Dragonplane Photography Blog

Season's Greetings

2011-12-31T21:51:00.001+08:00

Here’s wishing you a joyous festive holiday season and a very Happy New Year.

Shopping for company vehicle

2011-10-02T00:00:00.003+08:00

Over the past year running my photography business without a proper company vehicle that can accomodate my work at times can be danting. You struggle to find the right time and reason, but even then sometimes it may not fit all my equipments. Some of the shoots I attend to may be complex requiring me to almost bring every little items from my studio.

It is now the next step in my business to acquire a proper company vehicle that is large enough to fit my equipment and be self-reliance. Over the past weeks, I have been searching for the right size car and within my budget. My best buddy Ivan and I have been scouting many dealer shops across the island for a decent medium size van.

Being a visual person, hence a photographer I was no doubt attracted to the many Euro-vans with many nice features. But Euro-vans are not known for its reliability and low maintenance cost. After some persuasion from Ivan, I decided to go for the established Japanese brands which make more economic sense.

Today I had the dealer drove the Suzuki Carry 1.3L van to my house for a test drive. It is a nice spacious van, very new and well maintained. I have gathered a list of checklist, a must have when buying a second hand vehicle, the questions to ask the dealer as well as trying to negotiate a better deal.

Here it is a summary of the main items to check for:
Are there log book or service record book?
How much of the road tax will be provided?
What are the insurance?
What is the transfer fees?

Will you replace the worn tires?
Fix the seat?
Add a back sofa?

Open car bonnet and check engine
Turn engine off. Open oil filler cap and check inside of cap and engine for dirt. Take dip stick and check oil level and dirt.
Check spare tires and jack
Air con full blast. Check if cold.
Check oil drip
Check paint work, smooth no bump means no accident
Check car underneath no rust
Check seat belts condition
Lock and unlock all doors
Test lighting, wipers, CD player and all electrical parts

If all goes well, I will collect my van on wednesday.

Reference: Samarins.com

Singapore Photography Studio

2011-09-30T02:20:00.005+08:00

You are looking at photos of our new and more spacious photography studio that we moved into recently. These photos were taken earlier in the evening after the advertising agency that we work with regularly requested some pictures of our new studio to pitch to their client for a new job.

The new studio has separate rooms for lounge/guests and reception. With the new studio we are now more equiped to carry out commercial and corporate shoots beside our regular family, children and personal portrait shoots.

With the opening of our new studio we will soon introduce regular promotions of photography packages for family, individuals and corporate with up to 80% off the usual price. There will be different type of promotions regularly to cater to everyone.

Watch out for the promotions at our official website - Dragonshutter Photography and soon to be launched Facebook Fan page where lucky fans will get to win free photoshoots monthly when you 'like' our page.

P.S. the last photo above was shot to demonstrate to my client who said they need to be able to shoot kids doing different actions like jumping and dancing. I only shot the jumping bit.

Guys Next Door Calendar on Sale 25th August 2011

2011-08-08T00:20:00.003+08:00

After many weeks of working late through the night with my colleagues to complete the calendar we have finally finished the artwork and design. I must say I am satisfied with the outcome.

During the calendar design stage, we had to re-shoot one scene and thankfully it turn out well. The images are now with the printing company waiting for them to produce a mock-up for us to reveal.

We have scedule 25th August 2011 to launch the calendar at the EQUUS play at Drama Centre. There will be special guest apperance by the models.

Be among the first to grap this charming calendar that showcase the wholesome lifestyle of the modern men. I look forward to your support.

A Heart-warming Experience

2011-07-29T01:44:00.002+08:00

I had a heart-warming experience recent at an annual report shoot for Bizlink a company that help people with disabilities find employment. At the company's workshop, businesses engage them to do simple jobs like folding letters, assembling packages, creating handicrafts and cards for sales and etc. At another room they have people working on PC and manning phones.

One thing that strike a chord in my heart was everyone was smiling and seems to be enjoying their work. Every one of them has some form of disabilities caused by illness or born with it but yet they seem like one big happy family.

At one group shot, for a moment I wondered how I could gather them together. No one hesitated when asked. An older man who is half the height of a grown man walking with a limp simply hold onto the hand of a man besides him. I was so touched. Life may not be perfect for them but they are happy being employed, earning minimal wage and doing something useful in life.

For the rest of us that is not satisfied, contented or happy with our life think again. We have so much given to us that we never for once think what life is like with disabilities. A staff told me one person told her he could work at the company for the rest of his life. Indeed. He is happy because the company see everyone as equal. No one has disability in the company. Society should too, reach out to them and treat them with respect and dignity.

For companies that would like to help to give jobs to people with disabilities please visit their website - http://www.bizlink.org.sg/

Graduation Photography Services

2011-07-27T19:35:00.005+08:00

It is the time of the year again where universities across Singapore are preparing to say good bye to their students as they graduate from their classes. It is a significant milestone for the graduates which is celebrated with their family and friends.

Many graduates and family also mark this occasion by having a professional studio photo shoot. Here is a photograph of a recent family graduation portrait, a mother and son I shot at my studio.

To all graduates of class of 2011, whether it's a NUS Commencement or NTU Convocation congratulation for this great achievement.

Guys Next Door Calendar 2012

2011-07-27T00:26:00.005+08:00

A few weeks ago I was invited by a business friend to shoot for a men's calendar. Their photographer had to pull out at the last minute. Shooting men portrait is one of my strength and I jumped at the opportunity to be able to impart my artistic skill and create some great images for the calendar.

The title of the wall calendar which will be in A3 size is called Guys Next Door. Each month of the calendar will showcase one model wearing the sponsor's undergarment in a unque setting. We have created 12 different settings which losely describe the lifestyle of a modern metrosexual man.

We have shot in many location across Singapore in the past two weeks. We have just wrapped up the last shoot with a model doing a baking scene. In all it was a successful shoot, very taxing but rewarding when we see the images created before our eyes. I will write more in the coming week with some behind the scene photographs of the making of the calendar.

Look out for the launch of the calendar in August 2011.

Hello again

2011-07-26T23:52:00.003+08:00

Dear friends. It has been many months since I made my last post. We are already half a year into 2011 and much has happened. I will endeavour to post more photos and stories in the coming weeks and keep you up to date about my photography.

Let us start with this wondeful photo of one of Singapore's best kep secret - jungle garden in the heart of Bukit Brown Cemetery. It was my first visit to the area recently after reading in the newspapers that the government might be claiming back the land for redevelopment. It is a very sereal place walking pass the decade old trees, bushes and watching monkeys roaming the ground freely.

Special Christmas Photography Package

2010-11-27T05:45:00.004+08:00

Have you been thinking about getting the appropriate gift this celebratory season for your loved ones?

A special Christmas promotion package is now available at my studio.

Please visit Dragonshutter Photography website for detail - www.dragonshutter.com

In memory of my dad

2010-11-09T03:05:00.004+08:00

In memory of my dad, a wonderful and loving man who taught me about honesty, trust, integrity and being patience.

My dad who lived a full life passed on peacefully tonight with all the family by his side. We will miss you dearly dad but we know you are in a better place, with mum that you loves dearly.

Wedding Photography Promotion

2010-07-21T14:25:00.003+08:00

A wedding day is one of the happiest moments for the bride and bride-groom. I have recently released a special promotion for Actual Day wedding photography with complimentary fine art paper prints and art gallery professional frames. Its value is worth up to $482.00.

This is for a limited time and please enquire for detail - info@dragonshutter.com

Graduation Studio Portrait

2010-06-30T01:44:00.004+08:00

I had the honour to photographed Allan recently for his graduation photography. He graduated from a university from Ireland and hence the green scarf on the gown. The university does not provide a graduation hat.

For this shoot, he requested that his family and relatives be in the photos.

Other Graduation photos link

Marina Bay Sands Photography

2010-06-24T22:11:00.005+08:00

Marina Bay Sands on the official opening ceremony with dancing laser lights that was a spectacular sight. To me it looks like a giant spaceship with its huge architecture marvel that has landed in downtown Singapore.

It certainly going to be a new icon of Singapore. Enjoy the photography.

Children Studio Photography

2010-06-08T00:55:00.005+08:00

I had a wonderful time shooting for a family on Sunday. You can never imagine how much coaxing I have to do to get the the boy and girl to look at the camera.

One second they would look into the camera and the next they would giggle and their eyes would be off the camera. Anyway the two kids were fun to shoot as at least none of them cried which was an experience I had one time.

In these photos, I have rendered them like canvas and this is how parents would usually print in a series of three to hang on the wall.

Vesak Day

2010-05-29T17:06:00.004+08:00

Vesak day or Vesākha is one of the most important days in the Buddhist calendar. It is the celebration on the birth, enlightenment and final nirvana of Buddha, who was born Prince Siddhartha Gautama.

I visited Ju Si Lin temple (Singapore Buddhist Lodge) at Kim Yam Road to mark this special day (28 May 2010). I haven't been back to the temple I would think in the last ten years since I was living in Australia. I used to do the yearly ritual with my mum and I remember vividly burning joss sticks, offer prayers and "bathing" the statue of Buddha. Bathing the statue of the Buddha symbolizes our aspiration, determination and effort to purify our body, speech and mind.

On this day it reminds us on the teachings of Buddha, to be compassionate, selflessness and non-violent. It is his universal peace message to mankind that highlights the potential for inner peace and happiness that lies within us all.

One of the teaching of Buddha is to shelter the weak and provide food to the needy.

On this day, temples offer free vegetarian meals. For most people consuming the vegetarian meals during this special occasion symbolise the blessing by Lord Buddha.

One experience I will never forget is when I was in National Service and I was in an army training exercise high up in the mountains of Taiwan. I was with my fellow soldiers in a land rover out in the field for a few days without bath and surviving on ration food (can food and 'dog' biscuit).

We have parked our land rover nearby a temple to rest. Apparently the monks noticed us and invited us back to the temple for a bath and offered us fresh hot meals. I will never forget this wonderful experience and their kind gesture.

Read more:
http://www.jendhamuni.com/buddhism/articles/buddhaDay.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ves%C4%81kha

Wedding Fair with Fairmont Singapore and Swissotel The Stamford Singapore

2010-04-27T23:58:00.008+08:00

I had the opportunity to photograph three ballrooms at the Fairmont Hotel and Swissotel The Stamford during the Wedding Fair on 24th April 2010.

The themes for the Wedding Fair is mid-autumn and the ballrooms are very elegantly dressed up. Two ballrooms are mid sized and the largest ballroom is my favourite. It is dressed in red and black and looked very sophisticated.

The wedding couples who have the opportunity to hold their wedding dinner in any of these ballrooms would be very lucky.

Raffles Ballroom - Romance website

Family Studio Photography

2010-04-21T15:14:00.003+08:00

Here are some photos for a family photo shoot at my studio recently for a lovely lady with her daughter and son. I had a bit of difficulty initially try to get the best composition for their family portrait as the lady wasn't very tall. We finally settled for the standing pose.

High Tea at Tiffin Room

2010-04-12T23:11:00.007+08:00

I cannot remember the last time I visited Tiffin Room at the Raffles Hotel but it must have been a long time ago. Last week I was invited to tea on a sunny afternoon together with some friends from the theatre. A friend of mine was running a vocal workshop and the high tea was specially organised for his trainer Bill Pepper. Bill is vocal trainer from the prestigious acting school in Australia called NIDA.

Tiffin Room has long been a Raffles tradition. Tiffin curry has been served there since 1899 and hence the name Tiffin. Walking into the quiet room brings me back to the Hotel’s glory days from the turn of the century. First thing that caught my eyes was the neutral colour tone of the wall and the white table linen. I understand the designs of the tables, chairs and the smart waiters uniform are copied from Raffles early photographs.

I was the last guest to arrived as I had a business lunch earlier. Sitting down I immediately noticed how elegantly the table was laid with the fine china and cutlery. In front of me was a 3-tier plate stand that serve finger sandwiches and tarts. There were also delicious scone that are served with four different jam and fresh cream. At the end of the room, is a local buffet spread of dim sum like siew mai, char siew pau, dry mee siam, poh piah and kueh to name a few.

We stayed for quite a while enjoying the food and conversation with regular refill of tea and coffee. On the whole, Tiffin Room is certainly a wonderful place to visit for an afternoon of high tea and to experience the elegant of Raffles.

Reference: Raffles Hotel website

Event Photography at the Esplanade Theatre- The Tempest

2010-04-05T00:27:00.007+08:00

I was the Esplanade Theatre on 2nd April 2010 to cover the opening of the play presented by the Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT). The Shakespeare's play "The Tempest" is a Bridge Project, a partnership between Sam Mendes, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) and the Old Vic in London run by Kevin Spacey (Academy Award winner for The Usual Suspects and American Beauty).

The first night of the play see in attendance Singapore ministers and special guests and VIPs. The post-show party was held at the stunning IndoChine Bar and Restaurant located at Empress Place by the Singapore River where fans get to mingle with the cast and crew from the theatre groups.

Reference:
Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) website
IndoChine Bar and Restaurant website

CLEO'S MOST ELIGIBLE BACHELOR 2010

2010-03-21T23:05:00.005+08:00

I found out on facebook that one of the model I shot last year has won CLEO magazine's most eligible bachelor award.

Congratulation Parker Lam and well done!

I shot Parker at my studio last year for his male model portfolio. He was new into modeling and just about finishing his national service in the army. Most new models doing their first studio shoot are usually pretty stiff and need much coaching. Parker was different. I showed him some poses and expression. Just after a few shots, he started to get a hang of it and started posing with confident. We went through different wardrobe changes as well as some creative and artistic shots as shown in the photos here.

This guy has potential I thought when I shot him, smart, very well mannered and friendly. True to it, he has won CLEO's Most Eligible Bachelor award for 2010.

All the best and success for the future Parker.

Stan

Graduation Portrait Photography

2010-03-19T01:34:00.007+08:00

I had my first graduation portrait shoot at my studio for a graduate from NUS (National University of Singapore). He found me through google after shopping around. It's interesting to hear from him that the graduation shoot from the preferred studios as recommended by NUS is charging alot more compared to my rate.

This young chap told me he did the shoot for his parents who came along to the shoot. I am very sure his parents were very proud of the moment. He heads off to the U.S. on the weekend for a six month work attachment.

Good luck and enjoy your work Yogest.

Other Graduation photos link

Singapore Tatler

2010-02-28T16:16:00.007+08:00

When a copy of the Singapore Tatler, Singapore's leading High Society magazine arrived to me by mail it feels great to open the magazine and see my work published in it.

It is my first work published in a major magazine and that is quite an achievement for myself.

My work to cover the Italian ambassador's cocktail dinner at Fullerton Hotel is published over two pages on page 42 and 43 and ahead of their other regular contributing photographers. I had a recent chat with their Editor in chief and she said they initially wanted to use only one page but since they like the photos they decided to use two pages instead.

No, I did not shoot the February issue cover but perhaps one day =)

Singapore Tatler website - http://www.sgtatler.com

Happy Lunar New Year

2010-02-13T22:22:00.004+08:00

Spring festival is here again. Wishing everyone a Happy and Prosperous New Year of the Tiger.

Photos: Chinese New Year festivity at Chinatown Singapore

Dragonshutter New Website

2010-02-09T18:16:00.003+08:00

The new re-designed website for Dragonshutter Photography has been published and gone live.

With the help of a friend from the creative advertising firm, he has given me a completely fresh corporate look and re-branding of Dragonshutter Photography. A new logo is incorporated.

Building the website and coding it took over a week. I hope you enjoy the new look website.

BASH 2010 Photo gallery

2010-02-04T14:54:00.003+08:00

The photo gallery website for the recent NUSSU Bash 2010 Blackout party has been published.

The King and Queen of NUS were crowned at the NUS Pageant. Check out the photo galleries of the hunks and babes as they compete for the acclaimed title of Mr and Ms NUS.

Website: http://bash.dragonshutter.com/

King and Queen of NUS at Blackout Party 2010

2010-01-31T19:07:00.013+08:00

Visit the photo gallery of the crowning
of Mr and Ms NUS - http://bash.dragonshutter.com

The King and Queen of NUS 2010 was crowned last night at the F1 Pit Building at Marina Bay.

The annual event organised by NUSSU Bash 2010 see a big turned out by students from the National University of Singapore, their families and supporters.

Congratulations to Raymond Koh and Valene Chai for winning the crown.

Here are some photos from the event with more to follow. A website will be created shortly with all the pageant photos on stage plus off stage photos. See behind the scene photos of how the contestants prepare themselves as they go on stage that you don't get to see.

Read related blogs:

NUS Bash 2010 Photo Shoot link
NUS Bash 2010 'Black Out' party link

Happy Australia Day

2010-01-26T12:19:00.004+08:00

A very happy Australia Day to all my aussie friends in Australia. Just thinking of you folks on this holiday. I can picture the beautiful sky, sun, sand, smell the salt, people on the beach, surfers in the ocean, picnic at the park and having brunch at the lovely sidewalk cafes. I can imagine myself having a big aussie breakfast on a relaxing sunny summer day :_)

Photo: beach at Goldcoast with Q1 tower in the far distant, the tallest residential tower in the world.

Link: Q1 tower http://www.q1.com.au/

New Photography Website Design

2010-01-24T23:27:00.004+08:00

This is a first look at the design and layout of my new website. My old website was designed in December 2007 when I entered into the photography business.

A good photography website that is well designed with good content will help to create interest in my work and bring business. A good website is critical these days as it is a photographer's online portfolio.

Over the weekend I have spent countless hours putting together the concept design that I like which I feel has to be very photography centric. As a photographer, the photos are our work and that is what people want to see and buy from us. Hence the photos are now the main focus and in large images to draw the viewers attention.

The new design has colour added using the oriental red from my new logo for some of the text. My logo has the Chinese character 'lóng' which means dragon and I thought it would be appropriate to add a new symbol at the bottom. It is the lucky clouds which is auspicious that bring blessings and harmony.

Quote by Dorothea Lange

2010-01-22T22:11:00.003+08:00

“Photography takes an instant out of time,

altering life by holding it still.”

- Dorothea Lange

(American documentary photographer, 1895-1965)

Birth of a new logo

2010-01-22T22:10:00.006+08:00

Today marks the birth of a new logo for my photography business. Thanks to a friend who has helped me to design the new logo.

The new logo is an update of my original logo to freshen it, add a little colour to modernise it. My old logo was first created in December 2007 using an ancient Chinese seal script form of the character for "Dragon". It is pronounced Lóng in Mandarin Chinese. In 2008 I modified it by having a black square box behind the character.

During the process of redesigning my new logo the Lóng character was initially dropped. I was in a dilemma on whether to forgo it and go completely modern. But I felt I still want to keep the oriental feel to it. It is part of me and will always be. Feedback from my friends have also been encouraging too in favour of maintaining the old logo. A good friend sumed it all.

She said "In view of fengshui, LONG is good. It will bring your career to great heights one day. I would suggest you preserve the form & shape of LONG. You can enhance but don't distort LONG too much, otherwise there's no more LONG energy left for you to carry on your career building. LOL". How true and we are after all Chinese J

With a new year, new decade and start of my business in Singapore it would be timely to modernise the logo. Thank you Aaaron Henley for your help to design my new fabulous new logo. Clean and simple logo with a touch of oriental red to make it vibrant.

Photography rates

2010-01-16T13:35:00.004+08:00

Photography rates card are used in commercial photography to market photographers. I have created a new rates card for myself with the idea coming from a friend of mine who is a creative head of a design company.

The left of the card is a collage of my work from commercial, corporate to studio portrait and models portfolio. The right will list the different fees for the services.

If you ever need a photographer to shoot for commercial work in Singapore, please feel free to contact me to ask for my rates card.

NUS Bash 2010 'Black Out' party

2010-01-10T15:44:00.010+08:00

Visit the photo gallery of the crowning
of Mr and Ms NUS - http://bash.dragonshutter.com

The official photos from the photo shoot for NUS Bash 2010 organised by NUSSU (National University of Singapore Student Union). The guys and girls are transformed into "Punk Rockers" look wearing dark heavy make-up and black outfit.

The Black Out party will be held on 30 January 2010 at F1 Pit Building Level 3 Event Suite, Raffles Boulevard, Singapore.

For ticketing sales info, kindly email to nussu.bash@gmail.com

These are the unofficial black & white photos of the "Punk" contestants.

Read other blogs:

NUS Bash 2010 Photo Shoot link
The King and Queen of NUS have been crowned: see link

NUSSU/NUS Bash 2010 websites:

http://www.funkygrad.com/nussubash10/

http://nussupru.org/bash10/

NUS Bash 2010 Photo Shoot

2010-01-05T02:12:00.021+08:00

Visit the photo gallery of the crowning
of Mr and Ms NUS - http://bash.dragonshutter.com

These are the first few photos just published from the recent photo shoot for NUS Bash 2010.

The shoot was done for the National University of Singapore Bash competition organised by NUSSU and PRU to be held on 30th January 2010. The photos will be used in their publicity campaign to promote the event at their campus, students' network and Facebook.

Two days before the New Year, I must say it was the biggest shoot I have ever embarked on. The roll call started at 8.30am and the team of NUS Bash committee has arrived at my studio with the first pair of contestants to shoot. There are to be a total of seven pairs of contestants to shoot from seven faculties from the university. They are Arts, Business, Engineering, Law, Medicine, Science and SDE. I understand Dentistry had to pull out at the last minute.

With the arrival of the contingent, my makeup artist and hairstylist was no where in sight. So I rang him on his mobile phone as a courtesy and to my surprise he said he was still in bed.

For every photo shoot, the models will need some make-up so they look their best in front of the camera. Simple make-up for men and more elaborate make-up for women that can be time consuming. There are shoots where by one female model can take up to two hours to complete her make-up.

The shoot schedule is to go like this. First I will shoot the male and female subject individually and then pair them up to shoot as a couple. After their shoot, they will then change and transform themselves into the "Punk Rocker" look.

I decided to first shoot the male contestant. I began applying simple make-up for the first male subject. Simple foundation with concealer and highlighter. Elshan was the first person to shoot. He was initially quite uncomfortable in front of the camera. This is usually quite normally when you never model in a studio before. The rest of the contestants I shot goes something like this - Yi Hui who pairs up with Elshan, Clarence and Zona, Sean and Cherissa, Raymond and Valene, Shane and Christine, Sophie and Terrance and the last couple Mathew and Rachel.

For sports wear we were fortunate to have NUM Wear (New Urban Male) clothing line sponsoring the male and female sports wear. We also had Singapore's Blogshop to sponsor some of the ladies dresses.

After the casual and formal wear shoots, the transformation to the next style was incredible. It was a great job by Justin in transforming the innocent looking guys and chicks into some serious Punks! They all come with thick eye shadows, dark lipsticks and big over the top hair style.

To make them look the part, I styled them to wear black outfit with metal chain and accessories. With a little coaching about how they should pose and create the emotion, the transformation was complete. The stand out couple of the day has to be Raymond and Valene who posed with sensuality. The surprise couple were Sean and Cherissa who really surprised me with their great energy.

The last frame for Mathew and Rachel clicked at 9:12:11pm and it was a wrap. It was a great relief and achievement for all. All the contestants put in a great effort and worked hard during the shoot, I thank you for the great work.

It didn't end for me and the NUSSU/PRU committees. We still have to select the pictures which we will use for the marketing campaign. There were over 700 images shot during the day. We finally narrowed down the images and call it a day at close to 11pm.

I would also like to thank Jomain and Craig my photographer assistants for helping out, doing the administration and running the studio.

Also thanks to September 21 for allowing us to use their seminar room as our dressing room.

Make-up/Hair stylist: Justin Lim, Style House (www.style-house.org)

Clothing: NUM (New Urban Male) Wear - http://www.newurbanmale.com/

Dressing room: September 21 - http://www.september21.com.sg/

Read related blog:

NUS Bash 2010 'Black Out' party link

NUSSU/NUS Bash 2010 websites:

http://www.funkygrad.com/nussubash10/

http://nussupru.org/bash10/

The King and Queen of NUS have been crowned: see link

NYE2009/NY2010 Singapore

2010-01-03T23:40:00.002+08:00

The clock was ticking toward midnight, signalling the closure of 2009 and thousands of people have gathered around the shores of Marina Bay to welcome the new year.

On the left is Suntec City, 'Durian' shaped theatres by the bay and hotels.

The world's tallest ferris wheel 'Singapore Flyer' is in the middle and on the r...ight is the near completion of Singapore's second casino and resort, Marina Bay Sands estimated cost of $8 billion Singapore dollars.

Good bye 2009 and Hello 2010

2009-12-31T03:06:00.003+08:00

What a way to end 2009 with the biggest shoot ever. 14 hours photo shoot straight today at my studio for 14 pageant contestants from the National University of Singapore (NUSSU) Bash 2010. Wishing my dear friends and family a fruitful and successful 2010.

Make-up/Hair stylist: Justin Lim, Style House (www.style-house.org)

Orchard Road Christmas 2009 Light-up

2009-12-20T23:28:00.005+08:00

The theme for this year's Orchard Road annual Christmas light-up is called "A Christmas All Decked out".

You see giant Santa and Santa's mouse deers lined up along the road. The design are pretty creative these years. There were numerous giant mouse deers dressed up in colourful outfit in different poses. On the trees, there were bright globes together with a laser type tear drops creating some motion to the decoration.

This year there are a few shopping malls that are nearly opened which helped to make Orchard Road light-up even more exciting namely Ion Orchard, 313 and Central.

Merry Christmas to all and have a safe and happy holidays.

Best,

Stan

Meeting Ekin Cheng and Aaron Kwok

2009-11-30T22:31:00.008+08:00

The highlight of 30th November, my birthday is meeting popular Hong Kong actors Ekin Cheng and Aaron Kwok.

Well, almost. They made a life appearance to promote their new Chinese action fantasy film called "Storm Warriors (Fung wan II)". The story is about Wind and Cloud, two warriors find themselves up against a ruthless Japanese warlord intent on invading China. The film opens in Singapore on 10th December 2009.

Earlier during the day my wonderful friends have invited me to lunch and dinner. The night before, at midnight we went to Dragonfly at St James Powerstation where live music was played. It is a Mandarin dance club with amazing vocal by the singers.

Reference: Storm Warriors (Fung wan II), St James Power Station (Time Out Singapore)

Canon 5DMk2

2009-11-27T21:14:00.008+08:00

Finally the wait is over. I have bought myself a dream camera; a present for my birthday this month :-)

It's the 5DMk2, battery grip and the 70-200mm IS USM f2.8 tele zoom lens toted by most Canon professionals.

Canon 5DMk2 is considered the best digital SLR camera ever made by Canon with its impressive 21 megapixel 'full frame' CMOS sensor. As for the lens, it is featured in many of Canon's glossy brochures, a tough pro lens, big and heavy and very fast and sharp.

When I received the boxes, I was ecstatic. I certainly is looking forward to having a new best friend that I will treasure.

Camera review at www.dpreview.com

1/2010 Update - I have renamed the words referencing the camera to 5DMk2 and not it's official name as it is inviting a lot of hits from people who google for this camera.

Coriander Leaf Restaurant

2009-10-31T23:00:00.007+08:00

Last week I had a wonderful time shooting food photography for new dishes creation by one of Singapore's top restaurant - Coriander Leaf.

The best part of the work was eating the delicious food after I have shot the pictures.

I highly recommend this restaurant by Chef Samia Ahad.

See Coriander Leaf website

New Portfolio cards

2009-10-08T15:54:00.000+08:00

I have compiled some of my work that I have done in the past year in a card layout.

The diverse style ranging from portraits to events and property.

Dragonshutter Photography Studio is Open

2009-10-01T18:00:00.003+08:00

My first photography studio is opened today. It is located at Braddell Tech at Toa Payoh.

Since moving back to Singapore in August, an opportunity arise that I could possibly open a photo studio. Within weeks I made the decision to proceed and embark on this new experience, an opportunity to start my own business and continue to pursue my love for photography.

While the studio undergo renovation, I went on a study and planning of my first studio, the setup required and equipment.

With the completion of the studio, I had my first shoot with a model from an agency on 1 Oct 2009. The next step is to build the business through promotion and marketing.

New home for NCS88J

2009-08-06T21:05:00.000+08:00

Today marks the end of almost 6 beautiful years of owning my gorgeous Audi A4 Convertible. The black beauty which I like to called it has been a wonderful car to drive, always realiable and joy to own.

It has maintained its great condition and has now found a new home to a nice family who I know will continue to look after and enjoy the great car. I'm gonna miss you NCS88J.

End of a chapter

2009-08-06T00:26:00.006+08:00

Life can be like a book full of chapters of the experiences and journey that we have embark on.

This weekend marks the end of another chapter in my life...of living in Australia for the last ten years. I first stepped foot in Canberra in 1998 working on some projects for the government and in 1999 until 2000 I was seconded there. During those time I developed my interest in darkroom development and printing of photographs. I also started shooting black & while portrait using the first Bowen studio flash that I purchased.

In late 2000 I went to worked at the Sydney 2000 Olympics where I had to stopped doing studio shoots for a while. In January 2001 I was offered a permanent job in Sydney where I have stayed until now.

It has been a fantastic journey for me living in Sydney, the many friends I have made and many deep friendship that I will treasure for a very long time. I will never forget you.

Here are some photos of my home taken last month a week before I started selling some of my furniture and packing the stuff to ship back to Singapore. There have been many happy parties held over the years from regular dinner parties to celebrating Christmas, New Year, birthday, world cup to even a party to celebrate the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympic.

I must say the special area that I loved most was my favorite couch facing my plasma TV where there had been many dvd nights that I had with friends. Of course there were also many special moment that has occurred on the couch that I will certainly remember very fondly of.

Thanks for the memories.

Quote by Paula Rego

2009-06-30T20:08:00.001+08:00

Every change is a form of liberation. My mother used to say a change is always good even if it's for the worse.

- Paula Rego

Relocation

2009-06-29T12:07:00.007+08:00

If any of you who has moved house before then you certainly can understand what I am going through to organise and plan the whole thing.

The past year I have contemplated relocating back to Singapore to spend more time with my family and my dad who isn't well. I was brought up with a very loving and caring family; and being away from them and not living in the same country can make it quite difficult.

I have spent almost ten years living in Australia first in Canberra and then Sydney. During those time I have worked in two jobs and have made many wonderful and thoughtful friends who have filled my life with fun and laughter. That has made my stay in Sydney memorable and the friendship I certainly will treasure for a very long time.

Planning and coordinating a move, selling personal belongings, packing and shipping of stuff can be quite daunting. The past weeks I have finally have enough courage to make all this happen.

To begin the process, I had to identify every items in my house that I like to get rid of and those that I like to ship back to Singapore. Quite a few items especially large furniture I was tossing between whether to sell them or ship them. Some I finally decided to keep due to its excellent quality and the money that has gone into it. Otherwise if I sell them, it will not fetch much value. For that reason it is better to keep them.

I have also created a website with the items that I wished to sell. Over the last few days I have been slowly taking pictures and cataloging them which was very time consuming. The buyers I will be targeting are friends and other online auction websites like ebay.

Wish me luck in clearing all the items on time as I have only three weeks to do so before I have to vacate my place.

Stan

Goodbye Michael

2009-06-26T11:39:00.005+08:00

1958 - 2009

The world today mourn the death of Michael Jackson, the King of Pop of 1980s-1990s.

I remember back in the 1990s I was a big fan of Michael. Together with thousands of fans, we have gathered at the National Stadium in Singapore to watch him perform. It was at the height of the MJ fever. Then suddenly through the P.A. an announcement was made that Michael was ill and wouldn't be able to perform. I was so close to watching one of the greatest performer performed but with sadness I will never ever again.

There will never be another Michael. The King of Pop legend leaves on in his music.

Michael, R.I.P.

Photo of the day

2009-06-26T00:28:00.001+08:00

Drive to Tidbinbilla

2009-06-16T23:16:00.005+08:00

I have spent the past two weeks visiting a beautiful national park south of Canberra called the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. I was there to implement a new tourist systems for their visitor centre.

The word 'Tidbinbilla' is Aboriginal in origin and is derived from the word Jedbinbilla – a place where boys become men.

I drove from Sydney to Canberra which is about 300km south. There it will be another 40km drive through through stunning valleys and mountains.

Close by the park is the Canberra Deep Space communication complex where I go to have my lunch. The complex is operated by NASA that listens to signals from outer space. The giant dish is a sight to behold.

Wikipedia on Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve - read
Canberra Deep Space communication complex - read

Visual Art Photography

2009-04-05T21:19:00.003+08:00

Creating a piece of visual art is something really challenging and fulfilling. Instead of shooting the conventional images that we see everyday, I try to seek out perspective that is unique, different and at times visually stunning.

Some of you may notice the familiarity of these images as they are used in my photography website - www.dragonshutter.com

Quote by Petar Kürschner

2009-03-31T23:43:00.002+08:00

Photography is the air I breath, the water I drink, the fire I step through, the rock I'm standing on. ~ Petar Kürschner

Streets of Bangkok

2009-03-25T20:23:00.007+08:00

Bangkok city is a kaleidoscope of amazing sights. From very posh modern malls to traditional shops and street side hawkers. The sight is always changing and walking down the streets you can experience the Thai cultures from temples to amazing food. Thailand is a land of smile and I can say it is one of my favourite country to visit. People are friendly and always smiling.

There are over 8 million people living in Bangkok and indeed very crowded everywhere you walk. Add to that, the traffic isn't better and if you are caught in a traffic jam it can be unpleasant. I find the best way to see Bangkok is to use it's BTS skytrain which is clean and runs on time.

In the last photo above, it is one of the best thai food I ever had. It was at a hawker stall at a side street at the popular Silom street. It was a muslim dish with yellow coloured rich and chicken curry. The spicy soup is a clear version of the famous Tom Yum soup. The food was delicious and cheap.

Streets of Paris

2009-03-20T11:51:00.002+08:00

Paris is considered by many as the most beautiful and romantic city in the world. The beauty in Paris is walking down its streets enjoying the magnificent architecture, a city oozing with art and rich culture. A city where you can enjoy a wonderful afternoon in a cafe sipping coffee and watching people walk by while music can be heard playing in the streets.

As Ella Fitzgerald sings the song "I Love Paris", in spring time, in fall, in winter and in summer, it's a timeless song that when you listen takes you back to that romantic city.

Quote by Ansel Adams

2009-03-14T22:12:00.001+08:00

Not everybody trusts paintings but people believe photographs.
~Ansel Adams

Children Birthday Party

2009-03-10T19:47:00.004+08:00

I have attended many kid's birthday parties. Birthday parties are usually where close friends of the family are invited and you would see a handful of little toddlers and children running around. There are of course the exceptional large birthday parties where almost every kids in the block are invited. It's like as if whole school football team has been invited.

One such birthday party was held at a park at Lane Cove. The birthday girl, Isabelle was was celebrating her 4th birthday. I was invited to shoot her birthday party. It was a well organised party where there were abundant food and games to keep the parents and kids occupied. Shooting a kid's party requires bit of stamina and fast reflexes as the kids could be running everywhere. Trying to snap children in motion can be quite challenging.

Read blogs on other photoshoot, family shoot

Bride photoshoot

2009-03-05T17:08:00.002+08:00

I recently did a few hours of photoshoot for a bride-to-be at her amazing waterfront house in Sydney. It was a Hen's party where she invited all her girlfriends to celebrate her last remaining days as a single woman before the wedding day.

The shoot was quite fun as all the girls were dressed up. I was told they wanted to shoot 'Vogue' style and later to create the photos as Vogue magazine covers.

The shoot started at the jetty which is located at the front of the house just a few metres away. It has an amazing water view. Nina the bride-to-be was fun to shoot giving me lots of different poses. The main picture here is my favourite showing grace and elegant.

Next location for the shoot was the swimming pool upstairs above the house. The last location was indoor where we did formal shoot with studio lighting.

Portrait Photo Shoot

2009-03-01T11:47:00.004+08:00

As a portrait photographer in Sydney, I get the opportunity to shoot many different portrait shoots from family shoot to couple shoot and of course individual portrait shoot.

Here are a selection of some of my favourite portrait shoot. The photos have been photoshop and retouched. When I photoshop an image, I would usually perform a contrast correction, polarize and bring out the colour. Retouching work can sometimes be time consuming especially when I have to remove blemishes, wrinkles and spots. One diffcult task is to perform a 'skin tuck'. Finally I perform skin softening and give the skin a glow.

Australia's First Lighthouse

2009-02-28T11:48:00.002+08:00

The Macquarie Lighthouse is Australia's First Lighthouse is located close to pictureque Watsons Bay.

It began operating on 30th November 1818. The original lighthouse built on this site was designed by Francis Greenway by order of Governor Lachlan Macquarie. This memorial was erected to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the establishment of the light.

Wikipedia - Macquarie Lighthouse

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Street view - click and drag on the picture above.

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Sydney City Skyline

2009-02-27T21:24:00.003+08:00

Here are some panoromic photographs of the Sydney City Skyline. They were taken for a client of mine who are in the property business. The panoramic photograph is shot in a series of images which are then stitched together and colour and contrast corrected.

The photos are later used to merge as background pictures into yet undeveloped showroom apartments for marketing purpose. I will blog those photos in future blogs.

These photos and other photos in my blog will be available at a later stage as stock images.

Male Model Shoot

2009-02-27T14:26:00.005+08:00

On my recent trip to Singapore, I shot a male model portfolio. We wanted to choose a location that is rugged and likely some ruin or dilapidated buildings. Having searched the internet and read up on forums, I decided on a very old large house known as Istana Woodneuk also known as Tyersall House.

It was built in the 1854 by William Napier and subsequently taken over by the Sultan Abu Bakar of Johor who had the house re-built in 1892. The house has since been abundanted and a fire that broke out in 2006 destroyed the roof. Having seen the many photos of the Istana on the internet with its stunning architecture I decided to use it as a location shoot.

I know it is going to be quite difficult to find the place as it is located deep in private estate with large overgrown trees and forest. The model and I had to climb over some barriers, walked through a long dirt road surrounded what looks like jungle to me. Before long we came over an old interesting house. Initially I thought it is the house I was looking for but it wasn't. Looking around it, I see freshly laid dirt road with construction equipments. I realised we are on construction ground and the Istana I was looking for was no way in sight.

We decided to do the shoot at the house for the time being. Before long we started to see trucks after trucks passing us and kicking up dirt and smoke. It was quite a challenge to shoot with all the dust flying everywhere. We had a good an hour's shoot before a construction worker walked to me and told us to leave because we were on private property. I had a chat with him and managed to convinced him to let us shoot for just a little while. He told me the Istana house is up at the hill.

I do hope the house will still be around the next time I am in Singapore as I would love to do a shoot there. After the Istana ground we moved on to the old Army office blocks at Tanglin to finished the shoot.

Photos of Istana Woodneuk by Daniel Cheong

See all blogs on - model shoots

National Park Trekking

2009-02-24T22:19:00.014+08:00

The state of New South Wales has many national parks that are popular with bush walkers. One bush walk which I did was the toughest I have ever embarked on. It has many different terrains, wet and dry; and hills to climb and descent. A friend suggested we do the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park bush walk which is North of Sydney. He said the hiking should just takes about 2-3 hours. We agreed to go with the plan as he was usually right from past experience. He was way off the mark.

There were five of us including his little boy Vincent who is 4 years old. The day started with us convening at his house and travelling in one car to Cowan train station. The weather on the weekend of October morning last year didn't look good. It was a little chilly and the sky looked overcast. We crossed the railway tracks into the bushland to begin our walk which started with us descending down the hill which is littered with large rocks. By this time it has started to drizzle and poured briefly. It certainly wasn't a very optimistic start to our walk. Half way done the hill with creeks and water flowing, and having to climb over large stones I think we did briefly looked at each other's face and wondered if we should continue with the hike. I guess we pushed ahead as we have been talking about the hike for sometime now and we just wanted to do it.

The trek took us through some significant vegetation change passing through bush to rainforest vegetation. After about 2 hrs hike and walking along side the river we arrived at the Jerusalem Bay at the bottom of the hill. It was quite rewarding as the view of the bay is amazing with palm trees and a few leisure boats anchored by the side. The water was calm and it was a good time for us to take a break.

After a short break, we began with a very steep climb up the hill. I think there were about 2-3 big hills that we had to climb. At the peak of one of the hill, the view across the plain was spectacular with rich green vegetation and hills. Along the way, we saw numerous water views and diversity of fauna. We also cross a small little dam which marked the beginning of our final descent. At the last hill, we could see from the distance the Brooklyn bridge which was picturesque. By that time we were exhausted and we started to break out into groups.

Vincent has been amazing so far and hasn't really complained about tiredness. Only towards the end of the hike did his dad has to briefly piggy-back him. Vincent reminded me of the Energizer battery ad that you see on TV. That cute tiny bunny that keeps running and running without stopping. Vincent is just unbelievable.

Towards the last kilometre, there was a big down pour of rain and I had to take shelter under a tree which barely protected me from the rain. By that time I have been disengaged from the group and was soaking wet. I did for a moment felt trapped and wondered how long the rain is going to go for. Thankfully it was brief.

By the time we descended down the last hill to Brooklyn station and see 'life', it had been over 6 hours since we started the trek. The sun was setting and we were exhausted, dehydrated and starving. We were glad the trek was finally over. We found a nice seafood restaurant, ate and drink to our heart's content.

It had been an amazing day. It's the story of this little boy Vincent, who regardless of his age shows us his determination and strength to go through the long trek and complete it. What a champion.

Bushwalking website - Cowan to Brooklyn Station
History of the Great North Walk - wikipedia

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Quote by Edward Steichen

2009-02-21T19:58:00.003+08:00

Photography records the gamut of feelings written on the human face, the beauty of the earth and skies that man has inherited and the wealth and confusion man has created.
- Edward Steichen

Best Nasi Lemak in Johor Bahru

2009-02-20T13:46:00.011+08:00

Food is one of the pleasure in our life. For me, I do have many favourite food and I will make it a point to have them whenever I can. One favourite food is called the "Nasi Lemak" which is a favourite dish among many Singaporeans and Malaysians.

A best friend of mine who frequents Malaysia introduced to me this famous Malay restaurant which is built on stilts out in the sea. It is built with wood in traditional Malay architecture. The name of the restaurant is called "Nasi Lemak Berlauk". I think it is also called "Indah Selalu" which is located at the district of "Senibong" in Johor Bahru.

Since my first visit there, we have been back numerous times. It has one of the best nasi lemak I ever had with delicious satay and fresh seafood. Due to the low Malaysian currency exchange, the cost of the meal is so inexpensive.

If you ever make it there, remember to order the fresh steam fish cooked in Thai spicy sauce which is so fresh and delicous. The satay is chunky and delicious. So is the peanut dip sauce that comes with it. The teh tarik milk tea is excellent too.

The drive to the restaurant from Singapore takes over an hour passing by Permas Jaya brige and Jusco towards Senibong district.

If you have a GPS, key in these coordinates and you will certainly find the restaurant with ease.

Coordinates: N1°29.086 E103°49.041

Incidentally when I googled for the words "Best Nasi Lemak in Johor" this restaurant is ranked first and mentioned in many other websites. So without doubt this is a winner!

Coordinates: 1°29'5"N 103°49'2"E

Updated to this blog: Jan 2010

We visited the restaurant again sometime in Sep/Oct 2009 but was surprised to find out that the food quality has deteriorated. The chicken that came with our nasi lemak was tough to eat. It tasted as though the chicken was a leftover and wasn't fresh. My friends left without eating the chicken. We were disappointed. What happened to our favourite nasi lemak restaurant?

Wikipedia - About Nasi Lemak

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Blogs to come

2009-02-18T22:01:00.000+08:00

I haven't been updating my blogs in the past month as I have been very busy with shoots, doing post production and a few other business. To my regular readers, thanks for coming by my blog pages. In the coming week I will be writing a few blogs that will be back dated including this one. I hope you will enjoy reading them.

Do leave a comment on my blog as I love to hear from you so I know who my readers are.

The following photos are shot at the beautiful house called The Roxleigh Estate in Scotland where I stayed. The occasion was a friend's wedding.

Model photo shoot at traditional shophouses

2009-02-15T18:10:00.007+08:00

I had the pleasure to shoot a gorgeous female model recently. The location was the old traditional Chinese shophouses along Mohd Sultan Road which has turned into a trendy place for pubs, dance clubs and offices.

When shooting outdoor I would usually use interesting backdrop to give interest to the pictures. In this shoot, the old shophouses with its high wooden ceiling, '5 foot' walkway, large wooden doors give character to the pictures.

Shooting outdoor always proves quite a challenge especially when the weather turns against you. Unlike shooting in a studio with controlled lighting, the weather, the sun can change at any time.

After we arrived at the location and I was setting up the equipment, the rain came pouring down from the sky. We tried to wait for the rain to stop but after a few minutes when it seems like it is not going to I had to be creative and start shooting around the limited space. The rain did finally stopped and we were able to move freely along the '5 foot' walkway.

Other blogs - High Fashion photo shoot

Window Display

2009-02-05T18:10:00.005+08:00

I was walking down Orchard Road one night. With the many shops all competing for shoppers attention, I thought what a better way to shoot their shop fronts.

I can imagine their creative force behind it will have a daunting task everytime to come out with something new, something refreshing to try to market their products.

So what works and what doesn't? Have a look at the photos for some of the biggest brands in the market.

Kid's Photo Shoot

2009-02-01T07:10:00.003+08:00

Sometimes when you are out with kids, you must be ready to snap some impromptu shots at short notice.

My adorable nephew Yirun was riding the children's carousel which was outside a restaurant where the rest of the family was having lunch. Seeing that my nephew is enjoying himself on the colourful carousel, it was perfect opportunity for me to take out my camera.

See family photoshoot - click

New Year goodies

2009-01-28T15:00:00.007+08:00

During Chinese New Year celebration, homes will be filled with many traditional food from home-made cookies and cakes to delicacies such as barbeque pork which are served to visiting relatives and friends.

I remember as a child growing up, my brothers and sisters would gather around the dinning table where my mum would prepare all kinds of new year goodies. We would help out like shaping pineapple tarts and oiling the trays. One of our favourite local salad called 'Ah Char' involves tedious work in cutting up vegetables, squeezing out the juice and drying them before mixing spices into it and then storing them in jars in the fridge. It is served with prawn crackers.

The pictures shows some of our favourite goodies from our family's favourite the pineapple tarts, bbq pork and kuih lapis (multi layers cake). Others are the sweet sticky cake and the 'Hwat Kuih'. These days, people tend to buy them for convenient rather than making them at home.

Temple visit on Lunar New Year

2009-01-27T19:57:00.004+08:00

The first day of the Lunar New Year is traditionally a day to visit the temple, to offer our prayers to Buddha to wish that the new year will be filled with good fortune, happiness and prosperity. It is also a day to pay respect to our ancestors.

The temple shown in the pictures are taken at Leong San See temple located at Race Course Road, Singapore.

Happy Lunar New Year 2009

2009-01-26T07:10:00.005+08:00

Kung Hei Fat Choi. Gong Xi Fa Cai.

Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year of the Ox. I like to wish all a very Happy and Prosperous Lunar New Year.

The Ox year traditionally brings stability and growth where patience and diligence pays off.

Read Wikipedia about Chinese New Year - click

Quote by Walker Evans

2009-01-18T09:05:00.004+08:00

Whether he is an artist or not, the photographer is a joyous sensualist, for the simple reason that the eye traffics in feelings, not in thoughts.

-Walker Evans

Family photo shoot

2009-01-15T18:00:00.004+08:00

Summer in Sydney is a wonderful time walking in the parks by the water enjoying spectacular view of the Harbour Bridge. On the weekend I had the nice opportunity to shoot Michelle, her husband and her gorgeous boy at a park in Balmain.

Tenth day of January

2009-01-10T07:00:00.005+08:00

As a child growing up, on the tenth day of each year in January, my mum would tell me that today is her wedding anniversary.

So on this day, I like to dedicate it to my mum and dad by scanning some of their black and white wedding photos. The photos of my youthful looking mum of course is way before she ever met my dad.

Island in the Sun

2009-01-08T19:00:00.009+08:00

The movie "The Beach" sets against a solitary beach paradise is one of my favourite movie. It is filmed entirely in Thailand at many popular locations that I have visited. From the bustling Bangkok Khao San Road area where backpackers from around the world converge to beautiful crystal clear water of Phi Phi Island.

The movie gives you a sense of what a tropical bliss feels like, travelling through Thailand as backpackers, making new friends and enjoying the beautiful sandy beaches.

I have backpacked around the southern islands of Thailand in 2007. Thailand has always been my favourite holiday destination, having visited many wonderful coastal towns and islands for many years ever since travel bug hit me. The Land of a thousand smiles offers friendly people, laid back culture, great food, beautiful sceneries and it is very inexpensive country to travel in. That were the reasons why I long to return to Thailand time and time again.

The photos shown here were taken in the island of Ko Lanta. It is one of a few islands that I visited during my 2007 trip. Ko Lanta is in the Adaman Sea close to Phuket and not as commercial.

When I backpack through Thailand I usually stay in simple accommodation such as the bungalow hut you see in the pictures. Almost every parts of the hut is made from trees and the outdoor bathroom is very basic decorated with shells collected from the sea.

It is that sense of living in nature, in its simplest form putting aside all the modern living and confort that excites me to go on this adventure.

Information on Koh Lanta - http://www.kolanta.net
Wikepdia on Ko Lanta - click

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Quote by DeGriff

2009-01-04T19:56:00.001+08:00

There will be times when you will be in the field without a camera.

And, you will see the most glorious sunset or the most beautiful scene that you have ever witnessed.

Don't be bitter because you can't record it.

Sit down, drink it in, and enjoy it for what it is!

~DeGriff

New Year fireworks at Sydney Harbour

2009-01-01T13:34:00.019+08:00

It's the New Year once again. It's another year of fresh start and new resolutions leaving the past year behind us.

A friend said to me last night that New Year is just another day. I replied it may be just another year but to some it's a new year of hope and dreams. We constantly strive to accomplish something in our lives and the road is not usually smooth. There is many bumps along the way but that can only strengthen us. The New Year is a way for us to reflect on our past, learn from it, grow and aim for our goals for the future. It is a way of life. Without hope and dreams our life will just be an empty shell.

New Year Eve fireworks over Sydney Harbour

I spent the New Year eve at a party in a house in Neutral Bay overlooking Sydney Harbour. Two years ago I was at another party at a different location in Neutral Bay. Both locations provide spectacular view of the world famous fireworks. Neutral Bay is fortunate to be hilly and I shot the pictures on the open rooftop terrace.

My initial plan was to camp out early at a prime location close by the harbour so I can have the perfect shot. That would mean having to go to the area in the morning and to wait over 10 hours before the fireworks. I decided against it as it would mean having to jostle with thousands of party revellers and some intoxicated with alcohol. The journey home after the big show will be horrendous with long queues and crowded trains.

The merry making at the New Year eve fireworks saw 1.5million people fronting the area around the harbour. There were two shows one at 9pm which was aimed at families and the main firework at midnight. The price tag is $5 million.

Happy New Year to all and wish that 2009 will be a fulfilling year for you with happiness and success.

Best, Stan Ngo

2006 New Year Eve fireworks blog
Sydney Morning Herald news - click

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Happy New Year 2009

2009-01-01T02:06:00.001+08:00

Watson Bay on Christmas Day

2008-12-25T18:00:00.006+08:00

At the eastern part of Sydney is Watson Bay which sits on the end of the South Head peninsula. It takes its name from the sheltered bay and anchorage on its western side, in Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour).

It provides spectacular views across the harbour to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Another popular beach is Camp Cove. Like many popular beaches in Sydney, some people celebrate Christmas day at the beach relaxing and swimming.

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Christmas around the world

2008-12-22T18:00:00.010+08:00

The season of Christmas festivity is upon us again. The holiday is celebrated by many people around the world and has become an important holiday in the calendar. Traditionally Christmas day is a religious and family event. These days non-christians around the world are also taking to the year-end holidays, to enjoy the celebration and Christmas has become a major event for retailers.

Do you ever wonder how Christmas is celebrated around the world? Some countries at the northern hemisphere may enjoy a white Christmas with snow fall while others will have a hot summer Christmas.

Over the years I had the opportunity to spend Christmas season in many countries around the world. In Nagano, Japan I celebrated a white christmas with my friends up in the ski mountain. Christmas day was wonderful with snow falling outside our beautiful and warm cottage house. Other cities I had the pleasure to spend Christmas was with my lovely aunty Yansee Wong at her home at Loma Linda in California. Other time it was in London and Toronto. Of course most Christmas day was spent with my family in Singapore and in recent years in Sydney.

Wherever you are celebrating Christmas, christians or non-christians, I like to wish you a very Merry Christmas. I hope you could spend the holidays with your loved ones and family, reflect on your achievements for 2008 with better hope and prosperity for the new year. Have a safe and happy holidays.

Best,
Stan

Model shoot

2008-12-20T09:00:00.005+08:00

I had a casting call for models on ModelMayhem website which is a fantastic models, photographers and makeup artists networking portal. My recent shoot in Singapore was organised through there. This time it is calling for models in Sydney that I could collaborate with.

I have met up with a few potential models that I could work with. The first model was David Lee who has numerous years of modeling and acting experience. He was very professional, photogenic and friendly to work with. In fact he was telling me he would rather model and act than go with his professional career path. He might be the next face for Singapore or Asia. So any casting agents in Asia needing a new talent, please get in touch with me.

For the photos shown here, I chose a clean fresh style that suited his face like those cataloges we see from Espirit. As he is also an actor I thought I shoot him with a series of expression which really turned out well.

David's TV commercial on youtube - click

See all blogs on - model shoots

Model Makeover

2008-12-14T08:00:00.004+08:00

Good makeup is essential in producing high fashion photography. One recent shoot I had, I had two models. While one of the model has her makeup done, the other model happens to be around when I was testing the lighting. Models usually go to a shoot without makeup. So I shot the above picture (inset) of the model without her makeup. The makeover picture has been airbrushed to enhance the look.

Good makeup can really transforms a person into someone totally different, be it the glamourous or the pretty look. Of course a person without makeup can be beautiful in its natural form.

It has occurred to me to ask myself whether some people can be too consumed with makeup that they cannot live without it? Can it be like a mask they carry around to give them confident? Why I say this is I recalled my experience with a Japanese girlfriend of mine a long time ago. When I got to know her and visited her home; on occasions at night I was puzzled why she never ever removed her makeup. After I explained to her that it doesn't matter to me that she finally opened up to the notion about letting me see her natural beautiful self.

Blast from the past - Christmas 1999

2008-12-10T12:55:00.002+08:00

It was December 1999 and I was spending my holidays in Singapore with my family to enjoy Christmas and the festive season. The family with mum and dad; new born Yi Run spent a lovely afternoon having tea at a restaurant in the city. Our new to be brother in law Ken-Lin has now become a regular in our family get-together. High tea is a popular Singapore afternoon social gathering which is buffet like with a large spread of various kind of food that are delicious and all you can eat.

Some popular venues to experience high tea in Singapore that serves local Singapore favourites or western:
Goodwood Park Hotel - click
Raffles Hotel - click
Swissotel The Stamford - click

Quote by Ted Grant

2008-12-08T12:09:00.002+08:00

When you photograph people in colour you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in B&W, you photograph their souls! ~Ted Grant

High Fashion photoshoot

2008-12-05T20:00:00.011+08:00

I had the wonderful opportunity to shoot two professional models Sarah and Rachel on Friday. Our make up artist was Shirley who created some stunning work just the look I was after for our shoot.

Two locations were chosen for the shoot. The first was the new second visitor centre at Botanical Garden and the second is the old army camp at Tanglin. Like any other shoot, preparing the models sometimes can be a challenging depending what the models look like during the day. The make-up process can usually take some time. After agreeing on the look and style we like to achieve, we found out that we are missing the nail polish to match the dark cherry lipstick colour on the model to complete the transformation. After much searching and working out a few sweat running around, I found the nail polish at a nearby pharmacy.

For the first location, I wanted a glamorous look for the models wearing dark cocktail dresses with high fashion poses. I initially shot one model at a time whilst the other is having her makeup done. When the two models were ready rather than the typical glamour shot to shoot we opted for something different which is about girlfriends having a fight. It worked wonderfully well and the expression on their faces explained it. We thought about posing as mannequin but it didn’t quite work out.

In the second location, I chose a deserted formal army offices to shoot the elegant models in colourful print dresses against rustic backdrop. There were many buildings that I saw on the drive in but this particular building was large, abundant and wasn’t locked. It has many rooms, the paint peeling off from the wall, the ceiling falling apart and some of its windows were broken. It was just perfect for the shoot.

Other blogs - Model shoot at Traditional shophouses

See all blogs on - model shoots

Location: Singapore Botanic Gardens website

Singapore Flyer night photography

2008-12-03T20:00:00.012+08:00

I have driven past the city's new iconic landmark numerous times and each time I would stare out of the window and marvel at the big structure that stands tall by the sea.

Singapore's version of the ferris wheel is called the Singapore Flyer and in recent years we have seen big wheels been built around the world. One famous wheel is kind of started all this craze is the London Eye.
The Singapore Fly is built on the reclaimed land at Marina Centre. The wheel is 150 m (492 ft) in diameter and 42 stories high built on top of a three-story building giving a total height of 165 m (541 ft). The London Eye in comparison is 135 metres (443 ft).

Each of the 28 air-conditioned capsules is capable of holding 28 passengers, and a complete rotation of the wheel takes approximately 30 minutes. Initially rotating in an counter-clockwise direction when viewed from Marina Centre, its direction was changed on 4 August 2008 under the advice of Feng shui masters.

More info:
Singapore Flyer official site - click
History of Ferris wheel - click
Singapore flyer - click
Google map - click

Making a splash!

2008-11-30T20:00:00.003+08:00

Spending time with loved ones especially my family is important to me. It has been a while since I last celebrated my birthday with everyone in my family presence.

It gave me great joy that my lovely sister Melissa threw me a nice BBQ with the family. During the day I took the opportunity to bring my lovely niece and nephew down to the pool to create a splash. Here are some photos where the kids certainly had great fun playing in the water.

Christmas Lights Up

2008-11-28T20:55:00.003+08:00

Singapore's famous Christmas lights up at Orchard road is at its 25th year. This year the theme is "A Sweet Christmas" and I can see why by the many light decorations resembling sweets and candies.

See Singapore Tourism - Christmas in the Tropics Lights up

Circus and Toast Box

2008-11-26T19:00:00.004+08:00

Visiting Singapore in the weeks leading to Christmas is usually greeted with a city dressed with many Christmas decorations in shopping malls and streets. Many shopping malls would hold shows with Christmas themes to entice shoppers to spend more during the traditional high sales month. One such mall I was at was the Raffles City Shopping Centre.

For tea, I headed to the very large basement mall of restaurants and cafes where I chose to eat at the "Toast Box" which is designed after the old Singapore coffee shops of the turn of the century with wooden stools. Here they serve traditional Singapore kaya toast with street style coffee. Kaya is a Singapore/Malaysia coconut egg jam which is my favourite jam that I find irresistible.

Wikipedia - Kaya toast

Raining in Singapore

2008-11-23T23:38:00.006+08:00

It's the 23rd day of November 2008 and just slightly over a month before Christmas. Here I was spending my first full day in Singapore visiting my family and friends. The weather was fine up until the later afternoon when it started to pour. I had just finished shopping at Raffles City when I was caught in the heavy downpour while crossing the road towards Chijimes.

I had my camera with me so while waiting for the rain to stop, I walked around the compound of the beautifully restored Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus which has been transformed into restaurants, bars and shops.

Trio Cocktail Party

2008-11-22T10:45:00.002+08:00

I was at Frasers Property's Trio apartments early during the week to shoot their cocktail party for their specially invited guests. There were two apartments that were fully furnished and exquisite in every way. Both are located inside the formal Alexandra Children's Hospital at Camperdown. The starting price for these two bedroom fully furnished apartments start from $1.3 million. The rest of the apartments are in the construction stage to be completed mid-2009.

Reference websites - Trio apartments, Frasers Property Sydney

Quote by David Bailey

2008-11-21T18:18:00.003+08:00

It takes a lot of imagination to be a good photographer. You need less imagination to be a painter, because you can invent things. But in photography everything is so ordinary; it takes a lot of looking before you learn to see the ordinary - David Bailey

Edinburgh, capital of Scotland

2008-11-19T19:10:00.004+08:00

Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland has rugged setting and vast collection of Medieval and Georgian architecture. There were many stone houses making the city very pictureques.

It has been capital of Scotland since 1437. The city is one of Europe's major tourist destinations and second most visited tourist destination in the United Kingdom, after London.

At the centre of this medieval city is the famous Edinburgh Castle which is built on top the Castle Rock and dated back to the 9th century BC.

Refer to wikipedia - Edinburgh

Website for Lumiere Festival de Saison photos

2008-11-17T20:42:00.002+08:00

At the recent event at Lumiere I shot close to a thousand photos for the full day activities. It was a mixture of photos from the activities to the sit in portrait shoot. I thought the best way to show the photos is to create a personal photo gallery for Lumiere.

A news article of the event is published at Lumiere's website with link back to my website. Have a read here. A piece of the news is also publish at one Oz Chinese website.

Gallery - http://lumierefestival.dragonshutter.com/

Lumiere Festival de Saison

2008-11-16T20:04:00.006+08:00

Recently I was at the Lumiere residental apartment to shoot it's first anniversary celebration which consisted of a day of activities for its residents.

Festival de Saison was an opportunity for its residents and guests to come together to sample a variety of classes, events and activities. There were swimwear fashion shows from 2eros and Jets, Napoleon and MOHS offering mini makeovers and hair styling, Oak Barrel providing the perfect accompaniment, champagne and wine tasting. There was also Stan Toohey providing caricature portraits.

As for myself besiding covering the events, I have setup my first photography stall to promote my photography. It was a mini studio that provided free portrait shoot which was very popular with 65 people posing for the camera. It was exhauting having to cover the activities over two floors throughout the day and going back to the stall at intervals to shoot the portraits. But it was rewarding as there were many great shots coming out of the shoot. All this would not have been possible without the help of my very hardworking friends. Thanks Karen, Sharon and Gerald for running the stall so flawlessly.

Visit the full gallery at - http://lumierefestival.dragonshutter.com

Quote by Richard Avedon

2008-11-07T20:19:00.002+08:00

If a day goes by without my doing something related to photography, it's as though I've neglected something essential to my existence, as though I had forgotten to wake up - Richard Avedon

2008 Winners at Sculptures by the Sea

2008-11-03T19:07:00.007+08:00

This year the top Artists award goes to Mark McClelland for his work titled "she thought" as pictured in the above photos. The other photos are the rest of the winners.

Incidentally, I did not know which sculpture was the winner when I shot the sculptures. When I first saw the sculpture, I thought the art work was different. The protrusion on both sides are visually interesting with smooth lines hence the many images I captured of this winning art work.

Other blog on the rest of the sculptures
Mark McClelland website

Sculptures by the Sea 2008

2008-11-02T11:57:00.011+08:00

I visited the Sculptures by the Sea at the Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk yesterday. The weather was a little chilly, abit overcast which is a big contrast to the temperature we had the previous day at a hot 38 degrees celsius.

The sculptures are different every years but I did noticed some artists were back this year with their work with their trademark style. In my opinion there wasn't many stand out sculptures unlike previous year.

Read this year's winners -2008 Winners
Read earlier blog - Sculpture by the Sea 2007
Office Sculpture by the Sea website

Kids

2008-10-31T20:19:00.006+08:00

Shooting children can be pretty fun. You have to lower yourself to their height, point the camera at them. And before you could release the shutter, they run off. Then you run after them. Sometimes it can be like a cat and mouse game. You can workout a few calories like a few children's parties I have shoot for.

Here are some of kids photos. The first photo is my favourite of Gabriel with his cute smile and bright eyes which I captured just in time when he turned towards me.

Baby Portrait

2008-10-29T19:55:00.005+08:00

Shooting a new born is quite a challenging yet surreal experience. You never know when the baby is asleep or awake. At any stage, you got to be creative and work around it. It's unlike shooting a model where you can shoot according to plan.

Portrait Photography

2008-10-25T14:03:00.009+08:00

"A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the person."

Portrait photography is possibly my favourite form of photography. Unlike photographing still objects where there is limited appearance, shooting the human form allow us to experiment with all sort of creative images which is exciting yet challenging. The photographer can shoot the subject with different form of expression and emotion. Add to that, the photographer must interact positively with the subject to create the most ideal result.

The following images are one of my earliest portraits that I shot when I bought my first set of Bowen studio flash light. They are also one of my favourite black and white images that was shot on Kodak T-MAX film. During those days I have access to the darkroom so I was able to develop the film, process the film and printed the photographs. The images are scanned from prints which show the original border which was added during the printing process.

See all blogs on - model shoots

Close up at Sydney Motor Show

2008-10-24T20:00:00.006+08:00

Shooting up close with the beautiful machines and admiring its detail is another form of great photography. When we are faced with alot of these cars within a confined space, usually there are too much information for our eyes to absorb.

Getting close and shooting the detail is something which I enjoy. You get to admire the exquisite design, great workmanship and the effort that goes into creating the great piece of machinery.