The dark horse has crossed the finishing line.....second!
Yes, I am pleased to say that one of the images has won 2nd prize in the VivoCity Photo competition.

The surprising thing is it's not one of the images I thought that stood a bigger chance, but rather it's the least expected one that went down well with the judges.


I know I will step on some toes, but honestly, I think there is a difference when it comes to selecting winning images for competitions when the main judges are professional/working photographers, as opposed to senior members of Photographic Society of Singapore (PSS).

Even though the final judging for VivoCity involves non-photographers, but Russell Wong was roped in and so was Sebastian Tan (Shooting Gallery) who was involved in the 1st round of judging.

PSS follows a certain formula when it comes to deciding what photos are nice. If you have strong colours, nice framing, use panning, or a fish-eye lens, chances are your photos would more often than not, secure some prizes in competitions judged by them. I am not undermining images that are like that, but I am sure a winning photograph can be more than just that.

That's why I am very happy that my photo was selected despite it not being a typical competition-friendly photo. That really encourages me because I know now that there is always an audience out there even if I don't shoot things that are considered "good".

Ok. Don't flame/shoot me.

I have some exciting news:
I’m having a joint promotion with Gabriel Mendes(www.gabrielmendes.com) to do a pre-wedding shoot in Bali, set tentatively over the period of 19 Aug-23 Aug. I am not sure if you are interested in Bali, but you will have the services of 2 photographers (with 2 different styles) for the price of one. At the end of the day, you will receive a 12×12inch 24 page album and you can select images from the pool of images taken by both Gabriel and me.

We are offering very good rates for this trip because Aug is a low season for weddings and we don’t mind doing something refreshing and exciting for couples as well as for ourselves. Sometimes with a bit of friendly competition, we the photographers can raise our game and not treat it as another run-of-the-mill shoot.

So now, here are some FAQs :

How much ? Answer : It is just only $2800 nett
Do I have to pay your airfare and lodging ? Answer : No
How about makeup artist ? Answer : We have a good makeup artist for you and you don’t need to pay extra for it.
I don’t have a gown, so what happens? Answer : Then, let's do a casual/lifestyle shoot. In fact, the poses can be more flexible and without the hassle of the gown, you will feel more comfortable and we can shoot in a more varied environment.
Must it be pre-wedding? Answer : No. It can be post-wedding, family or couple shoot. Since we are already there, you can make use of the situation and do whatever you want.

I think I just stumbled upon a way to increase my income stream by expanding my market base. Post wedding photography: Decades on....

I must be some kind of sadistic/sick father because I absolutely like the way Yuwen looks when she is in some kind of distress. Here, she is standing on sand and she just freezes over and refuses to walk an inch; keeps asking me to "pao pao" (carry) her. Of course her pleas are ignored as you can see, daddy is busy.

Sometimes, I tend to overdo it, as far as digital imaging is concerned.
However, sometimes it's worth trying to salvage something out of the ordinary.

The wedding is one of the most of the important days in one's life.
What happens after the wedding defines the rest of my life.

I have the fortune to shoot a few beautiful weddings over these 3-4 weeks.
The conclusion I get is that no matter how grand or big-budget a wedding is, it's the people involved in the wedding that define it. Of course, with better ingredients, the wedding photographer can whip up a more extravagant dish (think thousand buddhas jump over the wall). With simple ingredients, the ultimate challenge is to do the simple things well (fish soup bee hoon) and be able to present a sincere and heart-warming dish.

By the way, I like both dishes.

Take a break from wedding photography.
That's why I did, on 29 Jun, when I spent half a day at Vivocity trying to capture some nice photos for the Vivocity photo competition. The deadline was the next day, and boy was I stressed. i think it is a continuation of my school days when I always left it to the final moment before studying for a test.

And there i was, with camera in hand, time against me, and scratching my head over what to shoot. The thought process was different from when i shoot weddings. To take a good wedding picture, it doesn't mean it has to be award-winning. For the competition, the photo needs to have a wider appeal and eye-catching. I didn't think mine were particularly eye-ctaching. True to my style, I think my photos are subtle, and understated. i was especially surprised by PC17......it was one of my personal favourite. It's a boy who is holding an apparently new toy and i share his delight in his joy. i didn't think it'll be a judge's favourite, but hey, prove me wrong, man!

Deep inside, I know I have always like to shoot children. Subconsciously, it crept into my photography and it turned out most of my favourite takes on the day were about children, or at least have children in them.

So, by a stroke of fortune, 4 of my entries have qualified for the semifinal and the photos are now on display at Vivocity. Please go down and take a look. You can actually stand to win prizes if you can guess te judges' favourite.

PC15 by Wong Khing Chong


PC16


PC17


PC18

These 2 busy doctors got hitched on 1st July, a day before my birthday. They already had their ROM half a year ago, together with the tea ceremony, and this "wedding" is more or less a chance for a photoshoot and to host a dinner for everyone. we could hardly agree on a date and time to meet, prior to the wedding (they booked me over the phone, on friend's recommendation). Finally, on the day itself, everyone is relaxed....no calls from the hospital, no distraction. Just each other.

Tis the season again.....convocation that is!
Everywhere you go, you see fresh/and not-so-fresh grads wearing the "robes" and posing for photos, to commemmorate the start of a new (dog's) life in the workforce. Haha....anyway, I had fun shooting a couple recently.