Of getting recognised and recognition.....

Why do we go for awards? One of my workshops participants once asked. To me its a form of recognition that you collect along your journey as a photographer. It gets you motivated and keeps you going, and it also says that you are on the right track and that your work is being noticed.

For those who claimed that he/she don't go for awards because they are not glamour seekers, not wanting to be popular.....to me these sort of people are just suffering from an inferiority complex and are afraid to lose. Because these same people are also the ones going around collecting post counts in forums and what not. Going for awards is no different than getting yourself into forums and hard selling yourself to be popular. Simply put...people go into forums coz they want to be recognised too isn't it?

So what's the difference then?

My advice to all...there's nothing wrong to be recognised, really. But hard selling yourself and self denial is something else.

For those who wanted to go for photo competitions....don't hesitate.....losing is not the end of the world. Well at least now we know where we stand...and who knows you might win something.

Good luck.

The 'Gentle Giant' won again...

It's been a long year....and 2009 is coming to an end. Lucky for me the photo which won 2 previous awards previously, won again.

This time it was for the 'Malaysian wildlife Photographer of the year award'. It won first prize in the Black & White category. In which my other photo of an Iguana was also picked as joined runners up along with 3 others.


The competition is regarded as the most prestigious photo competition in Malaysia that carries total prize money of RM100,000.

To all those who has supported me along the years, my friends and supporters this award is specially dedicated to all of you.

Penang Portraiture Workshop

This is a series of workshops planned for this year......a series of many planned around Malaysia.

Portraiture Workshops......the list

Here's my lists of workshops throughout the rest of this year:

12th September 2009 (Portraiture editing and Intro to PS) KL
13th September 2009 (Portraiture editing and Intro to PS) KL
3rd & 4th October 2009 (Portraiture workshop + editing) KL
31st Oct & 1st Nov 2009 (Portraiture workshop + editing) Penang
14th November 2009 (Portraiture editing and Intro to PS) KL
15th November 2009 (Portraiture editing and Intro to PS) KL
5th & 6th December 2009 (Portraiture workshop + editing) KL
19th December 2009 (Portraiture editing and Intro to PS) KL
20th December 2009 (Portraiture editing and Intro to PS) KL

Communicating thru your subject

As photographers we frown and sometimes complaint of the pictures that we took. We complaint about the light, weather, the model. Yes, up to a certain extent I would agree. But in retrospect, if one is shooting human subjects and then frowns at how the picture looks like after wards.....hmmmmmm I would say improve on our communication with them.....it'll work wonders. Tell them what you want........heck tell them a sad story if you have to. If the mood that you want is sad that is....

One thing we need to remember, we are the one who see it all thru the camera's viewfinder not our subject.

Photography in economic turmoil

I was asked by fellow wedding photographers....on how to sustain their photo income in these current economic situations. Well, I simply answered....either u give more added value to your products/services or increase your asking price....however to do that one has to increase their skills as well. The other way is to lower down one's cost without affecting both quality of services and output.

One of the ways that I suggested to them is to shoot indoor (studio) shots using natural light. This in turn will reduce the overall cost in renting a studio. However, the trick to this is to firstly identify the right light to do so. Not all light will replicate studio shots. The angle, time of day, color, temperature etc plays a part as well.

Here's another sample of a shot using natural light to make it looked like a studio shot.

Quality of lights....the importance of.

Having to shoot outdoors in a variety of lights and shooting conditions posed every bit of a challenge to every photographer. Having to identify good light is another. Angle, time of day and strength of ambient light plays a part into every pic. How to blend and mix them to our own advantage takes time getting use to. For me every single lighting conditions (as long as its not totally dark, without the use of a strobe)......will have its own complementing way of using it to our subject. Type of skin, theme etc all takes planning to get it in tune.

For people on a budget, shooting outdoors does not mean that it has to be boring. One can turn it into indoors feel...with some recce-ing and proper planning, this can be achieved.

Here is an example of an outdoor shot trying to make it look indoors.

Gears.....nothing but gears?

Our gears are important. Cameras, lenses, computers, hardware, software etc. We have to know how to use them in order to produce good pics.

However, there are far more important things than the latest technical developments in digital cameras. Yes, there have been some incredible advances in camera technology in recent years and I'm quite sure there are more to come. And as a photographer we should be aware of these advancements, but don't get carried away investing in large sums of money in the latest and most technically advance equipment.

Creating great photographs isn't just about the size of our digital files, but its about the content of the pictures. It's about what we do with our equipment....and if the pictures lack content, then they fail, whatever the resolution of the sensor of our camera wouldn't matter now.

As a photographer, it's important to understand the type and quantity of our equipment we need for the images that we want to make.

Choosing the right equipment is a matter of practical, creative, and personal choices IMHO.

Happy picture making.

Let’s make pictures

Every now and then people came up to me asking why they can’t get photos like the Pros do. In simple terms….their photos sucks (mind my words). They lack the message……no impact.

I would like to sum up the answer in a few words……..’Dun take pictures….make them’.

I found this statement applicable in portraiture photography. As I for once don’t blindly go out for a shoot without a theme in mind. I would then match the model/s to be in line with that theme….the dress, the location, the expression, the mood, the pose, the lighting…..well heck I even go up to the extend of applying the make up on them.

Most people don’t realize the planning process takes more time than the picture taking itself. The thought process behind every shot that involves in them. Well, I guess the term…....’No Pain No Gain’ rings true here.

So to u readers….come and Let us all make (more) pictures.

Captured wildlife

I love Iguanas, Tarantulas, small creatures. Small baby crocs excite me too. Love the texture on their thick contoured skin.

Of lines and colors

Went out with my usual suspect plus new found friend.....namely lordmint, nfariz8 and calios on the very first day of CNY. Had nothing to do....so we went to the KL National monument and its nearby attraction.....for some picture taking.
p/s......thanks to LM for lending me his B+W CPL (B+W rocks) and to calios nice meeting u.

What I did on the first day of the year........

Went out with Shazly Khan and Jim Manan for a shoot with the ever sultry Evon T on the very first day of 2009. Didn't shoot much.....was still slow on the take.

Have not been shooting much lately......lost my appetite after my assignment with the H3D. Somehow compared to it....everything seemed less.

However....Evon managed to make our day and made me forget about the 3D for a while.

Thanks Evon, Shazly and Jim for accompanying me that day.

A coffee shot

A client wanted me to come up with concept shots for them before they give me the green light for the advert. Came up a few test shots with the Hasselblad H3D (39 Megapixels).

p/s....the shot was cropped 100% (pic 1)........cropped 400% (pic 2). Shots were only sharpen b4 posting for web and nothing else.........just imagine how sharp they were before they were cropped. I'm impressed with it.

Now I can go to sleep.............at least half of the pressure is now off.

Character jugdment

There was a man who had 4 sons
He wanted his sons to learn not to judge too quickly
So he sent them each on a quest
In turn to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance a way

The first son went in the winter
The second went in the spring
The third in the summer
And the youngest in the fall

When they had gone and come back,
The man called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent and twisted.
The second son said it was covered with green buds and full of promise.
The third son later said it was laden with blossom that smelled so sweet looked so beautiful
It was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.
The last son disagreed with all of them
He said it was ripe and drooping with fruits; full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right
For they had each seen but only one season in the tree’s life.

He had told them that you cannot judge a tree or a person by only one season
And that the essence of who they are and the pleasure,
Joy and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end
When all the seasons are up

If you give up when its winter
You will miss the promise of your spring
The beauty of your summer
Fulfillment of your fall

Don’t let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest
And don’t judge life by one difficult season

Moral:

Persevere through the difficult patches
And better times are sure to come

Don't judge a person's character too quickly
Judge them wholly and self reflect