Nash and Elsie are a young and happy couple from Sabah, Malaysia who come to Singapore regularly to visit family here. They have two utterly mischievous but adorable boys — 4-year-old Ian and Michael who just passed the one year mark. Because they wanted something unique, they ditched the idea of the boring white room photo studio and decided to spent a couple of hours at Singapore’s Botanic Gardens for an outdoor shoot.

In just slightly over two hours, we covered quite a lot of ground! From Symphony Lake to Palm Valley and finally ending at the Bandstand for a unique themed, and posed shot. Enjoy the photos below and read on

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Although everything turned out peachy in the end, it was tough work getting to the end. I had to first brainstorm some creative ideas to give them a special shot that couldn’t be easily replicated by just any other photographer (see the staged photo shoot images at the Bandstand). Because Michael is just a cute lad, and Ian has a liking for photography, it struck me to do a mock photo shoot of the family, with one of the kids as the photographer.

It was a crowded Sunday morning at the Botanic Gardens, but thankfully the Bandstand area wasn’t taken, so there were no obstructions or such. The bigger problem was getting enough light onto the family since the trees were shading them pretty much. We worked through it, but more light is always better.

Shooting hyperactive children is always tough, and this was no different! Personally I don’t believe a baby can be 100% posed through directions, and with Ian running around like a wild child, it was a tiring 2 hours! But of course, it made for some great candid / photojournalistic shots, which Nash and Elsie also wanted

Would love to work with them again in the future, perhaps when they’re back again in Singapore. The Botanic Gardens is awesome, but there’s always creative space to try something cool somewhere else!

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.

Backstory: I got accepted to be photographer for Access, a magazine published by the Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living, which caters to the welfare, education and awareness of people with disabilities. It’s only a temporary position, but it gives me free reign to shoot various styles, from events to studio shots, and the point of this post — sports.

Sports photography has always been for the royalty. The most expensive telephoto primes and fast-acquiring, quick-shooting bodies are required. To get all that gear means you are backed by wealthy employers, limitless endowments or high-paying gigs in the Annie Leibovitz range. I don’t belong to any of these categories.

To shoot this water sporting event, customized for disabled individual, I had to do a little customization myself. I had never shot water skiing before, much less this modified version. Not that it’s much different; a boat pulls someone on a surf/ski board via a rope. It sounds straightforward, but there were unimaginable difficulties that didn’t surface till I put my eye to the viewfinder.

Firstly the speedboat rocked like a raging bull. Looking through a long zoom lens only made the vibrations worse. To round off the disaster, the skiier being towed was also bouncing violently on the waves. It was almost a “spray & pray” scenario, though I tried to refrain from that. But looking back at the images I got, I was somewhat disappointed with slight motion blur (or is it soft focus?) on some of the skiing shots. I had though 1/2000 or 1/2500 sec would be fast enough but apparently not.

If it’s not motion blur, then either my camera or len’s autofocus was out of whack. My telephoto lens had never let me down before and there was no reason to suspect the camera either. So I’m guessing user error on my part, failing to focus accurately on the person instead of the seawater that was splashing all over (especially at the front of the person). The next time I shoot this sport, I’ll make sure to have at least a 1/4000 shutter speed with perhaps more depth of field to make sure everything is sharp and crisp.

See selected photos from the day’s shooting:

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One year at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism was such a whirlwind. For financial reasons, I would not do it again if I could turn back the clock, but during that year I did nurture a passion for photography that would have otherwise gone unnoticed.

Taking Advanced Photojournalism class was among the best decisions I made in that school, and in taught me how to be an effective shooting machine for the press. Although technicality and vision cannot be taught, cold-blooded tenacity and a grittiness to grind out the  best images in the toughest situations usually come from photojournalism training. Even though I’ve graduated, no offers for permanent positions await me, and I am stubbornly holding out for only photography work. My 10-day post-graduation, Alaska trip was an excuse to put off a serious sit-down session to evaluate how I can become a successful, money-making photographer, and to utilize the 1-year work permit fully.

The puzzle is still a messy box of pieces, but I’m piecing them day by day. First priorities is to get this website back on track, update the blog frequently, find clients, and most importantly, keep shooting to raise my skill level.

Ever since the Omnilogy Concert (mentioned in the last post), I had a couple of other paid assignments in New York. Now that I’m back in Ann Arbor, I’ll have to find new clients. That, to me, is the toughest part of running a nascent and independent business.

Starting a business is certainly tough, as tough as juggling a small stone at Union Square! Not only do I have to worry about the service (photography), taxes, bills and profits all eat at my brain in every other moment I don’t spend behind the camera. But it’s a life I am dedicated to from here on, far removed from a young adult’s feeble wanderings, unsure of what profession to take.

And the first hurdle is to get this website up and running like a seasoned athlete. Right now I’m doing multiple tasks at the same time: building a credible portfolio, designing the front page, creating a new blog, and acquiring the level of expertise that is required of a professional.

It’s hard, even though it’s spring break in Columbia University‘s  journalism school.  I’ve got two assignments due right at the restart of school, and I’m struggling to set up my front page using Dreamweaver. It’s funny how I have to dedicate so much time to writing, even though I’d rather focus that energy on photography. But it’s only two more months before graduation, and those writing skills will stay with me for life, so I’m not whining.

Please use this blog to follow my adventures through this new phase of my life. School’s almost done, and I’ll be graduating to the working world. Sad as that may sound, I’m pleased the path is photography, something I thoroughly enjoy and can spend endless hours doing. To read more about my background and passions, please see my bio.