L’amour Paris

Revisiting Paris was like a rusty run-through of old art history text books.
I did not have the luxury to admire great masters at the Lourve museum. But still, they were everywhere, in the architecture of churches, in the city’s layout, the cobbled-stone streets, the artists and musicians who had time – time for a sketch, time for sunshine, time to breathe the day in.

The Clignancourt flea market in Paris was such an amazing experience of furniture. Old airplane parts converted into a bar. Baroque mirrors, Bauhaus, Modernist and Art Noveaus galore, unique pieces and upholstery to be found.
And then there was a stall of Louis Vuitton luggages and cases, in sizes so surreal you see them only in Annie Lebovitz pictures.
Wish I could cart some of those armchairs home, and add them to my already bursting “future apartment” collection.

Wouldn’t it be so lovely to have a studio of high ceilings and timber flooring, that smells of linseed oil and oil paint and glue, with a separate section for a studio and lights hanging from the ceiling, with a cherry-picker so you could shoot from above?
On a Sunday where the streets are empty and shopping is almost non-existent, enter the Eugene Delacriox private collection exhibit and it was packed! Storming! with people.
Staring at his brushstrokes, I suddenly remembered that Cezanne came after him. And then a flood of memories of the movements that came after.

I walked out, feeling mentally refreshed and creative.
More than making photos, I wanted to get my hands dirty and start drawing again.
Start creating. in any medium. in crazy ways that push boundaries.
I am feeling new blood rush through my soul.

A line from a Eugene Delacriox exhibition held in the premises of his former studio and in the room he died.
“My lodgings are indeed charming. The view from my small garden and the cheerfulness of my studio always give me pleasure.”

Travel notice

Hello all,
I am currently travelling for shoots and response to email will be slow till March 10 so please bear with me till then, I will try my best to write back to you. Thanks muchos!

Shirley and Chek Wei’s Wedding

At first, he didn’t think she was pretty. At first, his jokes were not very funny.
But slowly she began to laugh with him, and he began to find her cuddly.
So begins the love of Shirley and Chek Wei, through ups and downs, triumphs and failures.
Thank you Shirley and Chek Wei for giving such an honest speech about your lives revealing even failures many of us would have kept to ourselves.

Shirley and I studied together at River Valley High, being asked to shoot her wedding was a real honour.
The couple’s speeches were beautifully delivered in Mandarin and poetic verses, which made it more so endearing.
I was moved to tears by Shirley’s recollection of her childhood experiences and how her father always made sure they had more than enough to eat even though work was though.
Chek Wei thanked his brother for always giving up the best things for him and his mother for being a strict disciplinarian, and always making sure he gets a full breakfast before school.
The hall was a spread of laughter and tears that overflowed, even from the most stoic of fathers.

Their wedding montage was a slideshow dedicated to their parents with photographs of how they painstakingly brought them up. It was such a wonderful wedding, dedicated to the people who made them who they were.

Thank you Shirley and Chekwei for your insight to love.

Jeremy and Victoria’s Wedding

From Victoria and Jeremy’s wedding held at the Shangri-la Island ballroom last month, their first dance as a couple, sweet : )

Mike and Angela’s Wedding

Loved Mike and Angela’s wedding because it was down-to-earth and Singaporean.

All the elements in the ’story’ come together to represent a Singapore heartland wedding unique to the Chinese in South East Asia.

The Scene is set in a HDB block undergoing LUP (Lift Upgrading). Potted plants line narrow corridors, the MRT track is a stone’s throw away. Very Chai Chee, Very Bedok.

The Characters: Daddy’s in a Batik shirt, watching his little girl turn into a bride, many excited relatives gather in the home early in the morning to help out, and waiting for the tea ceremony.

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Angela’s home was order in chaos, but oozing, so o0-oo-zing with character, I like!

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The visuals coming through were simply the stuff of dreams. Everything was real, honest, unpretentious.

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The couple chose a 早安老师 theme for their ’sisters and brothers’, after the popular 1980’s drama serial, “Good morning, teacher!” Which is why the bridesmaids are bespectacled, holding canes and rulers; the groomsmen dressed in Khaki shorts, like the school uniforms of the early 80s.

Congratulations Mike and Angela!

Gown: French Bridal
Banquet: Grand Shanghai

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On Nostalgic binge

Always had a crush or two for 80s Singapore.
Mama shops, Void Decks, Longkangs, Socialist architecture, long HDB corridors, tricycles, tin cups, wet markets, Tak qiu, old men playing chess and hanging out with song-birds in cages on display.
These images remind me of a smelly childhood bolster that never gets thrown away. Feels like home deep deep down.

Perhaps the charm lies in that these social enclaves get bulldozed and reconstructed before we get to live our lives completely in them?

I am glad to have clients who share a love for things like that.

Re-hashing some old, and previously unshown pics from Don and Eileen’s pre-wedding shoot.

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White Rabbit Wedding and update

A very hectic and physically strenuous two weeks – 8000 clicks, 8 blisters, 800 steps, 80kms, 288hrs of standing and squatting with my camera. (nah, kidding! Only the first is probably real). I am beginning to measure my life out in clicks.

Photographed two amazing shoots in Hongkong. (One’s confidential for now, the other’s truly a delight). Hopped over to Guangzhou and Macau for some personal snaps, and back to Singapore for 2 back-to-back weddings that I enjoyed sooo much!

Then, received a surprise call from Supei, my dear dear friend who’s back in Singapore to celebrate the Lunar New Year. I am so overjoyed and can’t wait to head to the beach to share the sunset and good bottle of wine in Sentosa.

At the same time, I also have to work doubly hard on picture edits, streamline this year’s family visits to the essential and give up the chance to revise my mahjong.

Guess you can’t have everything all the time. But it’s still good because truth is, I’ve been looking forward to having for the luxury of time to simply sit in front of the computer to edit my takes without any distraction, and that has to be during the holidays.

Sneaks from yesterday’s wedding at The White Rabbit. Shooting inside this former chapel, even before it turned into a restaurant, has always been a wish, and now it’s materialised, with the bonus of two wonderful clients Roy and Serene.

Love’s light shines warm and deep, like melting chocolate lava cake, enjoy ; )

Venues : The White Rabbit, Intercontinental Hotel

Weather: Glowing!

Dresscode: Swank

Band: Jack and Rai

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Nikon Feature in FOCUS magazine

My reportage work has been featured in Nikon’s quarterly Focus magazine, issue 25.
It is a generous spread of 13 pages, including the cover page.
Thanks Nikon!

Below are excerpts downloaded from Nikon’s website.
Images can also be viewed on my main website.

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Alex and Pauline

At 12, entering River Valley High School for the first time alone to buy text books and school uniforms and holding tightly to the $100 (the biggest note you ever saw) your mother gave you, was a really scary experience.

I had just received my secondary school posting and was lost yet excited.

Then I met Pauline in front of the school auditorium. She was recruiting for the National Cadet Corps. I remember she had this smiley face and told me I could shoot air rifles if I joined the NCC. So, I signed-up. Pauline became in-charge of our Sec 1 platoon, and apart from shooting air rifles, we also got to shoot the M-16, climb some mountains, attend lots of horror camps and did a lot of push-ups in the scorching sun!

I lost touch with Pauline for years after she graduated. One day, I saw her on a poster at the MRT station and found out she was a fitness instructor at Amore. Then, a few years later, I received an email from her, to shoot her wedding. So, we met again, not in our awkward nurse-like school uniforms, but she as a bride, and me as her photog.

Incidentally, Pauline’s two sisters and her mother were all also from River Valley High. How lovely!

What came out strongly during the wedding was Pauline’s moving speech, thanking her mother, for being first and foremost, her best friend, sharing her joys and supporting her in every little way.

Some pictures to share.

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Regina and Jason’s Wedding

The first time I met Jason and Regina, what I thought was coffee turned out to be dinner and by the end of the meal, they had decided to engage me as their photographer for the biggest day of their lives.

They decided early on that photographic documentation was the only way they would want to look back at their wedding and there would be no videography. So I am honoured to be entrusted with this task, Regina was also a very easy-going bride to work with. I hope they will be proud to show these images to their children and grandchildren in a time to come.

Gown: Tan Yoong, Venue: IL Lido, Sentosa

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