I don't really like to do pre-wedding photography because I don't like shots that are set up. There is also the "danger" that by doing it too often, I will be lazy and resort to cookie-cutter style of images and churn out albums like a factory. However, occasionally, some nice couples come along and are willing to try new things-----things that say who they are. Aha....that I am more than happy to try.....

When James and Li-Yeng first viisted my "ulu" studio, they didn't mind walking 400 metres from the bus stop to my front door. In fact, they liked the surroundings so much that they got themselves a unit just 2 blocks away and even managed to lure Li-Yeng's sister and brother-in-law to get themselves another unit nearby. So fun! For those who are curious, you can visit http://www.one-north.com/pages/wessex/index.asp to check out the details. Wessex Estate is a wonderful piece of oasis in Singapore. I hope it stays that way for many many years to come.

Seeing double?

Can't explain it, but I have this special affinity to pictures that depict coincidental synchronisation. It takes a lot of patience, experience and ultimately luck to get the picture. Some people may not appreciate the effect, but I have people telling me they love them. So, I am encouraged and will continue to find symphony in my photography.

I had the fortune to shoot Jeny and Anson's wedding 2 weeks ago. Why do I say fortune? That's because I got to witness one of the most creative and hilarious sabotage session. The "jiemeis" really put in effort in making the session a memorable one.

I also got to witness the deep affection Jenny and Anson have for each other, despite the many years they have been together. They are newly-weds, and the sweet thing is that they act like newly-weds too, after all these years.

A new venue for weddings. The Art House at the old Parliament Building has got historical architecture, location and great ambience. It was my first time there, and yes, it was a really beautiful place.

It's quite common I get clients who are very spontaneous and "crazy' sometimes. However, it's a big bonus when parents join in the fun and create something out of the ordinary. Another for the album.

Yet another inter-racial/inter-cultural union. A Japanese groom and a Singapore-Chinese bride.
The groom speaks fluent English, but is a man of few words. His busy work schedule also meant that he usually missed our appointments, leaving the wife to handle all the planning for their big day.
Does it matter? No, I think. let's just communicate through the photos I took.

It's been a long time since my last post. It's crazy for wedding photographers going into the end of the year, which is traditionally the peak months for weddings. There are practically no free weekends (reserved for shoots), and no weekdays (reserved for post-production/appointments/errands). Even though I went to Bali last week, it was for a post-wedding shoot and strictly business. The only indulgence was a 3-and-a-half-hour massage session (before the return flight) that did my neck and shoulder a whole lot of good. Highly recommended. It's a shop called Cozy at Jalan Sunset, near Kuta. Spent less than S$50 for the moment of decadence. This is the wedding of the couple who took me to Bali. Super nice couple, who was most sporting, fun and accommodating. I really had a good time with them, and even the Balinese guide agreed with me in private.

Sometimes I feel that photographs taken by the photographer reflect what kind of person the photographer is. You can tell from the photos if the photographer is romantic, humourous, or poetic. You can tell his/her likes/dislikes, what he/she thinks is important, what story he/she has to tell, if he/she is not shooting based on a template or formula.

In order to shoot weddings differently from other photographers, and to shoot each wedding different from another, it is very important to have one's own vision. for me, I am guided by instinct and feelings. When I am at the wedding, what do i feel? I feel the deep love of the couple have for each other. I feel the strong friendship between couple and bridesmaids/groomsmen. I feel the warm family ties across generations. I'll shoot photos that i want to see even 10, 20 or 30 years after my wedding, because love is timeless.

If I love the way my wife looks at me....


If I am looking for some humour....

If I am inspired by a poetic bug....
If my daughter is getting married, I want to be photographed too! (be it happy or sad)

The love story never ends.....more to come!

Photojournalism



Anyone remember the cover photo on one of issues of The Newpaper, which has a man (China girl Guo Juan's supoosed husband) throwing a handphone at the press photographer?

Well, the photographer was Choo Chwee Hua, an ex-colleague whose skills I admired very much. She didn't duck, but instead snapped the photo instinctively. If it were me, I think I would have dodged and missed taking the shot.

Lesson? Shoot first, dodge later.

So when it applies to weddings, shoot first, no matter what your subjects say. :)

Rain

It's been raining pretty heavily this past 1 or 2 weeks. However, once in a while, the window still opens (no matter how small) for some terrific light that a photographer will pray hard for.

Kids!

They do the darnest and the the most unexpected things! You don't know whether to cry or to laugh.....but one thing's for sure. Weddings will not be complete without them.

I love my job!

Chiefly because it is something I can do very well in, PLUS the fact that I love my subjects.
Weddings--I am a self-confessed romantic: I count some of my favourite movies like (Chinese) Tempting Hearts (xin dong) and Tian Mi Mi. I am a sucker for nice love stories and I can witness a lot of love and emotions on a wedding day.

Secondly, I love kids. I have a nine-month daughter and she simply blew me away with her sweetness, curiosity and tantrums. My life was made upside-down, and it was never the right-side up before my wife and then the baby appeared.

Ka-Foong & Alex

I've been trying out some pre-wedding shoots, but only with a unique concept for each couple. it's never my wish to mass produce pre-wedding shots even though it can be rather lucrative. Why take the fun out of it, when I have enthusiastic clients like Ka-Foong and Alex who provided me with so much inspiration and so many ideas to make the shoot so memorable to them.

Marie & Darren

An Australian boy meets a French girl in London, and decides to get married in Singapore. Love without borders. It was a very casual and "friendly" wedding to cover because I have never met the couple before but everything seemed so familiar to me that documenting their love story has never been easier. All thanks to this smashing couple! Only downside is Darren is a Chelsea fan! What a pity!