Tristan & Isolde

I don't know if life is greater than death, but love was more than either.
- Tristan of Aragon

Just watched this movie on DVD. Must watch.

I agree with the quote, such is the greatness of love. Makes a loveless life seem so aimless.

Official website here

I love watching such movies, the scenary, the language, costumes, lighting. the plot is typical, hero loves girl, can't be with girl for some reason, ends up either getting her anyway, or dies trying, or both.

But i hate the way it makes me feel after watching it. Some people are so lucky to have each other. I am not part of the group. YET.

I might sleep it off and start a new week afresh. Full day shoots for WGS on mon and tue. It's been a pretty successful (imo - at least in terms of the images i'm producing) week for me and i intend to end it off even better.

I can't imagine how much more power my images would be able to convey if i was in love.

Phone bill report..

I feel the need to type this out:

My phone bill from roaming in HK totalled 300++++!!! wtf~~

avg is about 100-120.. so i overshot by 200++... wonderful.

next time when i go overseas, i need to remember this expenditure.. i ALWAYS forget that roaming is bloody expensive... actually i think calls are not too bad, it's the smses...!

ok.. now that i got that off my chest, u can all see it. sexy? ok.. wipe that puke off my floor, it's dangerously close to my 85/1.4! (hmm it rhymes too...)

Without goatie...

ok the title sux.. but here's another member of the same band as the guitarist yesterday. yeah, they were playing again tonite, this time at Grand Hyatt. I've always loved the Hyatt group of hotels.. or at least those i've been, singapore and bangkok. bangkok one is lovely, singapore one too.. but singapore's carpark is really in shabby condition. they should renovate it!

anyway here's the basist tonight.. so much character in this fella, u should watch him play, totally lost in his music as i was in my viewfinder.



Rest day tomorrow.. well not really, but not shooting. gotta deliver to two couples and i THINK i have 2 appts.. i guess i better confirm that thought as soon as i wake up tomorrow..

wake up call wat time leh? maybe 10am... HOPEFULLY 10am. it's no good when the appts are "rubber timing"...

comment on the images will ya? =)

Goatie

Tonight's event was grand... and of all the lovely shots i got of rich people, this was the best, the guitarist from the band performing tonight.

POTD:



Love the goatie, love the expression, love guitarists (i play too, or i try to anyway...)

Love my job!!!!!!!!

Now 4am, gotta wake up 730am.. ooh yeah..

Happiness over next to nothing...

yes that's right.. got a huge shoot tomorrow nite, charity gala event, one table of 10 costs $12000. yes.. it's not a typo. well i guess the photos would be great.. everyone looking RICH and decked out. maybe i'll get to shoot some celebrities.

anyway, yeah slight happiness, or rather, peace, knowing that i can sleep in tomorrow, i've mounted both albums, ready to deliver. one minor hiccup... can u believe it, each book has 20 prints, and one of them only came back with 19!! wat the....? i'll have to get it tomorrow

anyway tonite's shoot wasn't that exciting, but since it was a Macallan thing, i saw most of the guys from Maxxium, was great to see them, especially Vincent who's been such a wonderful client turned friend. Then i met Joey... my goodness it's been A WHILE!!!! she looks more matured now, but still very beautiful, and i guess she's still tall, can't see how a person can become shorter... but aiyah.. why, u picking on me issit???

spoke of old times, and of course, pple like doo and cheryl were mentioned. Joey almost forgot wat happened between cheryl and i, asking "you lar.. see what u did to her...?" i was like, u're asking the wrong person that question, should be asking her instaed, and then she remembers with an "oh.. ya... ok." anywayz, it's been a long time and the hurt is gone, so is the existance of that person in my life, not by my choice.

Adrian knows best that part of my life.. wow.. it's been a while huh buddy? i remember vaguely those months of rebuilding my life, from scratch. these pple helped me: Adrian, Shervon, Rachel, especially Adrian. *phew*

ok.. just a photo from tonite.. i dunno man, looks like it's gonna take quite a bit of effort to edit these photos since it does NOT have to be done, yeah my client engaged me for WGS and only require the images, no need to edit, editing done by Danny who's the full time photographer there, who also got me this job. Thanx danny!

here's the macallan single malt 12 years under spot light with an s3 and 85/1.4. the sharpness of this lens is AMAZING, coupled with excellent noise and accurate colour from the fuji. of course being so small u can't tell jack shit.. but just believe me lar!



anywayz, for those of you who wnat to find out more about World Gourmet Summit, do click below, some of the photos so far are from me, most still from danny. watch out for tomorrow's charity gala event photos on the site which will prob be up in a couple of days after. the images on this site are unedited.

World Gourmet Summit

Thanx for the wake up call!!

Yeah do you believe it... i did get a call, so thanx bro!!

Only one person called me lar.. eheheh so yeah it's you. steady!

Anywayz really sleeping later and later each nite.. after Pena, i have to shoot, today's shoot is FooKinG shack ar!!! i'm not one to sweat buckets, but i had salt stains on my black shirt tonite. screw ugliness, i was in serious heat stroke city... just about. and the shoot is at nite! after that, came back to slot photos.. and i'm still not done with the mount albums yet... =(

i've NEVER in my life, ever dined on a GOLF TEE on sentosa overlooking the harbour, let alone shoot a dinner held in such a fashion. it was classy ambience, alfresco still doesn't really go down well with me in singapore, but there was a slight breeze and probably good conversation, great people, and wine which tastes average to good, but pple prob used the word "excellent" and "wonderful" instead...

BUT.. i wasn't dining, i was shooting.. and all that good shit i said above, well throw that out the window, when u have close to zero lighting, and absolutely nothing to bounce flash off.. well let's just say i don't think the shots tonite would win any awards. er.. wait a minute.. i've never won an award anyway.. oh ok so no big loss... hahahah

Met a guest called Sally today.

and... that's all i'll say. ahhahahah.. eh.. i want to koon liow, no more typing. *zip*

no POTD lar.. or ok maybe this one, to illustrate the picture i painted above:



yes.. that's on a golf course... BLACK TEE somemore.. next pro that plays there is gonna whack the champaign cork instead of his ball. read ur local paper when that happens.

GOOD NITE LAR... talk so much.....

24 hours not enough

I think i no need to say more lar.. the title says it all hahaha..

WGS shoots EVERY NIGHT this week and next.

3 couples need their albums and the prints are already sitting in my room waiting to be slotted or mounted.

1 more couple to confirm collage print next week.

Can you imagine, don't even have time to DELIVER? looks like i'll have to wait till sunday, it's the only day i'm not shooting WGS.

and u know lar.. deliver = money. somehow the money part is just a by product. i need it to pay bills. if i have no bills, i dun need the money! i need the smiles from my customers when they see the photos.

like i said, 24 hours (in a day) not enuff. Wake up call needed tomorrow (later!) at 9am! I'm not joking...

OK let me go dig up a POTD from today's shoot... i have JUST the image to brighten this post up!! eheheheh

PsOTD:


Strawberries....

and

Cookies....!


Taken tonight at the Grand Hyatt, at Ian Wright's dinner. Those that don't know who he is, don't worry, i didn't either. will post some pics another time. i need to sleep now.

don't forget, wake up call at 9am later!!! dunno asking who also...

Hidden Gem

Was preparing a wedding for print today and happily listening to Janice while editing then suddenly this image popped up and punched me squarely in the jaw... woke me up and scolded me.

You see, usually after i finish a wedding, no matter how tired i am, i will go thru the images once, pick out one or two favourites and edit until i happy, then go to sleep smiling.

but for some reason, this shot eluded me that nite, and today i paid for it, jaw still swollen...

here it is:



Looks normal? not to me.

firstly, this amazes me becos it was shot in ur regular HDB flat. no flash, no artificial light (yes i specifically remember the lights of the house weren't on yet, which is good, becos then i would get mixed lighting conditions and would have to convert it to black and white). just ur regular cloudy day outside the main door, and a white wall.

next, it is so simple! pleasant bride, calm feminine pose, rather simple gown, no tiara, soft light, soothing tones, and just one element to bring a focal point, the destiny pendant.

i'm still recovering from the punch. i wonder if anyone else sees this image like i do....

did i ever say that i love my job?!?!!??! =)

Many POTD

Shot on Saturday. Quite fun lar... =)

Some revelations

Had some news tonight that apparently the best wedding photographer in singapore (in my opinion - click here) wants to meet me. Well not just me, he wants to gather a few of us to work together for mutual benefits such as cutting costs and promoting the general wedding photography scene in Singapore.

Apparently, alot of people in the industry has expressed interest in knowing who I really am. I don't think I'm being boastful here, as the rest of this post will say why.

I'm actually pressured!!! Yes, i like my work, it brings me joy, and i guess more or less, it's about how i see myself, and within my own bubble, i'm confident and ready to keep going. but when i compare myself to people like chi kuang from 39east, i feel i'm a far cry from his level of photography. his images are engaging, powerful and artistic at the same time, and dare i say, all the time! that i wouldn't know for sure, but i'm led to believe so.

I'm under the scrutiny of the cream of wedding photographers, and while it's flattering, it's also very pressurising. not that it's a bad thing, pressure can push u forward, but i never really knew this was the case, that i'm being compared to the top. full time for less than a year, having shot about 100 weddings and ROMs, which is not alot at all, i've reached this stage. it's good, and up goes the ante.

the hill gets steep again. it's gonna be hard to keep shooting beyond my personal best. it's exciting yet daunting. there's surely no way i'm gonna stop now, but the road ahead is coming up fast and i have to be ready for it. am i?

once again i want to thank those who have encouraged me in one way or another. no names here, but there has been numerous occasions where friends, customers and fellow photographers have expressed admiration for my work and encouragement to go further. to these people, my sincere thanx and i hope that if i seem to be going backwards, you have the right to use my 70-200VR to clobber me over my head (but pls, not my right index finger!). if you don't know wat that is, nvm, just get a baseball bat, same feeling, just less expensive!

what a wonderful feeling, to be part of the cream on the cake. on top. i have to do whatever it takes to stay there.

World Gourmet Summit - Garibaldi

So happy with the images shot tonite. Thanx to Danny for helping me get the job to shoot WGS2006.

Here's the first one from me:



Chocolate and Wine Pairing @ Garibaldi
36 Purvis Street #01-02 S(188613)
Executive Chef : Roberto Galetti

Chocolates:





Wine:



Food:



Chef:



More here!

Another new day...

Woke up quite late, feeling dazed.

I have to get some serious work done today. At least one collage for final approval from the couple. I have two to do, one more pending approval, and i'm cleared for back log. there's one more that's still not due, but still it's gotta be done.

ideally, a collage takes 5 solid hours of editing and layout, provided i dun surf, chat, piss, shit, eat, have sex or otherwise in between. don't even look out the window to see there's a fire in the corridor.

so if i wanna do 2 by today, i'll be seriously constipated and dehydrated.

i love my life.... argh!

thanx for the comments jas, can't be bothered to open the window and reply ur comments.. i'm just so... stricken with inertia... some how i knew u'd mention the dogs ahahha.. wendy's two dogs, white one is mix maltese and pomeranian (how to spell), brown one is just pom...

here they are again:

TV?

Was reading Jas' blog where she was bored at home watching dvd then tv.

when she said dvd i was like.. yeah that's cool.. i did too. then she mentioned tv.. and i was like.. OH YA!!! tv.. i have one! and it's got cable on it too!!!

i really forgot u know..

so..

WANTED TO FIND:

A wife to watch tv with.

simple pleasures in life is what makes it worth while.

i think i need to sleep.

it's OFFICIAL, i'm overloaded with work. don't talk to me for a few weeks. not unless u have a wife for me. don't forget, she must like watching tv. VERY IMPORTANT!!!!!

HK Pics

Click on image for a larger one.

Rest of the pics are here.

Just finished watching a sad love story.

"There are three things a person can't hide: Coughing, poverty & love. The harder one tries to hide them, the more they rise to the surface."

HK 2006 Overview

Can you believe it.. i'm still transfering my pics from the laptop to my portable hard drive becos the wireless network doesn't seem to work. it's been an hour already. i need a new laptop...

Anyway... i think i will put up a clubsnap gallery and link it there, too many photos liow, can't be bothered to linked them directly here.. see how lar.. haven't even downloaded.

I would like to thank Martin especially for looking after me while i was in a foreign place, and it is an even greater pleasure since he's also a photographer. using canon, but has an FM, where i mounted my 17-35 (since it's a G lens, it can be used on manual bodies - those that have no idea what i'm talking about, nevermind! ahhaha), and got super wides! on film and slide. took it back with me so i'll be exploring film and slide photography with it, IF I HAVE TIME LAR...

so yes, martin, thanks heaps man!

Was also great to see Wendy and Mutsumi, we've known each other for ages, and it was great catching up again.

A surprise was to see Lyndnn at HK airport when I arrived at the customs, i was quite dazed from the nap on the plane, and i heard my name being called out, and there she was, i was like.. wat the.... am i in the right country??? and yes, pure coincidence, so we spent a day roaming Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui together. photos soon.

Hong Kong is such a wonderful place to visit, but i'm not sure about living there. don't need to be sure, becos i don't think i ever will, but visiting is great. no surprises to some of us perhaps, but the people there are generally friendly than in singapore, ESPECIALLY the service staff. well then again, service is good anywhere compared to singapore. hate to say this but honestly, i think that's the case here. it's culture lar, i'm not gonna even bother complaining about singapore. it's better now that i have a low standard, so wherever i go, it always feels good.

bought a couple of lenses, cheaper there.

went a few places, got the "must get" shots, harbour view from TST and Victoria's peak.

Visited disneyland with wendy, pics soon.

eating was well, nothing major, i'm not much of an eater, a couple of times we even had macdonalds out of convenience, it's cheap there, apparently cheapest macs in the world. 22 HKD for a meal, yeah.. cheap!

shopping is almost zero except for the lenses. got some astroboy stuff. DAMN HARD TO FIND OK???? u know wat they said... huh? astro boy? the trend passed long ago, hard to find the stuff now.. but i found it anyway lar.. where ar? near causeway bay there.

managed to find a DVD for elsa too.

bought a CD for myself, "Janice" (gee that name rings a bell...) and she's now my ring tone on my phone with "My love, My fate"

Is this getting boring or what? aiyah, i link the photos then let u all see lar... i'm still waiting for the download, then gotta edit abit then can post. i have to get it done, if not i will NEVER get it done.

to end off a wonderful holiday, once i stepped into singapore air, a wave of stress hit me. i have a tonne of work, with another tonne of follow-up to do, seeing as i've been away so long. i feel bad making some of my customers wait, but this is one break i needed badly. i wouldn't say i am recharged, as each day in HK was pretty much packed, but at least i got my mind off work for a while, that in itself is a recharge.

next time, maybe i should go to somewhere like ko samui where all u get to do is see the beautiful scenary and relax in the resort. the stress is different then, it's more taxing on the wallet.... u can't win can u?

Day 1 - Mong Kok

Arrived in Hong Kong and took the airport express to Tsing Yi, where it was more convenient for Martin to pick me up. Camera was still packed nicely in the bag and so no shots of the airport and the train station, which was pretty empty, to my surprise... my flight wasn't full either. so i had three seats to myself, fell asleep and suddenly someone else was sitting one seat away from me. too bad, was a guy so i didn't make conversation!

martin picked me up and i needed to eat to save my life, so this is where we ended up..



apparently all the locals know this place.. 24 hours, and a place to hang out becos they dun chase u out. apparently in hk, u will get pressured to leave if u've finished ur meal at most eating places. ordered a baked pork chop rice which was really nice, but we both agreed that generally eating out in hk is slightly more expensite than in singapore, for local food that is. i always thot hk was cheaper.

here's us both:





after that we walked the streets for a while.. pretty crowded for a weeknight at around 11pm. on the weekends it would be chaos, martin commented. after that we went back. will be going back down after i post this to get some lenses. yesterday (day 2) went ocean park with some of his friends... didn't shoot many good shots.. but will post another time.

ok here's the rest of the day 1 shots. knee's giving me problem again, walking too much at ocean park yesterday. irritating, kena hampered to take photos will really bite at me.. so knee, u better wake up ur idea.


Mong Kok Train Station - duh, really?


Executive picking up porn from the newstand... maybe.


Woman crossing road.


Rare BMW, apparently featured on TV a few days ago.


New vs old, warm vs cool colour.


Dog shit on a fence.


On the way back to Martin's place.

Untitled : Square

Any suggestions for title?

POTD:



Taken at a wedding yesterday.

Thanx Elsa for all the assitance rendered!! And she doesn't even read my blog... maybe i should give her the url.

Been a shack few days, and gonna be shack till i go HK. I can't wait to get there. I need to rest.

The storm before the calm....

Yes, it isn't a typo.

going thru a storm at the moment. well maybe a storm isn't the best word for it, but i dun think the statement "the death before the calm" really works..

i've never had such a back log of work in my life. ever.

and after i clear it, which is unlikely, the calm comes when i go to hong kong. i need to get away, it's just too much. i could rant about why this and why that, but ultimately, the "blame", if any, comes back to me. basically if your life sux, it's just too easy to blame other things. well anyway, i don't think my life sux, i just have too much on my plate. who put the food on my plate? me lar.. still got who?

let's see. it's thursday now. going in to pena first thing in the morning till early afternoon hopefully, have a report to finish up. after that it's a meeting with William to discuss the shoot for Elson. then dinner with mama at ah yee's place. then church rehearsal for the wedding on saturday. then appt with customer at great world city. i'll be a wreck when i get home. so that's thur gone.

fri is still open.

sat wedding, full day gone.

sun is still open but i'll prob do elson's shoot on that day, so that's out. mon and tue i'll be at pena. wed i'm flying off.

so, how do i get the 4 weddings that i want delivered by the time i go to hk? well, i guess u'll have to read my post on wed to find out.

and why aren't i processing photos now? cos i have two batches of raw files converting in the background. have some sympathy on my poor computer!

"Oh Lord, keep me awake. That's all I ask. The rest I can do."

Reporting from Ipoh!

Por Por's funeral was... well.. i was gonna say normal, but i guess i haven't attended enuff funerals to know wat's normal, so i guess i won't comment.

I'm glad however to see ALL my mum's side auntys and uncles all under the same roof. i think the last time that happened was like donkey years ago. it's ironic, some of them even live in singapore now and i dun even see them! i think i better get more involved in family activities, altho my universal excuse is that my parents aren't in sg so usually if parents don't go then the kids go for fuck rite? well i guess i'm not really "my parents' son" anymore but rather an entity on my own and i should keep these family ties.

dunno wtf i'm talking about also.

can u believe this, two of my younger cousins Justin and Alvin are on either side of me watching the screen as i type at this internet cafe. i think they are amazed at the speed i can type at. eh, this is slow liow, i'm not used to this crappy keyboard!

the weather here is like shit lor. it's so frigging hot, even in an air con room. and i slept so little, kept vigil at the wake till 6am, slept for 2 hours then funeral starting liow. afternoon slept only 3 hours cos it was too bloody hot. now i ducked out with my cousins so i can blow air con in my car!!! depesperate times calls for desperate measures.

hope for a safe drive tomorrow.. will be following my uncle, so i guess it's safer to drive in a group. and it'll be in the day time.

it's been a good break despite the heat. at least for once, i can just relax one corner with the knowledge that even if i wanted to work i can't, so my as well just dun think about it. that's why i say, if i wanna rest, i have to LEAVE the country. sadness.

well hong kong's coming at the end of the month!!! =)

oh.. took photos of the wake, dun think i'll post them up, didn't take pics of the funeral tho.. cos i was in "mourning attire" so mama and i decided it wasn't appropriate. some of my aunties were pretty hysterical. =(

wow.. i am seldom so "reportive" in my posts... i guess this will help me remember an occasion which will never happen again.

I remember YQ's blog has a quote with each entry... i might start that habit from this entry.

"Your 'worth-it-ness' is determined by me..."

Jessica

It's amazing what a willing model and great connection with the photographer can produce. I amaze myself. She amazes me.

PsOTD:







no need to comment, no matter what you say, i love these pics...! and there are heaps more... still processing.

oh.. if anyone's wondering.. these are posted upon her kind permission. OF COURSE!
_________

driving up to ipoh later. if you don't hear from me in a few days, please just donate $2 to your nearest community chest.... NOT!!!!

i'll be fine, everyone who is worried, PLEASE DON'T.. cos driving long distance isn't a problem for me. Brisbane to Melbourne anyone?

I'm serious, I want to take a 2 month road trip in Australia, starting from Alice Springs, up to Darwin, across to Cairns, down to Brisbane/GC, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide and the last longest stretch... across to Perth!!!!!

I wonder if this dream will ever come true. Imaging the images that i could produce... this is my life.

I'm so glad I know what I was born to do.