscience pointed an accusing finger at me. I knew
that not only had I been defeated but, what was worse, I knew that I was the
aggressor and that I was in the wrong, which only served to intensify
my humiliation.
Not only did my conscience point an accusing finger at
me, but it placed some very embarrassing thoughts in my mind; it mocked and
it tantalized me. There I stood, a boasted student of advanced psychology,
an exponent of the Golden Rule philosophy, at least a fair acquaintance with
the works of Shakespeare, Socrates, Plato, Emerson and the Bible; while
facing me stood a man who knew nothing of literature or of philosophy, but
who had, despite this lack of knowledge, whipped me in a battle of words.
I turned and went back to my office as rapidly as I could
go. There was nothing else for me to do. As I began to think the matter over
I saw my mistake, but, true to nature, I was reluctant to do that which I
knew must be done to right the wrong. I knew that I would have to apologize
to that man before I could place myself at peace in my own heart, much less
with him. Finally I made up my mind to go back down to the basement and
suffer this humility which I knew I had to undergo. The decision was not
easily reached, nor did I reach it quickly.
I started down, but I walked more slowly than I had when
I went down the first trip. I was trying to think how I would make the
second approach so as to suffer the least humiliation possible. When I got
to the basement I called to the janitor. In a calm, kindly tone of voice he
asked: “What do you wish this time?”
I informed him that I had come back to apologize for the
wrong I had done, if he would permit me to do so. Again that smile spread
all over his face as he said: “For the love of Lord, you don’t have to
apologize. Nobody heard you except these four walls and you and me. I
ain’t going to tell it and I know you ain’t going to tell it, so just
forget it.”
And that remark hurt more than his first one, for he had
not only expressed a willingness to forgive me, but he had actually
indicated his willingness to help me cover the incident up, so it would not
become known and do me an injury.
But I walked over to him and took him by the hand. I
shook with more than my hand – I shook with my heart – and as I walked
back to my office I felt good for having summoned the courage with which to
right the wrong I had done.
Following this incident I made a resolution that I would
never again place myself in a position in which another man, whether he be
an illiterate janitor or a man of letters, could humiliate me because I
had lost my self-control.”
If you would like to read more of Napoleon Hill’s works
you can find a mountain of information on the internet.
If you would like a presentation or more information on
our personal training or coaching services, or any of our business and
corporate skills programs, please don’t hesitate to contact me at
Christina.dodd @ asiatrainingassociates.com
Until next time, have a great week!
Social Commentary by Khai Khem:
The haunting
Last month I had guests staying with me for a while. That’s
not unusual for the peak tourist season since it seems the whole world converges
on the Kingdom during this time of year. But my friends are not tourists and
their visit wasn’t purely social. They were hiding out at my house while their
own was being purged of spirits. The young man is from Australia and his Thai
wife hails from an unpronounceable village in Isaan. No, Alcoholics Anonymous is
not nagging them for missing weekly meetings. The spirits do not come in a
bottle. They are the ghostly version. The young couple lives right here in
Chonburi Province and it seems their house is haunted.
My cynical friend from Down Under doesn’t believe in the
paranormal, but even he admitted that a lot of strange things have happened
since they moved into the house. Foul odors seep up through the floorboards of
one bedroom. Cabinet doors seem to open by themselves. His wife swears she hears
noises on the roof at night and footsteps on the staircase. They search the
property but find nothing and no one.
It’s a new house and the husband brushed aside his wife’s
fears by telling her that it’s “settling”. A few hairline cracks in the
concrete walls appeared shortly after they moved in, and that might have been a
satisfactory explanation. Until the crying started. They were often awakened in
the middle of the night to what sounded like a small child being beaten.
Thais are superstitious creatures and they have some
ingenuous ways to deal with the world of the supernatural. My friends built a
sprit house and had the monks come and bless the residence. They put up special
mirrors in strategic places on the outside of the house, and painted religious
symbols above the doors. The Thai lady cut a long lock from her beautiful hair
and hung the strand on a papaya tree just outside the kitchen door. That missing
clump of glossy black curls that should have framed her lovely face made me
shiver. She was definitely taking this too far.
My macho Aussie pal is a good sport. He decided to go with
the flow and add a touch of his own brand of ‘ghost busting’. He cleverly
wove strands of raw garlic together and fashioned them into garlands to hang
over their bed. He’s been in Thailand long enough to know that werewolves are
not among the things we fear. But, on the other hand, in this world of seamless
national borders and mass air travel, why take chances.
His wife is a Buddhist and he hasn’t been inside a church
since he was baptized as a baby, but he’s a resourceful chap and managed to
acquire a huge wooden cross. You know the kind - one large enough to make a
vampire wither with fear and fly out the nearest window.
However, it seemed the more this couple did to banish the
beasties, the more the incidents increased. My Thai friend woke one night to see
a filmy figure leaning over their bed. She screeched in fright. Hubby was
blissfully snoring so loudly, he COULD have awakened the dead. I hid a smile and
tried my best to be a good listener.
Most of the ‘haunting’ took place late at night. But not
always. Things went missing. Ordinary items one uses throughout the day became
misplaced. My friends are avid golfers and a favorite putter disappeared. A box
of tools the man used for working on his car vanished. After briefly leaving a
room and re-entering, wall hangings had slipped to 45-degree angles or had
fallen off the wall with a crash.
I’ve never been particularly superstitious, but after a few
evenings of ghost stories my nerves started to fray. Not because I believe in
ghosts, but because I so desperately wanted to logically argue that most of
these occurrences could be rationally explained. But my friends wanted sympathy,
and it seemed ungracious of me not to empathize. One evening at dinner I
accidentally tipped over the saltshaker. I plucked up a pinch from the table and
threw it over my shoulder for good luck.
A month has gone by and my friends are happily settled back
in their home. So was their home really haunted?
The Australian man works for an international oil company and
his company arranged a one year contract which required him to work in
Indonesia. Shortly before he was posted out, he and his wife had started to
build a home in Thailand. To cut costs, his Thai wife found a cheap contractor
and some of her family members hired on as builders. Then the couple went to
live in Kalimantan while the Thai workers finished the house - unsupervised by
the owners. When the husband’s work brought them back to Chonburi, he and his
wife moved into their brand new home.
I managed to have a private chat with my pragmatic pal. While
they were staying with me he didn’t want to hurt his Thai wife’s feelings by
inferring that she was an ignorant country girl with a head filled with
nonsense. During their absence he had hired a professional architect and builder
to check the house for flaws. There were many. Doors and windows were not hung
properly, which explained why they crept open. The septic tank was leaking,
hence the foul orders. Many of the noises were explained by loose roof tiles and
settling concrete.
Cats in heat do sound like children being beaten. Anyone who
has had to throw a shoe out the window at mating cats to stop the shrieking will
know that. New wooden staircases do creak, and night noises are often caused by
contraction of materials as the temperature drops. My friend found his missing
golf club. A friend mistakenly put it in his own bag after a day on the course.
The auto tools had been ‘borrowed’ by the gardener.
As for the wall hangings drooping and dropping, I can always
tell when my maid has been on a cleaning frenzy. Nothing in the house hangs
straight and heavy paintings often crash to the floor. What maid will own up to
that? Better a ‘pi-bawn’ than a scolding from Master!
And the ghostly figure that hovered over the bed at night?
The Thai wife is still freaked. It seems the gossamer gentleman continues to pay
her the occasional midnight visit. Her Western husband has decided to continue
to indulge, and even embellish on this particular phenomenon. He has told his
beloved he’s convinced this is the spirit of the last man’s heart she broke
before she married him. Just to keep her in line.
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