2009年7月18日 星期六

Canon EF 17-40/4 L USM & Carl Zeiss Sonnar 1.4/85 T* @ Taipingshan and Cui Feng Lake 太平山與翠峰湖

2009.7.18

The first time I went to Taipingshan was with my girlfriend (who happens to be my daughter's mom), and that was about 10 years ago. I remember it was autumn, and the mountain was freezing cold. Unfortunately, the Taipingshan Mountain Resort didn't have hot water for showers, and due to unfavorable weather the next day, we missed the chance to visit Cui Feng Lake. Ten years later, my wife's company organized a staff trip, finally giving me the opportunity to witness the beauty of Cui Feng Lake.

After having lunch at the mountain resort, we took a small bus and walked a short mountain trail. Then, a group of us switched to a nine-passenger minibus to head towards Cui Feng Lake. We arrived at the lake around 3-4 PM, and mist had already started to rise. The vastness of the lake was concealed, with occasional glimpses of the scenery along the shore when the sunlight brushed through. It is said that the view during sunrise is more captivating, offering a clear view of the entire lake. However, I personally prefer the ethereal beauty of Cui Feng Lake veiled in a thin mist.

In recent years, with global warming, high-altitude lakes like Cui Feng Lake fall into the high-risk category. How long they can be preserved remains uncertain. I sincerely hope that global efforts to combat climate change prove effective, emphasizing energy conservation and carbon reduction – a responsibility shared by everyone. 

第一次去太平山是和女朋友(就是我女兒的媽啦)一起去的,已經是10年前的事了,記得是秋天,山上冷得不得了,偏偏太平山山莊還沒有熱水可洗澡,隔天因為天候不佳,也就沒有去拜訪翠峰湖了。10年後,老婆的公司辦員工旅遊,終於有機會一睹翠峰湖的樣貌。

中午在山莊用完午飯,搭了碰碰車,走了一小段山林步道,一行人便換上九人座小巴前往翠峰湖。到達翠峰湖的時間大概是3~4點左右吧,已經開始起霧了,整個湖面有多大看不出來,偶而有陽光掠過才可以看到岸邊的景色,據說日出的景色更吸引人,可以看到整個湖面,相較之下我還是比較喜歡這披著一層薄紗的翠峰湖。

這幾年來全球暖化,像翠峰湖這種高山湖泊也是屬於高危險群,能夠保存多久沒有人知道,希望全球的抗暖化行動真的有效,節能減碳,人人有責。

Due to the limited Canon AF lenses I currently have, I brought along the Canon EF 17-40/4 L USM and the Carl Zeiss Sonnar 1.4/85 T* (Contax). The former served as a general zoom lens (27-64mm), while the latter acted as a telephoto lens for capturing distant scenes (136mm). This combination has recently become my standard travel setup. For beginners using Canon APS-C cameras, I recommend the Canon EF-S 17-85mm/4-5.6 IS (27-136mm) as a versatile travel lens.

由於目前手中的Canon AF鏡頭有限,所以僅攜帶了Canon EF 17-40/4 L USM 和 Carl Zeiss Sonnar 1.4/85 T* (Contax),前者當一般變焦鏡頭使用(27~64mm),後者當拍攝遠景的望遠鏡頭使用(136mm)。這樣的組合最近已經成為我的標準旅遊配備,至於Canon APS-C相機的初學者倒是建議挑選Canon EF-S 17-85mm/4-5.6 IS (27~136mm)作為旅遊鏡。



Photo 1: Taipingshan 'Pong Pong Car' Station 太平山「碰碰車」車站


Photo 2: 'Pong Pong Car' speeding through the cypress forest 檜木林間疾駛而過的「碰碰車」


Photo 3: A glimpse of Cui Feng Lake amidst swirling clouds 雲霧繚繞的翠峰湖一偶

For more photos, please refer to the Taipingshan and Cui Feng Lake album.

更多照片請參閱 太平山與翠峰湖 相簿。

2009年6月28日 星期日

Canon EF 24-85mm f3.5~4.5 USM @ Beitou Hot Spring Museum 北投溫泉博物館

2009.6.27

It's been two years since I last visited Beitou with my family. The last time, we went to the library, but this time we decided to visit the Beitou Hot Spring Museum. There are two things that attract me about the Beitou Hot Spring Museum: the tatami-floored grand hall, which was once used for guests to rest after bathing, and the stained-glass windows next to the large bath. When the Beitou Hot Spring Museum was first opened, the tatami-floored grand hall was open to visitors. Sitting on the tatami mats really makes you feel like you're part of the history of the entire Beitou Hot Spring Museum. The stained-glass windows are said to have been designed for guests to enjoy while bathing. Imagine soaking in the hot springs while admiring the colorful glass that is illuminated by the golden sunset. All the fatigue of the day will instantly melt away.

I used my portable digital single-lens reflex zoom combination, Canon EOS 30D + Canon EF 24-85mm f3.5~4.5 USM.

距上次和家人一起到北投已經有兩年了,上次逛了圖書館,這次改逛溫泉博物館。溫泉博物館有兩處吸引我的地方,一是當年泡湯後供客人休息的塌塌米大會堂,另一個則是大浴池旁的彩繪玻璃。溫泉博物館早年開放時,塌塌米大會堂是可以進入參觀的,坐在塌塌米上其實更仁讓人覺得與整個溫泉博物館的歷史融為一體。彩繪玻璃據說是設計給泡湯的客人觀賞的,想像泡溫泉的同時欣賞著金色夕陽透射的彩色玻璃,一整天的疲勞瞬間消失殆盡。

我的隨身數位單眼變焦組合 Canon EOS 30D + Canon EF 24-85mm f3.5~4.5 USM。


Photo 1:  The stained-glass windows 溫泉博物館大浴池旁的彩繪玻璃

Photo 2: The hot springs bath 溫泉博物館大浴池
Other great photos can be found in the Beitou Hot Spring Museum album.
其他精彩照片請參考 北投溫泉博物館 相簿。