Portrait Features: Debbie (Lady Stiletto in a Suits) and Flory

We had been planning it for weeks for this portrait session. I suggested taking her portrait after looking at her Bali vacation photo. Debbie look so relax and natural in front camera because i guess she was taken by many professional photographer previously and indeed she did. Nevertheless, the rains put the plan on hold for weeks until i spot a clear evening day to shoot. First at all i really worried that she will not get used to me as a stranger taking her photo and then she brought her friend Flory. Flory is happen to be her childhood friend and at that moment i think there will not be any problem.



This is Flory, Debbie's good friend. She have a very good face feature for commercial shot but because of her lack of confident, the photo taken quite lack of emotion. Not so deep eyes, high cheek bones and nose and a good smile. It is quite hard to take her photo because the wind blowing her hair covering the face. I managed to take only some lucky shot of her.




This is one of her lucky shot. I shot the photo with flash face close to her face. Some over burn highlight after photo shop on the face even thou the picture look underexpose. Again, this photo was intensely photo shop to match the shadow and highlight and color correct at the face and manipulation effect at the back.




She looks gorgeous on this shot. The depth of field that focused on her and Debbie* blurred at the back make the combination look nice. Again, the eye contact looks perfect. (*Edited)



This is an act setting. It looks like a natural pose but actually not. I like the emotional outburst of laughter and give a happy moment feel that often seen in wedding photos.



At this time, i believe that she look more confidence over herself. Some of people look so anxious over big camera and cannot give a very best expression towards it. She still have some problem looking direct to the lens thou. If you aware of it, most of the photo of her holding her hair from the strong wind at the time.



Again, she is holding her hair.



A nice and natural position pose. There are some photos of her that i didn't really photo shop because most of the frame was over or underexpose. I will find more time to look at it one by one.



The photo above was taken with a flash sync setting. I don't know if it can consider it a flash sync photo but it does look like one. This setting although my shot not really a perfect one the most used in studio photo shot for commercial and weddings. I use a infrared remote flash setting to shot this photo and it turn out not so good until i did some correction in photo shop. The truth is, too much correction on the photos are not good because it mean that one photographer shot skills not up to the standard yet.



A straight looks on the camera with 8 o'clock flash setting. The ambient blue background look nice thou it should be warm. This was caused by the fast shutter speed only being able to get little color spectrum and my color filter to even out the skin's white balance color tone.

Basically, I rate this set of photos as good and more room for improvement. This time I only concentrate using a single 50mm f1.8 lens for a portrait setting and a bit 70-300mm zoom lens. I like the depth of field effect when taking a portrait because it more focused on a targeted subject. I have one actual couple pre wedding shot test shot with my friend on December. I am still thinking the location for this session and would like to find a newer place beside going again to resort or hotels. Maybe can be more casual or more people location setting. Well, we see how then.

Photo: Warisan Square Christmas Decoration 2

I'm back to Warisan Square with my friend for a second round photo testing where we missed out during the last trip. I managed to bring out my flash gun but not being able to fully utilized it because most of the shot was done indoor.



The problem with every newbie or wannabe photographer is to know what and where to point your camera. It is quite hard for a person to take a photo out of nothing. One has to have a clear concept before attempting for a shot session. Once reached at the location, a photographer has to know the surrounding well. Find any object that relevant to your planned concept and ideas.



Ideas and concept must be flexible and adaptive with the surrounding. A good photo will able to tell a story to the viewer in a simple way. That why most of award winning photo went to photojournalist people. A random photo without a direction is meaningless although it look nice.



The rule of third is tested many times and proven to be the best way to take a photo or video. One can break those rules once a while, but it depends to the direction the photo can bring to the viewers.



A photo should be able to capture the moment and surrounding of the area. In this case i tried to capture the Christmas decoration in Warisan Square. Whoever did the Christmas decorations want to present a very colorful twinkling star such as in Harry Potter movie.



I took above photo with a flash turn on. I thought this photo was spoiled, but with a a nice shadow and highlight, color touch up and contrast readjustment, it look great. As i expected, many good photo was taken out from the bad one. So, next time don't be too hurry to delete some bad shot, maybe it can be your best one.



This silhouette Christmas decoration look simply nice with the poster model assumed looking and posing at me. Sometimes wall poster shot can be a part of any photo shot setting and still presenting a great meaning.



A light from the store decoration can be use as a primary light. In this photo, one can see the soft shadow on to the face and body of the elf statue and the red ball. The statue look blur because the focus point is at the read ball.



Photo of a building model displayed at the hall. An experiment shot with depth of field with my 50mm f1.8 lens. I took most of the photo with this lens because of the low light situation.



The elf was taken on the first floor. The light from display window shines gives a nice soft light on the statue. Nevertheless, one have to know that this is a post processing photo and my original shot was not as balance as this.



Window display light can be a very ideal primary light when photographing a person. It well distribute and lit, but one have to aware most of the light not white balanced.



A very simple star buck coffee shop’s Christmas decoration.



Last, the hardest photo to take. I ended up photo shop it. Anyway, to have a look over my full collection of Warisan Square photos in slide, please click here.

What i have in mind for a Portraits

Photo above was taken by me using my friend's cyber shot hand phone camera. I like the depth of field that focuses on the ring foreground and the faces blur at the background. The actual photo was actually out of highlight and shadow. I do a heavy photo shop touch up on the photo and ended up manipulate some optical illusion on this photo. I'm not sure if i can call this as a portrait or not. Somehow, I feel that this is not right as a portrait itself or might not interesting enough to be one.



My friend's little brother has a good look and style from my point of view of portrait. I don't know if my concept is the right way or not because i didn't have any formal education such as flanegan. Everything has to base on heavy reading via internet and some others example. Photo above have a dark shadow on the left side. I like the natural light setting gentle on his face and the shoulder with him not looking at the camera giving an impression that he is thinking.



This photo was heavily touched up and put effect. I got this idea from clarice who took a nice self portrait of herself and in another hand, I took others people portrait. The mirror reflection my friend and iPod wording sure give a double meaning. The subject have an iPod and happy with his gadget. Not looking at the camera gave the face a smooth looks. The motif and pattern blend in softly and over burn color giving it a nice effect like a lomo camera.

I have some friends volunteer for my portrait test shot. One is a personal shot and one a real couple mock up as a pre wedding test shot. I do it for free at the moment because I need to get the feel of working with people and make sure the equipments that I had adequate for the purpose. With rain almost every day for a week, I have to wait for a good weather and most important for the subject to get ready without hesitation of me taking their photo even thou it just a test shot. I wish I had the time and resource to do lots of experiments of photography but with limited and not so perfect sets of equipment that I had to spread among the photography, video and graphic, I ran out thin.

Tribute to Kota Kinabalu Rain

I got this idea from maslight on her previous post. I actually don't mind of raining everyday because even if it rains, i have no where to go most probably. Edgar seems to experience the bad side effect of constant rains in his post here to here. Flanegan lost his photo artistic touch because of the rain in here. The rains call charlenediane to take more vanity shots and it is beautiful, simply beautiful. Zainijimmy got off time from rubber tapping maybe an early retirement from God. Midnight rains and hot chocolate for rachel.

So, let sing the rain song all together! ^_^

Photo: Warisan Square's Christmas Decoration

My friend just bought a new digital semi professional camera. It is Canon G9 and she waited for almost two month for this gadget because it worth to wait. With an extra underwater casing, she intend to use it for her diving activities.



I would like to write how good this camera for point is and shoot range but this youtube video review do a better job explaining than me. I stumble upon jacQ blog post about her and wei chuen having Japanese lunch with her friends. She mentioned about the Christmas decoration on progress in Warisan Square and i feel that i should take some photo too because i took some night test shot at there before. So, on the Friday night, i ask my friend whether she want to join me on my photographing activities and at the same time give her a chance to get use to the camera setting and its powerful function features.

Upon arrival at Warisan Square, i took out my gear and starting to click on the Christmas tree. I aware people starting to do the same thing taken out their gear no matter professional or not. I just realized that i forgot to bring a tripod and flash gun, but i don't think it is a big problem as long the light is good and in close proximity for my built in flash. This is not the case when taking a photo shot outside.



I was looking a different way to present the Christmas decoration. So, i decided to start using my 50mm f1.8 lens to get a good depth of field effect and focus on one item that presenting a meaning of Christmas spirits.



I wish i have two digital slr camera. I keep changing lenses between the 50mm f1.8 and 18-70mm lens to get the desired shot.



Then Josie come and say hi to me. I don't even aware she is there. Maybe she also doesn't too, but i think my camera flashes distract her peaceful dinner with her sister and her about to kick my butt when she realized that was me. haha.. No, actually she is so nice to come and say hi and ask me to post the photo out for her to see. I unaware snapped her photo as she pointed to me that one of the subjects is her. Lucky her.. Photo above with two ladies, one cream and red color shirt. She is the cream color shirt one.



I think i better know how to use the DSlr compare to the last time i come. I make sure the entire mistake i did in previous shot fixed and not repeated. I watch out for the ISO setting around 400 - 800 and the composition of the subject to be clear and 2/3 rules being followed. It is interesting to know that every feature built in to the semi professional and professional camera have its own important function in photography technique.



Photo below have a strong depth of field that focus on the third far red ball. It looks like a planet going to be align. We have planet big red, medium gold and small red with the far wall ceiling fan planet. The back blur view of the restaurant and the table suppose to be the backdrop.



Christmas trees without the star on top.



If you all can see that, who ever built the sign lamp forgot to stick the 'e's and they ended up spelled 'coff'.



The snowflakes with wall of strawberries print out. I don't know with others, but i kind of like this photo but the extra string messed it up a bit.



Two gold bells and two blue stars. I took it outside at the coffee bean’s shop.



I tried to create a good depth of field photo but it not look interesting enough. My focus pointed at the Christmas banner.



I have problem on getting a wide shot on the 50mm lens, so i change back again to 18-70mm lens. The problem with outside light is the street light is so yellow. It is out colored the green tree, blue light and white cream wall. The automatic white balance did not fixed the problem, so i set it to tungsten mode to compensate the warm yellow view. Now, i have problem in setting and finding a good compensation exposure. I have to take more than 4 shot to get the right exposure. Sometimes i lost of what to do when every shots taken was dark. At the end, i found out that one need to think a lot and always look back and remembering on the camera setting before moving to a new location and taking a different photo.



The color is well distributed except the yellow flood from the street light.



Left side.



Right side.



I was supposed to test my 70-300mm zoom lens on this next shot if not because of the little rains dripping and it going late. I need to sent my friend back because she have nothing to do. Her camera batteries gave up on her and she forgot to bring the second extra along.



I don't know why the elf was used for decoration. This elf lady looks so simple and cheap. It like she making some whispering gesture and i don't know what the meaning of it. Maybe whoever designed it just cut and pasted it randomly.



On the way back to the car i saw the Warisan Square logo on the glass. I took some close up shot and realized the security guard was looking at me sort I want to plan a heist.



Second close up with the Christmas tree on the back.



Wait for the second sets of Warisan Square's Christmas Decoration photos. I haven't take it yet..

Photo: Dog, Dog and Dogs

I was looking back some of my old photo and found few photos of a dog. Most of the shot taken at my home. Most of girls like dog. I don't know why but they sure get excited when looking at a dog photos and don't mention the real one. From cute puppy dog to fierce Doberman and rotwiller.


This one was taken last year with a video digital camera that i hardly use.


They are best buddies.


The dog was thinking what am i doing and where he can bite me.


Beauty, my friend's bitch.. yes literary.


He got the kick out of it chasing or being chased by only kancil and yes, he remember the brand.


He got the balls or not? No i don't think so...

For a bigger slide show, please click here.