James Blunt - amazing...

really do love his songs and videos...


James Blunt - 1973



James Blunt - High (original video)



James Blunt - High (new video)


the new video of "High" is just... amazing! so simple in concept but... just great...

MSN crack up...

was talking to silk on msn and:

Eithyn says:
wah
mm
i have an idea! (for photoshoot)
floaty stuff!

eJ - AMPA!!!!!! says:
u mean blow u up with air and get u on the water?

Eithyn says:
o_o
that's be cool

eJ - AMPA!!!!!! says:
i can volunteer to blow u
oh hmm
that didn't come out right

Eithyn says:
LOL

From a wedding photographer's heart.

Mine, that is.

Eric this is for you! =)

To think that one of the most important persons in my career gets mentioned so little in my blog, so that's gotta change now.

Firstly, Eric isn't gay. not that i know of anyway.

OK now that that's out of the way...

Over the months, I have shared so many things with you. and if i may even attempt to recap what was said, this would be it.

We are humans first, photographers second. Humans feel, and by certain standards, it is what defines us separate from animals. And then we shoot what we feel. I think alot of photographers "forget" that they are human, and get consumed by photography. that is the biggest wrong any photographer can do, is to let photography get bigger than, well, humanity.

You walk into an empty church full of flowers and ribbons. It is a beautiful sight and you have to shoot it, not just because it is beautiful, but because the bride would certainly like a record on the money she spent. So you stand there for half a minute composing the best shot of the interior.

Suddenly this really cute little girl in her flower girl white dress comes out of one of the pews and runs towards you with the biggest grin on her face, and you realise she saw the mother of the bride behind you, her favourite aunt, whom she hasn't seen for 2 years, and this aunt always buys her lollies (not that you would know this). you have no time to recompose, and you snap the SAME shot that you did seconds ago. Think about the power of such an image, and you didn't have to do anything different. That is what defines a powerful image. Same place, same settings, same light, same composition, RIGHT TIME. Your "photographer mentality" was to shoot an interior shot, but being human, you know instantly that her joy can't wait, but the interior can.

Being human is easy, we ARE human. Take heart in the fact that there are little girls everywhere at weddings, but for this particular little girl 20 years later, she will remember this moment with such joy, or if she was too young to remember, she'd be facinated by the story of the image told by her aunt. Imagine, you were that little girl.

There are two things that I feel defines a great photographer. One is dedication. Dedication is a very broad word to include the amount of time and effort needed to train in the craft. Reading articles, asking questions, browsing the net and magazines, seeing/analysing/copying(!) other photographer's work, shooting, reshooting, making mistakes, learning from mistakes, editing, re-editing. all these, and many other things in the aim to create better images, and getting more experience. Weddings certainly calls for more than photographic skills, you have to learn to deal with all kinds of people, you have to conduct yourself professionally, but not coldly. you have to be firm with pricing, and contract details, yet be lovable, personable and approachable. you are the person that the couple will see the most of, besides each other, on the wedding day. you are so many things at one time.

After the wedding you have deadlines to meet, images to edit, albums to complete. you have other jobs to get, close and/or deliver.

in your business as a whole, you have costs to manage, equipment needs and replacements, repairs/servicing, insurance, rent, suppliers, quality control, business development and marketing. you have an assistant that you need to type long blog entries to.

this all requires dedication. all this can be trained, and together with time and experience, will bring such a photographer quite far, but not far enough.

the second thing that makes a brilliant photographer, is talent.

i have yet to figure out if talent can be trained. i am inclined to say no. you have it, or you don't.

talent is the reason why two photographers can have an exact same path, but one has so much more powerful images than the other.

talent is the reason why he is always "lucky" to be able to get those shots. remember, i told you to learn, memorise, and know the full meaning of the word "serendipity". somehow, a talented photographer seems to have serendipity as his twin brother.

i have this simple analogy on how to describe talent. most of us are used to the phrase "we are good at what we like doing". i like driving cars, but i don't think i could be a formula 1 driver. perhaps, the statement of "we like doing what we are good at" is more apt. in this statement, dedication is akin to what we like doing (that's why we dedicate ourselves to it) and "what we are good at" is akin to.... talent! it starts with that.

you might be assuming that i have talent, or i found my talent in photography, and that is why i like doing it, because the more i do it, the better i became at it and it makes me want to do it more (remember, i like doing what i am good at). if so, your assumption is true. as proud as this might sound, i believe i am talented in photography. it is actually, believe it or not, dedication that i sometimes lack! laziness being my bane. thankfully, that can be trained!

I want to end this entry with a statement that I have been known to make, either in speech or in writing, and this is perhaps the most convicting statement that keeps my passion alive at present:

The reason for my life, is photography. It has kept me alive, and is the reason why I continue to live happily. (i might change this statement if i ever get married, but as of now, this is it....)

Thank you Eric for our journey thus far. You are the only person in this world that knows the most of my work thoroughly, my workflow, my passion, my reasons, my secrets, my style, and my personality as a photographer. I have not shared so much with anyone and it does me proud to see you growing. I wish you all the best in your photographic journey.

Remember, you are human first, photographer second.

boonseh . peisan

just got back from banyan tree bintan yesterday, boonseh and peisan got married on the golf course so it's a totally different setting from zul and aileen's, who also held their wedding at banyan tree.

i still love that place, so romantic, it's just that... the last two times i went was with guys, william then, and eric this time. next time i go, i SWEAR, it'll be with a girl!!!!

congrats boonseh and peisan, you guys, your guests, and your wedding was SO LOVELY!!!!!!!!

click image for slideshow:

More from ixiz:u calander shoot

Just got back from bintan, will be posting up those wedding pics soon, bintan (at least banyan tree) is just.. the loveliest place for couples that's soooo near to sg...

anywayz:

Elynn




Hannah




Cordelia




Danielle




and of course, one more Summer =)



guess u can tell which two are my favourites. mind you i shot 17, it's hard to just pick one. =)

ok enuff of girls, back to wedddings.

One more Iris

Iris

FINALLYYYYYYYYYYYYY i get to shoot her again.. after more than a year....

my skill doesn't do her beauty justice:



Photography / DI : jOhO
Assistant : Eric
Light : Ukay
Makeup / Hair : Janice



Photography / DI / Light : jOhO
Assistant : Eric
Makeup / Hair : Janice

Summer

it's not always that i'm easily amazed, especially photographically, but today i shot someone who has never been shot "professionally" before. This was her virgin shoot.

and this is what she came up with:





of course thanx to the team:

Me - Photography / Light / DI
Eric - Assistant
May - Make up / Styling
Janice - Hair

but she was so easy to shoot...! love the make up and hair, i had a TOP TEAM! =)

like i said i'm seldom amazed, today i was. i still don't really believe it's her first time.

james . allyson

Long delayed slideshow preview that i wanted to do for james and allyson on their actual day, but better late than never! As usual, less talk more pics!

CLICK ME for slideshow!

jonathan . catherine

Apparently she wept when she saw this after their dinner banquet today (they were outside when this slideshow was playing before the second march in).

i'd say tears of joy, and certainly hope so. even more, i am so glad to be able to bring back such emotion.

congrats to u both, blissful everlasting marriage to you!

CLICK ME for slideshow!

(Admin note: i've included links instead of embedding the object in my blog as it loads even if you don't want to view it, clogging yours and my bandwidth, so.. slideshows are going to be on a separate page from now on.)

Bridals from yesterday

Thanx to stephen and rachel for being so organised on their PW shoot, even got driven around in a porche, and a nice dinner to end off! here's a few shots!









all clickable for larger versions.

David Oliver Seminar

In conjunction with the MPA qualifications, David Oliver, a reknowned wedding and portrait photographer from Australia (born in England) gave us a brilliant insight to his work, and possibly, his heart. What a sincere man, and it pleases me to see that REAL photographers shoot REAL things with REAL passion. And if you think his weddings and portraits are good, wait till you see his landscapes and personal projects... amazing stuff. very very REAL.



Here's David, i just went up to him and whacked a frame while we were getting ready for a group shot, and i do hope he likes it, will be sending it to Colin who would probably forward it to him.

And below is the group shot, many of whom i have deep gratitude for, for their advice, guidance, encouragement and friendship!



click for a larger image.

Back row:
William Ng (FMPA), Jonathan Ho (AMPA), Damian Tan (AMPA), James Tan (AMPA), William Chua (LMPA), Matthew Tan (FMPA), Zhang Jingna (AMPA), Ryan Wong (FMPA), Kenneth Choo (LMPA), Eric Tan.

Front row (seated):
Albert Lam (FMPA), Linda Buck, David Oliver, Charlie Lim (FMPA), Colin Buck (Hon FMPA, CE MPA)

Associate, Master Photographer Association

Finally, after weeks of sleepless days and night at the computer and the printer, the grading is over...

I was awarded an Associateship with the MPA after a double promotion today. I have many people to thank, especially all my couples that have had the confidence in me to shoot their weddings, allowing me for this portfolio.

Thanks go to many other important people, as credited in the slideshow below of the 38 final images selected for grading. 12 of them will be entered for the Singapore Masters competition tomorrow.



for a larger slideshow, click here.