Kataaro deluxe brushed cotton black belt

Published on Author Yean Wei Ong
Kataaro deluxe brushed cotton black belt label, May 2022, Perth

In many Asian martial art systems, particularly those from the easternmost countries, a belt forms part of the uniform worn during training. Often, the colour of the belt denotes the rank the wearer holds within that system, with rank generally reflecting technical proficiency or expertise. The founder of Judo, Jigoro Kano, introduced this practice to… Continue reading Kataaro deluxe brushed cotton black belt

February 2019 action

Published on Author Yean Wei Ong
First Tae Kwon Do Master Low instructing, February 2019, Perth

First Tae Kwon Do Master Vernon Low was back in Perth recently. On this occasion, he spent considerable time with several senior belt members preparing for their black belt grading, and Junior Black Belt members preparing for their 1st Dan black belt grading. I shot the photograph above with my Nikkor AF-D 85 mm f/1.4… Continue reading February 2019 action

January 2018 action

Published on Author Yean Wei Ong

First Tae Kwon Do Western Australian instructors and black belt members gathered recently for a summer training session. One aspect of the martial art that received attention was the set of two-step sparring exercises taught by Master Vernon Low. This is part of a series of exercises that gradually develop students’ sparring (simulated combat) skills.… Continue reading January 2018 action

October 2017 action

Published on Author Yean Wei Ong

In Tae Kwon Do, three-step sparring is a drill that involves one training partner executing three consecutive punches while the other training partner blocks those punches, and then counter-attacks after the third punch. First Tae Kwon Do instructors and black belt members from all across Perth practised three-step sparring during a recent training session. Even… Continue reading October 2017 action

May 2017 action

Published on Author Yean Wei Ong

Earlier this month, Master Vernon Low was in Perth to teach senior students and black belt members. Master Low spends considerable time and effort on his students, analysing their Tae Kwon Do techniques and going over improvements in detail. In the photographs below, he goes through side kick breaking with two senior students preparing for… Continue reading May 2017 action

Something a little different

Published on Author Yean Wei Ong

A family member asked me to make a business portrait for him; he’s organising a conference next year, and needed a picture for use in the prospectus and related documents for the event. This is something a little different from what I usually shoot, but I was happy to oblige. Below is a low-resolution version of the… Continue reading Something a little different

Ducks and cockatoos

Published on Author Yean Wei Ong

Today was the Labour Day holiday in Perth, and a sunny day for photography at Jackadder Lake in the suburb of Woodlands. I didn’t actually visit the lake with the aim of photographing birds (otherwise I certainly would’ve brought my telephoto zoom lens along), but I noticed avian activity in a particular area and walked over… Continue reading Ducks and cockatoos

February 2016 action

Published on Author Yean Wei Ong

Below are some photographs I shot recently of one of First Tae Kwon Do’s Western Australian senior instructors in action. The sky was somewhat overcast and the sun was beginning to set, so the lighting conditions were excellent. Considering the very limited time for this photographic session (only around 10–15 minutes of actual shooting time), the… Continue reading February 2016 action

June 2015 action

Published on Author Yean Wei Ong

Here are some Rhee Tae Kwon-Do action photographs from earlier this month, shot at two different training venues in Perth with a Nikon 70–200 mm f/2.8 zoom lens. Being able to reach out to 200 mm at a moment’s notice is a significant change from the Nikon 85 mm f/1.4 prime lens I’ve shot at… Continue reading June 2015 action

Choosing Canon and Nikon lenses

Published on Author Yean Wei Ong

There are two main types of parts to DSLR systems—bodies and lenses. I’ve covered the mainstream Canon and Nikon bodies, so let’s now turn our attention to lenses for low light action photography. There are two main features we’ll want to see in lenses for low light shooting: A large maximum aperture (optically ‘fast’); and Fast autofocus speed. In poor… Continue reading Choosing Canon and Nikon lenses