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FHM did an interview with me recently. A lot of fans bought the magazine but if you missed it then please enjoy reading it here. Please click on the thumbnail to open up the image large enough to read.
Archive for 2011
Interview with FHM
Friday, December 30th, 2011What’s in my camera bag?
Wednesday, November 16th, 2011We photographers are always interested in what others find useful so I thought I would touch on what I normally bring to a shoot.
CAMERA’s: After using Canon for 20 years I made the switch to Nikon about 4 years ago. I had been dabbling with Nikon because my fellow photographers were Nikon shooters and after having both systems for 2 years I had to decide on which to commit to. Coming from a film back ground I had always used full frame pro cameras, so Canons persistence in not making one that was affordable (1Ds prices were insane) meant I went to Nikon as soon as the D3 was announced. The introduction of the D700, the “D3 lite” complete with nearly identical controls and shared batteries when using the vertical grip, helped me realise it was a wise move. I still see my friends with their 1D/5D/7D/60D combos face niggling issues with differing battery, card, and crop factors. The new 1Dx solves a lot of my issues with canons pro camera’s however its too late. Do I ever look back with regret? Early on YES! Nikon have been (and still are) slow to update their prime lenses. There is a gaping hole for a new 135mm F2, but that will surely come if I am patient.
So what do I use?
The D3 is my work horse. I love the 2x CF card slots. I shoot RAW to one and simultaneously backup small jpegs to the other card. If you have ever had a card corrupt on you then you KNOW this is FANTASTIC! Someone at Nikon was thinking straight! This camera is usually set to manual mode and used with flash for much of the shoot.
My second body is the D700. Nearly identical to the D3 inside and out. Attached using the R-strap for easy access this camera is used in aperture priority mode with auto ISO set at 200-6,400. High ISO performance is phenomenal. Noise shows up like a monochromatic film grain. On most other manufacturers cameras noise shows up as ugly pink and cyan artifacts!
ZOOM LENSES: I have a lot of lenses so will list them in importance. NONE are variable aperture as variable aperture lenses make shooting adjustments a lot more difficult if you are shooting in manual mode or trying to control all of the variables making up a photo. In a fast flowing event this makes for one more thing I do not need to be calculating in my head. Currently all my lenses are Nikkors. This is not to say that there are not good Sigma, Tamrons, Tokina and Carl Zeiss lenses, just that I live less than 15 minutes away from Nikon Malaysia so servicing is much faster for me than with any other manufacturer, and as an NPS member I need to wave the flag :-p
70-200 F2.8 VR: A MUST HAVE. Most of the photos I take and like are shot with this lens. Sharp at 2.8 I rarely go to F5.6. Has good reach and if I need a bit more then cropping a RAW file in post production saves me the RM20k for the 300 2.8! Weather sealed as well. I prefer it over the Canon one because it is black, making it very stealthy when raising it to your eye in comparison to Canon’s white paint job that screams “Look here!” At weddings when I shot Canon I got a lot more attention than I do now, possibly a negative as far as “marketing” and getting noticed, however I prefer not to be noticed and get more candid photos. Your choice. ALWAYS with me.
24-70 F2.8: Another MUST HAVE. SHARP! Fast focus. This lens is weather sealed and very important for my work. Beaches are NOTORIOUS for wind driven salt spray and sand. Sealed lenses are therefore important to have. I find it useful as a general purpose lens until things get tight..more on that when I get to the ultra wides. Shooting tip for groups. Go to the long end to avoid distorting people! ALWAYS with me.
24-120 F4: A newcomer with lots of reach and I find it to be nearly as sharp as the 24-70. No weather sealing but has VR, important as it has been MANY years since I even considered shooting an F4 lens. I shoot it WIDE open. At F4 it is sharp enough. I would probably not carry it to a beach wedding. Likely to be with me more regularly.
17-35 F2.8: The holy hand grenade. Once considered THE ultra wide legend. Needs to be stopped down to F5.6 to really shine in the corners but it is a rugged chunk of lens and useful in tight spots eg groom bargaining in a narrow hall way. Anyone caught near the edges of the frame WILL be distorted. ALWAYS with me.
200-400 F4: I am in love. Sometimes a 70-200 is not long enough. For shooting the length of a church or for events with VIPs or seating arrangements that make it impossible to get close to your subject, this is a must have. Requires a monopod to use effectively as it is heavy. Brought as needed.
PRIME LENSES:
85mm F1.4G: WOW. I have owned TWO Canon 85mm F1.2 lenses. Both were stunning but getting a photo at 1.2 sharp takes time. Auto focus is slow meaning usage at events can be hit and miss, and price is stratospheric. The new Nikkor 85 1.4 is a half stop slower, cheaper, lighter, focuses much faster, and gives more keepers. Is there an IQ difference between the Canon and Nikon? Yes and sometimes I wistfully think about getting another 1.2…call it fatal attraction, but in real world results it is only apparent when the same subject is shot side by side, and the photos are flicked through and you are looking for differences. The Canon when it comes together really pops, but I get a lot more keepers with the Nikkor. It stays glued to the D700 for most of every shoot. Well…it did until i bought another two lenses. ALWAYS with me.
50mm F1.4G: And this is one of those lenses. I used to have the Canon 50 1.4 and missed it when I moved to Nikon until the new G lens was released. Maybe my Canon was a dog, but someone else told me theirs has the same issue…SOFT at F1.4. In comparison the new Nikkor 50mm F1.4G is STUNNINGLY sharp wide open and has made me a believer in 50mm lenses once more. This lens is getting a lot of usage now. ALWAYS with me.
24mm F1.4G: Another lens I missed when I switched to Nikon. I used it a lot in Boston and also for clubs in KL. It is stunningly sharp at F1.4. 24mm is hard to shoot with as composition requires more thought so it is not always with me at a wedding unless I know I will be using it.
16mm F2.8 Fisheye: I take it with me to every shoot even though I take about 1% of my photos with it. Nice for a change but over using can get old really fast. ALWAYS with me.
OTHER EQUIPMENT: I usually also bring the following to weddings:
- 5x Speedlights
- 5x pocket Wizard Multimax Transceivers
- 4x Lightstand
- Backup radios (Quantums or a cheaper set)
- Roller bag
- Reflector
- 2x Umbrellas
- Monopod
- 2x light weight lighting clips to attach strobes to frames in awkward places
- A whole bunch of synch cables.
I hope this helps you out.
Faces Magazine
Sunday, October 30th, 2011
Click through to read the article
I was recently featured in one of the Malaysian society magazines. They wanted to cover a Malaysian based wedding photographer so we set up an interview. Clicking through the image to make it large enough to read.
Birthday and Anniversary Photography
Tuesday, August 16th, 2011I have had some enquiries whether I shoot birthdays as a photographer. Yes I do!
I shoot birthdays for newborns, full moons, 5th birthdays, 65th birthdays and of course anniversaries.
Please contact me for details
Actual Day Wedding Portraiture
Wednesday, August 10th, 2011
Actual day wedding portraiture at the Renaissance Kuala Lumpur
Many couples head off to bridal studios for wedding portraiture as its “the done thing”. Unfortunately this usually ends up becoming a very expensive option as there are always hidden costs and massive up selling once the photos are taken. I have met couples who were hooked for an RM388 package and the final bill ends up well over RM5,000 for albums of images that are too unwieldy to view and contain photos of a couple bearing little resemblance to them.Isn’t make up wonderful!
Here is a money saving tip: Get the photographer taking your actual day photos take portraits of you on the day!
this is not a new thing. It is typically part of a wedding in most western countries. It is cheap, saves you time, and the images are all the more special because then you can show your grand kids how good you looked on your actual wedding day!.
Almost ALL portraits on this web site were taken on the actual wedding day. The reason they look like they were taken in a studio is because we bring a studio with us to every shoot and have done so for more than a decade.
And it saves you money, helping you stay in your budget!
Here is how she looked!
Using two lights. The one with the umbrella providing fill light and the soft window light from behind me being the main light.
Custom Wedding Album Designs
Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011This page is being updated. Transferring many album designs and thousands of portfolio images from my old web site to this new one is a massive task so I am doing it in smaller chunks. There are links back to the old site (which still work so click to view!) as well as freshly transferred ones shown below. There are a lot of great albums here so please bear with the slower load times. It is worth it.
These are all custom designs and need to be specifically requested when you see me. I have several designers based in Malaysia and New York.
This page does load a bit slow initially however it is well worth the wait. Enjoy!
John and Ai Wee: John and Aiwee’s wedding in the Holy Rosary Brickfields.
Quentin and Fiona: Quentin and Fiona celebrated their wedding day at Le meridian KL Central.
Michael and Yuki: Four Seasons Resort Langkawi. Another gloriously tropical day at our favourite resort.
Victor & Michele’s Album: Malaysian wedding at the beautiful Tirtha Uluwatu, Bali
Dominic and Crystal: Assumption Church PJ.
Sugi and Viji: Their wedding was in Chennai, India.
Reita and Seng Hoong: Carcossa/Sri Negara Kuala Lumpur
Luis and Lai Kin: Delightful couple married in St Andrews Church Kuala Lumpur
Shanker and Sharmilee’s Album: Colourful Hindu Wedding followed by celebration in Cyberjaya
Jonathon and Rachel’s Album: Their wedding was in the Holy Rosary Church, Brickfields Kuala Lumpur
Derek & Pek Keng’s Album: Wedding in Our Lady of Lourdes Klang
Rose and Mohan’s Album:Wedding in Assumption Church Petaling Jaya. Dinner in Cyberjaya
Juniza and Safri’s Album: Muslim Akad Nikah & Dinner
Mark and Nava’s Album: Hindu wedding followed by a classy dinner at Bon Ton. Black and whites are silver gelatin (FILM) based.
William and Jen’s Album: Classic Melaka Wedding. Even the rain could not dampen their day
Nicholas and Joanna’s Album: By Special Request from the forums. Outdoor Wedding in Bangi
Greg and Esther’s Album:Australia/Malaysia Fusion Wedding
Bob & Stephanie’s Album: Back from the UK for their wedding on New Years Da
Beng,& Priya’s Album: Hindu Temple Wedding
Jonathan & Terri’s Album: What does a wedding photographer do on a New Years day? Shoots weddings! Here we are at Ciao in Ampang
Balan & Sashi’s Album: Hindu Temple Wedding
Vincent and Michelle’s Album: Chinese Wedding at the Westin Hotel in Kuala lumpur
Christopher & Amanda’s Album: Wedding at St Johns Cathedral
Christopher & Liz’s Album: Australian/Malaysian Fusion
Peter & Dianne’s Album Renewal of Vows at Carcosa Sri Negara
Cheryl & Jin’s Album: Classy & Fun
Thayalan & Pathma’s Album: Hindu Temple Wedding Brickfields, Malaysia
Mark & Pam’s Album:St Johns Cathedral Malaysia
RAW verses JPEG
Friday, July 29th, 2011The following is written specifically with wedding photographers and high end printing in mind. Sports photographers and those planning on printing on newsprint shoot jpegs because of the medium used, and the fact that no politician or soccer player ever looked at a photo and complained their wedding gown is the wrong colour or their make up doesn’t look right 
One of my former brides approached me recently and mentioned that a friend who is getting married was told by several newer photographers that it doesn’t matter if they shoot jpegs for her wedding as they are just as good as RAW photos. This encapsulates the lack of understanding by newer photographers who do not know what they are talking about. The only person advantaged by not shooting RAW for your wedding is the photographer. To me, anyone who shoots weddings in jpeg format is telling you that they do not care about your wedding and do not understand the science behind RAW verses jpeg, which gives RAW a distinct advantage especially for weddings. I hope this article helps photographers understand the science, advantages and ease of editing that makes RAW the only choice for wedding photographers.
Advantages of RAW.
Bit Depth. Jpegs are 8 bit files. The number of bits affects colour and tonal depth. With an 8 bit file each pixel has 256 levels per channel. 12 Bit RAW files have 4,096 levels per channel. Some cameras (like mine) shoot in 14 bit which gives 16,384 levels in each colour channel. Yes you read that correctly 256 levels verses 16,384. Now remember, jpeg shooters say shooting in jpeg is as good as shooting in RAW. 256 levels per colour channel is as good as 16,384? Not in this universe.
At the time of shooting a camera shooting RAW saves all of the information to the cameras memory card. A jpeg photographer lets his camera to arbitrarily throw away 3840 levels (or 16,128 if compared to 14bit RAW) before they have ever seen the image. If the camera gets the metering or white balance wrong their ability to fix an image is severely curtailed. Where this really shows itself is in subtleties in colour or in variations of fabric textures and skin colours. If a photographer starts editing photos in Photoshop everything they do while adjusting the image LOSES information. With a jpeg you have a lot less information to lose, or put another way, each adjustment loses a greater percentage of information than editing a RAW file does. In fact you NEVER lose information from a RAW file. More on that in another point. What can happen all too quickly, is that graduated tones quickly posterize. This means smooth tonal transitions get lost very quickly for jpeg shooters. Bad idea!
WHITE BALANCE: Ever taken a photo and the white balance is out. Your white wedding gown is yellowish or your friends faces look greenish? This is a white balance issue. If you have shot in jpeg you are really stuck. Any adjustment in photoshop LOSES information FOREVER and due to your tiny tonal depth you want to lose as little information as you can. When you shoot RAW it does not matter what your white balance is set at as it only affects the preview jpeg embedded in the file, not the actual file. This is important as most cameras don’t get white balance dead on most of the time. I am much better doing this than my camera so I do it after the shoot for every image
Non-Destructive Editing: Here is a secret many people do not know. Photo editing programs NEVER change a RAW file on your computer. They keep the adjustments in a separate file (sometimes called “sidecar files”) so that what ever you do to the RAW image, the actual image is never adjusted! With a jpeg, everytime you save a file you lose information! Do this too many times and you end up with a degraded image super fast.
Future Proof Photos: Jpeg images are cooked in the camera. Future editing degrades the photo. Because RAW files are NEVER altered on your computer, they can be edited 10 years from now with ALL of the advantages of that future technology. So right now a photo may be edited in Photoshop 5 and look good. Ten years from now when we are using Photoshop 17 or whatever we are up to, it will render even better photos from the same RAW due to the advantages of new technology.
Colour Space: Jpeg shooters need to decide whether to shoot in the AdobeRGB or the inferior sRGB colour spaces. With RAW it doesn’t matter. The in camera colour space is only applied to jpegs. This means bringing a RAW file into Photoshop you can use the ProPhoto colour space. Prophoto offers a phenomenally large gamut for editing, meaning it is MUCH harder to clip colours, shadow and highlight areas.
Exposure latitude: RAW files offer an enormous advantage of exposure latitude over jpegs. This goes back to 8 bit jpegs verses 12 or 14 bit RAW files. Skies need not be washed out, or if someones flash is fired at the precise moment you are shooting available light, thereby blowing your photo out so it looks white, or if your own flash fails to fire and you have a very dark file, you need not worry too much as with RAW the file is probably recoverable.
What are the Disadvantages of RAW?
- It takes the photographer more time to edit. That’s why you are paying them though, so no problem. Also todays computers crunch RAWs nearly as quickly as jpegs so this argument is pretty much dead.
- RAW files are about 10x bigger than jpegs so you need more storage. Hard drives and storage cards are cheap so not a problem.
That’s it!
My own thoughts are that there are no excuses for a photographer to shoot jpeg for anyone’s wedding. it is likely more reflective on their inexperience than anything else.
If you are a photographer and would like to have tuition on RAW editing let me know. I do offer training. Life is too short to offer mediocre work and remember to have fun.
Interview with Freda Liu on BFM
Thursday, June 30th, 2011
I was interviewed by Freda Liu on BFM recently. A lot of friends from around the globe tuned in to hear us live. A bit nerve racking especially as they also feature a web cam! Therefore everything is spontaneous and unrehearsed. I hope you enjoy listening to the interview. Please note you can either right click and save to your desk top, OR click the picture and let the window or tab open and play. If you do this then just click on the tab you came from and keep browsing while you listen.
Transmarco Annual Dinner
Sunday, May 8th, 2011
Pick your favourite Fairy Tale Character
Awesome fun yet again from the distributor of Hush Puppies! I hope you enjoy the photography from their annual company dinner and awards. To see more please browse the images below.
Essential Apps for the iPhone
Sunday, March 27th, 2011The most essential application for me during my transition to the iPhone is called Appshopper.
I knew of it for months as it had been on my ipod touch, so it was great to continue using it. It is one of the many apps designed to let you find other useful applications in the difficult to search itunes store. In my opinion it beats out all comers for its fullness of features. The app itself is free, and it updates daily. What sets this app apart is that every app you know you want to eventually get, can be searched for and then tagged in your “Wish list”. They keep an extensive database that enables you to see the apps price history. Many paying apps have sales or may end up free for a day or a week. By viewing the history you can get to gauge if you should wait or buy.
As it does push notifications, it will tell you when items on your wish list apps are available for free. I have snagged several +USD20 apps for FREE by using this programme.
I do have quite a number of other apps that are similar, but eventually I lose interest in them as they are not as well thought out as this baby. Try it by clicking on the icon in this story, or find it in the appstore from your mobile device itself.
Quick update: I show this app to a lot of people and everyone says they love it because they can put their wish list in and be notified when there are price drops. This means you can buy that USD4.99 app when it is on special for 0.99. Cool!
Moving from the Palm Treo 650 to the iPhone 4
Saturday, March 26th, 2011This will be a mini-blog of my move from the Palm Treo 650 to the iPhone 4 which I did in March 2011. I will go over some of the useful things Palm Treo owners who are thinking of this move should know, as well as telling you about some of the apps that have enabled me to do things that I sorely missed when I initially migrated.
To begin I should mention that I am not an Apple fan boy. While I own 4 Macs, I also own at least 10 Windows and Linux toting PCs. My journey to leave my beloved Palm Treo was initiated when it began falling apart.
In January the writing was on the wall. My 6 year old Treo 650 began when it started disintegrating due to old age. It was end of life. Sporadic reboots for no reason meant I needed to search in earnest. I already had an iPod Touch so my plan was to use it for accessing the Apple store and use an Android as both a phone and WiFi access point. Androids had a lot going for them. They are cheaper than the over priced iPhone, hackable, had user replaceable batteries and as mentioned, could be a wifi hot spot for your laptop or other devices.
The game changer was two fold. I lost my iPod touch. It was so light and thin that when it slipped out of my pocket at a restaurant I never knew it had gone until far too late to do anything about it. The second thing was the announcement that the new software update for the iPhone would finally enable you to make your iPhone into a wifi hot spot without having to jail break it.
In the middle of these decisions my Treo died, and so off I went to Digi and bought an iPhone. At the same time I moved from Maxis to Digi. Why? Maxis data plans are murderous once you exceed the limit. Two of my friends had “love letters” totalling in the thousands of ringgit for one months usage. Digi handles excess bandwidth quite differently. Instead of skewering you with a bill they throttle your band width. Far more civilized. Everyone is happy and brand loyalty is high.
Next post will be the easiest: I will tell you about THE must have app for the iPhone.
A Hindu Indian Wedding at the Holiday Villa and Eastin Hotels
Thursday, March 24th, 2011
Hindu weddings are very colourful
Loghan and Punam celebrated their Hindu Wedding at the Holiday Villa in Suban Jaya and then a banquet at the Eastin Hotel in Petaling Jaya. There were three of us in the photography team, enabling us to er many angles at the same time.
You can view their photos by clicking on the images below. There are 200 photos in the gallery.
Commercial Photography
Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011We shoot for various magazines around the world. Most of the following photos have been featured in the Australian “In the Black” magazine
Recover Lost Photos from Dead Card
Wednesday, February 9th, 2011Dead CF card? Lost your photos? One day your SD or CF card is going to corrupt or you will accidentally format it. Do NOT panic. Immediately remove your card and place it in a safe place, then contact me. It happens for various reasons. The card may be at the end of its life, corrupted by a static charge, or disconnected due to a bad connection. If you are a wedding photographer and this happens you can be in the situation where you wish you had never been born. Do not despair. I will do my best to help you out, not only in recovering your precious images, but also in advising you how to avoid the situation again.
How can I do that? Formerly I was the director of IT services for a company serving all of the big guns in the IT industry (Intel, HP, Microsoft, Dell, SGI, yadda yadda….), IT consultant, systems integrator and network designer. My many years of experience yielded many tools, some Unix based, that have enabled me to recover data when others just shrug their shoulders.
Keep shooting and I hope you never face a corrupted card, but the odds will eventually catch you out. That’s the time to call me.
Larry and Pauline’s Wedding
Wednesday, January 26th, 2011
The Happy Couple
Larry and Pauline’s wedding was at Zion Lutheran, with the dinner held at Berjaya Times Square hotel. Photos viewable here
Choosing a Wedding Planner
Monday, January 24th, 2011Here is a primer when you are interested in hiring a wedding planner. Much of what is said in the write up and in the comments is excellent to think through when you use a planner to select your wedding suppliers.
http://rising.blackstar.com/the-ethics-of-surcharges-and-kickbacks.html
My own experiences with wedding planners has been a rather mixed bag. I should preface this by mentioning I worked with a major event company for 12 years with very demanding international clients, so I know both sides of the business. Many planners have not been on my side of the fence, so likely they have only one perspective.
It is very common for planners to ask other wedding suppliers for a commission. I can’t stop this, so if you come to me through a planner expect to have higher fees to offset this. Moral: Deal with me directly.
Usually a wedding planner believes a wedding is over after the event day, however for the photographer the editing and communications with the couple are about to begin in earnest, and the planner who insisted in being in control of everyone before the day has no interest in helping the couple receive the only lasting memento of their wedding…their photos and album. Sadly I have outstanding deliverables from weddings in which the planner has left the country or closed her business, leaving me with no method of contacting the couple so I can deliver the albums or help get them prints. Moral: Deal with me directly.
Another problem arises when two people (the bride and her planner) communicate differing expectations regarding the wedding, the bride saying one thing and the planner demanding another. The hapless photographer ends up in a lose-lose situation. Moral: Deal with me directly.
We have a saying in Cantonese: “ngoh sihk yeem doh gwoh nay sihk mai”. Literally “I eat salt more than you eat rice”. The meaning is that one person has a lot more experience relative to someone else. Having shot hundreds of weddings, being told by an inexperienced planner aged young enough to be my daughter how a wedding should be run became unamusing the first time it happened. I had one wedding where the planner absolutely insisted we went for dinner at an appointed time and screamed at us because in her inexperience she did not account for the hotels slowness in food delivery, thereby missing photo opportunities. Had she listened to us and NOT OVERRIDDEN THE AGREEMENT WITH THE BRIDE AND GROOM there would have been no problem. Moral: Deal with me directly.
I have a clause in all my contracts that couples are to deal with me directly. It helps avoid miscommunication and makes your day run much smoother.
NB I have turned down couples with pushy wedding planners. I don’t need the harassment and stress a poor wedding planner can bring, nor do you.
And if you need a planner, I will be very happy to point you to a good one.
Andrew and Gemma’s Wedding in Chilton Foliat, Wiltshire
Tuesday, January 11th, 2011
A fabulous couple
Andrew and Gemma’s Wedding was in Chilton Foliat, Wiltshire. I enjoy destination weddings, as this was for me. It was a wonderful day. You can view their wedding photography here. For those who have stumbled across this page as your wedding will be held there, please feel free to enquire. I would love to provide you with unpretentious classic photography.
Justin and Sher-Mayne
Sunday, January 9th, 2011
Happiest Day
Justin and Sher-Mayne’s wedding at Bangsar Sea Food Garden Village. This was one of those weddings where the couples personalities shone through out the entire day. Very memorable.
You can view more images here.
Sunita’s Wedding at the Sri Sithi Vinayagar Temple
Sunday, January 9th, 2011
Joy
Sunita’s Wedding was celebrated at the Sri Sithi Vinayagar Hindu Temple in Petaling Jaya. Dinner banquet was held at the Lake Club. Photos are available to see here.
Myles and Jeanine’s Wedding
Sunday, January 9th, 2011
Holy Rosary Church
Myles and Jeanine celebrated their wedding at the Holy Rosary in Brickfields. Their banquet was at the Sheraton Imperial. Photos are here.
