The live bidding begins on charity gala night!

This was shot back in 2009, but I had to wait for the release of Access magazine in December before I could post photos, and when the time finally did come, I had completely forgotten to do it. Now the best selects are up, and they give a good, brief recap of what happened that day.

Every year the Ann Arbor CIL hosts a charity auction for items donated by various supporters of the non-profit. Their aim is to raise money for future projects and also to keep assisting people cope with their disabilities. The cause is noble and the event is always a grandiose blast.

With hanging lights and the help of the caterers, they converted the warehouse into a large banquet hall. Almost 300 turned up for a wide selection of food, while taking part in a silent auction held in the adjacent two conference rooms. But the live bidding was the big event. Everyone cheered with every bid, and I was even floored by how willing some people were to shell out good money for a good cause.

Photographically, I found the warehouse tough to shoot because of the dim lights and the weird mixture of lighting types. My 40D (now gone) was also struggling with noise in the image but we work if what we have. Thankfully,  post-production came to the rescue. Next time, I might set up some wireless room lights to solve the noise issue, and use more primes (if money permits)!

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Someone could have mistaken this year’s Halloween theme to be Chinese. But none of the estimated 450 participants of the China Entrepreneur Forum 2009 were dressed to shock. More like they were dressed to impress.

Held in the Ross Business School’s Blau Auditorium, this annual event’s focus is always on China, its future, and how those who are concerned — citizens or not — can be a part of it. The day started surprisingly early (considering it’s a Saturday) at 8:30 a.m. and keynote speeches, panels, and networking lasted the whole day. That’s how the Chinese do things – hard and furious!

I wasn’t the only photographer there, but I was for sure the most experienced and most focused. Others took a few shots here and there, but I was the only one running around the entire day. The Blau Auditorium is in the new wing of the Ross Business School, so lighting was quite good for a lecture hall. It was also the first time I used the Canon 7D for a real shoot. It performed marvelously.

Although I have good things to say about the high-ISO performance, what really blew me away was the improved focusing system. Now there’s the luxury of using other focusing points apart from the one in the center. And the point-expansion (the system I use) really helps in locking on. Even in an indoor setting, the focusing speed was near instant. Now I know how the 1D users must feel. After using the improved auto-focusing system of the 7D, it’s hard when I go back to the 5D (and every model below it).

Here’s a selection of the photos you’ve been waiting for! Many were shot with the 7D. Feel free to leave comments!

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Ann Arbor, Mich., Oct. 26, 2009: A woman analyzes one of the finalists of 4th annual photo competition by the Center of Chinese Studies at the University of Michigan. The year’s theme — “China: Global/Local” — aims to show how China has broadened itself politically, economically and culturally. The photos are on exhibit till Oct. 31, at the School of Social Work.

Ann Arbor, Mich., Oct. 21, 2009: A wireless microphone hangs on Logan Elementary School teacher Katy LaCroix’s neck, whose voice is transmitted into the new “soundfield” system for easy listening. The microphone and speakers on the ceiling are part of the latest technology plan implemented in Ann Arbor public schools. (Ted Chen)

Personally I was stunned by the clarity of the voice through the system, which relies on 4 flat speakers built into the ceiling. Having the microphone hang on the teacher’s neck is also an ingenious idea as it frees up the hands to do all the other tasks teachers need to do — writing and holding things up for show being some of them. Now there’s no excuse for kids sitting in the back to say that they can’t hear the teacher or classmates’ voices.

That’s right, we’re back in the Nichols Arboretum! The ‘Arb’ in Ann Arbor is such a treasure chest of great shooting locations, especially now that the fall season is accelerating. Last Friday was also my first visit since a couple during the summer and another last winter.

However this visit to the Arb was slightly different, as I had to shoot 4 girls as a group. These ‘Wilmot’ girls are current housemates and have spent a lot of time together during the past two years. Despite sharing all those experiences, one of them realized they didn’t have a decent photo of themselves as a group. And that’s how I — a male — crashed into the picture!

We set out a little late, so in total we shot for only about 75 minutes. That’s pretty short for a portrait session, especially a group one, and remember it’s already the second half of October and temperatures at night fall close to freezing temperatures. The girls had brought their winter coats, and shed them for quick snaps here and there. Between that, moving between locations, and scene set ups, there wasn’t much time left for actual shooting. Yet we ended up with 9 great final images which I’m quite proud of.

I realize groups bring a whole other level of complexity to poses. Now there’s four times the detail the look out for. Is the hair right? Where are the hands? Even I can’t catch everything. But I did do my homework and came up with poses and set-ups in my head before the shooting day. Some we managed to pull off, but others had to be canned because of the lack of shooting time and available light. In our last shot (the one with the wine party), it was so dark that I had to set up my new light stand with umbrella. First use in the field and it created good results. Soft and even lighting illuminated the three girls nicely.

Shooting group portraits are certainly more challenging than solo ones, but they can be more fun too as a higher level of dynamics are involved. I’ll just have to put more thought into poses the next time!

Enjoy the photos below and do leave comments!

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Ann Arbor, MI — As daily temperatures fall to an average of 40F, couples, families and runners take advantage of a sunny Sunday to enjoy the Nichols Arboretum before the snowy winter arrives.

Although I’ve been to the ‘Arb’ many times — and even to perform a play — this occasion was strictly business. My aim was to scout out more shooting locations for a future portrait session. If you recall that I had already did portraits in the Arb before, this is slightly different because it’d be a group of four this time.

And I didn’t want all the new photos to look the same as the old ones, so trying something different is always good. It turned out to be quite successful as I marked down locations, exact poses and took down notes for future reference. All this planning is part of my increasing desire to up the level of professionalism. If this is to become a full-time business, professionalism is of utmost importance.

Although the weather forecasts don’t seem to be shining down on me, I do hope the portrait session will go through, and if it does, look out for it in this space!

Brock Mealer on the field of The Michigan Stadium!

All my time as a student at the University of Michigan, I never once got to step on the lush green field of the Michigan Stadium. I attended plenty of home football games, but always as one of the over 100,000 fans and none of the victories sparked a rush onslaught onto the field. Ironic that only after leaving the school do I get to skip around the field, doing what I love — photographing!

All that was possible because of this man — Brock Mealer, who is an uncontested mega-fan of the Michigan Wolverines, and also personal friend of Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez. But not only did Brock get us access to the field after the game against Indiana, he was also an absolute joy to shoot. We threw footballs to each other, every time a cheeky smile etched on Brock’s face.

There seemed to be limitless possibilities and poses and scenes to shoot! Granted, The Big House is an impressive sight any way you look at it. We went from end zone to end zone, and loitered around the 50-yard line a bit. I loved capturing the bright green of the field, the colossal stands where fans sit, and even the press and luxury boxes just were too sweet to miss out.

This was also the first time that I made use of my recently-acquired Lastolite TriFlip reflector. Those things aren’t cheap, but they certainly quite effective. For once I didn’t make creative use of flashes but sometimes truly less is more. We didn’t spend a great deal of time on the field, but we made the most of it. This was certainly one of my most enjoyable shoots to date, as everything went like clockwork. If this will be the only time I got to step on the field of the Michigan Stadium, there are no regrets.

Check out the rest of the images!

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Ann Arbor, Mich., Sept. 4, 2009: About forty students, new and old, crowd around Ulrich’s bookstore on the corner of S. University and E. University, in the hope of catching t-shirts tossed from the roof. Orientation for the incoming freshmen began on Sept. 1 and will last till Labor Day. Classes begin on Sept. 8.

Not exactly mouth-watering, I know, but this marks the entry of Ted Chen Photography into the business world of studio and product shoots.

Studios often have a higher threshold for entry. Expensive lighting, backdrops and rented floor space are the common miscreants that deter a photographer from diving into studio shots. But to be a successful commercial photographer, one should eventually get a studio as it provides an environment of controlled lighting unlike any other. There could be a hurricane outside and you could still be shooting sunny shots under your roof.

And because photojournalism is dying, there’s no sound financial reason to limit myself to events (or weddings). Shooting portraits outdoors is excellent for creativity, but sometimes a formal setting is all that is needed. Magazines and  new businesses will still require product/studio shots for whatever they’re selling, and some say that’s where your money tree will grow from.

Unfortunately a rented studio space is bigger than my check book. However, photos of smaller products can be shot in a controlled environment, as you can see above. All you need are a few light sources (strobes or even desk lamps work), an interesting background, and maybe some props to go with the actual product. Make sure to use a tripod as it’ll infinitely increase your leverage in altering exposure.

One thing I didn’t have and wished I had is a dedicated macro lens. Other lenses work fine but you’ll have to resort to obscene levels of cropping. Using a macro lens means you’ll preserve maximum resolution. All the more attractive to potential clients who like to print big and clear. So, if anything, I’d invest in a good macro lens and perhaps different backdrops to add variety. These days, it’s possible to share studios, so getting my own space is not on the top of my list.

Meet Herman Chiu — my new partner in amassing beautiful images to make clients gleefully happy. Our plan is to bring together a small team of photographers/videographers and charge camera first into the highly competitive pool of wedding and portrait photography. We’ve got a few details worked out, including pricing and shooting arrangements, now all we need are clients to stroll right in. Currently our working name for the ‘company’ is Perfect Shutter, but since I’m all for creativity without the cheesiness on top, I’m open to any wacky suggestions.

A one-man show is tough. You’re a shooter naturally, but you also take care of marketing, administration, and finances. Photography I can do well; I’m not so sure about the rest. Having a small team or a business partner does make sense in this regard, as responsibilities can be distributed. Bear in mind that neither of us have a business degree, so we’re still in experimentation mode. But at the very least we can share gear and offer clients the luxury of two shooters.

Although another friend has asked me to join her event photography business in NY, that’s more of a part-time job for them. Since I’m here in the midwest, there doesn’t seem to be any harm in doing a little entrepreneurship. Small overheads and a close team of like-minded individuals should lessen the risks. Of course there is no guarantee of success, and that level of success is highly dependent on who comes looking for our services. My hope is they’ll come, but we also need to have a veritable marketing plan to make that happen.