Journey of a Love Photographer

In The Mood For Love

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:35:27 GMT

I love this photo taken recently. I have another version in Black and White, but thought its interesting to see the night lights dancing around in unison for this picture. It is as if they are celebrating the love of the two <3

Kelvin & Family

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:05:12 GMT

Some pictures that I really like from shooting Kelvin and his Family

I really love this moment here

Kelvin + Beth + Kyra + Nessya

Sweet Kyra... It's already been 1.5 years since I joined Lightedpixels and now Kyra really talks a lot

Playtime with your loved ones will always be a tender moment to remember

I can jump so high! Oops I almost hit my eye!

Advice

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:13:23 GMT

Taken from http://photodino.wordpress.com/2009/05/27/advice/

What Every Aspiring Photographer Should Know

These are my thoughts, nothing more and nothing less.

I get asked all the time, during workshops, in e-mails, in private messages, what words of wisdom I would give to a new and aspiring photographer. Here’s my answer.

- Style is a voice, not a prop or an action. If you can buy it, borrow it, download it, or steal it, it is not a style. Don’t look outward for your style; look inward.

- Know your stuff. Luck is a nice thing, but a terrifying thing to rely on. It’s like money; you only have it when you don’t need it.

- Never apologize for your own sense of beauty. Nobody can tell you what you should love. Do what you do brazenly and unapologetically. You cannot build your sense of aesthetics on a concensus.

- Say no. Say it often. It may be difficult, but you owe it to yourself and your clients. Turn down jobs that don’t fit you, say no to overbooking yourself. You are no good to anyone when you’re stressed and anxious.

- Learn to say “I’m a photographer” out loud with a straight face. If you can’t say it and believe it, you can’t expect anyone else to, either.

- You cannot specialize in everything.

- You don’t have to go into business just because people tell you you should! And you don’t have to be full time and making an executive income to be successful. If you decide you want to be in business, set your limits before you begin.

- Know your style before you hang out your shingle. If you don’t, your clients will dictate your style to you. That makes you nothing more than a picture taker. Changing your style later will force you to start all over again, and that’s tough.

- Accept critique, but don’t apply it blindly. Just because someone said it does not make it so. Critiques are opinions, nothing more. Consider the advice, consider the perspective of the advice giver, consider your style and what you want to convey in your work. Implement only what makes sense to implement. That doesn’t not make you ungrateful, it makes you independent.

- Leave room for yourself to grow and evolve. It may seem like a good idea to call your business “Precious Chubby Tootsies”….but what happens when you decide you love to photograph seniors? Or boudoir?

- Remember that if your work looks like everyone else’s, there’s no reason for a client to book you instead of someone else. Unless you’re cheaper. And nobody wants to be known as “the cheaper photographer”.

- Gimmicks and merchandise will come and go, but honest photography is never outdated.

- It’s easier to focus on buying that next piece of equipment than it is to accept that you should be able to create great work with what you’ve got. Buying stuff is a convenient and expensive distraction. You need a decent camera, a decent lens, and a light meter. Until you can use those tools consistently and masterfully, don’t spend another dime. Spend money on equipment ONLY when you’ve outgrown your current equipment and you’re being limited by it. There are no magic bullets.

- Learn that people photography is about people, not about photography. Great portraits are a side effect of a strong human connection.

- Never forget why you started taking pictures in the first place. Excellent technique is a great tool, but a terrible end product. The best thing your technique can do is not call attention to itself. Never let your technique upstage your subject.

- Never compare your journey with someone else’s. It’s a marathon with no finish line. Someone else may start out faster than you, may seem to progress more quickly than you, but every runner has his own pace. Your journey is your journey, not a competition. You will never “arrive”. No one ever does.

- Embrace frustration. It pushes you to learn and grow, broadens your horizons, and lights a fire under you when your work has gone cold. Nothing is more dangerous to an artist than complacency.

- CJ

Samuel

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:35:48 GMT

Just completed a wedding day shoot for Samuel & Sophia, a totally chill couple. Samuel is from the creative industry and take amazingly great pictures (Much years of designing talent must have spilled into photography I believe), and Sophia an air stewardess will be off flying again 2 days later!

Anyways here is a portrait of Sam that I really like =)

For a pair of lovely friends

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 05:22:59 GMT

Hope you have enjoyed yourselves as much as I did

The Impossible Dream

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 04:49:12 GMT

by Frank Sinatra

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go

To right the unrightable wrong
To be better far than you are
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest, to follow that star
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far
To be willing to give when there's no more to give
To be willing to die so that honor and justice may live
And I know if I'll only be true to this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm when I'm laid to my rest

And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars,
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star

Beautiful Pictures...

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 08:44:27 GMT

Beautiful pictures are made by negatives in a darkroom. So if you see darkness in your life, assume GOD is making a beautiful picture for you ♥

Life is full of beauty...

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 06:46:27 GMT

“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.”

~ Ashley Smith

For the love of GOLI

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:30:47 GMT

Hi friends, this is perhaps my last wedding post in this blog. We at Lightedpixels have decided to pool our blogs together so we will have a common channel for readers so that just in case bloggers like me are lazy, our valued readers can still be entertained lol. =) Anyways from future on, my wedding blogs will be posted at www.lightedpixelsblog.com. This blog will still remian so that I can post my nonsensical junk (pictures I take other than weddings) hee...

Anyways here are a set of pictures from a really lovely wedding. =) BTW there will be more pics in the new blog, cause halfway I got lazy converting 2 picture sizes...

Christabel showing us some of her kung fu moves

Here comes the Groom in his Vroom Vroom

So what do you waannnntttt!!!!

Okay before I go further with the gate-crashing part... kids please do not grow up to be like this

These 2 are always so sweet to each other

Favorite subject of the day.. erm and GOLI too of course hehe

I like this like preparing a manaquin =)

I shot this before the guests take their seats in the church. It is as if the show of the century is about to start.

Some of the choir guys peeping out from behind the curtains

I love the gaze here (ok.. not from the guy behind) between Gene,

and Olivia <3

I like this picture of the in-laws consoling each other

Olivia and her train of well wishes

Dinner is served

Gene was touched by Olivia's surprise song

Silhouette, The Atelier

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 12:01:50 GMT

Yayy the ad is finally out in Her World Brides, so now I can post =p

David & Wendy

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 15:27:19 GMT

A picture of David & Wendy from this morning's session that I really like. I think their actual day was more like 1/2 actual day and half bridal shoot lol. Not that I'm complaining though cause I really enjoyed the bridal sessions with them as they are such a warm loving couple <3

Another version in vintage colors

I want nobody nobody but you!

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:52:09 GMT

Hahah got this from my friend Sarah in facebook! It's super hilarious...

A little bit more of Bali

Wed, 20 May 2009 16:41:26 GMT

The team will going to Bali this Sunday for our retreat. We will be exploring the mountains and waters of the island for our "endurance training" program lol. This will be my third time there within a year and this time Kelvin will be showing us the places he usually shoot and there will be like a 3 -4 photographer tag team shooting a bridal there =)

Before that here is a little more of what I shot the last time I was there =)

Gene & Olivia

Sat, 02 May 2009 05:59:53 GMT

I love this picture taken yesterday at Gene & Olivia's Wedding. Gene was touched to tears by Olivia's surprise song

Version 1: Clean and classy

Version 2: retained part of the background while cloning away distracting lights and champagne glasses. Added glow and film grain to give out the classic feel.

Little Birds...

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 07:21:09 GMT

Bali Beautiful

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:04:33 GMT

Some pictures of a pair of wonderful friends

Elizabeth Gilbert: A different way to think about creative genius

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 03:15:52 GMT

Just to share a link I got from my friend Nelly =)

Mr & Mrs

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:49:56 GMT

A quick edit of Annie & Francis's banquet photos. I think they look really cute in this photo. Below is a pair of hand-stiched bunnies from Annie's siblings

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co - Bali

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 04:50:20 GMT

On my first day in Bali, Ivy brought me to this restaurant located along Kuta. It serves dishes with shrimps and one of the must try is the Shrimp net catch (pictured above). Its basically steamed shrimps marinated with butter and garlic. Order another basket of garlic bread and induldge yourself by dipping the bread into the yummylicious sauce. Order a refreshing Mango sparkler to quench your thirst and rinse and repeat =)

The whole restaurant is basically designed with Forest Gump in mind. They have a small ping pong table to let you burn some fats before the sinful indulgence and car plates with messages like "my momma say's I'm special" and "I was a millionaire till my mum threw my baseball cards out" and old bicycles hung around the rustic tin roofs and wooden walls. The staff there are warm and chirpy as usual like the Balinese style and shh... they will give you a surprise if they know that it's your honeymoon trip there

My Dear Cousin

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:42:12 GMT

I just came back from Bali shooting my beautiful cousin and her family.

Just awhile ago while I was editing this picture I realized how time has really passed. I still remember the times we had staying under the same room under the care of our guardian, how she while seated opposite me, helped me secretly while I was being tested for spelling or comprehensions. How we had lost contact because of a silly family argument and found each other again.

She is a mother of 2 now, Cecil and Casey, and I am so glad for her to have such a beautiful family.

At the end of the road

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 07:44:21 GMT

That's it! It had been a hard decision but it has been decided. I will be quitting my job as a wedding photographer.

The past 1 year as a wedding photographer had been fun and fulfilling. As I burn through the nights going through your pictures and editing them, I laugh and cry. Your silliness as you brave through the gate-crashings always brings back a chuckle. Your sincerity as you vow your vows, the emotions around your speeches, the closeness you share amongst family and friends, will always bring warmth as I reminisce back your weddings. Being a wedding photographer have made me understand the value of life and that nothing is more irreplaceable than kinship / friendship. For that I am ever thankful of the gift to be able to help document one of the most important days of your life.

But with all good things, it has to come to an end. I have decided that it's time I do something for myself. I have been learning to cook my favourite dish; the infamous chicken rice for sometime now, and had recently graduated with top honours for the dish. For the final test of the course, I have cooked up a unique blend of Indonesian styled chicken rice and have been highly commended by the Sous-chef. I am extremely excited about it and all that is left now is to scout for a suitable location and business can now commence.

Wish me luck friends =) and before I forgot, Happy April Fool's Day
-Alwin

What have I done to deserve this!

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 05:00:45 GMT

Wonderful couple. Beautiful light. Perfect location. Surrounded by so many great friends. I love Annie's sunshine smile. I love the way Francis laughs till he curls up his body. I love the intricate details they put up for the solemnizations. I love the synergy of the bridesmaids and the groomsmen throughout the day (or rather split days). I couldn't ask for more, and I simply can't get enough of it.

I thought Annie looked really cute with that hairstyle, it kinds of reminds me of kung fu hustle lol, and of course I love her sunshine smile =)

Annie's sisters watches Annie getting dolled up. Annie calls her younger sis B, later I learned that that's short for baby, since she has been calling her that since young.

I love this picture of the two of them. They didn't seem to care what is happening around lol

Annie actually wrote each bridesmaid a card and gave each an earring. That's how grateful she is for each of them.

Theresa revealing the grand plan

I remember this part when Annie was all dolled up and her dad was looking at her, the sisters actually joked about how the dad is "lau nuaing" looking at how beautiful Annie is lol

A split moment during the veiling part. I couldn't help but wonder what goes through her mind then.

I love the lush background of Annie's room. It makes a great background for pictures.

Nai mei and Theresa handing the guys their first task

He's really creative, using 1 tie for 2 letters!

The gang watches from above

as Francis is showered =)

Food glorious food

Francis looking great after his shower

Francis signing the agreements while the bodyguard watches on. Still Mr Doraemon remains nonchalant about the happenings around

I love this moment, and I love the light here

Annie's dad watches on

Me and my passion for details ^_^

Annie's dad awaits,

as Annie graces down

Aww... I simply love her smile!

I love this image. The black and white contrast splitting the image halfway down =) and Annie holding on to Francis ever so gently. And of course the ring.

Annie looks into Francis as he reads his vows =)

I love how the dads are in this picture together with the newlyweds, smiling so brightly. My only regret is that I do not have a wider lens =(

The ah ma chat

Portrait Of A Bride

Sat, 28 Mar 2009 05:44:17 GMT

Shin revisited. I really love this portrait of Shin. Added film grain to it ^_^

View Larger and On Black

Wedding Celebration of Annie & Francis

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:41:07 GMT

A collage I made out of the pictures I captured from Annie & Francis' wedding day last weekend. Theirs was a wedding dominated by the color green, from Annie's room to the beautiful garden where they had their solemnization. I guess if it had been held a few days earlier it would be perfect theme for St Patrick's day =p

Kenny & Elaine's Solemnization

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 05:05:25 GMT

Please bear with me as I finally figured out how to embed flickr slideshows into livejournal...

the code goes something like this

----------------------------------------------------------------

<lj-embed id="15">
<object height="500" width="500" data="http://www.flickr.com/slideShow/index.gne?user_id=12345678@N00&set_id=123456789/" type="text/html"> </object>
</lj-embed>

---------------------------------------------------------------

You can actually use the codes wholesale and plunk it into the HTML portion of livejournal. and you just need to change the user_id & set_id

The only problem I find is that the slideshow starts straightaway. Not a very good idea if you plan to have many many slideshows within a page of your blog

Here is a preview of Elaine and Kenny's Solemnization using the flickr slideshow tool. Elaine had always been the bride who encouraged me alot since our first meeting and I am really grateful to her for that =) I'll be looking forward to our Bali trip and your Actual Day =)