Over the years, I have collected a series of ring shots from various weddings & engagements that I have shot. As with every wedding, each ring has a story to tell. At each wedding, I try to think of how to shoot the rings differently. I have a whole set of video shots of rings too, which I might share in the future. That is even more funky and creative because you get to play with motion! Hope you’ll enjoy this collection and do share which one is your personal favourite!
Alex’s iPhone pic
After a long day of shoot, I completely enjoy coming home to my husband Alex for a snuggle (after the shower, of course!). But today, I came home from my morning shoot to find french toast and coffee waiting for me in the kitchen. And of course, Alex. :)
After yesterday night’s squabble about “Me being very careless and dropping things often” which made me a little upset… I guess after this surprise breakfast, all is forgotten. For those of you who know about my goldfish memory, forgetting is really easy to do.
Isn’t that what relationships are all about? You love, step on each other’s toes, yell occasionally, and then forgive and forget. And then, you eat french toast.
It’s almost a year since I shot Amri & Daphne’s wedding. Happy upcoming wedding anniversary, you two! Hope you are enjoying married life heaps and heaps!
I can’t believe how things have changed since one year ago. The way I shoot has evolved, and the way I look at light and posing has been refined.
During Amri & Daphne’s wedding, Kee Sitt was with me, and shot some behind the scenes shots of me at work. Somehow, I never had the time to edit it (and never did!). This video was edited by Shu Wan. Thank God for her, otherwise, it might take me another year or so to get this behind the scenes video up! I must say, it is really really difficult to see yourself on video – I get really self-critical… Why are you standing that way? Why is your hair so messy? Stop moving so much! What are you rambling about?
And so, in order to be completely honest with you, here’s me at work – silly quirks and all. Hope you’ll enjoy it!
[flv:http://www.stories.my/wp-content/uploads/2010/slideshows/daphneamri.flv http://www.stories.my/wp-content/uploads/2010/slideshows/daphneamri.jpg 700 394]Photographers: Grace & Mark
5D Mark 2 Video: Alex & Shu Wan
Same Day Slideshow Editing: Shu Wan
Gown: Pretty in White
Make Up: Angie Ng
Dinner Reception: Jaya Palace Restaurant
Two days before their wedding, I spoke to Elsa, and she told me, “I am not sure whether we are going to have a tea ceremony in the evening or morning with my relatives… let’s play by ear and see what happens” That’s how laidback Mak & Elsa are when it came to planning their wedding. She told me that her friends fretted more than she did over the wedding! Despite all that fretting, things went well for Mak & Elsa, and their wedding day breezed along smoothly.
This was my first time at Balakong, and I am glad I didn’t get lost finding Elsa’s place! Thank God for google maps! But I think it is time for me to invest in a GPS.
Together with my team, we came up with this same day slideshow that was played that night at Jaya Palace Restaurant. Watch out for the cool ring shot thought up by Mark at the end of the slideshow!
[flv:http://www.stories.my/wp-content/uploads/2010/slideshows/makelsa.flv http://www.stories.my/wp-content/uploads/2010/slideshows/makelsa.jpg 700 394]Here are some of my favourite shots from their wedding.
The lace on her gown is just exquisite!
For this shot, Mark had to hold a reflector next to me, not to reflect the light on Mak & Elsa, but to shade them from the sun!
This is kind of how the place looked like:
I didn’t know it when I took this teapot shot, but it seems that teapots were going to be the theme for the day!
Especially at Jaya Palace Restaurant, where they had large pillars filled with cool teapots like these! We were a little worried that we’d knock into these teapots as we squeezed between tables…
This restaurant had really really good food.
Thanks for being so welcoming and for taking care of my team, Mak & Elsa. Oh, and thanks for walking up and down the stairs a couple of times for us to get the ring shot, Elsa!! :)
Ever since I became a photographer, I have griped on and on about not having anything to wear for a shoot. To be honest, back then, I didn’t really know how to dress. I only knew that most photographers wear black (which to me, is really really boring, despite the many explanations of how black should be THE colour).
My choice of wardrobe was always linked to what I had to have on me at the time of shoot. During full day wedding shoots, I always carry my Think Tank pouch with me that contains memory cards, spare batteries, name cards, my phone, lens pen, and lenses (of course, duh!). I find that having a pouch helps alleviate the stress of carrying a heavy slingover bag on my shoulder. I don’t want to be carrying two camera bodies (with flash sometimes) on my shoulder AND lenses too. So the weight of the lenses rest on my waist and hips.
Ok so Lara Croft look-alike belt is ready.
So obviously, dresses are a no-no right? It’s fashion kill to combine both a pouch and a dress like how I did here:
I only wore a dress for this shoot because it was sooooo hot during that wedding! Photo taken by Mark.
So, most times, I am wearing pants and a shirt/nice top for a shoot. Like this:
Ok, I don’t always shoot barefooted! This was taken by Ian at Alfred & Geeta’s Hindu wedding last year.
I always believe that a photographer should look and dress well for the occasion. I don’t feel it is appropriate for a photographer to come for an event dressed shabbily when all the wedding guests are dressed so well. Round collared T-shirts are a no-no for formal wedding events!
But you know, ultimately, I would LOVE to wear something like this at shoots:
Minus heels of course. I cannot imagine running around for 10 hours on heels.
Lately, I won a Shootsac bag which means that I can ditch the pouch for short shoots. But after 5 hours of shoot, it is still a bit painful on the shoulders. However, the Shootsac enables me to wear dresses without butchering the entire look. :)
Alright, this is NOT a dress, but it’s a shot of how my Shootsac looks. Taken by Shu Wan.
A few years ago, Veralyne, a superb gown designer who used to work with Pretty in White, but now has her own label… told me that she’d design a dress for me for shoots. Recently, she gave me this design:
It looks lovely! I asked her, “Where to put lenses?” and she has yet to get back to me. Hehe…
Anyhow, I think for now, I’ll just stick to wearing pants, nice tops / shirts with the Think Tank pouch and occasionally a dress with the Shootsac.
