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.

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.

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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Photographers don’t live the high life. We don’t get the business-class seats on a work trip, but we do — sometimes — get amazing access to locations/perks that otherwise would have completely avoided us.

Today my job was to photograph Brock Mealer, a big University of Michigan football fan whose brother plays for the Wolverines, and who ironically studies in Ohio State University, Michigan’s biggest and most hated (an understatement) sporting rivals. Because he rubs shoulders with the players and coaches, sometimes he gets the opportunity to run the field after a home game. The powers that be want to feature him in the magazine, so after Michigan narrowly edged passed Indiana 36-33 today, we were allowed on the field for about 45 minutes. I just snapped away.

Although the day started off wet and miserable, the sun Gods were shining down on us when we got on the field. Blue skies and a mostly blocked sun rounded off the good fortune. Shooting at the stadium is a real peach because everything there is so symbolic (if you know the school and the tradition), so there wasn’t any dearth of shooting opportunities. My only nitpick was a few other people on the field made shooting angles a little trickier (so as not to have them in the photo) and I was not entirely successful in exclude unwanted details.

Being my first time on the field after more than a dozen times watching from the stands, I understood how much pressure the players are under, what with 100,000 pairs of eyes staring down at you. Far from what you may believe, The Big House doesn’t seem as majestic from the bottom than from all those aerial views from media balloons or even from the upper half of the stands. That said I still thoroughly enjoyed myself walking on the golden ‘M,’ the 50-yard line, and shuffling my shoes over the synthetic grass.

There are two things important in Katie’s life — dancing and Rosie, her dog. People with their passions often look the best in front of the camera, so since I’m trying to look out for the beautiful, our portrait session naturally revolved around these two elements.

First stop was the dance studio in Chelsea, Michigan. Never once had I seen an open-concept studio (no walls, only one side with angled, two-panel mirror) and it certainly posed enough challenges with composition and lighting. Getting myself out of the photo was tough and increasingly frustrating as almost every nook and cranny was inescapable, especially shooting at a wide angle, which you can see was done with some of the shots, such as the black & white image.

The solution: shoot long. That got me out of the way, though very limited in creativity. Having a variety of shots is important. It wouldn’t have been personally gratifying if I only stuck to one look for the entire session.

After a quickie half-hour in the studio (we had arrived late, and it was closing), we took to nearby fields to get some outdoor shots with her dog, Rosie. It was my first time doing an animal portrait, and having never owned a dog, didn’t really know how to interact with it or get its attention. Don’t get me wrong – I do love dogs – but when I’m so flummoxed with the photography side, it’s hard to jump into the playground with Rosie.

But Katie helped, trying to get her head turned towards the camera. Needless to say, I shot a lot to even up the chances. Getting the lens up close was something different I wanted to try. I propped the camera up on a tripod and used a remote release. If I had glued my eye to the camera, Rosie would probably never have gotten that close to the lens (which was maybe a few inches away).

Although the day started slow, I’m happy with some of the results. I shot a lot that day, more than I usually do for a portrait session, but it was necessary given the circumstances. Please check out the gallery below, and do leave a comment!

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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.