I’ve been waiting a long time for this – good deals on photography gear! Particularly studio gear which can be bulky and pricey. Yesterday a sizeable sale went on for several hours at Redhill, boasting all kinds of lights and modifiers from Lastolite, Profoto etc. If you brought your camera, you could also join the Hasselblad User Group and shot three stunning models to test those very lights.

Items looked heavily discounted (like 50%), though I’m not completely convinced if the original prices weren’t already marked up. Plus, as the “post-McNally tour” sale, at first glance it sounded like they were demo products. As it turned out, they had plenty of new ones in stock. Despite the temptation to buy more, I limited myself to some softboxes and stands, since I don’t have a full-fledged, working studio yet to house so many lights. I’m happy with my SLR strobes which work splendidly enough for now.

One day, I wish to walk into my own personal studio, with my name adorned at the front door. Financially, I’m not sure if that will ever come to be. I’m certainly grateful to already be shooting daily (as a photojournalist) but studio work is something I want to delve into at some point. While the equipment I bought yesterday won’t furnish an entire studio, it’s a step towards the future. Slowly build up what I have, so that when the time comes, I’ll be jacked in and ready to go.

It’s a tad heart-wrenching when you hear someone is picking another photographer instead of you. There’s no malice toward the other photographer, maybe just a little bit of envy. After all, business is business, and if you’re not getting the work, at least someone else is.

If anything, I can only blame my inadequate marketing skills. We all know any business needs good accounting, pricing and marketing sense to be successful, no matter how good you are at the trade. Having never taken any business classes, I rely on people’s advice and books to learn. Obviously it hasn’t been enough as I’m not getting enough clients.

Some of you probably aren’t aware that I hold a full-time writing job in a local newspaper (wanted to be a photojournalist but they’re full on places now). It brings in the money I need but it’s not what I love. I want to shoot but I need to get the business skills right for it to work when I do take this business full time. Sometimes I can hear the spirits of consciousness haughtily saying “I told you so” for refusing to take business class when in college.

Apart from reading more (still a good way to learn), I should sink more money into real advertising in ads or posters. If I take a loan, maybe I can have a studio as well to provide storefront marketing. So far I rely on word-of-mouth and my photos to speak for themselves. Many times I wish I was a more obnoxious and shameless person, who would boast of his skills and invincibility without being a jerk.

There’s always this fear that things won’t work out. No matter how well you shoot, if you can’t get the business, you can’t survive. Still, “don’t stop believing,” as I hear so much in the song by Journey, from Glee and movies. Have faith that it’ll work out, even if you won’t become a millionaire in the process. Doing something I enjoy has always been my aim, and that something is still photography.

Score one of the team! The photos from a recent portrait shoots (for customized wetsuits) were used for last weekend’s ADEX 2010 at Suntec City, Singapore. When I shot the photos, I didn’t expect them to become part of a stand-up poster! It does bring a certain sense of joy seeing your photo up there. And the best part is — it looks professional and of high quality. That’s what Ted Chen Portraiture is all about!

Business and product portraiture are definitely two very big markets, markets that I hadn’t paid much attention to. My mind was all over the general consumer, the everyday you and me who could appreciate well-taken portraits. Now I see that companies and corporations also have a need for excellent portraiture, and are able to afford the prices that come with the high quality.

Branching out is something definitely worth exploring, while staying close to my focus of portraiture.

Everyone likes a little bit of security, and sometimes businesses don’t offer much assurance that you’ll get complete satisfaction from what you’re paying for. I’m changing that game so that you, the client, gets more power and peace of mind when you engage my photography service.

Here’s how it works:

• Every single package or service from Ted Chen Portraiture will be eligible for this guarantee.
• Upon engaging any photography service from me, 50% of the agreed price will be due at the signing of the contract and serve as a deposit for securing the date of the shoot. This 50% covers the operating costs of the photo shoot.
• The remaining 50% is where the power lies with you. Once the fully-edited photos are ready for delivery, you’ll get to review the photos first before deciding if you’re satisfied. If you are, great for both of us! And if you’re not, keep the remaining 50% and just walk away! It’s that simple!

Does that put you at ease? I really hope it does. And this guarantee doesn’t take away the fact that I put in 110% effort into getting the most beautiful images of you, for you. I gain as much self-satisfaction in taking special photos as you when you look at them!

If you have any questions about this new, great policy, feel free to e-mail me or call at +65 9768-3816 !

It’s that time again. A time for change. Change is usually good, even if it can be unpleasant.

Three weeks since I’ve been back in Singapore, and I’ve caught up with old friends, made new ones through Twitter, and even received kind e-mails from people whom I’d never met. Life certainly is surprising.

I may be on the verge of securing a photo-related job so if it does happen, it’d be thank heaven for that. But regardless, it would still be a good venture to further develop this business, even if it’s just insurance against the poor employment prospects out there.

My goal now is to specialize. If you remember, this website had links to many different styles of my works — from portraits and events, to news and sports. As you can see now, that is about to change. I’m channeling my efforts to portraiture now, as I believe it’s the best fit for me. Shooting fewer people (compared to a wedding or big event) will mean I can give even more of my creativity and effort to those clients. Sure it’s not as ‘lucrative’ as the wedding scene out there, but dramatic outdoor portraiture will allow me to discern myself from many other shooters.

The first major change will be to streamline the categories bar just below the head banner. Hopefully this will make navigation easier, especially since the website is already sufficiently packed with words and images.

Once I’ve created all the necessary extra pages (which is quite a few), I’ll then modify the less-important details like the color scheme (do you love the red and white?), head banner, and also a little change to my original logo above. I’ve resisted the urge to go completely Flash as I feel doing so would spoil the mobile experience. Sure it won’t be as slick as other portfolio websites, but this magazine-style does get the point across.

Well, if it doesn’t, you must let me know!

So please bear with me for the next few days as I make the live changes. Some content may go offline or become less accessible but all will be well in due time. I’ll also keep updating my blog – that won’t change!

Goodbye America.

There were opportunities, and there were interviews, but no offers. My goal was to be a newspaper photojournalist or a magazine photographer. There were also wild thoughts on running my own photo business. But I couldn’t do that on my work visa, as long as no one was willing to employ me permanently.

For all those practical reasons, I’ve decided to return home to Singapore, likely where I’ll remain for the rest of my life. Four and half years living in the U.S. is a grand privilege, and although it can be a love-hate relationship, there are parts of it that I’ve come to appreciate. Some of them:

• The possibility of the dream. No one said achieving success and fulfilling dreams were easy, but in the U.S. there is always a sense of hope. The people believe, and it makes you believe that you can accomplish something meaningful.
• Cultural diversity. Only here can you find Japanese who have fought against Japan in WWII, Iraqis who are in the U.S. army, and Haitians in an American peacekeeping force liaising with the poor victims of the earthquake in Port-au-Prince.
• Greater appreciation and larger community for photography. Maybe it’s just Western culture, but you’d find more people who value art more, even photographic art. Being a professional full-time photographer isn’t shunned upon. And the talent pool here is amazing. Because of that, bigger and better expos and seminars are held regularly all over the country.
• The colors of fall and (maybe) the snow. These wonderful changes mean colorful and varied backgrounds for photos, plus different fauna.
• Cheap cars and houses. Alright, this is a cheap move, but it’s truth you can’t turn your eye away from. In the U.S., I can be a fresh graduate and still own a new, shiny car. It’d be sad to give that opportunity up. Once in Singapore in may be five to 10 years before I can afford even an entry-level car.

Believe me, I put in considerable amounts of time deciding whether I should return to Singapore. It was a painful decision. In every mental debate those points above would compel me to stick around longer, and yet there were other frustrations that could be solved by going back. Singapore’s a good place to live; I’ve come to appreciate it. Here they are:

• No visa restrictions. If you’ve never worked overseas, you probably can’t appreciate the immense hassle of being restricted by visa rules. In Singapore I’ll have none of these, and be free to register and run my business with no fear or being deported.
• Impeccable cellphone coverage. No more dropped calls, costly text messages, and cackling conversations. Whether you’re underground, in the subway, or on the 70th floor of a building, Singapore takes good care of wireless communications. An added plus: I can hopefully (and finally) get an iPhone. Data plans in the U.S. are US$80 per month; in Singapore it’s US$40.
• Health Coverage. Living on the edge without health insurance in the U.S. is crazy enough for any normal individual. Just the slightest mishap would wipe out all the money I had. At least in Singapore, I have insurance and medical costs are subsidized by the government.
• Summer all year round. Giving up the temperate climate also means no worries about snow, winter and the cold. Summer all year means weddings and outdoor shoots all year round too.
• Family. Simply put, it’s time to repay the financial investment they put in me. My inability to secure a job, and a recent loss in the family all make me emotionally inclined to return home. There’s no better motivator than guilt.

A part of me feels I’ll regret leaving the U.S., because once I leave, it’s highly unlikely I can come back. If I can carve out a fulfilling existence in Singapore without feeling stoned in and caged, then it would be the right decision. It just seems awfully frightening to live the rest of your life in one small place where constancy is prevalent and soulfulness is wanting.

Whatever will happen, will happen. The date has been booked and the movers (i.e. me) have started packing. Good or bad, I’ll deal with it.

Sometimes I get the stare, or that condescending look.

Here’s a classic example of disrespect: a new book showing photos that “changed Canada” doesn’t credit the individual images to the photojournalists who shot them. What’s worse than not getting a credit? When you don’t get a credit and you don’t get paid. There have been articles written about this before, like this one on photographybiz.com and another one by Harrison McClary. Everything they say is wholly true. Flickr is a great community of photographer and archive of stunning images, but it’s also a harlem for sneaky editors to gain something valuable for nothing.

So why are photographers disrespected? It’s because there is an over-supply of them. Almost every one in the developed world owns a camera. It’s all thanks to digital technology, and don’t misunderstand, I’m not dissing it since digital is how I started as well. But the surge of photos every where makes the general population think photography is cheap and that anyone can take a photo.

Sure, anyone can take a photo, but can all them deliver quality that reflects whatever you’re trying to showcase? Is your product that cheap? Is your daughter’s wedding so unimportant? Hell, many people can drive a car, but will you ask them to drive for you in a race that you have money on? Everyone cooks, but are you going to a restaurant to just get ‘anyone’ to cook for you? “Oh it’s just throwing everything into a pan and frying it.” “It’s just pressing a button.” Look, photography’s not a hard science, just like driving and cooking. But it’s an art.

Watch this hilarious video of respected writer Harlan Ellison diss the amateur community. Sure, he’s referring to writers, but trust me, it’s not difference between them and photographers. I know, because I dreamt of being a professional writer as a kid, and now I aim to have a successful photography business. What Ellison said is true: it’s the amateurs that undercut the pros. There’s nothing wrong if you pursue photography as a hobby (which is a good one), but if you’re good, heaven forbid don’t undervalue your talent. The world’s becoming an increasingly self-centered and manipulated one. If someone needs something from you, make sure you get something in return, even if it’s not monetary compensation.

Now and then I still do the occasional pro-bono gig, but really only if it puts me in contact with the right people who can lift me up to bigger platforms. It’s not a difficult formula. You  get more dedication and final product, and I get something in return from you.

It gets a little dicey when it comes to family and friends. For kin I can still shoot as a favor, but I’m increasingly less inclined to do so. Back in October, a friend decided to cut me loose from covering her 21st birthday dinner because she found a amateur photographer who would do it for free (I had charged her $100). The point here is I could have been pressed to match that $0 price tag because I knew her personally, but I didn’t because it would be insulting to myself and my business.

Don’t demean yourself. If you don’t love yourself, who will? If you don’t believe you’re worth something, who will?

Monday was quite a special day. My custom-made, flush-mount WillowBook Sequoia Album arrived through UPS. I’d spent almost a whole day designing the interiors and waited almost 2 weeks for it to be mounted and shipped. Although my experience with prints and albums are limited (only did Blurb once), I know a quality product when I see one. To say the least, I had nothing but love for this album!

All the photos in it revolve around Guo Lu, whom I did two portrait sessions with, one on her own and another with her house-mates. I ordered a 10×10 inch square album, with a burgundy leather cover. Unfortunately, WillowBook products are only available to Pictage members. Pictage is a print lab that caters to professional photographers.

What I’m most ecstatic about is the flush-mount itself. Because many of my photos are spread over 2 pages, the flush-mount makes sure the eye follows through from left to right. With traditional binding, a good middle part of your photo will get lost in the ‘gutter.’ Sure, there’s still a ‘slit’ running between both pages in a flush-mount album, but it’s still excellent for wide shots.

The other impressive point is how WillowBook used high-end materials to make the album. Everything looks, and feels, expensive. Of course, you get what you pay for. And these albums aren’t cheap, but when I opened the album the first time, what it cost almost didn’t seem what it’s worth.

An inside look of the WillowBook Sequoia Album. Notice the 'slit' at the center of the spread, but the albums opens up flat to get a great effect

So what’s wrong with it? Dare I say it.. nothing. The leather is crisp and fragrant. The photo window on the cover was correctly aligned. The color reproduction is excellent, exactly what I saw on my monitor (and I don’t even use a calibrated monitor, just a Apple MacBook Pro). Even though I have a habit of not sharpening my photos enough for print, the album came out surprisingly sharp.

I wouldn’t hesitate to order another Sequoia album, as long as the photos up top quality themselves and deserves such a kingly treatment. Show these to some prospective clients, and I’m sure they’ll go ga-ga over it too!

When I talked about getting into video, I meant it. My proof arrived a couple of days ago — the new Canon 7D, all beefed up with new features and of course, video shooting capability.

I have to say I didn’t make the purchase decision lightly. There’s no pool of green that I’m wading in. I made a calculated decision and decided that I needed to make an investment and stay on top of the game instead of always lagging behind and getting older technology. I sold off my 40D to partially fund this camera.

So far, this camera has certainly impressed. In every way, it is a better camera than my 40D: more resolution, faster frame rate, better high ISO performance (if you can believe it), excellent auto-focus, magnificent LCD screen, and last-but-not-least the full HD video. All these upgraded features certainly seemed, to me, worth the premium that I paid on top of the 40D sale.

It’s built in similar size to the 5D, and the construction feels firm. I haven’t shot much with it, but the new auto-focus selections and expansion of focus points are great blessings. Now I feel I can really tackle sports photography, especially with the 8 frames per sec.

But the video is what you’re interested in, right? Just the ability to shoot full HD and at 24p is sweet. I’ve been trying to tape general footage that I can use for some future project. I probably won’t be able to cobble a decent clip too soon though as I still have to work towards getting good audio and then putting it all together in a video-editing software. Still, I’m very optimistic on where this is going, and with some time put in, I hope my videography skills can improve.

Right now I’m still primarily a photographer. It’s what I’m good at, whereas with video I’m merely a toddler playing with toys. But I do see video as an increasingly important skill set that I need to acquire, which in turn will lead to more opportunities.

There was a time when I would slag anyone who suggested I jump ship to video rather than stay as a tried-and-true still photographer. How times have changed. I’ve seen some of the HD capabilities of the new DSLRs, from the Canon 5D MKII and now the new Canon 7D. And I am sold completely.

Perhaps that means I cheated on the love (for photography) that burgeoned about two years ago. But this is not a divorce. I’m merely embracing the new facet of video, and acknowledge that audio and motion combined with still imagery is one unstoppable force. Just look at the slide show-maker Animoto, or the Bebb Studios’ “Fusion Is Now” movement. Soon photographers will be expected to produce short video clips for their wedding couple clients.

I’ve never owned a video camera, but I’m planning to make the Canon 7D my first. Apart from being a competent video camera, the user reviews so far say the still images are impressive too. Even the specs of the 7D trump my backup 40D in almost every way. The $1699 price tag is a little intimidating, but at least still reachable compared to the 5D2‘s $2699 tag. I always believe in worthy investments and my goal would be to earn back the investment from future assignments.

The 7D’s are hard to find right now, but that only festers the itch of trying  out its video capabilities.