It’s been a long time coming.

My older cousin Kok Weng, whom I shared many fond memories with as a kid whenever I visited Kuala Lumpur, finally got married on Dec 17, 2011, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. My Dad and I flew back for the weekend, just for this special occasion. It was also a reunion of sorts, as many uncles, aunts, and cousins came back to see the main man.

This was the eight wedding of the year, and by far one of the most meaningful and fulfilling. The rest had been friends, ex-classmates, and colleagues but this was family. Everyone likes seeing everyone else happy, but it’s all the more poignant when it’s someone you really care about. Perhaps that is what separates family from all else.

Sometime over the course of dinner that magnificent night, it struck me how many years we hadn’t seen each other. I’m guessing at least eight years! So much has changed – our lives, our appearances – and it was a stinging reminder of how quickly time passes us by. While it pains me to have missed out so much, I’m extremely glad to have been there for his big night.

While these photos were shot on a whim, you can be sure they’ll be cherished for the rest of my life.

When I left California in May 2010 after a maiden two-week visit, I thought I wouldn’t get to see my friend and former schoolmate so soon, if ever. Randy had moved back to his hometown after our year studying in New York’s Columbia University, and I was on my way home too – to Singapore.

Funny how life turned out. Around June 2011 he got accepted into a fellowship programme in Jakarta, Indonesia, working as a copywriter. And if our luck was already that good, it was just getting better. He got an all-expenses-paid trip to Singapore just to settle some visa issues, with the added bonus that he would get to see me and the country again.

My girlfriend, who had already met him several times in the US, was ecstatic that he was coming over. His last visit to the Lion City was about eight years ago, and Singapore today is almost worlds different from 2003. Eating being pretty much our culture here, we couldn’t help but to show him as much local cuisine as we could. Work schedules prevented us from following him every day on his four-day adventure, but here’s a peak at what we did on one of the days:

After graduating from college in the U.S., some found ourselves back in homeland Singapore, while others had the great opportunity to remain there for work. Long story short, it’s hard to get most (if not all) of us on the same soil again. With one of us leaving soon to start work in New York City, we proposed a triple birthday celebration for her and two other ladies whose birthdays were within weeks.

Not sure how we ended up at Nanjya Monjya as the restaurant of choice, but Japanese cuisine is one of our common favourites, so I was game to try some place new. Even though the food was a tad too salty for my tastes, the service was excellent and the staff was very compliant with many of our inane and unreasonable demands. Hey you can’t blame us if we’re having a triple birthday celebration!

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I have to say it’s been awhile since we had such a sizeable group gathered together in Singapore. It’s been at least a year. With life still in fluctuation, no one can say when they next one will be. But for now, we have at least these photos to remember it with.

We were this close to missing such a spectacular moment. Castle Hill was meant to be a short stopover on our way to back to Christchurch, on our last full day in New Zealand, provided we had the time. Time was a little short because we had made some stops earlier, plus we almost missed the turning for Castle Hill.

Castle Hill is a cluster of huge limestone rocks, shaped over time and weather into unique-looking formations. It may not be as large in size as the Grand Canyon, but it really is a different form of aesthetics. The rocks almost seem alive, as though frozen in time in different stances and poses. Each look like they have a soul of their own.

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It’s a moderately steep climb to the top, but once you get up there, the view is grand. One of the photos above shows the footpath we travelled to Castle Hill – that’s how high up we were. Good thing I’d brought my tripod along, otherwise that family photo at the top wouldn’t be possible as well.

In case you didn’t know, this was probably where they filmed the climatic battle scene in the movie Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe. It’s no wonder I found the rock formations oddly familiar once I’d gotten closer. I highly recommend a half day visit if you’re in the area. It’s not Lord of the Rings, but it’s just as great!

Back in February, I went on an adventure.

My parents, brother, and I spent around 11 days travelling all over the south island of New Zealand, in what was a long overdue family trip. One of the clear highlights was to finally get my bum onto a horse. I’d had opportunities before, in Singapore, to do so, but my trepidation always got the better of me.

This time, no more. The premise was just too good to resist – a slow 90 minute stroll through beautiful, wild plains in New Zealand, retracing paths that were used in the now-famous Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. Truly there were some moments where the place just jumped out of my memory. Even though I’m not a crazy fan of Middle Earth and its lore, it almost felt like you were in a faraway place not of this world.

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Perhaps the only letdown was the crummy weather. A sustained drizzle persisted throughout most of the ride, making the area looking somewhat downcast and melancholic. Still, it doesn’t take away the natural beauty of the place. If that will end up being my only and last ride on a horse, I’d be extremely proud to have done it in the vast lands of New Zealand.

Whoops! I was having a chill-out Christmas at home with the family that this post became a day late! Some of you will celebrate Boxing Day, while the rest of us are enjoying a lazy and sleepy Sunday. So here’s my chance to wish everyone a great, merry Christmas .

While I’m not a church-going Christian myself, I do appreciate the holiday season, especially the values of giving, sharing and forgiving. For at least this once a year, everyone seems to be happy. Things may not be riches and gold (and they’re not for me), but we can always look on the merrier side of things.

For example, business may not be booming at the seams, but I’m grateful for every client and friend I make along the way. Plus, with my regular shooting job, I’m so thankful that I get to make pretty images every day. I’m not the most talented photographer in the world, but I believe practising every day can help me get closer to that goal.

So whatever your aspirations, head on high starting with the new 2011 year. There’s a week of 2010 left, so do cherish them too! To all my readers, thank you for following my blog and supporting my photography. It’s the greatest gift.

As a photographer, I try to look out for great works to emulate or learn from. It’s probably the same scenario with whatever field you’re in. If you’re a doctor, you’re reading medical journals to see what other doctors are researching. If you’re a writer, you read what other people are writing.

So, with the 2nd Singapore International Photography Festival (SIPF) opening this weekend, I wanted to take this opportunity to learn from my peers. The SIPF is split into many locations and themes, which you can understand to with greater detail at their website. Because the one at the Singapore Management University (SMU) Gallery was ending today, I rushed down for a visual treat.

The small exhibit space was empty when I got there, but it featured four different exhibits, with about 10 images in each series. They were: “Afghanistan” by Guilad Khan, “As Time Goes By” by Lek Kiatsirikajorn, “The Archaeology of Absence” by Madhuban Mitra and Manas Bhattacharya, and “Family Ties” by Sanjeev Thakur.

Graphically, I’d have to say I’m most impressed with “As Time Goes By,” which speaks of the biological degradation and ageing of the photographer’s parents’ bodies. It’s a simple and very personal topic, but I liked Lek’s very clean (yet highly detailed) style of shooting. It’s something that I try to do on my own as well, maybe that’s why I’m leaning a little toward it.

For story originality, my pick goes to “Archaeology of Absence”. The captivating tale of India’s first and only still camera factory tugs a heart-string for photographers. What’s even more deeply concerting is that this factory is already in ruins. The images of decay and destruction are a glimpse to its past, and it’s very remarkable that the items left behind have been left intact. Powerful imagery, and an equally strong story.

Well, that’s it for this week! If time permits, I’ll definitely be visiting the other locations like Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and Selegie Centre, among others. The SIPF runs for about a month so if you’re interested, you have plenty of time to check it out. And I’d love to meet new photographers, so if you’re keen on a shared trip to one of these exhibits, please holler!

It’s funny how humans turn out as they grow up. Everyone starts as an innocent child, but grow up to be different things, embody different principles, and fight and work for whatever they believe in.

Eight years after our graduation from junior college, 15 of us come again for a simple potluck and fun games at East Coast Park. For some, I’ve met up with them over the years. But for others, this was literally the first ‘reunion’ since eight years ago.

Amazing how they’ve all gone their different paths, some quite unexpected. One has become a teacher, and another an electrical engineer. Naturally some have gone into finance and accounting. For me, it’s photography. It’s something they, and I, probably couldn’t have guessed eight years ago.

Playing the card game Bang as part of our junior college gathering eight years after graduation

After all, it was only in my third year of university life when I really handled a camera and began learning about how it works. In the past, I was known as a writer, and now I’ve placed photography above that. That’s why despite the saturating market, the decline in remuneration for photojournalism, or the growing presence of affordable DSLRs out there, I still pursue photography with a professional mindset. I aim to deliver the best, and not be taken and valued as just a hobbyist, because I am not.

The hardest part is getting the world to understand that. To all those who carry compact cameras or buy DSLRs for fun shooting, the challenge is explaining to them how the tools the wield like a toy is really a higher art form that needs to be understood, and valued accordingly.

Fundamentally, everyone agrees an image captured is a piece of historical evidence. That is, after all, why people have cameras. But to see it for what it’s worth, it’s something that, perhaps, comes with time, age, and wisdom. In the eight years since our graduation, how many have come to value photography? And if not now, then when will their hearts and minds open?

We have all gone our separate paths, and unfortunately, that could mean that some, despite the years gone by, are still oblivious to what is of value in this world.

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.

In 5 years, I attended 4 graduation ceremonies, half split between a walker and an attendee. As you can probably guess, I love graduations! It’s almost like getting married — it usually only happens once, and is the culmination of years of effort to get you to that final day. So what if you’re not the main star (unless you’re valedictorian)? Everyone dresses up for the grand occasion and it’s all about smiles, hugs, and photo-taking.

This year, I returned to The Big House because of my girlfriend, who was graduating from undergrad, and also to see President Obama grace the university as a commencement speaker. It was my second time seeing an American president take the stage, the first one being Bill Clinton back in commencement 2006. I don’t know what is it that the school does that draws in these influential people, but I dare say it’s because of the school’s great reputation and prestige.

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So I marked the start of my 3-week return to the U.S. with this big graduation ceremony. I rented a really expensive lens just for the occasion, and lots of the photos you see above are from it. Like always, my personal goal was to capture the best, brightest and beautiful moments, because I know my girlfriend and her family will look back on them many years in the future.

Because of the grand nature of the day, and also because some photos look rather good (ahem), I’ll probably be doing some larger prints of selected photos. Maybe hang them up somewhere. Now that I’m back in Singapore and look back on these photos, I’m really satisfied with my effort, and glad that I can keep my photography at a high level. That last point worries me because of a recent development, which has led to a rather uncertain future. Stick around, and I’ll fill you in very shortly.