A Dose of Mike's Life

A short outdoor night shoot

2010-02-06T00:18:00.014+08:00

Got a opportunity to work with Venessa a few weeks ago. We had planned for an evening outdoor shoot and followed by a night shoot with the aid of a portable generator which we bought last year. For the past few weeks, the weather was pretty hot but the skies were in beautiful shades of blue. With the polarizer fixed on the lens, the blue sky was enhanced. However I was quite disappointed as I couldn't capture any catchlight in Venassa's eyes.

Before the shoot, I was really excited as I finally have a chance to test out the second-hand portable 600watt generator that run on gasoline. Night fell and we set up the lights and powered up the generator. We did a few trial shots and started shooting but that only lasted 15mins. We ran out of gasoline as we did not top up the generator before the shoot. We had assumed that we would be having enough gasoline for the shoot. Because of this oversight, we had to end the shoot early.

Lesson learnt: Never assume and always bring spare gasoline and battery pack.

First Portrait of 2010

2010-01-07T23:27:00.009+08:00

This is the second time I'm working with Mico. She has just changed her hair colour and we wanted to do "punk rock" theme for this shoot. As we couldn't get suitable outfits in time, we decided to do with beach wear theme instead.

It was a beautiful morning with clear blue skies. When we reached the location where we intended to shoot, two photographers were already there, trying to capture shots of waves hitting the rocks. I assumed this as they had set their tripods with their cameras directly facing the rocks. Thus we moved futher up to find another suitable location and that was when we found a blue tractor by the yacht dock. Well, there is a saying "When one door closes, another opens". We should actually thank the two photographers who were shooting by the rocks. If not for them, we would not have found such an interesting backdrop to work with.

The Last Macro before the end of 2009

2010-01-02T12:46:00.008+08:00

I was planning to do a photo journal of the last day of 2009 but weeks before the actual day something came up and disrupted my plan. I didn't have the mood and time to plan for the shooting locations and what to be included in the photo journal.

Something unexpected just pop out of the blue and ruin my last days of 2009. It was beyond my control and I can do nothing about it but to accept it. I have came to terms that we can't control what is install for us ahead but I got to choose which path to take when I'm at the junction.

Anyway, photography is a way for me to destress and I spend my last day of 2009 shooting macro and enjoy the company of nature.

A New Beginning

2010-01-01T19:00:00.002+08:00

Wishing Everyone a Happy & Prosperous 2010 ! ! !

M i c o

2009-11-23T22:58:00.014+08:00

Did a portrait shoot with Mico on Sunday morning. I was initially quite worried about the weather the night before as it had been raining for the past few days. When I was packing my camera gear, I realised that I had not been using my Sigma 30mm/f1.4 for quite a while as I could not seem to get the result I wanted when it was mounted on my D300.

We went to the first location and saw the beautiful facade of a Bali-themed restaurant. After taking a few shots, the employee of the restaurant came out and told us that no photography was allowed. "No Photography Allowed" yet again. Think I'm getting used to this phrase now. It was not even their business hour yet but I understand that there was no point arguing. We packed up our stuff and went to the second location.

I wanted to try out High Fashion with the aid of my speedlight but after a while I decided to give up and put my flash away. I couldn't get the effect I wanted. Guess I have to read up more on the techniques required. I popped open my reflector and mounted the 30mm lens on D300. I'm quite satified with the results. Mico was surprisingly good with poses, so we didn't need to guide her much. I really enjoyed this shoot.

A Saturday Night Shoot . . . Distrupted . . .

2009-10-26T15:54:00.007+08:00

Went to a night portraiture shoot last weekend and was really upset towards the end of the shoot as we were interrupted by two security guards. They demanded for written authorization and stopped us from carrying on with the shoot.

This is not the first time I've been chased away by security guards during photoshoots. In fact, I've been chased away quite a few times, including those times when I was shooting outside shopping malls. After the 9-11 incident, security has been stepped up and "Big Cameras" pointing and shooting has been banned at some premises. You can shoot with P&S or camera phone and get away with it, but definitely not with a DSLR. I often see tourists snapping away and why weren't they stopped? Does that mean they pose no danger as compared to photographers with DSLRs?

We are already running out of outdoor locations to shoot, especially in Singapore. Do I have to photoshop all the backgrounds for my future photoshoots?! The thought of it simply puts me off!

Asia Autosalon 2009

2009-10-17T06:50:00.003+08:00

Super Import Night 2009

2009-09-22T23:44:00.004+08:00

Popped by Super Import Nights with my kakis last weekend. Have not been shooting any portraiture lately due to family matters. It was pouring when we reached Expo. I wanted to snap a few pictures of the drift performance but had to forgo it due to the bad weather. I saw a number of photography kakis snapping away when I entered the exhibition hall.

I still prefer organised shoots to event shoots, mainly due to the fact that I can't direct, pose or have the model's eye contact as I desire. Just bought myself a new photography gadget and hope to use it in one of my shoots soon.

September has been a destructive month for me up till now. First my PC crashed, next my 1 TB external hard disk crashed, followed by my iPod wiped out and my 4GB CF card corrupted. Managed to salvage most of the data and I got an iMac to replace my PC.

Packed the wrong lens for shoot

2009-09-07T00:20:00.004+08:00

I was planning to shoot macro today, so I packed all my macro gear and went out. But due to foul weather, I had to postpone the plan. Went to Orchard to meet my wife for dinner. Didn't know that there was a National Lion Dance Championships going on at the Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza.
I didn't want to miss out the action, thus I used my 105mm macro lens (the only lens I had then) which I packed this morning to capture the action.

Yizhan & Kay Hui Wedding Banquet

2009-08-30T01:33:00.005+08:00

Got a photoshoot assignment for a wedding banquet on 9th August, Singapore National Day. Only managed to complete editing of the whole album today as I was busy with work and family matters.

Walking on Sunshine . . . Bernice

2009-08-07T02:14:00.009+08:00

Went for an outdoor shoot last Sunday and I must say it was a fruitful one indeed.

The first location was unique as it is a field located in a HDB estate next to an expressway. Neat rows of short trees line the field. The second location was a lalang field in Punggol.

I must really thank the model for bearing with mosquito bites and thorns during this shoot.

The One & Only Assignment of July

2009-07-28T21:12:00.020+08:00

After three weeks' break from photography, I finally got the one and only assignment for the month of July. Got a soft box from an online store last month and had not had the opportunity to test it out.

That morning, I was woken up by sound of raindrops tapping on my window. My first thought was: there goes my Sunday morning shoot. Got up as planned and went to the coffee shop to take my breakfast while I waited for my friend to pick me up. By the time we finished our breakfast, the rain had stopped and we drove to meet the model.

We were early and decided to drive around to hunt for a suitable location for the shoot. The model had requested for this shoot to be in "Dark Theme", and we decided to look for an abandoned place. We were lucky enough to find one near the meeting place.

This shoot went well and ended at around noon.

*Something has been frustrating me these days as I've heard that someone with the same namesake as me has been deceiving young girls by using photography as a cover. I've heard about this matter quite sometime ago, but I now feel the urgent need to speak up about it as I've now been mistaken as him. I would like to advise young girls aspiring to go into modelling, be it as a career or just a part time job to earn extra income to know their rights and not fall into the traps set by people with ulterior motives. Learn to say "NO" to ridiculous demands or if you feel uncomfortable. No decent photographer would ask you to anything uncomfortable or lewd.

Disappointment . . .disappointment . . .

2009-06-28T22:26:00.025+08:00

Joined an organised shoot a few weeks ago. Have not joined any shoot by this organiser before and I also did not know much about the model's background when my friend sms me, asking if I wanted to register for the shoot. I double checked my calendar, decided to give it a try and took it as an opportunity to brush up my composition skills in portraiture.

The organiser only released information of the venue the night before and it was at Clarke Quay. When I knew about the venue via my sms, I thought to myself, "Clarke Quay again?!" I started shooting portraits at Clarke Quay and have since been there for more than ten shoots. Why Clark Quay?! But since the organiser had chosen the location, I've to respect her decision.

The meet-up time was at 8.30am. This was actually set by the organiser. Two of my friends and I, together with a few other photogaphers, waited for more than 20 minutes before the organiser and the model strolled in slowly. Not a very good start. Next, the organiser gathered us and the model took out a few outfits to seek her advice. Instead of answering the model, she directed the question to us. The outfits should have been selected way in advance when the organiser set the theme for this shoot. Not very professional, I must say. I have joined shoots organised by other organisers and this type of situation has never happened before.

The thing that riled me was that the organiser started asking us where we wanted to shoot the model. Hey! You chose the venue and now you ask us where we want to carry out our shoot?! Then in the first place, we should have been allowed to vote for the venue we wanted and not to waste precious time on the actual day, deciding where to shoot. This is a paid shoot and an organiser should do all the necessary arrangements. I must stress again that I have never encountered this with any other organisers before.

By the time the exact location was decided upon, the model had started looking disinterested. When we were posing her, she seemed restless and uncooperative. Not sure if it was the hot weather or that she had been partying hard the night before, she looked haggard. It didn't help when the make-up she wore couldn't conceal the dark circles around her eyes. All these I could still do a bit of touch-up during my post processing but it didn't reflect well on her as she had been a model with a certain male magazine before. This piece of information was told to me by my two other friends after the shoot.

As for the organiser, she sat at one corner and started dozing off without even bothering about the entire shoot. This should not be the case. Once again, this was a paid shoot so as an organiser, you should bear the responsibility in ensuring the entire photoshoot progress smoothly. Not just sit back and doze off after receiving our hard earned cash (SGD60).

My two friends and I gave up shooting the model one hour after we started. This shoot was supposed to last three hours. Normally, I would use up all three of my CF cards for any other photoshoots. But this time round, I barely managed to use up ONE CF card. If you have noticed from all the five photos I've posted here, they were all candid shots which I'd captured. None of the posed photos could make it.

There has been an increase in the number of organisers in this particular photography forum. Seems like a lot of people want a slice of the pie. We, photographers, are not ignorant. Once bitten, twice shy. We will not throw our money down the drain if organisers cannot deliver what they have promised. I vowed to myself that I would not join any other shoots organised by this organiser anymore. Meanwhile, I will just stick with the few organisers who have been really professional in their organised shoots which I've joined.

Passing away of a Legend

2009-06-28T09:12:00.008+08:00

Though you're no longer with us, but your music will always be a part of us.

Class of 90/91Thomasian Gathering

2009-06-27T14:10:00.008+08:00

Managed to catch up with my secondary schoolmates yesterday evening. What better way to spend an evening dining, chilling out and took a walk down memory lane with friends whom I've known for more than two decades.

For the past few years, I've been trying to find and gather my ex-schoolmates and till date, I have only managed to gather thirty contacts. Some might ask why I am doing this? Simply because we only need a lighthouse to gather the ships to the harbour. It can be anyone and I'm just that anyone. I'm still searching.

Over the years, we've moved our site from "Friendster" to "Multiply" & finally to "Facebook". The main objective of setting up this platform is, of course, to keep in touch & update everyone on our recent happenings. Most of us are daddies and mummies now and can't imagine the wild things we did those days.

Baby Portraiture

2009-06-14T14:08:00.003+08:00

It was my first time taking baby portrait and I'm quite satisfied with it. Prior to the photography session, I was actually quite nervous as I personally have difficulties handling babies and little kids. I find babies very fragile and I do not really dare to touch them. As for little kids, I'm not sure if I have the energy and patience to keep up with them.

So how did I land myself in a baby portrait session in the first place? It all started with my wife's ex-classmate asking if she takes baby portraits. My wife is not really into portraiture and recommended me instead. I did wedding shoots, fashion shoots, etc but never baby portraiture. After much consideration on my own and persuasion from my wife, I decided to take up the challenge.

Did some research and reading up, I prepared myself for the shoot. We have always known as a matter of fact in photography that we have to make our subject comfortable with us throughout the whole shoot, it is even more so for babies. When I first approached Sophie with my camera, she cried. Oh no! Failed first attempt. But slowly with her mother's assurance and my wife's company, she slowly accepted my presence. First barrier cleared.

Next came the tricky part, the lighting. Although it was stated in photography books that flash is permitted in baby portraiture, I personally do not want to pop a flash directly in the baby's fragile eyes. I have ordered an external flash with soft box set-up but it couldn't reach me on time for this shoot. So natural lighting was the one and only option (plus a reflector). During the shoot, I had an hour plus of good natural lighting. It was sunny. But after that, the rain clouds came and it started raining. I couldn't really continue due to the poor lighting. Baby Sophie was also getting tired after having her milk. She was dozing off comfortably when her mummy put her on the bed. Time for me to end the photography session.

I must say it was a very good learning experience for me. I would like to thank Jennifer and her family for giving me the opportunity to work with baby Sophie. Guess I'm much more confident in taking up baby portraiture now.

A hot season for outdoor shoots

2009-06-06T23:05:00.004+08:00

It's another hot and humid day today and that really discouraged me from going out for photoshoots. Outdoor portraiture is out of the question too, I guess.

Went to Hort park last Sunday to visit the newly opened Butterfly "Park" but it was locked up when I reached there. Decided to do some macro shoots with my Lenbaby plus macro kit as my wife was using our only macro lens, Nikkor Macro 105mm. Guess I have to get another macro lens soon. A Tamron 90mm perhaps...

M a r i a. . . . . .a girl from Kazakhstan

2009-05-24T20:48:00.002+08:00

Should have posted this album last week but I was down with flu & fever. I really enjoyed this shoot as I really like the shoot location, Red Dot Museum and the Maria Carey lookalike model. However, I felt that I have not fully captured the red building's characteristics.

Audi A3 Cabriolet Photo Competition

2009-05-09T08:58:00.022+08:00

I was thrilled and excited when I was informed that I was one of the 28 photographers selected for the Audi A3 Cabriolet Photo Competition. Each contestant was given one hour exclusively to create a LIFESTYLE image with the Audi A3 Cabriolet. I look upon this competition as a opportunity to learn from other photographers. The competition was spread out over 4 days (6th - 9th May) from 4 - 10 pm daily. The 28 finalists were only made known 3 days before the start of the competition date. Details of the location and colour of the car was not confirmed until hours before the first day of the competition.

Time was not on our side for this competition. The organiser only provided the car and shoot location. We had to do our own planning, hire our own model, select model's outfit within 3 days. First challenge was to book the time slot. It's an outdoor shoot and 2 flood lights were provided to illuminate the car for the night slots. With little information of the actual location of the car, I decided to book a "safer "outdoor portraiture time, 6pm on a Friday evening so that I could buy some time to prepare for the shoot.

My next concern was the model selection and outfit. Got these done within 2 days but had to change the model's outfit when we saw the actual car on the first day of competition. That was taken care of in one day before the actual day shoot. Couldn't sleep the day before the shoot as I was really excited and at the same time, nervous.

The shoot went on well. I got the shots I want and completed the shoot within 45mins. Before the competition, I learnt that there were a lot of professional and semi-pro photographers among the 28 of us. Standing out from the group was very slim and I treated the competition as a opportunity to gain experience and to learn from the professionals. I'm already very contented to be one of the 28 finalists.

I had a fruitful experience from participating in the Audi Impressions Photo Competition. Now I'm inspired by fellow photographers to shoot more and compose more creatively. Hope to achieve a greater height in my photography skills and creativity.

Feathered Friends

2009-05-02T22:20:00.009+08:00

Visited the Singapore Bird Park last weekend with my family and friends. Kinda got hooked to bird photography after the Terns experience. Of course I would like to capture images of birds that are not in captivity.

There are lots of non-captive birds that you can capture in Singapore. Sunbirds & Kingfishers at the Singapore Botanic Garden or at Tanah Merah Coast Road (near SAF Yacht Club). White-belly Sea Eagle at Upper/Lower Pierce Reservoir or Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. Pied Hornbill at Pulau Ubin and many other locations. Unlike the ones at Bird park, you need to have a lot of patience and time to capture images of the ones in the wild. At least a 500mm lens so as not to startle the birds.

Pacific Terns

2009-04-25T17:55:00.021+08:00

A online buddy of mine from "multiply" invited me to join him and his bird shooting kaki on a trip to the eastern coastline of Singapore to take pictures of the Terns. I didn't have any idea what the Turns look like and where are they from when I first heard of them. I went to the internet to gather more information.

I hesitated at first cause I don't really have the kit for bird photography (500mm lens and above) and is a working day. I decided to give it a try with my Nikkor 70-300mm lens. We boarded the rented bumboat as early as 0730hrs at Changi jetty. I grab a quick bite along the way as to avoid sea sick.

We reach the destination within ten minutes, it was a rock next to a beacon. The boatman steer the bumboat alongside the rock and the Terns were flying and hovering all around. A unforgettable experience indeed I must say. I believe we saw the first new born chick for this season.

十八 Eighteen

2009-04-18T11:11:00.005+08:00

~ N a t a s h a ~

2009-04-17T22:49:00.003+08:00

Singapore Photographers Apr 2009 Waterdrop Macro Outing at Singapore Botanic Gardens

2009-04-13T08:12:00.005+08:00

( Above group photo taken by Willy Foo, founder of Singapore Photographers)

Joined the Singapore Photographers (Facebook) outing last Saturday. This is my first time I attended their outing since the group was formed a year ago. The turnout was great: around 60 to 70 members attended the outing. We had to split up into smaller groups for easier control of movement and interaction. Basically, you could see groups of photographers snapping away in the garden that day.

Macro photography, my favourite photography subject besides portraiture. My normal Macro set-ups are; my D40x with Lensbaby plus macro kit and D300 with 105mm macro lens. The D300 set-up was easier for macro beginners and therefore, I pass it to my wife who recently picked up macro photography. The D40x with Lensbaby, is much more challenging as manual focus and manual mode are required to work on the lens. A dreamy effect can be achieved with the Lensbaby's features. (Max. F2 plus selective focus point).

The Bride

2009-03-29T09:57:00.004+08:00

Joined a theme shoot (Runaway Bride) organised by one of the organisers on our local photography forum. A question was raised during the shoot. "Is it a happy or sad theme?". For me, that really depends on how we want to paint the story. I've tried the two different approaches for this shoot by separating this shoot into two albums. A complete B&W album for the sad theme and another album with a mixture of colour and B&W for the happy theme.

From the number of feedbacks from the viewers of the two album,s the happy theme seems to get more votes than the sad theme. It seems that not many viewers can accept a totally B&W wedding album.

Singapore Photographers 1st Year Winners

2009-03-24T06:23:00.005+08:00

The Singapore Photographers from Facebook celebrated their one year anniversary at Supperclub on Sunday. I was invited but I could not attend the prize presentation as I've signed up for a bridal shoot the same day. My first photography award since I started photography two years ago.

Singapore Botanic Garden

2009-03-24T00:05:00.007+08:00

Another photoshoot outing with my brother, sister and wife last saturday at the Singapore Botanic Garden. Cloudy and humid, it was very hot too. Didn't shoot much because of the hot weather. Spot the sunbirds flying around the heliconias and catch them on my camera before they flew away. I still get the thrill shooting sunbirds with my 70 - 300mm. =)

I r i s . . . i n . . . T h e . . . F o r e s t . . .

2009-03-15T01:44:00.012+08:00

Did a forest theme shoot with Iris last week. It was cloudy and therefore the lighting became a challenge. I tried to avoid using flash as it was really hard to control the direction to bounce off the light to avoid unwanted shadows. That is why I always shoot in raw format for easier editing of photos.

It is hard to let the viewers understand what I'm trying to express in my photos. That's is why constructive comments mean a lot to me. I would really like to know what the viewers see in my work.

A l i n e . . . K i l l i n g . . . M e . . . S o f t l y . . .

2009-03-08T23:55:00.021+08:00

Joined a portraiture shoot session last Friday night. This is my third outdoor night shoot. Met up with some regular shooters from the previous sessions. That is one of thing I like about joining organised group shoots - I get to know more people and widen my social circle. Saw one of the photographers using a Leica rangefinder during the shoot. I would really like to try shooting with a rangefinder someday.

There are some winding problems with my Seagull TLR that cause the film to jam. I'm currently looking for another medium format camera. Nothing too expensive as I'm saving up for a full frame camera. Saw a Lomo like TLR from Japan, Black Bird Fly (http://www.superheadz.com/bbf/) and this is available here in Singapore. Will pop by the shops this few days to check it out.

During last Friday shoot, we were chased away by the security guard at our third and final location. That really dampened my mood as the organiser needed to pack up the equipment, relocated to another site, and set up the lighting and other equipment again. This is not the first time I encountered such situation. We are running out of places to shoot locally due to "security reasons". It's a pity as some of the sites are really very good locations for outdoor portraiture.

Chavez & Joanne

2009-03-06T08:14:00.005+08:00

I was given the opportunity to help out in my friend's sister's wedding day shoot. It was a two-day shoot. Their Chinese customary ceremony was on Saturday morning and their wedding banquet on Sunday afternoon.

Apparently, it was a good day for couples to tie their knots on that day. There was a small commotion in the morning during the arrival of the groom. We heard the horn of the groom's car and I accompanied the the little boy who's supposed to open the door for the groom downstairs. He almost opened the door of the wrong bridal car. Luckily, I realised it and stopped him in time but not before the photographer of the other groom stared at me. Two weddings at the same place at the same time. That was really a close call. (Lesson Learnt : Make sure you know the groom's car plate number.)

There are different dialect groups in our Chinese community and therefore many different wedding customs. However, as we become more westernised, some of these customs are simplified for the convenience of both families. Besides, the wedding ceremony is supposed to be a happy and memorable occasion for the newlyweds and not to stress them out.

The Zoo

2009-02-22T13:34:00.008+08:00

It's been a while since I visited the Zoo. Had arranged this weekend zoo outing with my brother, sister and wife to snap some shots. Packed my D40x with nikkor 105mm f2.8 for my wife and D300 with Nikkor 70-300 f4.5 - 5.6G for myself. These are the only 2 lenses we could use for this trip. The cry for a 500mm lens from my heart is louder now. Haha. . . .

Reached the Zoo at 9am and took breakfast at "Ah-Meng" cafe while we waited for my brother and sister. Saw a lot of visitors, both tourists and locals carrying DSLRs and big long lenses too. Makes me wonder where they get the $$$, especially those kids who are still schooling. A different generation from mine, guess I'm getting old.

Nature Walk 15-02-09

2009-02-16T00:44:00.003+08:00

Got up today, wanting to catch the three White-belly sea eagles in action but only spotted one flying alone. Wondered where the other two went. Have taken a break from portraiture for a few weeks now which was what I intended to do long ago. Need to reorganize my thoughts and think of new approaches, new projects and not sticking to the old style. Besides, I need to utilize my other lenses which have been lying in my dry cabinet for quite sometime now.

There are a few projects in mind but I've to put them on hold as I've have not identified the suitable locations and models. This reminds me of my wish to get a smaller and campact camera to capture suitable portraiture backgrounds/locations if I run into one. A Ricoh GRD II or Canon G10 is what i prefer at the moment.

Will be helping a friend's sister for her wedding day shoot at the end of this month. Hope to join some organized portraiture shoots before that as a warm up.

S P R I N G 2 0 0 9

2009-02-08T18:18:00.006+08:00

The "don't look at me " shot

2009-01-25T09:48:00.005+08:00

To look or not to look into the camera, that is the question. I came across this interesting debate in one of the local photography forum. Is eye contact really that critical in portraiture? "Look at me, look at me!", but why? They said the eyes are the the window to ones soul, is that the only way to capture that? Maybe, we could look at the pictures from another perspective and still find beauty in it? To me, as long as I'm comfortable with the outcome of the overall picture, it doesn't matter whether the model is looking at me or smiling at me.

My First Portraiture Night Shoot

2009-01-16T08:37:00.011+08:00

What a way to start the New Year? A new approach in portraiture. An outdoor portrait night shoot. It just amazed me how simple lighting can have a great impact in the photo. I really like the model's (Olga from Russia) poses and expressions. Professional model, great light and beautiful background, what more can I ask for. I also took this opportunity to try out the Lensbaby Composer. The result is quite satisfactory and what I need to do now is to improve on my manual focus skill.
Some might ask why not photoshop the effect during post editing instead of using special effect lens like lensbaby? The joy of photography is not just the end result of the picture taken but also the process of capturing the picture.

2009 A New Beginning

2009-01-03T15:29:00.006+08:00

I'll like to take this opportunity to wish all my viewers out there a Happy New Year! I've been taking a break from photography for the past few weeks. I was happily playing online games on my PS3 and got to know a lot of gaming friends from all over the world.
New year, new beginning. I've been taking too much portraiture in 2008 and I'll like to concentrate on other photography subjects this year. Macrco, flower photography, product shot, food photography and others. I got myself a "lensbaby" a few days ago after listening to a photography podcast by 7photography Questions. ( http://www.7photographyquestions.com/). What is Lensbaby, some might ask? Well, it is actually a selective focus lens. I was total amazed when I visited Lensbaby Guru, Kathleen Clemons's website. (http://www.kathleenclemonsphotography.com/). Very soft and dreamy effect.
I got the Lensbaby Composer plus the macro kit which is the latest edition to the lensbaby family. Easier to used as compared to the 3G which is the earlier version.

30th November 2008

2008-11-30T18:48:00.013+08:00

Another month to go and it's "Hello 2009". Been busy with my day job and also clearing of the outstanding TFCDs that have been planned earlier on. Here are some of the shots taken at my previous shoot with Ivan. She is Allison, a finalist of America's Next Top Model Season 10. It isn't an idea month to shoot outdoors because it is raining frequently during this period of the year. That was what happened during the shoot. It was scorching hot in the beginning of the shoot but it started to pour halfway through. We had to move to a shelter and thus the lighting condition was not good. Ivan immediately set up a strobe from his mobile studio.

That's what prompted me to read up on the studio lighting after the shoot. (The book was on my shelf for quite sometime now. ) I got to know more about modeling light, softbox, the white balance used and different types of studio settings. Currently planning a studio shoot for a friend.

A few weeks back, I saw an interesting topic in one of our local paper - "Arty Nude or Lewd". (http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/st...84539,00.html?). A local model spoke about her experience in modelling lingerie and bikini. (http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/st...84538,00.html?). I personally have not reached the standard for taking artistic nude photography. I feel that if not done properly, the photos taken will give people the impression as lewd as there is only a thin line between soft-porn and arty feel. I realised that nowadays , there are more and more photoshoot organisers popping up at one of our photography forums. Most of the "models" they hired are students wanting to earn their tuition fee or pocket money. I'm not saying that they don't have the potential of becoming a model. In fact, there are a few with great potential. What I do not understand is why some student models have to jump straight into bikini and lingerie shoots for their first few assignments, when they still have a lot to learn about posing and bringing out the correct mood for every shoot. It's not so easy to become a model. You will understand what I mean if you have watched "A Model Life with Petra Nemcova" or "America's Next Top Model".

I can accept bikini shoots involving experienced models (although a lot of post editing to do). Till date, I've only done one and a half bikini shoot. What happened to the other half? I didn't carry on for the 2nd shoot as it was a group shoot and a few photographers really disgusted me with their lewd attitudes. The feeling was simply not right. It was like a pack of wolfs surrounding a little sheep. I walked off and shot another girl clad in T-shirt and jeans instead. Lingerie shoot? What is the objective for shooting a model in lingerie? Is it to bring out the design of the sexy lingerie or is it about something else? I really doubt the objectives of some of the photographers as some of the models involved in the lingerie shoots are barely out of their teens.

Enough of my ramblings. Whatever it is, ask yourself if you are taking part in lingerie and bikini shoots - "What is your real objective when you sign up for the shoots?" and "Why did you pick up photography in the first place?"

Black & White

2008-11-14T06:52:00.007+08:00

Have not been updating my blog recently cause I'm been busy with my day job. Above are some of the shots taken last week from Ivan's shoot. Heather from Canada. My medium format camera (Seagull TLR) shutter when dead on me during the last shoot and I've not send it in for repair. Without the B&W film "Soul Capture" box I can only convert picture to B&W with photoshop.

These are some of the shots taken by film early this year. Currently looking for 35mm film camera, a SLR most probably. Brand new SLR are rare in the market therefore a 2nd hand ones for me will do. I'm looking for a Nikon F4 or F5 at the moment. Basically I'll shoot B&W only on 35mm.

Alan & Evelyn

2008-10-28T19:30:00.008+08:00

Dolling Up

The Bride and Her Entourage

Looking Radiant

The Groom and His Gatecrashing Party

The Search Is Over

Eternal Bliss

Embarking on a New Journey

Mr and Mrs Alan Ong

Me and Mark taking a break

Yesterday was the third wedding shoot assignment for me - Alan's and Evelyn's big day. The bride is a Cantonese, so the groom had to prepare a roasted suckling pig for his parents-in-law. My wife is also a Cantonese but as my mother-in-law wanted to simplify the wedding procedures, she asked for roasted meat instead. Haha... my "brothers" had it easy as compared to Alan's "brothers". They had to help him carry the suckling pig all the way to the bride's house.

Alan and his "brothers" were also spared the "torture" by the "sisters" during gatecrashing as he had the full support of his mother-in-law. She opened the gate for him before the "sisters" could think of any other "tortures". Lucky groom, we have here. The moral of the story for all future grooms - work on building good relationship with your future mother-in-law. She will be your saviour on your wedding day.

Cheers to Alan and Evelyn! Enjoy your honeymoon and wishing both of you a blissful marriage!

Beautiful Mistake

2008-10-21T19:07:00.009+08:00

Rachel T - Lens Flare - 01

Rachel T - Lens Flare - 02

Finally completed part 2 of Rachel's shoot last Sunday. Just like the last shoot, I've split this shoot into 2 album. One with a brighter feel and the other with a darker touch. During this shoot, I've encountered a number of lens flare in my shots. I've tried changing angles and setting but it doesn't seem to go away. But come to think of it, the lens flare effect does give an artistic touch. Well, that's just my point of view. =)

The Unfinish Part 2

2008-10-17T12:26:00.006+08:00

Did a shoot with Rachel in August buy we didn't finish second part of the shoot due to foul weather. As our schedule were pack and unforeseen event popping up one after another, we had to postpone the shoot for a few time. We've finally fix a date for the second shoot. I'm really looking forward to the shoot.

The Wedding Banquet ( Douglas & HuangMin )

2008-10-14T19:04:00.005+08:00

A few weeks back, Mark informed me that RuiQi would like us to help her cousin on his wedding day shoot. Just the wedding banquet shoot he mentioned. I was thinking with such short period of time, would we be able to capture their moments? I'd like to capture candid moments whenever possible. However, they would freeze their facial expressions when they notice my camera pointing towards their direction. Now I understand why professional wedding photographer pack a long lens (70-200mm) with f2.8 to handle low light situations.

This is my second wedding day shoot. I hope to take up more of such shoots in future and improve on my composition and skills.

First F1 Night Race in Singapore

2008-10-05T15:58:00.007+08:00

Singapore's first F1 night race ended last Sunday night with Fernando Alonso (Team Renault) winning the Marina Bay Circuit. All thanks to my buddy Mark, who managed to get two free tickets for both of us to witness history in the making. Could not really do panning as there were tall fences round the tracks and we had to move to the top of the grandstand to avoid capturing the fences in my viewfinder. I stood at the side of the grandstand throughout the whole event, hoping to capture some nice shots.

Couldn't really get a decent candid shot too as we were not allowed to walk about during the race. I would really like to capture the action at the pit stop, do panning shots at eye level, taking candid shots of the team in preparing and gearing up before the race, and many more. That can only be achieved if I were the official photographer. I couldn't even enter the pit stop and starting point.

The F1 night race will take place in Singapore for the next 4 years.

T h e . . . E x o t i c . . . S a m b a . . . R o b e r t a

2008-10-04T10:12:00.009+08:00

This is my second shoot with Ivan and I'm simply amazed with his set-up and the location he chose. I still prefer to shoot with my 30mm and 85mm prime lens.

The Wedding Day Shoot

2008-09-29T21:59:00.007+08:00

Anticipation

The Tools of Torture

The Groom & Brothers

Gate Crashing

Anything for My Love

Hold My Hand

The Tea Ceremony

Father of the Bride

Cheers for the Couple

Wedding Couple, Brothers & Sisters

I was given the opportunity to capture my friend Nick's "Teochew style" wedding last Sunday. This is my first wedding day shoot assignment and when I heard the reporting time, I almost fainted. 4am?! First thing that appeared in my mind was "What time do I need to wake up in order to reach the bride's house punctually?". I definitely couldn't shoot with natural light since it was still dusk. Flash photography would be required which happens to be my less preferred style.
Next was the details of wedding banquet. 60 table shots would have to be taken within 2hrs as requested by the wedding couple. That meant that the timing for the guests of each table to be ready for the shoot and to take each shot must be within 2mins. I asked Mark for help in this wedding assignment and thus there were 2 photographers and 1 videographer (Nick's Brother) covering the whole day event. I actually preferred taking candid shots during the wedding banquet but due to the sheer number of tables and the tight programme schedule, I could not really capture much candid shots. But I must say I really enjoyed the whole process of the wedding and the banquet. Nick and Fionn, thanks for inviting me to be your wedding photographer and to share your happiest moments on your wedding day.

My First Male Model Shoot

2008-09-23T01:09:00.004+08:00

We were supposed to do this shoot in July this year but due to our busy schedule ,the shoot was postponed for a few times and finally took place last Saturday. It was a totally different experience compared to shooting female models. Poses and dressing are really limited, well ,from my own point of view, that is. I really do not know how I should pose a male model because I can't use the usual poses I did with female models. I've been flipping magazines, looking for male model poses but there were only a few suitable ones. Luckily, Dick has experience in modeling and the shoot went smoothly.

S h a n g h a i . . . S u r p r i s e . . . S h e r r y

2008-09-16T20:52:00.003+08:00

Signed up for Ivan's shoot last Sunday. This is the first time I'm joining his shoot and I'm really impressed. Giant reflectors and wind machine provided and not to mention professional model from abroad. I really enjoyed the shoot, took more than 600 shots that day. Looking forward to join his shoot whenever possible.

F1 Fever

2008-09-14T01:25:00.006+08:00

The talk of the town, F1 night race in Singapore. Just 2 weeks from now and you can hear the engines roaring away if you happen to be around Marina area. Have not confirmed if I'm able to get a ticket yet. Hopefully I'll be able to view the actual race.

Back to Basic

2008-09-08T01:33:00.004+08:00

Portraiture Macro & Photoshop

2008-09-07T13:15:00.003+08:00

This is my creation for blending the three of my interests into one picture. I was rearranging my photo folders in the hard drive and I noticed I have spent too much time on portraiture and neglected the other topics.

Besides, I feel that I'm going nowhere with my portraiture. Swimming in a pond, composing the same scenery over and over again. I've not attended any lessons for photography since I started. I pick up from books, internet and my weekly shoots. How can I break away from this bottleneck? Think I'll take a break from portraiture for now. However, I've promised a few TFCD assignemnts and actual wedding day shoots in advance. I'll try my very best to complete the assigments.

Think I'll go for some short courses if time permits or will read up more and explore different approaches in portraiture. Some might ask why am I so serious in achieving results since photography is not my main job. Well, the reason is because I have always regard photography as a serious hobby. A passion that got into me when I saw my dad taking photographs with his TLRs in my childhood days.

Caught In The Act

2008-09-01T22:18:00.003+08:00

Got a copy of my friend's photos taken during Nick & Fionn's photoshoot on 16 Aug 2008 for editing. I discovered I was in a few candid shots. So this is how I looked when I was in action that day. =P

Ashlyn (Natural Light)

2008-08-31T11:27:00.008+08:00

Did a shoot with Ashlyn yesterday morning. We tried to use natural lighting as much as we could with the help of my silver/gold reflector. I was really pleased with the results achieved. Luckily, I packed my tripod for this trip, if not, I would not have captured the silky touch for the waterfall shots. I still prefer using Sigma 30mm f1.4 on D40x during low light condition, the colour and the soft finish is much better on D300. Well that is my personal view, I have not really full explore the full capability of my D300.

Re-edit

2008-08-27T23:07:00.005+08:00

I've been shooting portraiture for sometime now and I still keep the raw files and they take up a lot of disc space. Along the way, I learn new editing methods, new styles and different approaches. Took some of Angie's photos and started re-editing. The above album has a new touch given.

Rain Rain Go Away . . . . . . .

2008-08-24T09:59:00.006+08:00

Despite the heavy rain, we didn't cancel the date with Tiffany. Is a pity we didn't get to shoot at the location we plan for. Let's hope the two trees ( in the middle of a barren land) doesn't get chopped down due to the construction work. The rain was going on and off, on and off. Poor Tiffany had to bear with the rain and mosquito bite. The rain finally stop at the third location but the natural light that we desire was limited (You gain some and you lose some). I really like to thank Tiffany for her time and patience for this shoot.

Shanghai 1930s Theme

2008-08-22T17:47:00.002+08:00

Was sorting out some photos in my hard drive and I came across a shoot done earlier this year. Ashley in cheongsam. Felt like reprocessing the photos to give them a different feel. After doing the processing, I felt like doing a 1930s Shanghai theme shoot (those old calendar style). Can't think of a suitable location that really exudes a 1930s Shanghai feel in modern Singapore. Guess I have to resort to a studio shoot with appropriate props in order to achieve my aim.

Rachel T

2008-08-19T21:43:00.006+08:00

I was given the opportunity to work with Rachel last Sunday. She was really good in posing and her expressions were way too cool. The shoot was shortened by the sudden downpour. Went home to download that day's photos and wanted to try something different from my usual editing style. Wanted to create a darker feel in the series but was afraid some viewers might not be able to accept the changes. Therefore I split the album into part 1 and 2.

Nick & Fionn Wedding Day Pre Shoot

2008-08-17T23:22:00.005+08:00

The objective of this shoot was to get to know the couple better before their wedding day. After shooting around an hour at the "Lalang-Land", Fionn got skin allergy cause my tall grass. We did not want to carry on the shoot as the wedding was about a month from now. Don't want to cause any serious allergic reaction on Fionn.
Feeling very guilty on the way back, Mark & I sms Nick to apologize to Fionn again on our behalf even though we did that already before we parted. Immediately started editing the album as usual after I uploaded to my PC. Received a call from Nick & Fionn in the evening and I was very pleased that they like the pictures taken. Fionn has decided to booked us for a TFCD session.

I need more time

2008-08-13T23:05:00.006+08:00

All my weekends for August are fully occupied with TFCD shoots and I'm trying to balance time between photography and family. Got a few outstanding tasks I've not completed. Have not met my friend and his fiancee to discuss about their actual wedding day shoot in September. Still in the midst of editing another friend's wedding photos and doing up the montage. Got a few product shoots (Toys/Collectibles) still on hold, waiting at my mini home made studio. Both clients are my wife and brother-in-law. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I'm actually enjoying the process. =)

The End of Another Weekend

2008-08-10T23:03:00.005+08:00

Nothing comes to mind, composition just doesn't flow at times. How does others paint their composition with the same subject we see. The mood, the model, the place ,the time, the light.the music in my head, what is it? What am I looking for? What the use of pressing that shutter when I've no idea what I'm look for.

A Sunday without shoot

2008-08-03T18:28:00.003+08:00

Mark informed me that the TFCD that was scheduled this morning was cancelled. Therefore I took a break from photography today. I was inspired by zemontion's work and decided to try out on some of my own photos. Went through my hard disk and decided to used Danielle as my first experimental model. Didn't have any nice Gothic photo for the background and so I decided to search the net for one.
Found one at
http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/hotproperty/archives/2006/10/are_there_haunt.html

Spend the whole afternoon editing the picture and above is the result. I really adored the work of zemotion. You can view her work @ http://zemotion.blogspot.com/. Hope I can reach her standard someday. Before that I will really need to brush up my composition and editing skill. =)

3 New Babe By Baby Fairy

2008-08-03T02:24:00.005+08:00

Joined Babyfairy's shoot yesterday at Robertson Walk to give RuiQi moral support. RuiQi with two other new models, LiLi and Mayne were the model for this shoot. I've always enjoy joining organised shoot. Meet up with old friends for TCSS session and learn and exchange photography ideas. A time to destress and get away from daily routine.

Grace (莉盈 )

2008-08-03T02:00:00.005+08:00

Grace is another talented and photogenic model I met. She did her own makeup and styling during this shoot. Really like to work with her again.

莉盈（伤心版)

2008-07-27T12:13:00.004+08:00

I was going through the photos I took yesterday and 张克帆-爱错了 MP3 was playing at the background and I was thinking why not try something sad.

TFCD - 芮琦

2008-07-20T09:21:00.002+08:00

Thanks to Mark for inviting me to this TFCD. RuiQi is not a model in profession (Medicine 2nd yr, NUS) but she can really pose.That really makes life easy for the photographer. A great model and a good location, what more can I ask. Think this will be the last time we can shoot at Old Changi Hospital as is going to be demolish soon. We are running out of location as more and more places are actually restricting photography. Think is time to venture out of Singapore. I would really like to shoot at streets of Japan someday.

Japanese Streetwear

2008-07-19T07:25:00.005+08:00

Got the opportunity to work with Danielle again for this shoot. I was not feeling well during the last time round and therefore my composition part of the brain wasn't functioning. This time round there was two outfit, "Lolita" and "Jap Streetwear". I personally prefer the "Jap Streetwear". I didn't really agree with the shoot location for the two outfit. Would have chose the tomb around Fort Canning Park for the "Lolita" outfit and Graffity wall at the back alley of Bugis Street. But then again it was a group shoot organise by Shren, both site I suggested is not suitable for group shoot.

Lolita

2008-07-13T21:07:00.007+08:00

Joined one of the shoot organized by Shren last weekend, theme "Lolita & Jap Sreet wear". Have not practice portrait for weeks and took the opportunity to try out my new Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 too. These were some of the shots taken.
Conclusion, I still prefer the effect of prime lens compare to zoom lens. But the coverage and framing is easier with 18-50mm.

ND Filter on Flora

2008-07-10T07:41:00.004+08:00

Went to Hort Park last weekend, wanted to try out the effects on ND filter. Woke up late and by the time I reach the park it was already 8 Plus. The park was crowded and there was a company event going on. I can't take scenery and therefore I fix my ND filter on my Macro 105mm instead. Didn't set up my tripod causes there was children running around. I hope I can reach the park before 7am in my next visit.

Cosplay ( STCC2008)

2008-07-01T21:29:00.004+08:00

自由翱翔

2008-06-28T23:47:00.002+08:00

小男孩与风筝

2008-06-17T06:08:00.002+08:00

FujiFilm REALA

2008-06-14T08:08:00.003+08:00

Got the negative back on Wednesday. 6 out 12 came out this time. I like the colours of the pictures. Will try another shoot with REALA film and this time with the help of light meter.

TFCD Sunday

2008-06-08T22:33:00.011+08:00

Meet up with two lovely ladies (Rachel & BB) for TFCD at Clarke Quay this morning. Bumped into Stevie and TG who were there for the separate photo shoots too. What a small world or should I say the shooting locations in Singapore are really limited?

Medium Format 120

2008-06-07T16:57:00.008+08:00

After a month of long wait, one whole night of installation and troubleshooting on my Vista OS, I can finally scan my negatives, using my new HP Scanjet G4050 which arrived on Thursday night. Have I changed my interest from Digital Photography to Medium Format? No, I'm still very into digital photography. Just experimenting with MF which I've always been interested in after watching my dad play with his TLRs when I was young. Either Digital or MF, I'm still in the photography circle. =)

Must & Monday (BrothersWorker)

2008-06-03T10:33:00.009+08:00

Got these two "Brothersfree" action figures in Hong Kong 2 years back and have not opened up till recently. I really adore their work. Every piece of figurine is artistically crafted. Do check out their work at http://www.brothersfree.com .

Sunday Morning Macro

2008-06-02T09:43:00.008+08:00

Went to HORT PARK yesterday for some macro and to try out ND filter shoots. The park was crowded. Took a few shots and left.

I r i s ( Part 2 )

2008-06-02T00:53:00.006+08:00

Did another enjoyable shoot with Iris on Saturday. We wanted to do a sequel from the last shoot at Kranji War Memorial. A few months back, we noticed an old plane near Seletar Camp. We discovered that the wings and propeller were removed when we reached the site. Nonetheless, we did not want to waste our trip, so we decided to carry on with our shoot.

~ TFCD ~ Autumn & Moon

2008-05-29T22:02:00.003+08:00

I was invited to join a TFCD shoot by a fellow photographer whom I met at a paid shoot. One of the models, Moon, was quite shy as this was her first TFCD shoot. As such, she didn't really know how to pose. But I feel that it's okay as I personally prefer to capture my subjects in a relaxed and candid mood. As for the other model, Autumn, she was more daring, probably because this was not her first TFCD shoot. Anyway, both models were pleasant to work with.

I r i s

2008-05-25T20:55:00.007+08:00

I was given the opportunity to work with Iris yesterday. We went to Kranji War Memorial for the shoot early morning, wanting to seize the "magic hours" but it was burning hot by nine o'clock. I managed to get a polarizer from John 3:16 the day before and it proved its usefulness during the shoot. I was amazed by the sky colour after viewing a shot with Iris standing below a cross and the blue sky covering the top frame.

P.S. - found out Iris is another COKE lover too.

Contemplation

2008-05-21T00:21:00.002+08:00

Another Portrait Shoot at Old Supreme Court

2008-05-19T20:54:00.007+08:00

Another portrait shoot at Old Supreme Court yesterday. It was my third time shooting at the same area so you can imagine the limited backdrop I could use. A total of 24 photographers joined the shoot. I saw a lot of new faces and old ones too. Met up with some buddies.
Took the opportunity to test out my SEAGULL but I wasted one roll of film in the process as it got jammed during loading. Managed to finish two rolls and will be sending them in for processing. The usual problem with my D300 is skill tone. I learnt from one of the photographers that Nikon recently released a D2x picture control for D300. Managed to download it but have not tried it out.
Besides my photography skill, I really need to brush up on my composition too. It's time for more reading.

SP Class Gathering

2008-05-18T07:22:00.005+08:00

Finally have a chance to meet up with my poly-mates. It's been 2 years since I last saw them. Glad that everyone's doing fine. =)

Childhood (Abstract)

2008-05-16T17:42:00.002+08:00

I'm trying out abstract editing. I was going through the photos that I took in the past and I came across this shot, three children playing in the pool. It reminds me of my childhood when I was free from worries. Just my toys, cartoons and lots of fun at the playground. The photo was taken at low light and therefore there's lots of noise. I converted it to B&W to reduce the messy backdrop and reduced the noise using PS. However I fail to remove the noise in the center.
During editing, I was asking myself. "Do they know where they would be twenty years from now? " because I did ask myself the same question twenty years ago. =)

TimePiece

2008-05-16T09:53:00.003+08:00

Marilyn got me a timepiece (Police - Patrol) from TANG's member sales on Wednesday 20% + 10% off. So what does a photographer like me do with a new timepiece?

Queenie

2008-05-14T23:13:00.004+08:00

This album is actually part of the railway photo shoot album. As you can see, we "side tracked" from the railway track to the carpark beside. It was towards the end of the shoot and every one was tired and running out of ideas for the model to pose.
We decided to take the last few shots at the carpark with one of the photographer's car as back drop.

Railway Photoshoot

2008-05-14T00:25:00.004+08:00

I joined one of the photoshoots from ClubSnap, "railway shoot" last Sunday. I have always wanted to shoot at this site ever since my last visit. We had a scary experience from the start. Just imagine an abandoned railway bridge with metal strips walkway on both sides of the track with some missing hand-rail and shaky joints. There are gaps in between the tracks and walkway where you can see the river which is about 3-4 storeys down. Crossing it is a big challenge for those who are afraid of heights.

Flora

2008-05-09T01:02:00.001+08:00

Portraiture

2008-05-06T06:23:00.007+08:00

Re-edited some of the portrait shots I took. I still face the low skin tone problem with my D300. The colours are all washed out and therefore I need to do a lot of post editing. Not sure if the pros do it this way too. Shot in RAW format and do post editing after that. Thought all we need to do for post editing is just sharpening and effects. D40x does not give me this problem. I read from one of the forums saying that we can't compare entry level camera with semi-pro ones. The setting are all preset and, all the user needs to worry about is the composition and the the camera setting.

Macro Morning

2008-05-04T19:53:00.003+08:00

Another Sunday morning Macro shoot. I'm still looking for "Monkey Spider" and "Crab Spider" to add to my Macro photography collection.

Street Shots

2008-05-04T01:57:00.004+08:00

It's been a while since I last took street shots. Went for a stroll with my wife after dinner with my family somewhere along Robertson Walk. I just adore the beautiful street lamps that brighten up the night. =)

Macro (2nd May 08)

2008-05-02T16:50:00.003+08:00

I went "Spider Hunting" again. Managed to capture some good shots.

My First TFCD

2008-05-02T16:27:00.006+08:00

What is TFCD?
Time for CD of digital images
A model, or would-be model agrees to give up her time and pose for a photographer who agrees to provide her/him with a selection of images for her/his portfolio. For a model who just started out, it is a good way to pick up modelling experience and some images to start her/his portfolio. For the photographer, it gives him/her experience in trying different themes and working with various models.

Yesterday was my first TFCD session with Wing & Iczel at Hort Park. I'm very disappointed with myself for the result and the work I produced. The shots I took were limited. We should have started with the outdoor shoot first when the light and weather wasn't that harsh but instead we spent too much time indoors first. I should have brought a reflector holder along because most of the time, I needesd to hold the reflector while the others took their shots. Will learn from the mistakes I made and hope to improve in my next TFCD, that is, if there is one.

Macro (Kranji Dam)

2008-04-27T23:44:00.003+08:00

My New Toy - Seagull WWSC 120

2008-04-25T00:52:00.001+08:00

I finally bought a Seagull WWSC 120 after scouring through the forums to find out where it was sold. Can't wait to bring it out for trial shots.

Insect Macro (20thApr08)

2008-04-23T00:43:00.003+08:00

Recognition

2008-04-21T22:57:00.005+08:00

I am really honoured that my picture was selected as "Photo of the Week" on Singapore Photographers of Facebook. It has been a year since I upgraded to DSLR. This recognition means a lot to me as photography has always been a serious hobby of mine ever since I picked it up. I will continue to practice and learn from others in order to bring this passion of mine to another level. Many thanks to everyone who has encouraged me and gave me constant guidance.

Flowers Macro (20thApr08)

2008-04-21T00:25:00.005+08:00

Went for Macro shoot with Mark and John this morning. Took more than 300 macro shots on flowers and insects. Have uploaded the flower shots first and will edit the insect shots later in the week. Need to get some sleep, I'm exhausted...

Yashica Mat-124

2008-04-20T00:55:00.005+08:00

My craze for black and white photography, especially B&W portraiture, has been rekindled lately. I began reading up on B&W photography from various books and forums. What I've gathered is that medium format cameras give superb results on B&W photos.
I have a TLR camera (Yashica Mat-124) which was given to me by my dad. However, the shutter is not working. From one particular forum, I learnt that I can send my Yashica in to "Mr Tay" (http://www.decameraconsultant.com/) for repair. Will check it out and get a quote for the repair. In the mean time, I'm looking for Seagull WWSC-120 which is within my budget. (http://shop.lomography.com/seagull/)

B&W Portraiture

2008-04-19T11:50:00.007+08:00

A photographer once told me black & white photos capture the soul of the subject. I totally agree with this. All shots here were taken with DSLR and B&W conversion done during post processing. I would really like to try taking B&W shots with medium format, TLR camera. Currently looking for a TLR. (Yashica Mat-124G or Seagull WWSC-120).

Bee Bee Molly

2008-04-19T10:21:00.006+08:00

Did some shot with my wife's latest addition to her toy collection, "Bee Bee Molly". Messing around with the lighting to get different shades of light on the subject.