photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Cecilia Lim | all galleries >> travel >> malaysia > The New Straits
previous | next
2 September 2007 Malacca, Malaysia

The New Straits

The Straits of Malacca has been one of the world's most important shipping lanes for centuries. And still is. It's strategic importance is still relevant today as some 50,000 vessels carrying a quarter of the world's goods come through here. But gone are the old wind-powered ships and the coastal forts that were built to protect the port of Malacca. Instead, residential houses now line the coast which has been extended outwards as a result of land reclamation, and mega tankers and ships now ply these waters.


other sizes: small medium original auto
comment | share
Cecilia Lim10-Jul-2008 23:15
Thanks Tim & Cecilia W for your thoughts on this image. I must admit that the main factor convincing me to make this image was the sky, which looked extraordinary to me. Juxtaposed against the bright red roofs and the ship, I felt the sky helped make an interesting image that furthers thought.

In terms of meaning, the forboding sky also symbolizes danger which I did not mention in my caption. Piracy in the Straits of Malacca has always been a problem since trade flourished here, and the problem has gotten worse. Millions of dollars worth of shipments come through here and pirates have made these waters their hunting ground. For example, in the short period since year 2000, hundreds of ships have been attacked and even lives have been lost. This dark sky warns of the impending dangers that face all vessels coming through these straits. So Tim, your comment about tension and foreboding feelings is very perceptive indeed. I am sure this extra context will add to your interpretation of the image.
Guest 09-Jul-2008 18:44
This image has a surreal feeling to me, as though it was an illustration, with its flat, vivid colors, the geometric precision of the housetops, all the angles, and the curious smoothness of the sea and sky. It's a lovely becalmed sort of picture that I find exceptionally striking.
Tim May09-Jul-2008 00:24
For me, there is a tension here. I think it comes from the bland grey darkness descending upon the bright colorful foreground. It feel foreboding and slightly scary.
Cecilia Lim04-Jul-2008 21:15
Wow! Thank you again Chor Eng and Phil for bringing your observations to this image-this time about angles. I never saw that corelation between the ship and the roofs! So I can't take credit for making this image happen that way. I was more taken in by the contrasts, the repetition and the reversed interplay of light between the bright sea and the dark sky. It was a very strange sight that seemed so out of character with the old historical Malacca we were exploring, especially when I was standing at the ruins of StPaul's Church when I took this. This scene tells me how far Malacca has evolved, but also how the same things have remained. Malacca exploded into a huge city and became a centre of trade centuries ago because of the strategic shipping route, and we still see that today in the expansion of new housing and ships that still ply this route, but in a more modern way.
Phil Douglis04-Jul-2008 18:33
The rhythmic repetition of the roof tops repeat the angled bow of the ship perfectly The storm cloud in the background makes a perfect backdrop -- it abstracts the image, and expresses the calm before the storm.
Chor-Eng Tan 04-Jul-2008 12:32
All I see are angles, angles, angles. The ship is angled out of the water, its front bow is angled, and all the houses in the foreground have angled roofs. A simple, unifying theme indeed!