PORTRAIT ::: BLOSSOM IN THE DARKNESS ::: YANNI
「黑夜裏的綻放」
…
餘暉過後的玫瑰
會不會在黑夜裏綻放
已釋放過的香味
是否殘留淡淡的溫柔
黑夜裏綻放吧
哪怕只是片刻的美好念頭
從不期待到白晝
哪怕它熬不過黑夜的盡頭
…
模特：蝴蝶
攝影：Felix
…
SOUTH ISLAND PRE-WEDDING ::: FREDDY AND PRISCILIA’S LOVE JOURNEY PART I
If 2011 was busy, 2012 is doomed to be a busier year. On the first day of 2012, few hours after the New Year Countdown, I had to dash to the airport for a pre-wedding photoshoot in South Island. And the next thing I realised, I found myself landed in the beautiful Queenstown.What a good way to kick off the New Year!
The photoshoot didn’t start until later in the afternoon so I had some quality time to enjoy my brunch, relax and to scout around for new photoshoot locations. The beautiful golden fields got me lost in this beautiful season. If it wasn’t the blazing sunlight at noon I would have forgotten we were in Summer. The colour was beautifully gold. And just like in autumn, it’s windy, very windy and a little bit cold.
It was Freddy and Prescilia’s first time visiting New Zealand. With their family they drove a campervan all the way down from Auckland to Queenstown, where we first met. Prior to the trip I’ve been communicating with Prescilia via email and on facebook so they got to Queenstown with everything well prepared – dresses, gowns, makeup kits, accessories, magazine photos and so on. I was so impressed!
We say a journey broadens our horizon, so what more could a Love Journey bring to us? In this journey we will be exploring Franklin, Queenstown, Arrortown, Mt Cook and Lake Tekapo together and of course the photographs taken and the stories told during the trip…Please stay tuned! 
Shooting bridal portrait in strong wind can be extremely challenging as any kind of hair style cannot escape the fate of getting messed up. However if you are able to hold your hair as much as possible and attach a veil to it, you will see magical results!
Pris looked so gorgeous in this one.
and this one!
Freddy’s just proven he could do the same.
TO BE CONTINUED…
TRADITIONAL CHINESE WEDDING ::: GORDON AND POOILENG
Happy Chinese New Year! I wish everyone a prosperous and successful New Year of Dragon! May all your dreams come true and may this Dragon Year bring you joy, peace and good health!
It’s been almost ten years since I’ve come to New Zealand; it’s been four years since I last visited my family back home; and I’ve already lost count of when was the last time I actually spent Chinese New Year with my family. A long time ago by memory. I’ve spent the most important ten years of my life in a foreign land which I now can call my second home. And it is on the festival occasions when one misses his dear most…especially on this day. I remember the happy days we had when we were kids, when families would gather for Reunion Dinner on Chinese New Year’s Eve, when firecrackers and fireworks were still allowed to be play at every cornor of the stairwell and courtyards, when cousins and I would plan fun games in grandparents’ house while our parents were watching the CCTV Spring Festival Gala Evening. Good times, memorable times! I still remember how we thought the programs were only entertainments for our parents and never meant for children, so I’ve never finished watching the whole show for once in my life…until today. Perhaps the more grown up we’ve become, the more we respect our traditions. And the everyday things we took for granted became treasures that we are afraid of losing, when everything formed part of the history became a history.
Traditions are only traditions when people are willing to put in effort to keep them. Although it may not be quite a tradition to have a wedding on Christmas Day, having your house decorated with Double Hapiness stickers, the bride dressed up in Qi-Pao, exchanging red envelopes and hosting a tea ceremony as a sign of showing gradefulness and respect to the elderlys would definitely imply bringing good fortune to the couple and their family. And on this festive day, keeping tradition would mean having your household filled with the element of RED! I experienced just that at Gordon and Pooileng’s Chinese Wedding. Traditions. The joy of celebrating for the marriage of a couple, their families and our own traditions!
One of the most interesting part of a Chinese weding is Picking up the Bride. The groom’s true love for the bride needs to be testified before many difficult challenges.
In many cases, the bride is in a waiting position inside her house…
And waiting comfortably. LOL
Here comes the Groom!
The groom is fully charged, ready for what’s to come.
And Gordon made sure he did not come alone. Every successful groom is accompanied by many warriors who put themselves forward to fight.
Because chinese wedding never goes easy on the boys.
Look at how well-planned the girls are…they are the ones who sets the challenges!
The groom needs to be very careful with his answers when facing challenges, because for every mistep, there would follow consequences! Various kind of conequences! They involve the ones you can imagine, and the ones you can’t.
So in order the pass through the gate, the boys would need to wise up and strategise their moves.
Every stage you pass, the Groom is one step closer to seeing the Bride.
The brave knight who stays put will eventually see the light of dawn! And pass the gift of love to the hands of the bride.
Bride’s mum was filled with happiness.
Congratulations Gordon and Pooileng, you guys are stars! And I can’t wait till your Western style wedding. : )
AUCKLAND PRE-WEDDING ::: ALBERTON HOUSE SPECIAL ::: JAMES AND ZILING
As far as weather in NZ is concerned, Summer is still MIA. Where is sunshine? Where is walking along the beach? Where are heatwaves and ice-cream? Where are volleyballs, surfboards and all the things that are supposed to make me picture a nice Summer? Stop! Let’s not go there. In the reality, I am sitting in front of my computer, editing pictures I took from December and in the middle of blogging. As I was working throughout the Christmas and New Year holidays, I didn’t feel cheated by the upsetting weather. Well I did work on some of the statutory holidays too, but remind me why didn’t I charge double pay for those days? PASSION! That’s the reason. Well I really like what I do. And being responsible for the couples and individuals in front of my camera has always been what drives me forward. And I am so honored to have many of my friends and friends’ friends who trust me in capturing many splendid moments of their lives.
I’ve got to know Ziling from SHOWTIME, an online platform where models, photographers and makeup artists collaboratively work together to achieve certain photoshoot projects (See our previous projects by clicking the links below). She’s fun, smart and willing to sacrifice anything for a good photos. So when I was asked to shoot her and her fiance’s pre-wedding photos I knew this was going to be interesting. And since we’ve set the location on Alberton House and Muriwai Beach, there’s no reason why wouldn’t it be…
SHOWTIME MODEL [ MAY ISSUE ] ::: ZILING
The history of Alberton house can be traced back to as early as 1863. It was latter expanded to 18 different rooms, each decorated with matching Victorian style of furniture and ornaments without compromise. For couple who are interested in some places special to get married or have a photoshoot, you may want to check out this beautiful venue. : )
People are usually not settled for just one location, so we headed to my favourite west coast. BEST BEACHES there!
2011 REFLECTION AND HELLOW 2012!
Happy New Year! Thank you for those of you who follow keep your ongoing support for me and my blog. I believe you’ve had a wonderful Christmas and a great start in the New Year.
It’s a tradition for many of us to celebrate our New Year by going into the city for New Year’s countdown as well as watching the midnight firework. And for me, it became my tradition to write something to conclude my past year when transitioning into the New Year. Unfortunately this year I was not able to finish this post in time due to my busy schedule, but it definitely feels wrong not to write about it at all. It’s better late than never. Right? Right.
Friends who know me well would know that I go to movies often, pretty much a wide range of films. And in one of my most recently watched movies, The New Year’s Eve, a speech made by Hilary Swank (acting Claire Morgan) in the middle of the film really is what enlightened the soul of this all-star celebration movie and made it different. I googled it and here’s the original quote I found:
“It’s suspended there to remind us before we pop the champagne and celebrate the new year, to stop and reflect on the year that has gone by. To remember both our triumphs and our missteps, our promises made and broken. The times we opened ourselves up to great adventures or closed ourselves down for fear of getting hurt coz that is what new years is all about- getting another chance. A chance to forgive, to do better, to do more, to give more, to love more. And stop worrying about what if and start embracing what would be. So when that ball drops at midnight and it will drop, let’s remember to be nice to each other, kind to each other. And not just tonight but all year long.”
It’s true. In the process of pursuing our dreams and success we must not rush into actions. Instead we must take time to pause, reflect and set goals, having the confidence the next year is going to be great. This is one of the main reasons I keep a blog going instead of employing a fancy-designed website. This way I get to keep track of my photography, the things I do, the people I met and basically…my life. And of course my life is way more complicated than what’s on this blog, but when I do go back and read through my past entries, I do get encouraged of how far a path I have come. Ultimately, I feel glad.
The Last Image of 2011
This is one of the last images I took in 2011, taken at Cornwall Park on 30th December. It perhaps well describes what my past year was like – a not so straight path with lot’s of rain, but well protected and full of companies. The end of the road was not easily seen but the scenery along the way was beautiful. That’s 2011 – New job, new friends, hurts and wounds, every growing business with new allies and new opportunities.
This year again I was pleased to be back into the city again to watch the New Year firework. Although the skytower was not clearly seen due to cloudy weather, the celebration spirit was nothing less.
While some would like to keep their heads or bottles up to celebrate, some decided to take the competition right through to the new year. ; )
No matter where you are and how you would like to celebrate your New Year, it’s always important to know you are not celebrating it alone.
As for 2012, what will this year be like? Will I be able to reinforce my advantages and further develop my strengths? Will I be able to learn from mistakes I made in the past and be wiser and be a better person? I am excited to find out! But what I know is, we are off to a great start. This year is going to be different. Because I know it deep in my heart.
I wish you a meaningful 2012. Keep your passion up and follow your dreams!
A SOLJANS WEDDING ::: KEVIN AND R-DEE
December on the Southern hemisphere side, where the stormy days were supposed to be so last season. But when sunshine and blue skies are still feeling a bit camera-shy, the best thing you can do is perhaps to prepare a Plan “B” and hope you will never have to use it. The weather in this early Summer hadn’t been exactly great as it had been raining the entire week leading up to their big day on 17 December. Therefore, raining on the big day would not be a surprise to anyone at all, but the question remained – is the rain going to stop, and when.
It seems like the unwanted rain had invited herself to the ceremony that day. When the bridal and her wedding car arrived at Soljans, just a few minutes before the ceremony start, raindrops started to fall from the sky. Sensing the need for a backup venue, the venue organiser were about to initiate Plan “B” – moving the ceremony indoor. “Can we wait till the rain clears?”, asked the bride. With a degree of confidence in her voice she still seemed to believe the situation will soon change despite the current weather outside.
Sometimes life puts us on a test only to help us find wisdom, strength and confidence to over come it. Other times, we need to realise our limitations and leave things to God, trusting that He is in control. Somewhat within less than five minutes, the weather cleared and the bright sunlight was shining on the beautiful garden of Soljans. Wines were waving in the wind as if they were saying, ”It’s time. Let’s start!”
At the wedding, “the Celebration of Love”, we revisited the testament of faith. While to others it’s a reminder, for some of us it’s reassurance. Absolute reaassruance. Congratulations Kevin and R-Dee. I am so proud of you two. And I hope the Slick will look slick like never before and the Charm will stay charming forever. : )
I took so many photos on a wedding day and it really hurts not being able to post all of them. But here are some of the photos I loved and picked and I hope you enjoy viewing them.
Every wedding is unique, so is this one started off at Braemar. There are heaps of fine details to photograph and I adore places like this.
The bride’s mum was around for the whole bridal preparation sessione, watching her daughter getting make-up and hair done. What could be on the mum’s mind? I guess it must be a complex feeling. But the smile on the mum’s face told us at least that. She’s proud of how beautiful her daughter looked that day.
A few more portrait before the bride heading for the ceremony. GORGEROUS!
Here comes the most anticipated moment: father holding the daughter’s hand in the clear sunshine, slowing marching towards the red carpet. Everybody’s attention was drawn by her. Imposing, elegant, imposingly elegant.
Pastor, celebrant, groom’s father…Uncle Albert plays his triple role pretty well that day.
I have no idea why they smile at the camera like this. Good job boys with the teeth and identical poses.
I have photos to prove how great the weather turned out to be during the ceremony.
It’s NOT the kiss, it’s the moment before…and right after.
If I had to pick one photo to define the wedding day I would choose a wedding recessional shot like this every time. Abundance of happiness and the overflowing of joy and love completely revealed on the couple’s faces. Nothing can cover that.
A simply WOW…
17 December 2011. One big great day to remember!
LOVE JOURNEY ::: KEVIN AND R-DEE’S ENGAGEMENT PORTRAITS
Time is the one thing in universe that makes no apologies for its passing. It slips through fingers; it outruns its keeper…we can’t catch time, but we can catch the moments, leaving us the most beautiful memories.
If a photograph is to catch a moment and a blog is to share stories, then I am proud to say that I am doing both. Although often enough I feel I needed more energy and time to do them, some events are far too important to let pass unrecorded; and some memories are far to precious to leave behind forgotten.
For the past few weeks, this is the Auckland engagement post that I have been dying to blog about: the stories took place between two wonderful friends I know.
I’ve known Kevin since the start of the Second Semester of my first year in University, which was…2004. It feels like a long time by now. In church, people often call a good christian a man(or woman) of God, a man of integrity, accountability and faith and so on. For Kevin…he not embraces it all, he’s also a man of real interesting characters. Whether you have been friends with him for a long time or only just met him for one day, you will be able to gather what I am trying to say here. For the fact that he was trying to make reference to the parables of the master seed while we were photoshooting under the big tree, you would know he’s special. HILARIOUS! And he has always been so.
R-Dee is special too. Whenever I think of R-Dee the image of her doesn’t pop up without her gigglings and laughters in a clear audio form. She’s the creative brain of the PR & Promotion team in church that I’ve always found joy to work with. Being R-Dee, she’s extremely proactive, driven and fast, making my jobs butter smooth not matter how fat they were. Say if she’s starting something up tomorrow then you’d better watch out, because whether it’s singing, dancing or brainstorming, she just has the talent for them all. At the end of the day, I am still absolutely grateful that when it comes to photography, I still have my say in this regard.
Enough the overheated introductions. This post is not about how I met them, but a few sets of their photos represnting a series of events took place between them, taking them from where they were to how far they have come.
Starbucks, Symonds Street, Early 2009
The slightly faded memory brought us back to her first year in university (2006): It looks like a freshman was looking for a fresh start. Wondering around the quad, set to look for a Christian club and a church, she saw many club stalls, but one in particular, stood out from the rest – the dynamic, friendly and rightfully the best Christian club at the time - ”CCM”. That’s also because all helpers at the CCM stall are well-organised and professionally trained, and we always made the best effort to talk to people with curious looks. As we all say, the first impression is important. The start of a chapter all began with him at the stall approaching her with a detailed intorduction, friendly eye contact and a ready smile…
Several years later, she was already the one standing in that same stall as the club president and he became the club adviser, They were working and serving God together as a good team. On a hot summer weekday in 2009, the bond between them grew stronger at that very one-on-one meeting at Starbucks on Symonds Street, without any meeting agendas, notes or plannings…It’s just to get to know each other BETTER. Starbucks coffee had never tasted so good before.
Parnell, November 2009
In a cosy sunday afternoon, on a street filled with boutique shops, resturants, bars and cafes, even the air feels a little vintage. At this beautiful place of Parnell, they had their first talk over the possibility of courtship. It was their first time bringing such matter on the table, together with something else – a chart. Yes, a flowchart from R-Dee with bulletpoints outlining expectations and how things are supposed to “flow”. When a project manager gets involved, you’d know you are up to a some kind of project.
Cornwall Park, Mid-2010
That first talk at Parnell has kindled countless prayers and meaningful conversations. Much effort was made to ensure they both share the same values and goals, he passed her a book to read before her going away for her overseas holiday. That’s the exact same book we’ve used as props during the engagement session. Trust and honesty could only bring two already-opened hearts even closer. With the right foundation, relationship was able to grow deep and strong, just like a big tree rooted deeply into the ground. Around two months into their courtship, they enjoyed their first picnic at Cornwall Park…
Devonport, March 2011
A guy kneeling in front of a girl, with a diamond ring in this hands, and with eyes looking right into her eyes, also with quivering lips and pronouncing some touching words…Perhaps one could probably imagine such familiar scene from a TV show or from the movies; perhaps a proposal already wasn’t the most difficult thing to prepare for, but before a relationship could even reach this far everything had to be in line with God’s timing. Eleven months into their courtship, in front of the stunning Auckland City view from the Devonport marina, marked another beautiful chapter of their lives.
17 December, 2011
They day we’ve all been waiting for… : )
…TO BE CONTINUED
ZEN GARDEN WEDDING ::: ANDRE AND SABRINA
Ever since I shoot Donald and Kylie’s wedding I have decided this is the venue that I would like to revisit. Opportunity arose when Andre and Sabrina decided to hold their wedding ceremony there at Zen Garden, the one-stop all-in-one venue that is so perfect for weddings. The place it’s so huge that I simply couldn’t see it all even for my second time there. This place is refined, detailed, unique and full of taste. I love it. Brides, this place is well worth to book! Side-note: I am attending Vikki and Ken’s wedding this Sunday and guess what? It’s at Zen Garden! : )
Here are a selection of photos to showcase the wedding venue and Andre and Sabrina’s big day.
Andre specifically asked not to miss the carvings inside the wedding rings so here we go! : )
Photographing preparation is always my favorite part as everybody is still being relaxed and fun. Look if the boys don’t dress up properly I would always call them to do it again. LOL
Given the amount of features Zen Garden offers, there are just so many details to work with when shooting the bride’s shoes and gowns. This definitely adds a lot of value to the photos.
Jane did an awesome job in putting makeup and styling the hair for Sabrina. And she looks absolutely beautiful.
Well, other than the bride, the flower girl Danielle also dressed up beautifully.
Doesn’t she look gorgeous with Sabrina?
During the ceremony this is one of the must capture shots for me, the groom’s expressions as the bride marching towards him…
I thought the blowing bubble idea was cute. Thanks for the effort girls! ; )
She looked so happy!
Spontaneous reaction when Andre putting the ring to her finger.
I love this photo. The bridal party looked happy and the joy was overwhelming. The weather was very good so I could capture some flare in the photos.
Definitely, I am already looking forward to my next photoshoot at Zen. ; )
RWC ALL BLACKS VICTORY PARADE IN AUCKLAND
If I had to describe what NZ was up to in 3 words it would be : Rugby World Cup!
If I had to describe what NZ was up to in 2 words it would be: All Blacks!
If I had to describe what NZ was up to in one word: Celebration!
New Zealand is crazy about rugby. And with All Blacks victory over France in the RWC final we have certainly gone even crazier! It has been a remarkable one and half months since the launch of the RWC and there’s just an ever building up of atmosphere in this country. We’ve now reached the point of having to release such energy and excitement. Hence the victory parades! It’s incredible!! Auckland was once again packed with people who were ready to witness and share the joy of All Blacks’ victory.
If you know me personally or have read about my blog post earlier you would know that I am not a rugby fan. But this RWC has certainly made some big improvements. I really enjoyed watching those games at home with Nigel, Sammi, Gordon, Alvin, Emily, Joe together and those evenings have become the highlights of the month. Having spent a third of my life in this country I would say I feel very proud of New Zealand also. This would be the biggest event in New Zealand for many years to come so we must know, must see and must capture. And to cheer for the All Blacks, I present this set of photographs entirely in B&W. Go the All Blacks! Go NZ!!
ANTICIPATING THE SEASON OF WONDER
靜靜聆聽季節變換的聲音
輕輕掀起一片粉紅的漣漪
昔日櫻花樹下的歡聲笑語
無數陽光底下掠過的倩影
抹不去的便是迴憶
數不盡的叫做期盼
Model: Crystal Ng
Photographer: Felix Wu
RUGBY WORLD CUP 2011 OPENING NIGHT
New Zealand is crazy about rugby. So we bought the world cup to us, and now are hosting the largest ever sports event in the nation’s history. By memory the only rugby game I watched properly was about eight years ago, the night before sitting my final exam? It was England vs Australia at RWC Final. I can’t even remember who took the trophy in the end. But regardless whether you watch, like, play rugby at all, the wide spread of excitement has certainly infiltrated every person in the country. And when it finally arrives. Boom! It lid up the whole Auckland City!! Streets, bars, the viaduct, downtown Auckland were so congested that it was impossible to move. It felt like any push from people would have broken the equilibrium of safety and literally cause people to fall. It was over crowding! But that’s why I was there – to soak in this RWC atmosphere. You know how we say NZ has more sheep than people right? This feels like the once in a life time turn around. ; )
I was fortunate enough to have a friend who lives nearby the CBD and offered for me to park at his carpark. This really saved the hassle of waiting for buses when retreating from the city. I’ve heard people stood hours before getting into a bus or a train. That would be a nightmare. NZ’s transport system was never really prepared to handle this amount of people, and this is based on common knowledge. But I am sure same thing would have happened to most other countries too.
The fireworks were a little disappointing. They were coming from all angles but most of the time it felt like lack of boosts. As I was viewing it from viaduct it seemed scattered and a bit weak. I was expecting more to be honest. By comparison the laser lights really added much more dynamic to the show. I was standing too far from the screen so I missed the opening ceremony at Eden Park. So I watched the Youtube video when I got home. It was amazing!! Go All Blacks! Go NZ! Make the kiwi nation proud!
Some short-lived peaceful moments before hyper-excitement begins…
Auckland was extra vibrant in this evening of celebration.
Here comes the All Black fans…
Then more tried to jump into the photo…
As I set up my tripod trying to take some shots, people on the street always want to come in your way.
The Tonga fan club is here!
It’s pretty intense playing against NZ All Blacks. ^^
Look at their expressions…haha!
Try!!
LOVE JOURNEY ::: JERRY AND MIMI (PART III)
As portrait and wedding photographers, our eyes were trained to multitask. We need to see and consider many things at one go – compositions, lightings, colours, DOF, emotions, poses, clothings and the list just goes on…and as our eyes become more and more sensitive, the supposedly easier job could sometimes take longer than expected. Well then, I think we will just have to trust in our own artistic instinct.
If you are a loyal blog reader you would have read about Jerry and Mimi’s Love Journey – their engagement photoshoot in South Island. You can find the previous episdoes here:
LOVE JOURNEY ::: JERRY AND MIMI’S SOUTH ISLAND ENGAGEMENT PHOTOSHOOT (PART I)
LOVE JOURNEY ::: JERRY AND MIMI (PART II)
LOVE JOURNEY ::: JERRY AND MIMI (A BEAUTIFUL INTERLUDE)
Now when I reflect back on destination photoshoot journey, a lot seems to really have happened. We stood in front of Mt Remarkables; we sat by the reflective Lake Wakatipu; we explored the beautiful Queenstown; we walked along of the bushes of Arrowtown; we not only tasted the infamous kiwi fish-n-chips, but also had delicious Japanese Kohan Bendon box for dinner; and to conclude the day, we had a tour at the Mt John obervatory to see the amazing sourthern night sky. A lot of happenings, but most importantly, we had fun. These are our priceless memories, all in DAY ONE!
Jerry and Mimi will be doing their pre-wedding photos in Auckland in September, but anyhow, on the sunny DAY TWO we’ve decided to bring in some pre-wedding flavour into our photoshoot. Mimi put on a white dress she prepared in advance matched with a veil while Jerry was in suit and looking smart. They have put in a lot of thoughts and efforts into their photoshoots which made me think it is such an hornor be able to photograph their enagement photos.
So here continues their love story…
Well, even though they began their relationship, it was not an easy ride and Jerry did put in lots of effort to make it work. There was a day when she was studying hard at home and someone knocked at the door. And to her surprise, it was a delivery man with flowers from Jerry. It was really sweet and unexpected.
The first time they met in real life as a couple was really hilarious. He travelled all the way from Auckland to Singapore just to spend a memorable few days with her on Bintan island in Indonesia. He bought her a bracelet from Auckland and surprisingly, that was the very same bracelet that she had been looking for but was sold out in Singapore. Perhaps this is destined.
They are a blessed couple. When they both thought that long distance relationship was hard to maintain, miracles just happened. The faithful God opened doors for Mimi to successfully take up a job here in Auckland, and that lead to the beginning of a brand new journey for them…
by THE CHURCH OF GOOD SHERPHERD
LAKE TEKAPO
MT JOHN OBSERVATORY
All the best for Jerry and Mimi. THE END
ANOTHER PARADISE
零下一度的氣溫是否能凝固悲傷
南半球的繁星是否不會覺得孤單
匆匆劃破夜空的流星是否在趕場
曾經錯過的美景是否能重新欣賞
相信遙遠的異鄉
那未知的另一端
在雙手無法觸碰的地方
必定存在着另一個天堂
致逝去的爺爺奶奶
IT’S BEAUTIFUL
I am still suffering from post-fun-trip syndrome…how I just wish it could go on for a bit longer. Greedy as I am, I would just like to share two photos we took at Lake Tekapo during the trip.
Remember last time I’ve learned a few tricks about the stars and finding the axis of the southern night sky? They’ve all come to good use this time.
The exposure was set for 300 seconds for this photo. So it took about 10mins to take this one shot with our camera, excluding set up time.
Here’s another one with the famous Church of Good Shepherd. Truly amazing isn’t it? I think the beautiful stars got me. : )
THE BEGINNING OF A LIFETIME JOURNEY
【The Beginning of a Lifetime Journey】
遠離繁忙的街道與交通
城市熟悉的聲音似乎仍在迴盪着
迎面吹來微微的涼風
這次要講述的會是屬於誰的故事
昨日，今日，還是明日
晴天，陰天，或是雨天
故事當中的甲乙丙丁
是誰讓你們放慢了步伐
期盼充當主角的你我他
又尋找到新的起點了嗎
我們無法改變太陽升起的方嚮
春季的花兒也不因我們而提早開放
不過請一定要相信遠方
勇敢的邁出腳步
踏上屬於自己的旅途
模特: Crystal Ng
化妝: Crystal Ng
攝影: Felix (Me)
文字: Felix (Me)
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THEME OF LOVE ::: JOLIE SHI
愛之主題 「 THEME OF LOVE 」
這次以清新，柔和，朦朧爲主要風格
以一樹山的銀杏樹爲背景拍攝了新的作品
命名“愛之主題”
名字來自於Final Fantasy IV裏面音樂，曲名又叫“通向光明”
雖然第四步遊戲自己沒玩過
不過我也算是最終幻想系列的粉絲吧
因此同樣能多多少少感受到音樂想要表達的內容
淡淡的憂傷中帶有堅強，對未來充滿這期望
等待這美好的到來
新作「愛之主題」
希望大傢喜歡
攝影: Felix Wu
模特: Jolie Shi
化妝: Yiyu Wang [安藝映像]
特別鳴謝 Photo4U 提供服裝
在空中的盡頭
嘗試躲開那心的車輪
在遠方的同時
誰也不會想到
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雨聲中
一邊澄清耳朵一邊發現
被封閉起來的語言
似乎已被埋沒
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注視着心跳
空虛的瞳孔
看不透的心
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對方在遠方等待
思念着我
提早的構想
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爲了曾經的約定
我要打開被封閉的門
奔向遠方
儘管路途艱險
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取出的盒子
在拿鑰匙的時候
不知道什麼時候被弄碎了
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號召的聲音
唱着被愛的歌
現在什麼都不用做
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曾經的約定
隨着船沉入黑暗
對方的指引
在有光明的地方
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True Elegance. 「BLUE」
True Elegance. 「BLUE」
【藍】是永恆的象征，代表純潔，清澈，寧靜
【藍】即是無際的天空，又是海洋之心，不挑剔，心胸容納一切
身為三原色的一員，与【紅】【黃】二色相比，【藍】顯得沉穩，和諧，低調
卻又充滿深度，神秘与多變
它反映出人性的大方，理智，冷靜
同時也夾雜着傷感和憂鬱
【藍】帶有一種強烈的現代感与時尚感
紫藍散發的是獨有的高貴
淡淡的藍述說着淡淡的優雅
帶給大家新作
【藍】
MODEL: ZILING
STYLIST: AIKO. (Rensfx)
PHOTOGRAPHER: ME
POST-PRODUCTION: ME
ASSISTANT: MR.TRUSTY : )
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LOVE JOURNEY ::: JERRY AND MIMI (A BEAUTIFUL INTERLUDE)
When you are looking at a camera, you do not automatically think about who produced it.
When you are looking at an amazing photo, you do not automatically think about the photographer behind the camera.
But when you are looking at the stars, it would make you wonder…Who was their creator?
Previously, in PART I and PART II of Jerry and Mimi’s Love Journey I have posted some of their beautiful engagement photos taken in Jacks Point, Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown and Arrowtown. After approximately 3 hour drive we’ve finally arrived safely at Peppers Bluewater Resort at Lake Tekapo (Thanks to Jerry for being our awesome driver!). So much for Day One’s photoshoot, and I was glad that they both had a good time being in front of the camera! It’s been an awesome day so far and we just wished we could maximise our South Island experience a little more. And we did!
As we were driving towards our hotel, I told Jerry and Mimi about this Earth and Sky observatory tour at Lake Tekapo and how badly I always had been wanting to go up but never succeeded due to cloudy skies at night. We decided to give it another try since the weather was looking fairly promising this time. We were told how lucky we were because it was the first night in the week to have clear sky at Lake Tekapo! There we go! We wrapped ourselves up with loads of clothes and joined the tour departing at 10pm.
Here’s a photo I took for them in the van going up to Mt John. Thanks to modern DSLR’s amazing high ISO capability, I took this photo in complete darkness! Canon 5D Mark2 + 35mm F1.4L just rocks at night, I mean, in really really dark night! : )
Here’s another photo taken with max ISO, F1.4 at 1/15 second.
It was already fascinating listening to the tour guide telling us about stars and skies, and bits and pieces about astronomy that I had not much clue about. But when I learned that photographer Frazer was there with some special equipments to assist us take astronomy photographs he suddenly became my best friend. Frazer had this interesting tripod that was set to rotate at the same speed as the sky’s rotational speed to allow capture some long exposure photos without us worrying about getting the star trails. Frazer and his assistant help me mount my camera on the tripod and exposed it for 233 seconds! After a few trails and errors here’s what I’ve got. An amazing milky way with a fine details of stars! At that very moment all I thought everything was worth it!
Really thank God for this little extra experience, I was really inspired to put more effort into landscape photography. Because it’s truly satisfying!
The stars are part of the beautiful creation. And so are we. Although we both look small.
Coming up in Jerry and Mimi’s South Island engagement photoshoot, we will see some nice change. : )
TO BE CONTINUED…
LOVE JOURNEY ::: JERRY AND MIMI (PART II)
It was an utter excitement to review this entire set of South Island photos. I mean literally. It felt like a dream. “Unreal” was probably the most common vocabulary I used during the two day South Island destination photoshoot because it was just soo PPERFECTTT! I understand sometimes we think that it’s the location, or the lighting, the techniques, the glamour, the outfit, the poses, the props or the photographer etc, but it wasn’t. While having all these elements combined can probably yield some stunning portrait photos, it wasn’t about them. It was about the true, genuine love between the couple being photographed. Love is the heart and soul of photographs in such nature.
When you are out and about you are always restricted by something called schedule. The sun can be your best friend or it can be your worst enemy, depending on how your relationship goes. I approached this set by allowing the two of them freely interact with each other. By doing so not only saved us a lot of precious time (for the delicious local fish & chips in Queenstown) but also brought us more natural looking sweet photos.
Here their Love Journey continues…
So after a few years of working at two different places, they somehow got back in touch and that was when she found out that he had moved to Melbourne. Towards the end of 2009, she and her good friend were planning a visit to Melbourne and contacted him to meet up. But thing was, he was moving back to Auckland around that same time.
Fast forward another month, they finally met each other in an ex-classmate’s wedding in Kuala Lumpur where they enjoyed chatting and cherished each other’s company. Since then, they started sharing more even though there was 4 – 5 hours time difference between Singapore and New Zealand. He always appeared on MSN at 11pm Singapore time, which was actually around 4am NZ time. And of course, he kept coming up with ridiculous excuses on why he needed to wake up so early.
Despite being thousand miles apart, they felt connected to each other. He sent her a song that was close to her heart, just in time to encourage her when she was feeling down. They supported each other and sharing their part of the world became a daily habit in their life. They were attracted to each other. One day, he told her how he felt about her. That’s how their relationship officially started.
Things happen when you least expect it. After a big detour, who would have known that the person they were searching for would be someone whom they used to go to the same class with…
(TO BE CONTINUED…)
QUEENSTOWN
It’s Queenstown, it will be beautiful anyway!
I think the Starbucks background works for this photo.
Work it out Mimi. ; )
ARROWTOWN
Did I tell you Arrowtown is one of my all time favourite shooting spot? This is 200% true in Autumn!
Unreal! Unreal!
So sweet ; )
Ahhh…isn’t it beautiful?
This concludes our Day 1 of the South Island engagement photoshoot, and the Jerry and Mimi’s Love Journey continued to carry on.
Coming up next…something totally unexpected. Stay tuned!
TO BE CONTINUED…
LOVE JOURNEY ::: JERRY AND MIMI’S SOUTH ISLAND ENGAGEMENT PHOTOSHOOT (PART I)
Remember in one of my previous recent blog entries I mentioned about a perspective client found my portfolio on the internet and miraculously turned out to be someone that I could have possibly met? That’s Mimi.
It all happened really fast. Literally. Mimi approached me to find out details about having an engagement shoot in Auckland, but I was very busy then. Mimi insisted me to be their photographer so therefore she tactically posted blog comments, sent emails, text messages and then followed up by phone calls. So she caught me! The next thing I knew, we were drinking coffee in St Lukes mall and discussing about their engagement shoot in Auckland.
It’s always nice to talk about photoshoot and the possibly of getting some unique photographs and we had a good time there I must say. Few hours after our first appointment I received a message. Mimi asked about the possibility of having their photoshoot down South Island. I was like ARE YOU SERIOUS? The next thing I knew was that we had our flights, accommodation and rental car all booked, and we were on our flight to the amazing Queenstown, in the beautiful Autumn. It’s worth to mention that we managed to board the Air New Zealand All Blacks plane. There are only 2 of this kind in NZ. I know, it’s all very exciting and happening so quickly!
They were classmates back in year 1999 and 2000, and he was her class monitor. He was a really nice and responsible person, but sometimes he did misused his powers. Once he took the attendancec for the whole class when only a few people actually turned up. Funny thing was, the teacher actually believed him…
They were not closed friends back in high school. They seldom talked to each other, maybe he was too nerdy for her liking. Jerry strongly denies this till these days….
After high school, they then went separate paths with literally no contacts at all. He went to Auckland for his tertiary studies while she had hers in Malaysia…
(TO BE CONTINUED…)
While this is a good back lit shot, it fails miserably as a story telling photo beacause nobody could tell this is the All Blacks version. Hehe..
Let’s heck out the crew…as you see, we don’t have a fancy team. Mimi was responsible for her own makeup and hair, Jerry did 90% of driving
I had two camera bags, one for lenses and one for camera, strobe and wireless flash triggers. Flash stays on tripod, camera bag stays in the car.
Mimi suggested I should give my assistant a name, so I have been called him Trusty. ^^
THE JACKS POINT
Mt Remarkable as a back drop, love it!
Then we discovered a spot with all the long grass. O my favourite long grass!
LAKE WAKATIPU
Beautiful reflection…
Mr Remarkable in the mirror 
Together, Jerry and Mimi started their Love Journey…and I was honoured to be the one who can document this.
Coming up next…more photos in Queenstown and in the ever beautiful Arrowtown…stay tuned ; )
TO BE CONTINUED…
DONALD AND KYLIE ::: A ZEN GARDEN WEDDING
You know how sometimes when you look at the weather it makes you feel good and you know that is THE day? That was exactly it – a perfect sunny Saturday morning for Don and Kylie’s wedding. Despite the fact we have now entered into the season of rain and it has been raining throughout the week, this day was so special that even the rain had to take on a one day short holiday.
Don and Kylie not only picked the perfect date, but they’ve also picked the perfect venue for their wedding – The Zen Garden. In our initial pre-wedding consultation I was already excited to hear that they’ve chosen a wedding venue that was new to me. Then when we went out to scout around the venue I was completely blown away by its tranquil surroundings, unique landscapes, character architectures and the defined details with an Orental flavour.
Here comes the beautiful bride Kylie and her father walking towards Don and the guests, with the amazing Zen Garden architecture as a backdrop. This could well be the longest distance grand entrance I have ever seen at a wedding. ^^
The happy couple…
I like how they were looking into each others eyes while exchanging the rings. A sweet moment.
For the grand exit, Don suddenly decided to be spontaneous and headed for a new path “on the water”!
The charming boys and girls : )
The light was just lovely. I call this the shadow shot. It generally works quite well with cool guys.
Beautiful light!
GREAT MOMENTS ::: HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011!
Today before I left for photoshoot I signed up an agreement with our new clients. And it’s a strange feeling to actually write down the year “2011″. Farewell 2010, you have given me a lot of memories. I want to celebrate you. Celebrate the fabulous moments in the past year. As much as I am going to miss 2010, I look forward to the new year. Although uncertainties are always ahead, the future has far greater attraction to deserve my anticipation.
Happy New Year everyone! Wherever you are, I believe you have come through your 2010 well and worthy. : )
AUCKLAND ROSE GARDEN WEDDING ::: MICHAEL＋APRA
A great wedding inspires, so do great people. There’s nothing more encouraging than hearing your clients tell you how much they trust you even before your challenging day begins. There are times when I finish shooting a wedding I feel like I want to upload the photos and post them on my blog right away. And this is TOTALLY one of them. If not because I was caught up by so many other jobs this blog would have been posted a lot sooner. They are the couple who came for an appointment and for the shortest time expressed a strong interest in our photography service. Yet interestingly, they the couple who have had their deposit paid for the longest time ever and couldn’t decide on which package to choose, until a week before their actual wedding day. They are the couple who have a simple smile on their faces and give you a strong assurance that they trust you. They are a happy, lovely and the luckiest couple.
Here it is…introducing the luckiest man…
And the happiest bride…
Apra is such a polite and adorable girl who has a contagious personality and an amazing smile. And she takes it even further. When I arrived at her house that day Apra was already in her gown and everything looked almost ready. As I asked who’s the makeup artist and Apra told me she had a course at MAC cosmetics so she did her own makeup! What a fantastic job!
She’s gorgeous, and stunning.
The lovely bouquet fits perfectly in her hands.
After the church ceremony we arrived at the reception venue in advance to have some photos taken.
Cute…
A 10/10 natural, happy smile.
As part of the Indian culture, Apra’s family helped her to put on the wedding Saree, which was previously used in her mother’s wedding.
A different look brought her charm to new level.
Here they come, for their wedding celebration!
SOUTH ISLAND ::: DAY 3 ::: MESMERIZED
Came back from the 2-week break, work piled up like crazy. When Andy and Yiyu picked us up from the airport I have been briefed how busy the next few weeks would become, and now, I am living in this reality. I should actually update this entry on the 3rd day of our trip but I was either too tired from the long distant driving and then was unable to get hold of the (free) internet in the subsequent days. But yeah, it is still refreshing seeing some of the pictures I took and be mesmerized by the true nature in New Zealand.
The sun was slowly climbing over the mountains, and the warm sunlight hit the snow in the carpark.
One of my favourite things to do whenever I see snow is to mark things with this beautiful logo. : )
Glacier!
I couldn’t really get a perfect clean shot of Mt Cook because it always seemed to be covered by the cloud. I later discovered that when the wind blew across the snow on the high mountain, the snow became clouds.
The snow on the road were the first to melt, probably somebody cleaned them in the early morning.
I am always excited about new views and as I drove towards Oamaru we passed this little paradise.
The first and maybe the only thing we ever did in Oamaru was to watch the return of penguins. But before that, we witnessed the interesting moonrise moment. It’s nice, trust me. I told Candice about this and she said why don’t you name it “Mesmerised”? Hence, I put it as the title for this entry. ^^
Here we go, the smallest penguins in the world getting out of the ocean and were heading back to their colony. They are really tiny! By the way, at this place cameras are strictly NOT allowed! The staff there always mentioned that we should all keep quiet, with a loudhailer! LOL
