A couple of months ago, I was approached by this sweet couple to photograph their cute birthday boy. Dhiren was turning one and many friends and family members were invited to a lunch party at The Esplanade. Plenty of candy went around for the other kids and a balloon sculptor was at hand to twist some cool creations for them.

It was great seeing so many people catching up, and also bringing their own toddlers to the party. It’s one thing to get married and another to have children. I hear it changes you. And from the looks of this I’m totally convinced. Good food and big smiles – the ingredients for a happy day.

One thing you might notice about the photos (other than being nice of course!) is that it’s very brightly lit. In actuality the restaurant had pretty dim lighting so it was important to use flash and some fast prime lenses to create the happy atmosphere. The event was two hours but it went by in a snap. Ok I should stop yabbering and flood the rest of the post with pictures.

Enjoy, and if you have a boy or girl who is gonna receive the party of his lifetime, fill me in!

History was made just over an hour with Mark, Audrey and their children, right in their very own house! Instead of bringing everyone out the door for an outdoor shoot, they had wanted a simple studio shoot with a nice backdrop and proper lighting. So what we did is bring the studio to them!

It was no easy feat though, because it meant bringing lots of extra equipment, including a large vinyl backdrop to fit everyone in. Yet it was worth, because we all know sometimes young kids can be hard to coax. With them at the comfort of their own home, it wasn’t as tough to get them to loosen up and bring out some smiles!

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While I still like the spontaneity of an open outdoor space, I can see the appeal and convenience of shooting in a studio. Who doesn’t like air-conditioning? I can really picture the studio set up as something very formal and grand, and in future I’d like to incorporate more props and maybe even throw in some water into the mix!

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:

Kai Yuan and his sister Wen Yu fight to blow out the cake's candles

Whether you’re four or 60, birthdays are special, as all of us can relate to. Even when we feel down and out because of a flu bug, we want to make the most out of that special day. Kai Yuan here was somewhat unlucky to have gotten the sniffles for his big day, but in the bigger picture everything else was perfect.

His parents had arranged for a special one-hour magic show performance at his kindergarten school, and they invited all his classmates to be the audience! What’s more, Kai Yuan’s sister also studies at the school, and so she was a definite, automatic inclusion. After the cheers came the cakes, and everyone had a slice of it (well except me hah)!

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I couldn’t ask for more than two adorable kids to shoot. They’re not the easiest bunch to photograph (always running round and never listen) but they have limitless joy in their appreciation of things and the world. On his 60th birthday, I hope Kai Yuan and his sister can look back on these photos, and smile.

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.

Two weddings attended in 2011 – that’s a way better record than the recents years put together. As one gets older, your friends and peers around you get married and settle down. Yesterday was my colleague Alphonsus’ turn. It was a grand event, held at the Cathedral of the Good Shephard, Singapore’s oldest Roman Catholic church. Plus, many other colleagues joined in the celebrations, and it was good to mingle outside of the work setting.

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I was there as a guest and not an ‘official photographer’ of any kind, so my 24L lens got to get out of the house. Just as well though, as the church was somewhat dark. Most of the photos your see above are taken with the 24mm, except for the long tele shots. The thin depth-of-field is great, but sharpness and precise focusing become something to be mindful of, as they could go wrong very easily. It’s definitely something I want to improve on.

While I no longer shoot weddings as a job these days (except on special occasions), prime lenses do come in handy a lot. Unless you set up lots of room lights or strobes, those prime lenses with f1.4 or larger will provide dreamy looks under natural lighting. What I’m lacking right now is a 85mm prime, which I hope to get soon so that I can get some unique and beautiful portrait shots!

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.

What’s it like to go through your 40th birthday? Your 50th? I’m still a good few years from even my 30th birthday, so I can’t contemplate the experiences, trials, and tribulations someone of Mr Tan’s age has encountered. And yet, on April 17, 2011, Mr K.C. Tan celebrated his 60th like a wild child who is still in touch with his youthful side.

It was a reunion of sorts as well, held at the historical Spring Court restaurant in Singapore’s Chinatown, for Mr Tan and his extended family. More than 50 showed up in a private floor reserved just for this occasion. The cause was grand, yet the proceedings were simple: feast on good Chinese food, reconnect with old friends and family, and be happy.

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Myself, I was comfortable enough with two bodies and a number of prime lenses. I shied away from using flash at the dark areas of the restaurant and I didn’t want it to spoil the ambient light of the place. The nice, thin depth-of-field also narrowed focus while making the images more dramatic. I’d even rented the venerable 85mm f1.2 lens for this occasion, which you can see in some of these photos. The only thing to watch is when taking group shots – it’s important to increase the depth-of-field to get people in focus.

Despite it being a short and sweet affair, I think the significance behind this 60th birthday celebration really makes it special. Seeing everyone talk on old times and see each other after a period of absence is an eye-and-heart-opener. Will I have a similarly successful celebration when I turn 60? It’s way too early to say, but I can only hope.