January photo workshops

Kuching Digital Photo camp 30th-31st Jannuary
As per advertised....see you guys in Kuching.

Klang Valley portraiture workshop
Get 14 hours plus worth of knowledge sharing this coming 23rd-24th January.

Outdoors (natural lighting) 23rd January RM150
Indoors (studio lighitng) 24th january RM180
Both day RM300 (special promotion)

Contact: 012-3555906 (zamrud)

Meet up point:

1. 23rd January (infront of Putrajaya Mosque)
2. 24th January (shell station before entering Sungai Long)

Map to Sungai Long: http://map.malaysiamostwanted.com/places/shell-bandar-sungai-long-932

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.

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.

Portraiture.......its in the eyes.

I truly believe that a portraiture has to hve that connection with the viewer thru the eyes. It just make the pic just more compelling....but that does not mean that a portrait with the model not looking straight into the lens is not though. What I meant is that....it has to have that feel that connects with us. But speaking of eyes..........catch lights are a nice touch to have though.

Of rule of thirds and composition...........

Every now and then we've heard the importance of the rule of thirds and their significance in compositing our photos. In bringing out the best in your subject, and making them work.

Simply put, the rule of thirds is placing the subject in question on one of the 4 placements on the imaginary lines in your pic. But, lest we forget that it only covered a third of the photo. So what happens to the other two thirds then?

For me, its about striking a good balance between all of the aspects in the pic that make the composition works. If the FG, BG, didn't work...or even worse, over powering the subject....than to me the picture doesn't work. The other 2/3rd of the pic has to work in tandem with the main subject and vice versa.

Ohhhh btw didn't 1/3 plus 2/3 equals to = 1 ?

Street shooting...a character study.

For me, portraiture is about the character study of the subject in question. Street shoot somehow brings the best in a character.....because there's no pre-planned poses, props or controllable lighting. A good shot brings about the character of our subject in the final output. The 'feel' as some people say.......to show sorrow, misery and hardship in a 2 dimensional art piece needs a bit more patience and understanding of our subject's character. One has to feel their sorrow to transmit that same feeling from the subject onto print.

Of sharing knowledge and art........

There was once this Sifu who instructed 2 of his disciples to each go and seek out a different kung fu style each (one attacking style, the other defensive) so that they can share out and exchange them once they are back. One is a senior disciple, the other a junior. And to motivate them, as part of the task, the Sifu organized a friendly sparring session to pick out the winner among them.

But there’s a catch though……..they can only spar using the skills that the other disciple has taught them.

2 months had past…..and both had past on their knowledge and skills to the other. The day of the test of their new found kung fu skills came by….and they sparred, in front of the other disciples and their Sifu.The match ended with the senior disciple clearly won by a mile…..out witting and out muscling the junior.

Then the Sifu asked the others of their opinion who had won the match……the answer was rather obvious......its the senior disciple.

But the Sifu answered differently…for him, the match was not won by the senior. He actually had lost. The only reason the junior disciple lost instead of the senior is because the senior had not imparted all the knowledge to his colleague but received instead, everything that the junior disciple had learn from the task.

Every one was stunned……later the senior admitted his selfishness and made amends.

This is a real story........

The Sifu is Yip Man.
And the junior disciple is Bruce Lee.

‘Art is the expressing of oneself feelings……honestly and unselfishly’

Do we have to be correct all the time?

Met up with an idol of mine recently, whom I've wanted to meet for quite some time now.....and all I can say of that meeting is that.....my beliefs has been renewed.

We sat down and threw ideas and beliefs at each other and I came back satisfied. His foresights on things are spot on…..and we shared the same insights on things. The only difference is….he did it in a more direct way…no BS kinda way. Which I love and respect.

In photography, some people are just a pain and just need to be correct all the time. Yes….ALL the time! When it comes to giving suggestions, comments or critiques….they just want the last word in everything. It has to be their way….and nothing else.

Do you still remember when your best friend asks you to tag along to advise him on a new shirt/shoe? And he insisted for your advise……on a blue shirt or a red one. …stating that he’s kinda undecided between the two. And being a good friend that you are……you chose RED. But he went for the BLUE!

Suddenly you felt defensive…..why the heck did he bring you along asking to advise him but in actual fact he already has the RED shirt already fix in his mind? Kinda irony isn’t it?

But sometimes we forget……that our advise is from our own perspective and preferences….but not from his. That is what we would have chosen…….if we were to choose between the 2….and if we were the one who’s buying/wearing it.

We forgot that it is merely a suggestion (and nothing else)……it depends for him/her to accept them. Do we really need to be defensive about it? Again at what expense?

Next time if you are the one asking for suggestion……please don’t do that to others if you’ve already set your mind on something else.

‘Sometimes winning is not everything’

p/s…to my new found friend…you know who you are. Thanks for reminding me.

Who is it for? (Photos we took)

When we exhibit/share/show photos of our work.....are we really trying to impress ourselves or others? Who are we to impress or please actually? Its a classic tale of 'The Man, the Boy and the Donkey' from Aesop's fable for me. A case of too many cooks. When one started out into the world of photography......the first thing to do is...of course to snap pictures. The more the better it is.....but sometimes it is a case of one too many snaps. Yes, I agree that one would like to progress swiftly.......but at what expense? We ask for 'Comments and Critics' of our photos from people in the know and rely on those info to improve. But we ask from too many of them.....one get confused. As this 'sifu' says this way and the other says the other.....when confronted.....both then defended the differences in thought as 'Art'. Wow....even more confusing.

My suggestion is to all aspiring photographers out there....get your basics right first, get it sound.....emulate, be open. Choose the style that you want to go for....and a mentor with that style in mind to guide you around. There's no point trying to impress everyone.

'Please All, and You will Please No One'

Of Raya open houses, new houses & new born

Hari Raya means a new meaning to all Muslims....but to some it is a celebration of life. Welcoming a new addition to the family. Well......to Dr Asyraf & Dr Suraya.....congatulations on your new baby boy and Selamat Hari Raya....Maaf Zahir & Batin.