Dance Fest 2008 - Part 2

The emcees kicked off the event with some simple welcoming message, an explanation of the event and what the audience can expect. Then its off to non-stop dancing!



So, the show started off with some martial arts combo with dancing moves and it was pretty cool. The SGMS Dancing Group has certainly improved by leaps and bounds since the last time I saw them perform.



After that, they went with a journey back in time as they profiled the colours and innocence of children. Well, they got tweens to dress up and dance like children but it was pretty well done.



So, the Dance Fest was off to a good start but it was about to get even better. Find out tomorrow!

Dance Fest 2008 - Part 1

Recently, I was invited to a Dance Fest organised by Soka Gakkai Malaysia Selangor to shoot some photos and I, of course, snapped up the chance. It was a very well done event and the hall was packed with more than 1000 people! Some even had to sit outside and watch it through a specially set up projector screen.



The crowd was entertained with a welcoming dance before the main event started. Some traditional dances of all three major races in Malaysia were performed much to the delight of the people there.



After their dance, the dancers then form a line to welcome the audience. Lots of singing and cheering and generally, it was pushing the atmosphere to a high. The crowd that were pouring in were happy to receive such a warm welcome.

Next up: Part 2 where we look at some of the first few dances!

Jack and Yen Ling - Part 2

The wedding dinner was held near my place which was good as it allowed me more time to work on the morning shots and produce the slideshow for the dinner.



The surroundings for the restaurant made it a nice place for relatives and friends to catch up. There is a pool nearby and people can walk around instead of just sitting in the dinner hall.



Jack and Yen Ling were lucky that they had three cute lil girls as their flower girls. Their smile and enthusiasm for the night was very refreshing indeed.



Of course, the star of the night were the couple and as they stroll in, cheers, applause can be heard and the couple was smiling from ear to ear.



It was a wonderful night and they were very gracious host. They took care of us and made sure we had something to eat although we were too busy running around to worry about eating.



I wish them both the best and it was a blast covering their wedding :)

For more pictures of the night, click here

I will not be blogging for the rest of the week as I will be away in Kuching for Christmas. To everyone reading this blog, have a good holiday and Merry Christmas :)

Jack and Yen Ling - Part 1

Another wedding, another job introduced by Tim and we are pretty much improving as we go. I think this was so far my best coverage of a wedding yet so I am pretty happy with the direction we are heading.



This time around, we managed to get some posed shots, some natural shots and best of all, the bride, the groom, the relatives and the friends were all so smiley that it was so easy to capture their raw emotion on camera.



The groom's friends were also largely cooperative and they did everything in good sport. Of course, there were some bargaining here and there but in the end, they played all the games. Good sport.



So, I wish Jack and Yen Ling all the best although I still have another series of them to share after this. But as usual, enjoy the video I created for their dinner below:



For high quality version, you know what to do.

Tomorrow: The dinner pics!

Kumar & Rathika

Our first Indian wedding under Through Our Eyes was quite an eye opener. I never expected the Indian wedding ritual to be so different.



And of course, the makeup session was done so fast, you just have to be amazed. I think it took half an hour for them to be done with the bride. Talk about efficiency! If it was a Chinese wedding, the make-up artist would be there for hours working on the bride alone.



And then, when it was time to pick up the bride, the groom is not present. This is indeed a change of direction for me. I was waiting for the groom to show up and I just saw the bride walking to the car. Luckily, we still managed to get the shots.



And then of course, the best part of the day is in the evening when you get to shoot a half-naked Indian priest. The whole ceremony was very interesting but it was all quite central. Unlike Chinese weddings where the couple move around, this was pretty much done and dusted on stage.



But the most interesting part was one of the last thing they did. The bride will put her feet on the stone and the groom will tie something to it. The act of putting her feet on the stone is a symbol that she will always remain strong for him. Amazing, ain't it?

So, thats a collection of my favourite pics, you can view the video here:



Click on the video, and then click "Watch in High Quality" if you want to see it in a better resolution.

Up next: Another wedding?

Cafe Cafe - The Main and The Sweet

So, for RM149, what can you expect from the main? Good stuff I tell you. We chose the Wagyu beef with white truffles. Sharon didn't like it so much but I loved it. Absolutely melt in your mouth beef. It is so soft that I don't think I can eat any other steak from now on. Wagyu! Give me more wagyu!



The set menu also come with one free dessert which you can choose from the menu. We chose one of their signature, the Chocolate Lava Cake which is fantastic! Served with vanilla ice cream, when you break the cake, you get hot chocolate oozing out. Yum!



And of course, we ordered extra. Dessert makes or break a restaurant! So we got the Creme brulee and it was again excellent. Done just right.

So for an RM149 set meal, I think it is not too expensive. Furthermore, it can feed two person if you are not a big eater. Just add a few more dessert, its worth it :P

I will be back on Monday as I don't blog on weekends, so see you then.

Up next: Err weddings?

Cafe Cafe - Appetizers!

Of course, every fine dining restaurant gives complimentary bread so of course Cafe Cafe would have it. The bread came with olive oil and vinegar but it was a bit hard. I suggest you request for the soft one the next time. The olive oil and vinegar was also served in a bowl which meant the vinegar sunk to the bottom.

You needed to get a lot of oil in order to get some vinegar. They should have served it in a saucer.



Our first appetizer of the day was... Pan fried foie gras! Absolutely, simply the best so far. You got to try it. Coming here and not eating this is a sin!



Our second appetizer as part of the set menu is Baked Escargot. But it was ok. Nothing fantastic to shout about. I prefer mine done the other way. Still in the shell, in a silver plate and lots of garlic.

So, tomorrow I will show you the main course and dessert. Keep an eye out for it.

A taste of Paris on Jln Maharajalela?

Recently, I went to Cafe Cafe with Sharon to celebrate my birthday. It was located in a corner that no one really looks out for and the hokkien mee down the road is probably more famous. A lot cheaper too.



The ambiance however was great. A bit dark so it makes for a perfect romantic outing. The place is also decorated to give a feel that you just walked into some cafe in Europe but instead, outside, it is pretty much the KL you know.

Everything has that old school cafe feel to it and well, it is really quite lovely.



So, if you are looking for a little romantic eatery, then look no further. What about the food you say? Well, that is for tomorrow :P

Tomorrow: APPETIZERS!

Singapore with new toy!

If you were expecting to see lots of Singapore, sorry! :P Truth is, this post will only be on the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple located in Singapore. I didn't really take much shots of Singapore itself. And of course, this is with my new toy! 35mm f2! Which is fast replacing the 105mm as my favourite lens.



I was impressed with the temple as it was so clean, so well maintained and pretty much quite different from other Chinese temples around this region. No intense smoke smell and air conditioned! :P



And of course, no offending "No Photography" sign which means I can go snap happy. The only place that I can't take photos was at the actual site for the Tooth Relic. No bother as I was more interested in everything else in that temple anyway. I also saw framed up shots of a recent photography competition held at the temple and saw some excellent shots.



And would you believe my luck when... they had a ceremony while I was there! And they even have a observation floor. This is what I call awesome! Everything seems to be planned for people to capture the moments.



Trigger happy Nick went all nuts with the 35mm and the 105mm as I needed the reach from the observation deck of course. I was grinning from ear to ear with a few shots that I am happy with.



All in all, a good day and I was sure glad my sister decided to stop at this place after our dim sum breakfast. Yet to edit the dim sum shots so I guess that won't be the next series.

What's up tomorrow? Food actually.

Non-insect macro!

After all the bugs, it is time to go non-bugs. Nothing better to do so tried to capture some mushrooms. At least I think they are some sort of mushrooms. Again, lighting is a bit harsh. Got to learn how to judge it properly.



And then after that, my attempt to shoot flowers. I think I probably shoot flowers the least. Sometimes, I wonder how to capture their beauty. And I am still wondering.

Next up: My Singapore trip!

Ring ring ring!

So, I sold my CSI kit, I no longer have the R1C1 and it is replaced by a China-made Dragonfly Ring Flash. See, even the name is macro-like :P Armed with the new toy, I went to one of my favourite hunting grounds - Tmn Rimba Kiara.

The difference between the ring flash and the R1C1 is that the ring flash depends on the power of the flash it is attached to. This means you can tweak the strength of the flash better.

Not only that, the ring flash generates circular catchlight and it is desired among some photographers, not all. That catchlight can be seen in the spider's eyes above. Oh, and yes I was interrupting him having a meal.



It is either I have missed a beat with the R1C1 but I was happier with the output from the ring flash. Somehow, it seems to have allowed me to capture the ambiance better. But that could be due to my inexperience in handling the R1C1.

The above shot of the long-legged fly is currently one of my favs because of the leaf's colours. I just love that warm yellowish tint.



But I still need to familiarise myself with the setup. The stilt-legged fly above seems to be a tad underexposed and the DOF is extremely thin. Wonder if I can utilise the SB-600 power and pump up the f value.



And last but not least, my first orange skipper! Ahh such a happy man that day. The ring flash worked better than I expected and I got some shots that I really like. All in all, a good outing.

Next up: Non-insect macro shots!

The beginning of a journey...

When Tim first asked me to shoot a wedding, I was reluctant. I always thought that wedding photography was unrewarding and I would not derive any pleasure from covering a wedding. However, the idea of trying was enough to make me say yes to Tim.

I went through countless threads of wedding photography and I was slowly inspired by what some would term as "wedding journalism" where pictures replaced words in reenacting the wedding experience.



And so I went with Tim, and I wanted to do well. At least, I didn't want to disappoint the bride. After all, it is once in a lifetime. I didn't want to be the guy who messed up the wedding.



From the first click of the shutter, boy was I hooked! The freedom given by the couple (since we were technically free) meant that I could shoot anything, any way I like.



And I realised how wedding photography can be exciting. When you are chasing for the moment, the rush is quite something else. And it is so rewarding when you look at the LCD screen and you see that you nailed a shot.



So here I am now, ready to embark on a new journey, a new experience. And I thank my friend Tim for showing me the way. Then again, I got a brain fart yesterday and I need to share with him some concept which I will reveal in due time.



So, wish me luck and I don't know where I will end up in this new journey. But I hope on the way, I will give lots of smiles and create many moments for couples everywhere.

By the way, we set up a site to showcase our work so drop by if you have the time. It is http://toephotos.wordpress.com and no, it is not a toe fetish site. TOE stands for Through Our Eyes.

Tomorrow: Its back to macro! With a new toy!

Random at the zoo - Conclusion!

And we end the series with really, really random photos at the zoo. First up, we have flamingos! I thought it was quite cute that they both have the same pose at the same time, side by side.



Then we have the playful sun bear! Very cute fella and he was quite active so it made photographing him quite a joy.



And after waiting 1.5 hours for a non-yawning hippo. I decided to go shoot a more willing subject, the pygmy fella. Luckily I caught him though. He was sleeping under the water for better part of the day, walked out, looked up at me, then went under the bridge and disappeared for the rest of the day.

What next? My style? What is it? Hmm...