2009 A YEAR OF RESOLUTION

Resolution 1. the quality of being resolute (determined, unwavering) 2. a firm decision 3. the degree of detail visible in a photographic image.

This is my first post of 2009  and after a year’s hiatus from the wedding scene and having turned down over a dozen enquiries, I’m delighted to announce that I’ve made a conditional come back to the wedding market. Visit my wedding page for updates (when I get round to updating it). I had spent a great part of 2008 in search of inspiration  so the wheels are in motion (pardon the pun) even as I usher in the new year with this post. Congratulations to newlyweds cousin Daniel and his lovely wife Santi for their wedding on January 4th 2009.

I sold my EOS 5D to a friend right after I returned from KK and on the morning I picked up my 5D Mark II, I also picked up a 50mm f/1.4 lens on his behalf and invited him to this shoot. The first three images and the last one (the one that Nick made an exception) were taken by G. and considering this is first ever wedding shoot using his first ever DSLR, he’s discovered a learning curve and there’s no event that pushes all boundaries than shooting a real wedding—for the first time! I like the third picture in the hotel room when Daniel reaches in his pocket for the ring!

↓ This is not part of the bride-sisters torture routine. I came in this car and we had actual car trouble and needed the assistance of the groom’s entourage to get it running again. During this time, I had taken off in the main wedding car, the Honda Odyssey.

G. sighed that he had forgotten to turn on his flash. I think otherwise. Had the flash fired, the shot might not have conveyed the mood of this picture that I like. A bit of retouching and all is well and I particularly like how the bride’s father is observing at a distance as his son-in-law reaches in for the symbol of their unity—no drama—he had the ring!

I thought an ultra-wide angle shot of this worked rather well. Holding the 5DII and 17-40 @ 17mm up against the ceiling to minimize shake.

From the groom’s home to the lunch reception at the Soon Lee Ayamku Seafood Restaurant in Kuala Belait. This is a shot of the red napkin on the main table with an inverted image of it through the salt and pepper shaker holder.

I’ve seen many “street style” shots like this in Singapore weddings and really the chance of a scene like this in Brunei is pretty rare to impossible. It’s not cultural to drag a wedding gown through town. You can imagine how delighted I was as, even for a fleeting moment, Daniel and Santi made their grand entrance they chose this path. This may be the closest opportunity I’ll ever get for a long time unless I drag the next couple through our hawker stalls 🙂

The 5D II’s low light high ISO performance is truly amazing. The venue isn’t particularly bright and the location where the wedding cake is placed and subsequently the champagne opening routine is at least one stop of light dimmer than the far end. On my favourite lens, the EF70-200 f/2.8, I was able to get 1/200 sec at f/2.8 at ISO 3200.

Here is the first shot of my 5D II taken by G. (you know how it is when you’re ecstatic  with the newly acquired  gadget) as I was getting ready for the family group photo. If you’re in the market for a full frame body, the 5D II is competitively priced and as far as I know, is in a class of its own with its HD 1080 video capability. For a very thorough review of the 5D II, check out Roland Lim’s blog. I did say 2009 is a year of resolution—a lot more of it !

GETTING MY KICKZ AT BREEZE

PHOTOGRAPHY isn’t Everything—It’s the ONLY THING! If only that were true.  Too much of anything isn’t healthy so in between spare moments and quiet days, I would take on jobs that are less visual and more cerebral. This is where I give clients a peace piece of mind when it comes to matters that stimulate the literary sense. It’s called COPYWRITING (often mistaken with COPYRIGHT, the latter of which can get your ass kicked).

© Breeze Magazine | AS Trinity Sdn Bhd

So when  Breeze Magazine Chief Editor scratched his head and needed help with their entertainment directory page, E COMPASS “Know where to get your kickz!!!” was inked. Check out Issue 9 of Breeze October 2008 online. The content is rich, informative, exciting, a mark of quality that has come a long way since Issue 2.

CELEBRATE E DAY!

Update: As I finished reading The Nights I Spent in My Car, the article moved me in way I want to reach out and touch someone the same way Anya has in this Reader’s Digest (RD) article. Where RD left off, I took the liberty of contacting Anya through her blog post: Life Seams …

The month of romance has passed and we’re now in end of the Q1—how quickly time flies and in no time, we’ll be calling 2008 yesterday and if Zodiac (PDF) is anything to go by, it’ll be a great one!!

Which brings me to this. For some reason, books and magazines hit the shelves a month late. But late as it may be, the Reader’s Digest [Asian Edition] February 2008 issue brings back plenty of memories with more than a handful of really useful and relevant ‘E Day’ articles . So much so I feel this desire to share with you.

On Matters of LOVE 7 Secrets to a Sexy Marriage | How to Pick A Perfect Partner | What Would You Do For Love?

WHEN YOU ADDRESS YOUR OWN FLAWS AND SEEK THE BEST IN YOUR SPOUSE, MAGIC HAPPENS

Out of 7 points, one stands out and I quote, “It’s tempting to blame your spouse when you feel angry, disappointed, bored, betrayed or stressed out about your marriage. Then it’s a short hop to seeing your mate as the one who must change for the marriage to improve. Trying to improve your spouse puts him or her on the defensive and casts you in a dreary role. The result? Nobody changes. Nobody takes responsibility. Everyone is unhappy. And making your spouse the bad guy means ignoring the 90 per cent of him or her that’s good. The true fix: Change yourself. When you address your own flaws and seek the best in your spouse, magic happens. Optimism increases. Your spouse feels better because he or she feels appreciated, not chastised. And you both feel motivated to change in ways that lead to even more joy.” The article also talks about the Japanese philosophy of imperfection, wabi sabi (“wah-bee sah-bee”).

Besides love, two other articles The Common Disease Killing Our Children and Million Dollar Advice caught my eye.

When four year old Darryl Heng had a runny nose and fever one evening in March 1999, his father wasn’t too concerned. Kids get the sniffles before taking Darryl to the family doctor who was prescribed the usual flu medication. When his condition did not improve, Darrryl was given antibiotics but he broke out in rashes over the next few days due to an allergic reaction to the drugs. A blood test did not reveal anything unusual. When Darryl became breathless one evening, his father brought to the National University Hospital where X-rays showed he had pneumonia. Doctors explains his condition was further complicated by a collection of pus outside the lungs. Darryl spent 21 days in ICU and was hooked up to more than 13 drips. He needed morphine for the pain. Just 28 days after his first flu-like symptoms appeared, Darryl died of complications from pneumoccal disease.

It is every parent’s nightmare to lose a child. Ignorance is not bliss. Page 30 has more real life report of another child Becky Leong where timely surgery saved her life.

How to be a Millionnaire Most of us have one time or another been curious how millionnaires are made. I’ve only dreamt about ways to make my first million and the road to being enlightened has been an interesting one.

According to Page 46, “The Biggest $ecret? Stop spending. Every millionnaire we spoke to has one thing in common: Not a single one spend needlessly. Real estate investor Dave Lindahl dives a Ford Explorer and says his middle-class neighbourhoods would be shocked to learn how much he’s worth. Rick Sikorski can’t fathom why anyone would buy bottled water. Steve Maxwell, the finance teacher, looked at a $1.5 million home but decided to buy one that was half the price because “a house with double the cost would not give me double the enjoyment.”

No kidding! Talk show host Tyra Banks calls herself Queen of Cheap and keeps perfume samples from magazine ads in her purse for quick touch-ups. Sara Blakely, founder of the $100 million shapewear company Spanx, gets her hair trimmed at Supercuts. And Warren Buffet, the third richest person in the world, according to Forbes, lives in the same Omaha Nebraska, home he bought four decades ago for just $31,500.

Life is short and Valentine’s Day is just one day out of 356 days. Why not make the most of what we have and celebrate E Day—E for Everyday! SimpurBloggies PhotoBlog Winner AnakBrunei does 🙂