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This is another portrait I did in the series.
 It was a spontaneous smile! I have been very busy lately. But I thank God I still manage to walk the streets about once a week. Taking time to see what others do on the streets make me less self-focused. Human nature is selfish. Life is always about “I”, “Me”, “What I Want”, “What I Need”… we hardly even mention “We” (our loved ones), and much less “He” or “She” who are strangers to us.
For the ones who are close to us, it seems natural to just take them for granted. In the airline I used to work in, the most fussy complaining passengers are the ones getting the most attention. Our loved ones are often like the quiet passengers who appreciate us silently, or even doing things for us without us knowing. (there were those kind passengers I knew who would just walk into my galley to throw a used plastic cup into the trash bin or get a drink from us without pressing the call button when we were so busy…)
Sometimes, the people in our lives are like passengers. They come and go. There are the nasty ones as well as the kind ones. Our loved ones are our faithful passengers (without much of a choice). No one knows when this flight will end. But we are all called to serve. (with cheer)
It is relaxing for me to walk the streets. I do not have to shoot to enjoy myself. Being there, sometimes chatting with strangers is already enough for me. For these are the strangers who make me realize the world is NOT just about ME.
I thank God for them.
also my MOST favourite camera, the Holga. This is no NEW Holga, it’s been with me for more than 8 years.
Sometimes, All you ever NEED is a plastic lens on a black plastic box loaded with film. This IS the BEST Therapy ever! Shutter Therapy, as my blogger friend Robin calls it.
Have you ever thought of quitting photography? Yes, I do, in some ways… …
Sometimes I just feel so tired of looking at tons of digital images everywhere, especially online, and ONLY FEW can make me look at it for longer than a quick glance. For example, it makes me wonder why some bothers to shoot 10 shots of the same cat in a similar pose and post them all in flickr!?
In the current wedding industry, it’s common for couples to receive 12 sequential shots of a groom wearing his bow tie, and another 12 sequential shots of the parents covering the bride with her veil… … the list goes on and on…
I ever hired an assistant photographer who gave me just that! And editing his shots after the wedding is a real pain in the ass!
I wanna throw a question to all you guys out there… Do you seriously think photography standards have improved TODAY as compared to film days? Or to be MORE specific, do you seriously think wedding photography standards have improved in recent years due to the latest technology, the MOST intelligent cameras, the Nikon D3S, Canon 5Dmk2, etc. and etc… …???
So what if we can shoot smooth and silky jpegs at ISO25600 at 9 frames per sec?
I hardly promote anyone in any of my posts and have never just write a post directly referring you to another blog post or source for reading. But here is ONE I think really deserves it!
I can’t help but to share with you how Robin, my friend has handled the Olympus 70-300mm F4-5.6 lens so well FOR STREET PHOTOGRAPHY! Mind you, it’s NO F2.8 super-professional-expensive-fast-nano-aspherical-weatherproof-whatever lens we are talking about here! Guys and gals, we ought to be ashamed of ourselves if we shoot crap with the Leicas or big Nikons/Canons/what-nought…
Photography is from the heart and from the heart comes the CONTENT! Junk IN-Junk OUT. Shame to all those who only know how to shoot F2.8 bokeh shots of pretty girls on the streets and call that street photography. I am no fan of those shots. I like COMPELLING IMAGES!
CUT the talking, SEE IT HERE: ROBIN WONG
 Taken with Holga 35mm Pinhole Camera using Tri-X 400 film, self-developed in Rodinal using stand development. In recent years, photography has changed so much in the world from what it used to be. The advancement in photographic technology, the “super-duper-magical” digital cameras which can shoot at ISO1million (very soon I guess)… , the BOOMING camera-trading industry, the almost complete death of film once (Thank God, it’s very much back alive!), the death of very good professional labs…(they are still not revived yet)… , and the influx of thousands of “professional photographers” who become “professionals” literally overnight by getting themselves a 2000 bucks DSLR.
Recently, we have the PC Fair in Malaysia, and it’s not the first PC Fair to have camera booths selling cameras in it. I thought PC means personal computer? I know me and my wife are backdated… as my wife still asked me, “why are they selling cameras at a PC Fair?”
So many-a-times, I asked myself,” why the hell have I gone digital?”
Because of work, I’ve “gotta” upgrade my digital cameras every few years. (nowadays, the advancement is so fast that it’ll probably be shortened to every one year). Do I really have to upgrade? Even for photo-enthusiasts, they are upgrading, many even quicker than the pros usually. I only know of one wedding photographer around me so far, who upgrades as fast as a rich photo-enthusiast/gearhead, that most of us can’t even keep up to half his speed. LOL… :p
 Shot at a wedding, Nikon FM3A, 85mm F1.8, Tri-X 400, self-developed in Rodinal. What has photography become?
It used to be about mastering the ART of capturing fleeting moments that passes us by too quickly that a paintbrush is hard to describe. Is it still? Oh yes… maybe… and it’s has gone so much easier today with digital cameras isn’t it? Face-detection, smile-detection, what else?
But, why is it that it doesn’t seem any more enjoyable than the old days, when we don’t get to see the results immediately, when we often screw up in our exposures, etc. and etc.. For the new generation, you possibly do not know what I am talking about, then maybe, you should really try getting an old film camera, pop a roll of film in it, and try it out for yourself?
We have heard that Olympus has in her plans, the potential of making cameras that can shoot up to 100 frames per second, like what Casio once did… except that this time, if it’s successful, the images are gonna be stunning. It’s the “motion-jpeg concept” they talked about… when I can imagine future wedding photographers inviting their clients into their posh and cosy lounge, looking at huge screens with a remote control in their hands, viewing “motion-jpegs” or shall we call it video? … and pressing the pause button whenever they see a “moment” to do a screen capture for output as an enlargement print. Oh, not-to-forget some soft background music and two glasses of champagne too… Now, isn’t that lovely?
Will Henri Cartier-Bresson jump out of his grave since he strongly believed in “decisive moment” by the photographer but now, it’s about “decisive pauses” by the audience?
 Shot with a camera called the Zeiss Ikon Contaflex Super, made in 1959.
- Also shot with the 1959-made Contaflex, using cheap China Lucky Color Film
I am just being emotional again.
Photography is about being emotional. The whole photography process is emotional. By introducing “better” cameras that supposedly make life easier for the photographer to concentrate on ARTS can also at the same time, take away certain pleasures the photographer is enjoying. I am imagining and asking myself, “if the whole world shoots using the “motion-jpeg/video concept”, will I still be a photographer? ”
I know it’s definitely exciting for technology to advance like this… exciting for the engineers, NOT the artists, not really for me. It’s a cool gadget to have, but not for serious photography I would wanna do.
Photography is such a hybrid. It involves heavily with gears and instruments, and yet you can develop it as ART. So, it’s not surprising that many photographers are more “involved” with changing equipments than actual shooting. You change your camera, you get a different result. Take the camera away from the photographer, and he/she can’t produce pictures anymore. Whereas, a painter can still try painting with his/her fingers. So, it’s definitely highly equipment-dependent.
But how should we develop our artistic vision in the midst of all this technology advancement? Cameras are no different from mobile phones nowadays. The newer and better cameras are always luring us to believe that owning them can make us better photographers, which is TOTALLY UNRELATED to your personal photographic vision!
 Taken with Rollei 35, Ilford XP2, part of my personal project "Cari Makan"(earn-a-living).  Also taken with Rollei 35, but on Kodak BW400CN. Simplify!
I have ever mentioned that the Olympus E-P1 helped me in expanding my photographic vision, unleashed the experimental part of me, and that it is a camera that gives you great JPEGs without much retouching. I used it in automatic mode so I could concentrate on my photographic vision. That’s one way. Get a camera which can produce wonderful images without having to do much post-processing and in-camera settings. Set it to auto and concentrate on your composition.
Shoot film.
Shooting film slows you down. From shooting thousands with my DSLRs, I slowed down to shooting 36 per roll, a few rolls per week. Recently, I shoot just 12 shots a day on my favourite medium format camera for about 3-4 days per week. I am telling you this “slowing” is gonna continue for me. I am currently addicted to seeing as high as 10-11 keeper shots out of 12 per roll. And this feeling definitely beats having 30 keeper shots out of a hundred odd digital snaps.
Photography: ART or Gadget Lifestyle for me?
It’s still partly ART and partly a gadget lifestyle for me since I am often tempted by good old film cameras and sometimes the small digitals. :p But, I’d rather keep to my First Love which is Shooting! I WILL NOT spend more time on the computer than going out there for actual shooting as long as my eyes can still SEE.
Do feel free to share the images you shoot with me by inviting me to your flickr or whatever photo-sharing website you have… I’d love to see them!
I’ve been doing private coaching for quite a while now and I am gonna have a group photography workshop soon, so please email me if you are interested. Thanks!
Related Posts:
1. Why Photo-enthusiasts are cool!
2. Good to stay “innocent”.
See Project Self-Respect. NEW Images updated.
It’s a non-profit, fun, thought-provoking, everyone-can-participate project meant to increase awareness of mutual respect needed in this society.
If you have interesting images that fits into this category, OR have interest to photograph such images, send to projectselfrespect.wordpress.com
This project has been dormant for about a year BUT it’s now back alive. I am doing my best to update it. Do give your support if you can. Have fun!
Take a break man… … have a currypuff and talk to your loved one!
I have been taking a loooonng break from blogging, and I really owe many an update of what I have been doing. To put down in words all that I have been busy with is gonna take a few pages and so I’m just gonna talk about the basic stuff I did.
Stuff I did:
1. Exploring even more cameras, beyond Olympus, beyond the common brands, beyond digital
2. Thinking hard on what I really wanna do for 2010
3. Learning from photo enthusiasts!
4. Understanding the people I shoot, namely the strangers on the streets, I try to make them friends
5. Learning from my child. He has double portion of my bad DNA. “Retribution”. But God taught me the most through him.
Stuff I really need to do now:
1. Share more knowledge online!
Photography is a lifestyle. It should progress beyond shooting pretty girls, testing lenses, shooting for money, shooting what others have achieved, shooting to impress, shooting to compete, shooting for the sake of shooting, shooting to cover up our insecurities, or shooting just because you like the camera shutter sound and it’s functionality or complexity.
I know that some enjoy photography because of the photographic equipments. Me too, I enjoy each individual mechanical or electronic built. I know that some enjoy shooting pretty girls so they can enjoy looking at the images after that. Me too, who doesn’t like pretty stuff? I know some enjoy photography when they win awards. Me not really, I’d rather not be obsessed with shooting to win the favor of judges / or shooting what others want.
I wanna shoot for a cause. A competition for an exhibition of images for a good cause, yes!
And I believe photography should develop into a lifestyle. Photography, my sketch book. I sketches my life in it. What I see, what I feel and what I want others to see, feel and know. I just hope that my images speak, and that my images last, no matter how insignificant my images may seem to be. I am insignificant, just like a tiny grain of sand on the seashore. Yet, I’ll still shoot to share. Who does not shoot to share? He should give up photography if photography remains in his closet. Fear of others “copying” your works??? Who do you think you are anyway? A Bigger Grain?
2010 Plans:
1. I am gonna get more active in sharing photography! So, you are gonna see more of my face in workshops, more of my works online, and more of my outspoken thoughts (never meant to offend, just treat my blog as my online diary, you can have yours too!).
2. I am shooting more for others, rather than just for myself selfishly, and I mean commercially, as many still love my wedding and portrait works. Now, I must say for any artist, repetitive works are never what an artist wants. That’s why I mentioned “shooting for others”. But, that does not mean I shoot mindlessly without emotion for my clients, it’s about achieving “the pretty shots” my clients always wanted. That’s part of sharing too! And I still have my fiery passion in shooting portraits and especially actual day wedding events when so many “decisive moments” are waiting to be captured.
3. I hope that I can have an exhibition of some of my works. It’s really tedious in organizing all that I have been shooting in 2009, and it’s accumulating in 2010… and I have so much to share. I have been shooting almost everyday, and sometimes it’s just one frame per day.
My encouragement of the day: Be a Photographer! Not just a Businessman.
I always remind myself:
Good Businessman creates his own opportunities. Lousy Businessman copies what others do.
Good Photographer creates his own works. Lousy Photographer copies others’ works. (Have some pride lah! Not shy meh? When others say you copy.)
Keep me bookmarked! For those who are interested to participate in my coming workshops, please email me at dcpweddings@gmail.com or drop a comment below.
I will have more updates very soon.
I have been pixel peeping A LOT lately… … scrutinizing my past works, works done on 120mm film, 35mm film, then the now ancient Canon D60, then the not-too-long-ago Canon 20D, then the Canon 5D, then the Nikon D700, then, the Olympus E-P1, Olympus E-3(loaned), and now, Olympus E-P2.
For those wondering whether to buy Panasonic GF1 or the Olympus PEN series… I have also tried out both. The only thing I can say is, there are 2 camps: the Panasonic Camp and the Olympus Camp. You either love or hate one or the other. For me, I hate GF1′s clanky shutter sound. For those who know me personally, I have this thing in me about Shutter Sound! LOL… probably ever since I touched a Leica Rangefinder. But there are many things good about the GF1 which many appreciates. For me, I use the Lumix 20mm F1.7 lens on my E-P2. No offence Olympus, the Lumix is really way sharper! With rumors about the next EP-xx coming very soon, for all those who haven’t yet invested in MFT(Micro-four-thirds) system, you might wanna hold your horse.
I treat photography as an ART. I used to hang out a lot with some photographers who think highly of themselves as artists. They hate pixel peepers. Who are the pixel peepers? They are those who couldn’t resist pressing the magnifying button on their computer, and those who kept emphasizing on “actual pixels”. They get their satisfaction doing test shots, scrutinizing the difference between F1.2 and F1.4 bokeh, studying chromatic aberration, looking out for “doughnut rings” in the bokehs… and so on.
Artists view them as a waste of time and energy. Artists view them as the bottom feeders, the lowest class of photographers, the proud and unproductive ones, the talk but no action/no true masterpieces ones, the gearheads, the equipment-enthusiasts and not the true photo-enthusiasts, the insecure ones who need big and expensive equipment to boost their self-confidence.
But when the “artist” comes to buying a certain piece of equipment, they seek out internet reviews. They seek out their “gearhead buddies”. They too go pixel peeping online, looking for an answer. How ironical and hypocritical can human be? (I used to be like this)
Just for example, the controversial Canon EF50mm F1.2L lens. This lens has created such a stir on the internet regarding it’s focus-shift issues that at least for me, I will not waste my money on it. So who found out about it’s focus-shift problems? (This lens constantly back focuses at close distances and front focuses at infinity) THE PIXEL PEEPERS!
Photography is not a competition! There are no real champions or real losers! There’s no “finishing line” like in a race! In sports, you can beat someone’s previous record, or score more goals than your competitors, but in photography, don’t tell me you guys out there are calculating how many awards you can win each year in order to compete with your neighbour??? I really hope not! Human is imperfect and so are the judges of each photography competition. You subject your own artistic interpretation for somone else to judge, and you should be prepared that his/her views may not be your views. Nobody’s right or wrong. Can’t you see?
To set a standard for everyone to follow is “communism”. It will be so damn boring to have everyone shoot the same way! Organizations which declare themselves as “world standards” often are doing it for commercial reasons, never ARTS. They exist for clients who want quick answers.
So what’s about my “pixel-peeping” lately? I am learning from my previous works. I am doing lotsa comparisons. (I’m still not that “FREE” ok? I pixel-peep in between clearing current workload). I am studying if I am progressing. I am studying if the photographs I made can last a lifetime without making me sick of looking at them. That’s one reason why I hate Fisheye lenses. I just don’t think Fisheye images last. They make me feel giddy. And in today’s digital world, it is also obvious that “overly-photoshopped” pictures don’t last long!
All in all, we should thank the pixel peepers around us. They help us realize the difference between full frame sensors and four-thirds sensors, the beauty of creamy bokeh vs harsh bokeh, the worthy buys and the not-so-worthy ones… … etc. so that we can settle down on which equipment to use for which purposes, and concentrate on creating masterpieces of our own!
Equipment does play a part in image-making! If you are a true hardcore artist, this post is not for you as you are most likely happy with that $20 toy camera in your hands!
I have been so B-Busy since Christmas that I didn’t wish many Merry Christmas, neither a Happy New Year as I have been traveling a lot, some shootings here and there, editing, babysitting, lotsa long distance driving, also shot a pre-wedding overseas, yeah.. just one pre-wedding, not like many other “destination photographers” cause I don’t intend to have “New York, Hong Kong, Australia or Timbaktu” tagged to my logo… …  I basically like to be FREE, do what I want… pretty much the Free Spirit which some of you might have seen Olympus described me in their latest Malaysia ads… (No teasing allowed if you know what I am talking about)
I have also been busy playing with my new E-P2, 20mm Lumix F1.7 lens (no brand loyalty, Olympians please don’t spit at me). I have been enjoying the BOKEH which I so often missed when I was indulging in my then E-P1 with kit lens. AF with BOKEH this time, not the slow eye-squinting process of trying to manual focus with F2 Leica lenses or worse F1.1 Nokton on it. Yes, I agree the magnifier helps a lot, but it’s still slower than my OM-1. Hey, this time I have the EVF on my E-P2 which is even better for manual-focusing, but I haven’t explored it fully yet. And I am already imagining myself shooting night street shots in Bukit Bintang area with it with no one peeping at my Live View from behind. Shall update you all further at a later stage.
As you probably already can tell now, that I indulge more in actual Real Photography – Real Shooting out there rather than staring at my computer screen blogging or posting test shots. I know of some guys who can just get off by shooting lamp posts, plastic chairs, bottles or signboards but I feel sick even thinking of doing so. I can’t live without the charming morning and evening sun, shadows and reflections, children laughter, spontaneous action in the streets and people’s smiles. I like happy things. (But sad emotions are necessary to speak important messages too!) I also am reminded lately that I can’t live without inspiring photographs made by other photographers. and I’ve just spent a bomb on photography books in Singapore again. (Why is our Ringgit so D-Weak! I should go back to Singapore more often to earn more SG Dollars).
Lastly, before I end this “lame update” that’s here to remind my readers I am still alive and kicking, here are some “lame tips” to freshen up your photography passion(hopefully):
When you feel sick of shooting, don’t shoot. Put your camera in your dry cabinet. Life is not just about Photography! Ask yourself, what you really like to do for now, this instance.
1. Watch a movie, just enjoy, don’t think of photography
2. Get some new music CDs, go for alternative music, lounge, classical, african jazz, whatever… (I like Break-Beats-Fat Boys Slim for example)… again, don’t think of photography
3. Go travel. (Cheap cheap, Cuti-cuti Malaysia). New environment freshens up your perspectives. No more familiarities.
4. Read. (This only apply to bookworms)
5. Get a LOMO! Load a roll of film in that cheap toy camera (ASA400 Color Negs recommended), shoot in broad daylight for better exposures, I often tell myself “Shoot what you feel! Not what you think you wanna show others. Since when you really shoot for your own self? Do you always have to seek approval from others?” There won’t be any apertures or shutter speeds for you to set anyway. It’s so darn advanced that’s its “Auto-Focus”, “Auto-Exposure” except that it’s manual winding. LOL! If you forget to wind, even better, you get surprises! This can be easily dropped off at any mini-labs for processing. Yes, they still exist. (For the Richer People: Buy Olympus E-P1/2, set to any ART FILTER mode and shoot anything you want. Remember you are not shooting for competition).
I’ll be updating soon again once I’m done with my EVF, E-P2, EVF, E-P2, EVF, E-P2, EVF… hahaha…. Merry Belated Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Chinese New Year and Happy Valentine Day in advance to you ALL!
 Rest-in-Peace, 2nd Prize in "Be The Change Photo Competition" It’s great fun and satisfaction when you go around looking for subject that matters to shoot, and not just shoot mindlessly without an aim. Winning something is a bonus.
Tons of outstanding photographers out there don’t participate in competitions. Many old school photographers still prefer very much to stay in their darkroom and enjoy great traditional printouts rather than posting them online. I was lucky enough to win something.
(Story behind the winning shot: I extended my stay in Bintulu, Sarawak after a wedding shoot with my friend Louis, to photograph Bintulu. This shot was taken when our car broke down by the side of the road and I went to look for a place to pee. While hunting for a discrete spot to do my business, I found this captivating scene).
I believe ARTS should be shared and not kept in the closet. And it should benefit others. And it should be easily understood. ARTS ARE NOT MEANT FOR ARTISTS ONLY. It’s meant for everyone. It’s lame to produce something and give yourself an excuse it’s ARTS when people don’t understand it. So my shots are often simple. (Though sometimes, my wife will exclaim at me, “What the hell is that?” … … Hahaha … … I sincerely believe God gave me a wife to keep me sane).
For the geeks, all shots are done with Olympus E-P1 and the kit lens. A camera small enough and yet produces professional results can double up your photographic opportunities!
Still, the message is “CARE FOR YOUR ENVIRONMENT PLEASE” and it’s not just about using cameras. The following are the other shots I did which was selected for the exhibition last week at The Gardens Shopping Mall, Mid Valley. The Competition was organised by Hot Potato Publishing and you can read about it HERE.
A respectable man with strong determination to contribute to preserving our environment is Mr Matthias Gelber. Please look at what he has to say HERE.
 burning forest-1, Bintulu  burning forest 2 - Bintulu  burnt forest, Bintulu  smoky bus, Subang  smoky jeep, Cameron Highlands  littered drain, Bintulu
One of the greatest miracle in life is to have a baby!
I learn the most from my baby. I learn to love my wife even more when she was pregnant. No books on earth can teach you all these. The above are just some selected shots from the 1st roll I shot. More to come in the near future.
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