Bored in the wee hours of the morning...

yeah man.. i went to blogthings...

Never Date a Scorpio

Jealous, paranoid, and possessive - deep down, your Scorpio will never trust you. And even if you are very trust worthy person, Scorpio's paranoia may drive you to act out. Instead try dating: Aries, Gemini, Libra, or Sagittarius

What Sign Shouldn't You Date?

Cheryl was a scorpio but i never saw the jealous streak in her. anyway i've long known that scorpios and geminis will clash, according to the stars, if you believe.

You Are A Realistic Romantic

It's easy for you to get swept away by romance... But you've done a pretty good job keeping perspective. You're still taken in by love poems and sunsets You just don't fall for every dreamy pick up line!

Are You Romantic or Realistic?

hmm think this was a test for girls... ahhaha

You Are A Good Friend

You're always willing to listen Or lend a shoulder to cry on You're there through thick and thin Many people consider you their "best friend"!

What Kind of Friend Are You?

hmm.. i'm not sure about that.. i must have been lying during the test ahhahah...

You Are a Social Blogger!

Your blog is more of a semi-private affair for your friends. It's how you keep in touch... sharing stories, jokes, and pics.

What Kind of Blogger Are You?

this one was a little tough. alot of the questions, none of the choices i wanted to pick.. like the first one.. wah lauuuuuu

You've Experienced 72% of Life

You have all of the life experience that most adults will ever get. And unless you're already in your 40s, you're probably wise beyond your years.

How Much Life Experience Do You Have?

i'm not sure how accurate this is... *Shrug* actually.. i'm not sure how accurate ALL these tests are.. but i know i should be sleeping!!!

You Are 78% Grown Up, 22% Kid

Congratulations, you are definitely quite emotionally mature. Although you have your moments of moodiness, you're usually stable and level headed.

How Emotionally Mature Are You?

hmm this one quite boliow hehehe, hmm they all are!!

Your Kissing Technique Is: Perfect

Your kissing technique is amazing - and you know it. You have the confidence to make the first move. And you always seem to know what kissing style is going to work best. Sometimes you're passionate, sometimes you're a tease. And you're always amazing!

Are You a Good Kisser?

ahahhaha.. i have no comment!! one question about whether my lips are usually dry, wet or soft.. i'm like.. HTF i know!?!?

You Are 60% Extrovert, 40% Introvert

You are quite outgoing You are a social connector - you know a ton of people While you aren't a wild extrovert, you are a great talker A fantastic storyteller, you keep everyone laughing

Are You An Extrovert or An Introvert?

ok.. getting a little sleepy liow.. soon can sleep ahahahah

Your True Birth Month Is August

Sauve Romantic Attractive Observant Loves to joke Easily jealous Easily angered Learns to relax Loves to dream Thirsty for praise Loving and caring Brave and fearless Extraordinary spirit Careful and cautious Independent thoughts Angry when provoked Loves to make friends Sensitive but not petty Too generous and egoistic Takes high pride of oneself Loves to lead and to be led Thinks quickly and rationally Knows how to console others Poor resistance against illnesses Firm and has leadership qualities Talented in the arts, music and self defense

What's Your True Birth Month?

wat the.....................????!!

You Are Somewhat Honest

You do tend to tell the truth a lot But you also stretch the truth on occasion You figure a little lie isn't a big deal As long as it doesn't hurt anyone too much!

How Honest Are You?

hmm are the results always so diplomatic and politically correct in nature? if i'm a bastard just say it! hahahaha.. but honestly, i can lie if it doesn't hurt anyone. sometimes... it's like that lar. like.. "am i fat?" from your gf, the correct answer is always.. NO. lie or not.

You Are 24% Bipolar

Overall, you're a pretty stable person. You may be a bit moody, but nothing out of what's normal. As long as your emotions aren't severe, you're totally in control!

Are You Bipolar?

this one also quite boliow...

You Should Rule Jupiter

Huge and hot, Jupiter is a quickly turning planet with short days and intense gravity. You are perfect to rule Jupiter, because you are both dominant and kind. You have great strength and confidence, but you never abuse your power. You are always right. Even if you make mistakes, you compensate for them... before anyone knows it. Headstrong and ambitious, you always have a goal in mind. You are optimistic and believe thing things will always work out.

What Planet Should You Rule?

hmm this one is kinda good.. i have NO IDEA how i managed to land this result.. but well i guess it's quite true. and i had problems answering some of the questions... like none of the above would have been the best ans that kind of question...

You Are An INFP

The Idealist You are creative with a great imagination, living in your own inner world. Open minded and accepting, you strive for harmony in your important relationships. It takes a long time for people to get to know you. You are hesitant to let people get close. But once you care for someone, you do everything you can to help them grow and develop. You would make an excellent writer, psychologist, or artist.

What's Your Personality Type?

WTH is an INFP...?

Your Emoticon is Cool

You're not feeling particularly up or down, just relaxed and calm. You're ready for whatever is going to happen next!

What Emoticon Best Represents You Right Now?

ahahhaa... this is a winner test.. yes.. i'm ready.. TO SLEEP!!!

Damage from SITEX

yeah... i went.. bought a laptop and a 1TB ext usb/firewire hdd.

and i'm not on my bed typing this with my new laptop.. with a very stable wireless connection that hasn't dropped since i connected yesterday, and everything's set up with my email and software and stuff... and... I FIND A HOT PIXEL ON MY SCREEN!!!!!!!!!!!

anyway called them up already today, gonna get a 1 to 1 exchange, but who's gonna pay back my few hours of configuring the laptop to exactly the way i like it? sigh... as i said to the sales girl that sold this to me, "sibeh liow kang leh!!!" but it's not her fault lar. at least she knows the meaning of a "hot pixel" and didn't ask too much just say she can chage it for me on friday or saturday, as she'll be on leave tmr to thur. fair enuff. but still.. LIOW KANG!!

i'm looking forward to ending this year, not that it's been a bad one. this year end period is amazingly busy. 2007 is much more breathable and i think i will try to keep it that way.

someone asked me if i studied photography formally. i said no. she said why not, i said, well.. now i'm doing fine without it, so it's ok lor, and anyway with such things, pple usually and should view the portfolio to judge the skill level. that said i did tell her that i would love to do a course on photography more on an interest level than for a "certification" and an arts degree from melbourne would be 3 years as i get no credit from my commerce degree. so that would make me 33+ by the time i come back, if i go tomorrow (and school starts day after).

then.. in those three years, i would have lost my market share here in sg, should i choose to come back and shoot. then it would take another 2-3 years to build it again. that would make me 36.

but wait.... i think i missed something out...ooooohh getting married!!!!

then i just stopped thinking lar. simple: i'm too old to do it now. i can do it, maybe when i am much older (and richer??), just for interest, self-fulfilment... etc. but u know.. i suspect (and hope) that such things would be gotten from a perfect family. there i go dreaming again.

this is gonna be some long winded, pointless and scattered post.

let's see wat else to update... besides shooting weddings, there's not much else i'm doing. studio is kinda running fine, anyway i've kinda left it in the backgroud becos i need to get my wedding photos done, i won't even talk about how many there are, i just need to head down and get them done.

haven't bought a new phone.. still surviving with the screen alignment problem. i did see the dopods at SITEX and they looked good... but prob could wait till the price drops. anyway with my laptop now which is meant to be my mobile office, i could easily check it when i'm on the go, just that it's of course not as easy as checking a pda... but well... i am gonna wait till i get the 1 to 1 exchange and decide how i would handle the use of a laptop + pda together.

Jeff getting married month end... the laptop will be put to good use to edit his images for and express montage. told him i usually decline to do it becos of the stress and the tight deadline, but then for him i agreed. laptop is definitely fast enuff for it, specifically chose a higher end model so it can double up as an editing station on the go. anyway i think he'll have a day room available and i can just crash there and edit in peace, no need to go home. Wonder if roy would wanna hang around with me while i edit jeff's pics.. if not one person also sian. hahaha..

happy anniversary to roy and vanessa, belated, and to adrian and wendy, in advance. in case i forgot lar. vanessa, my wallet also koyak liow leh... so sad.. no wife to buy for me. mauahhah

man.. how's the long windedness coming along? i can still keep going one...

it's just really shiok to lie here and keep typing.. maybe i couldn't find anyone on msn that i would like to chat with so i end up boring you guys here. well... i'd say most of you wouldn't read this far, those of you who do, PLEASE leave a message somewhere or tell me (now!! send me an sms, or msn, or watever!!), at least i have some indication of who reads my crap. i seldom post crap here.. i mean this is truly.... HIMBOTIC...

lemme see.. plans for 2007. i will be shooting less weddings. not that i am slowly giving up, but most of you might know, prices went up, new website is on the way. i will have more time to myself and to do more bridal shots, and commercial projects. i will also embark on personal (photographic) projects which may or may not be part of my portfolio, and i will be cycling more. and as mentioned, i will want to combine cycling with photography and see how that goes.

no.. i dun think i'll be getting married in 2007. so u guys save up the angpow. inflation would probably kill it's value if i keep dragging it.. ahha. but nvm.. u no need to pay 7% gst.

pple i need to meet and/or catch up with:

sabrina - QAD!!!!!!!!!! notti QAD~~
fj - it's a bag of beans... in various shapes and colours. see u on sunday.
ling - this sweet girl needs some cheering up i'd say, don't u?
mark - saw him recently, but jerry kept us silent with his constant chatter couldn't get to talk to mark much - he is very inspirational and i love his resilience)
shervon - saw her recently too, wonder how is her "indecent" boss' case is.. ahhaha (don't worree only her and i know this personal joke, sorree to confuse everyone)
roy - we, or rather i, need to come out cycling more. but then i guess i'm stuck till january. nevertheless, will see u at jeff's wedding if all else fails!!
adrain / wendy - i guess you guys are still the friends i meet most, thanx adrian for always being around, u are one super "plate full still can put somemore" person that is so freaky! but i'm glad things are going well for u!
dennis - eh boss.. (i dun even know if u read this blog! ahhaha) long time no see leh!! anyway hope to cycle with u also, but then u have to slow down for me... dun say i didn't warn u!!
jean - we're going shopping! see you on the 13th also.. i've already made arrangements to ensure my attendance!
pat - we have been talking about hanging out, go for drinks or sing or wat for ages, but i guess i always cannot make it, well i will have to make it happen. again, for some reason, the year 2007 comes into mind again, 2006 is highly unlikely. lucky, it's only less than a month away... ahhaha

hmm can't think of anyone else, but i'm sure there are, so forgive me if i've temporarily forgetten you... suddenly i keep staring at my damn hot pixel... argh!!!

xmas is coming.. wat's ur wish? wat's mine?

SITEX...

I:

- need to
- want to
- could
- would
- should

GET SO MANY THINGS FROM SITEX BUT:

- do not want
- could not
- should not
- would not

SPEND ALL THAT KIND OF MONEY!!!

arghhhhhhhhhh...

ok here's some goodies i might/could/would/should need:

- PDA phone (dopod launching 5 new models)
- Brand new powerhouse PC
- 30" dell going for $1999!!!!!! (prob clearing stocks for the new model releasing soon)
- laptop - FUJITSU IS THE BEST!!!!

yes yes i know.. stop rolling ur eyes, this isn't "the undead" (or any silly ghost story you can think of cos i can't).

most likely i will not get any of the above, MAYBE the pda phone... (that's the cheapest item on that list and it's still just under 1k that kind of price...)

but i DEFINTIELY will need to buy a monitor and a pc system for pena. have been tasked to shop for those.

man.. somebody tie me to a tree till SITEX is over.... oh when u do that, at least let me have access to my MILLIONS of photos to be processed....

deleted!

there has been a couple of rude and senseless remarks on my chatterbox, of course, from "anonymous". pple like doing that all over the place.. so again, may i remind anyone who wises to post vulgar, rude, senseless or displeasing remarks will be deleted instantly. that inclides comments in the posts too. there is no way i will reply or retort to those comment bringing myself down to your level.

i figured, if you don't wanna identify yourself, then you're not worth my time. even if it's a "constructive insult" - not sure how that can be - you still need to tell me who you are before i even bother.

How true!

Something i chanced upon on break.com

First ride with boss roy!!

Rode to his place at hougang, then together to sengkang for breakfast with alex, then to punggol beach, sit there tok cock for a while:



then after that rode back, alex turned off towards amk, we continued back to roy's place and this is where i got the "shot of the day"



roy's bike and his condo in the background.

i guess that's the whole deal about photography. it doesn't have to look great, but it has to mean something to you. for roy, it's an image of his bike, at his place, a memory he will treasure down the road. it helps that it's such a BEAUTIFUL day today!!

37kms travelled today.

images taken with my dopod! now it's hanging... kaozzzzzz

50 kms on the clock

Tomorrow will be more interesting, i have to cycle to roy's place (about 9km) then go cycling with him, say 20km, then back, another 9km... woooo

once i get fitter i will start shopping for racks that can hold a camera so that i can go cycling to "exotic" places (if there are such places in sg) and take photos as well.

incidentally, nikon just announced the d40, the smallest (and lightest) ever nikon dSLR. and cheapest too!! 6mp only, which is more than what i need, so seems like a good deal. maybe i'll just throw on the sigma10-20 since it's light, and a 50 since it's also so small and light, and i could get some nice shots.

gotta go find out where is nice to shoot...

Good start?

Just came back from an 11 click ride in the middle of the night... not very far by most cyclists' standards i guess, but hey, i'm a newbie!!

Went down jelan besar, all the way to national museum, past phoenix hotel, past taka, back out to main road, right into scotts road, newton circus, moulmein, and back home. like very far, but only 11 clicks. dunno how long it took me.. maybe about 40 mins? didn't really push too hard.

the cool breeze is really shiok.

total mileage on bike so far : 43km in 3 days.

i guess this blog will record my rides? i dun think i can be bothered to open a blog just to log my rides.. but then it'll be easier to track...

and oh... MY ASS HURTS!!!

well, not really my ass.. but the part between my balls and my asshole... okok i know that's kinda obscene, and i know there's a term for that part of the body, but i can't remember it off hand, but hey that's not the point.

if the pain moves forward, i'll have to apologise to my future son... sorree junior!!

I'm a man of my words..

I did mention that i would try to spend money on non photographic items didn't i?

well.. here we go, not only is it non-phootgraphic, but it has the potential to make me slimmer, and it's much cheaper than most photographic items (that i buy anyway!)





wish me luck on my biking "career"!!!!

(actually.. my first thought to buy a bicycle was so that i could ride to have supper....)

so much for losing weight...

thanx to roy (boss!!!) for bringing me there and spending the 2 hours choosing and deciding which bike and parts/accessories to buy.

i got slicks on my MTB! wOOt..~~~

Earliest wedding ever - 130am...

Friday 130am was the time to report.

So on thursday morning 9am (stayed up all nite) i went to bed, woke up at 2pm, contractors came to fix stuff, back to sleep again at 6pm, woke up at 11pm, had dinner/supper, then went to bride's place.

came back home at 11am, slept till 4pm, 5pm back to hotel for banquet.

then i shot this:



click it. the small version makes the black embroidery on the gown look like a post processing mistake~~

tomorrow.. another wedding, 630am.

WOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Iris

This is why you should come to my studio and visit me soon!



found this while i was going thru old photos while "taking a break".

take break also see photo... i'm insane.

tell me if you like it when you see it.

Hilarious!

was laughing my guts out just now looking at photos from a muslim engagement i shot MOONS ago, and here goes the story of why it took so long (also, if any customers read this, take heed!!)

usually i will try to "insist" that if a couple chooses the slot in album from me, that i should do the selection and if there were shots in the CD that wasn't selected for print, you can still get them printed (that's wat the CD is for!).

but some brides would really love to do their own selection, to which i will agree. so i send the thumbnails thru, and await her selections before i send for print.

to cut a long story short, after 6 weeks... yes SIX WEEKS (with a couple of emails in between asking her to "hurry up leh!") she replies and says, she likes too many of the images and can't narrow it down to the agreed no. of prints to print, so has decided to let me choose instead.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ok no i'm not angry lar, just a GOOD story to tell people why i "insist" that i choose. here are the reasons why couples take FOREVER to choose photos if it were left to them:

1. they go for a LOOOOOOOONG honeymoon
2. after the LOOOOOOOONG honeymoon they have a HUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE back log of work to dive straight into.
3. when they finally find the time to sit down and choose photos, they dun usually agree on which photo is "valuable" enuff to print.
4. some get pregnant quickly or the process of getting pregnant, so they forget about their photos.
5. besides wedding photos to pick, they also have to pick honeymoon photos.

i could come up with more, but then it's 3am in the morning and i'm editing so i won't elaborate. and serious, i'm NOT making the above up, every single point is true! i have had a couple actually come over to do the selections till they argue quite heatedly until i have to say, ok u both go home, I CHOOSE, go home and make babies. go go! and they went.

ok BACK to hilarious part. so now i have to choose the photos right.. so i choose lor, and while going thru the photos, there were so many images that just brought back memories of the day, in particular, the bride and her girls wanted to do funny poses and asked me to suggest. i said, just be your silly selves and everytime the flash goes off, change ur silly pose and we should come up with something good. and there i go with at least 6 exposures with 3 different groups of girls, each of these shots netted possibly the most shameful photos that those girls have ever taken!! man... i laughed out loud in front of my computer until i had to recompose myself and continue choosing. no wonder the bride had difficulties!

point of this? photographs need not be artistic or even aesthetic, to induce emotions, to recall events, to remember how much we mean to each other. i am "just their photographer" (if you want to put it that way), but i was there, and i remember wat happened, and i smile that it did.

Congratulations on your engagement, Naime. your photos (SELECTED BY ME!) are on the way!!!! =)

Focus

no.. not to get the image sharp.. but to get LIFE sharp.

there is so much work to be done that it is actually making me HATE everything that is PREVENTING me from doing the work.

anyone that is reading this now, remember, NOTHING in this world (at the moment) is more important than my work. ESPECIALLY NOW, when it is a peak period.

i have said this many times, but let's officiate this here:

when i deliver a wedding overdue, it's not just "a wedding". this is what it is, in bold in case anyone ever forgets (i certainly won't):

Wedding photographs are eagerly waited for by not only two people, but their families and friends AS WELL. We are looking at a minimum of 50 people (25 per side) PER WEDDING that are waiting to see the images.

This means if I have 12 weddings sitting on my computer undelivered, there are AT LEAST 600 people WAITING FOR ME! (thank god for multiplication tables eh???)

now... u get the point?!

so, sorry to sound all high and mighty, but yes, i don't have time for you. not now. no FJ i'm not talking about u. u've probably been the nicest to me thru this period, even if i don't see you much.

i'm gonna sign off b4 i really get too irate.

Thanx all that have offered to help me edit photos. no, u can't help. there are a couple of things:

1. customers pay me to do this, because i do it at a higher standard (again sorree if i sound high and mighty).

2. there is no way i can trust anyone (for now at least) with my life's work. if any of u profess to know me, know this: my work is my life. again, for now at least. it's the only thing that gives me the REASON why i am alive. while i'm still looking for other reasons, this remains the only one for now.

thanx again guys.

p/s before any of my friends/associates/customers take this personally, please don't. that's all i gotta say. let me rant once in a while, i seldom do.

Wish list...

I think i need one...

you know it's strange, i always think about what photographic equipment i need, or i might/will/should need/want, but when it comes to everything else, i dun bother. for example... panties! oopz.. i meant underwear... (pitcha lobang liow)

ok seriously, besides the new phone which is not extremely urgent, esp since white hair can look kinda nice, i need a new watch. yes... this is possibly the first time u'll see someone wanting to replace his watch becos the pins on his metal strap keep coming off, and each time he just manages to find where the pin went and put it in. recently he has actually lost a pin, and he used a paper clip... sad.

i need a new watch. before anyone says that i should just get the strap replaced, already done that once, and it's high time for a new watch. this watch was given to my by cheryl, i never did like it much, she knows it, but i wore it becos she bought it, wear one time, became 4-5 years... hmm...

studio is up and running, not 100% yet still got minor stuff to fix. i'm dead beat, tonnes of weddings to process, and many appts lined up as i was away whole last week.

u know sometimes no matter how much sleep u get, u still feel "tired". sleeping while stressed just isn't restful enuff. i need to clear my work, and then have a good sleep. there's more stress now too... every month when the rent for the place comes, the hair whitening process takes an adrenline jab in the ass.

have some (wedding) photos recently done.. post another time lar, or those that know my clubsnap gallery, can just go there regularly for updates.

i hate my phone!

someone recommend me a PDA phone with WM5. and dun tell me windows sux, i already know that, just that i'm stuck to outlook for my schedules so i need WM5, unless other OS syncs with outlook without problems.

my dopod is giving me screen alignment problems every 2 hours!!! i can't begin to describe the angst it puts me thru daily. it's certainly good training for anger management, and definitely a good hair whitening technique. and u only thot skin whitening was in style huh!

anywayz, i'm thinking the 838pro, yes another dopod. reason: at least it's got a keyboard and it's still relatively small. screen cock up can still poke the keys.

_____

i'm back in sg, and while i was transiting in bkk for 2hr+ i got on the internet cafe and started typing long story and it all went to naught when the time was used up and it just stopped me from using the computer! i guess it wasn't meant to be, i have no idea what i wrote and i definitely am not gonna write it again. it wasn't important anyway.

to top it off, the flight was delayed another hour! man.. oh ok.. ya i remember now, i mentioned that i HATE NON-DIRECT FLIGHTS WITH A VENGEANCE. yeah....

missed the friday portion of the studio open house entirely, but tomorrow is the big day and i'm still awake processing photos. gotta wake up early and pay my road tax too. man, as soon as i landed i smelled stress in the air. but i'm glad to be back.

thanx adrian and wendy for giving me a lift from the airport!

Major update!!

I've officially moved in to McNair, and it's been hell of a week.

First things first: here are some shots of the studio:

STUDIO 1






STUDIO 2





Yes that's right, we have two studios up and running!

Thanks to Pierce who has worked tirelessly with me to get this running, it's been wonderful thus far bouncing ideas off each other.

Thank you to Kenneth also for his invaluable help by way of equipment and advise!

I will be having an open house this coming weekend, for those interested to pop by and pay me a visit, please contact me!

On another note, i will be in Kunming, Yunnan, China tomorrow for the rest of the week, really have to rely on Pierce and Kenneth to get things ready for the open house.

I'm not sure if i'll have time to shoot the lovely province, but will try.

More unpacking to do (since i just moved house) and packing as well (since i'll be going overseas in a few hours).

oh.. hmmm... WHERE IS MY PASSPORT!!!!!!!!!!

It's been a while

since i've written anything substantial.

lots of things are happening in my life, mostly good and entirely busy. i have to move house, clear tonnes of weddings and go to china for a week and that's all to be done by the end of the month. i love my schedule!

yeap, will be moving out of toa payoh after more than 5 years of staying here. the only thing i won't miss is the bloody car park which is always full. the place i'm moving to on the contrary, the car park is always empty! *phew* and it's cheaper season parking too... beat that!

admist all the busy-ness... matters of the heart came into play. but it's not going well and at times i feel destined that i can only ever share others' joys, but never really experience it. well, so far that's been enough, but how long would that last?

mama wrote me a lovely email updating me on their lives. wat an absolutely stark contrast to mine. i'm always busy and swearing at other drivers on the road while they are enjoying the golden nest with each other, living life after working so hard.

saw adrian yesterday after what seems like so long, managed to get new tenants for the tpy flat, so at least he doesn't have to worry about this place being empty. i siong liow lar, i have to totally fix up the place, i owe it to him, living here for 5 years i really know the place better than him liow. quite a few of the florescent ballasts are gone and the place needs some serious cleaning, but after i pack my stuff then i will do (or probably pay someone) to do a proper thorough clean.

man how boring can this post get?

i'm tired, excited and disappointed all at the same time. that's 2 bads vs 1 good. must tilt the odds somehow. i think the easier to fix would be the "tiredness".

Singapura History

I'm injured from falling off my chair:

Two more...

click.

TIme...

or the lack thereof...

I'm SO busy.. wat's new? Altho, there is new news... but i don't have time to write them down. lots of things happening, and i will try to find time to pen them all down so those that are interested will know wat's going on. it might shock some. nothing bad, mostly.

ongoing, are plenty of weddings to shoot, some shots:











clickable.