Shanghai China & Okinawa Japan – Next

Right. Two countries, one itinerary. That’s going to be interesting. Let’s plan this one out a bit.

Pro Tips – Soft Images

On the contrary of projecting razor-sharp images to your client every time, which, in my professional opinion, is so stereotype and dull, the timely use of introducing “off-focus” shots in a wedding portfolio can bring about that unique flair that most photographers never dare go near.

Softness (not grossly out of focus soft) can complement a people-centric portfolio, among those many expected sharp moments you got under your belt. Go soft, as seen on the above image, which obviously was achieved with a manual override upon focus confirmation.

Go wild and be surprised!

250,000 Shutter Counts and Beyond.

Just did a count this morning and realize thats indeed a small milestone for me as a enthusiast-turned-pro (at least in name by Nikon NPS) has been reached.

Of course, its not simply about how many shots you have taken but the journey in getting there, that really matters. In retrospect, I would love Nikon to make a Nikon D800 in a D7000 body in 2015, with her complete DNA built in. That would be cool. 

Being in a full-time Business IT Advisory line of work, you can say the advantage is clearly on my side to go places and see stuffs that requires both a hefty travel budget and time, and I would say Nikon Studio is that little window you may find somewhat interesting to you…without having to leave your chair. 

My work calendar is pretty much done for 2014 as I contemplate new venue and places to go work first, then shoot. Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Suez, Mexico are on my “special” radar for 2015 but nothing’s set in concrete yet. 

As an update in Tokyo, I fail to acquire ANY gears this time round, to my own surprise, as there’s clearly nothing worth the dough. It was rather quiet. Microsoft Surface Pro 3 is trying to make a killing this Christmas here and worth a look with her bundled keyboard and Office Suite. Did not appeal as I already have one… 

What Lens Strategy?

With that constant marketing manipulation campaign Nikon is blanketing the world, a line has to be drawn against it, a preconceived strategy to counteract a disease caught on by most photographers – GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). 

On the top most of our priority list, we need to first recognize that there’s only so much dry cabinet space we own, and that leaving our gears in the open humidity is just plain silly – not unless you want to end up having your gears crippled by the deadly wave of fungus found in the moist air. Can you believe it?! I manage to keep my key lenses and gears on a 30L electric dry cabinet! The remaining are always on the move with me as I travel the world for both work and leisure.

Most of us will begin with the standard zoom kit lens with that first DSLR we acquire. No big deal. For that minority twenty percent of us who actually graduates from the crowd, we typically move on towards the “zoom” path, where we systematically obtain a more and more powerful zoom lens, hoping that that would be the wisest strategy to adopt, economically. Bad move!!

Let me elaborate. To begin with, zoom lens, though convenient, destroys your desire for a keener “frame” perspective (something you need in order to get better quality moments). Secondly, zoom lens invite unwanted dust into your camera, like it or not, as you suck them in with each pump action performed by each zooming in/out action. Thirdly, the majority of the the zoom lens available (save the top pro zoom) are optically inferior and “aperture-ly” deprived compared to their prime siblings. And lastly, prime lenses when purchased collectively may still be cheaper and lighter than a combined zoom lens.   

If you ask me today, I am primarily shooting with all my prime lenses. The zoom are often reserved for classroom instructions. That’s the result of the long road traveled and lesson learnt so that you don’t need to. A vital rule of engagement to note though – shoot only with one prime lens a day without changing it. This conditioning will help improve your photography – trust me.

Gears for Malaysia and Thailand

Rotating among Canon, Nikon and Sony gears, its about time Nikon is next.

Since this is supposed to be a real vacation on a relative big ship for me, I guess I am talking about some serious rest from carrying a roller of optical hardware and just enjoy a one camera, one lens configuration.

The idea of just picking up a small but capable Nikon D3300 is very tempting, considering how old my Nikon D3100 is today and the tens of thousands images it has taken but the lack of weather sealing has left much problem thus far on these entry point cameras.

The extensive taping up such cameras doesn’t seem to keep those dust away from the viewfinder. Let’s see…

An Issue Over Quality Versus Quantity

It must have something to do with your raw instinct that you will ultimately end up where I am today – that the concept of shooting less so that you can yield more becomes so right a thinking that your brain and heart propel your photography eye further with each shot.

Until you can now almost effortlessly create moments and perspective that most common folks fail to see and conceptualize. You get the drift… You are now objectively seeking that moments that will not emerge until you complete your interpretation of the place you planned to be in, with the chosen gear you understand can assist you to capture that scene.

Well, at times, with incomplete time to preplan the above, an exercise of wits, angle, lightings, lens position, subjects, color, contrast, clear isolation, image context, gear choice, timing and budget all rolled into every passing second. That you do with each depressed shutter button.

Shutter count becomes non issue. Image quality does. An image that tells that thousand words does. And really, that’s all that matter to me from now on and beyond…