JACK AND KC WEDDING DAY PART V ::: THE REAL, THE SWEET , THE SPONTANEOUS
One thing about effort is that it has a tendency to lead you to spend more of it, and I guess when that happens, it’s a good thing. Today at our V48 screening session we got a chance to watch the final version of our short film AT A PROPER CINEMA SCREEN! That was arguably the scariest cinema experience for me. I was nervous because I had no idea of who we were competing against with in our heat. But V48 wasn’t just about competition; it was more about people sharing passion and their creative talents. We had a super professional production team in our group who won previous years awards and everyone in the theater was just stunned by how polished their idea and camera skills were, and these were further perfected by their sound effects and colour grading. Ours on the other hand revealed some glitches and rawness in some areas, but overall I was quite proud of what we’ve achieved. Not to say that I was satisfied with the final film produced, I just have very high expectation videos and films, especially on the photography side of things. Next year, it’s got to be much much better!
I reckon I would have failed miserably with Jack and Kc’s wedding day series if the “less is more” rule was to apply, because this is unbelievably the 5th episode and more are yet to come! It really seems like updating blogs can just be another full-time jobs. How about to create a position called Blogger? : )
Documentary wedding photography is about capturing real moments…which by the way we care the most. Hence in this episode I will focus more on reaction shots, moments that were real, sweet and spontaneous…For those who were present and the absentees, now it’s a good time to relive the moments!
Previous episodes :
JACK AND KC WEDDING DAY PART I
JACK AND KC WEDDING DAY PART II
JACK AND KC WEDDING DAY PART III
JACK AND KC WEDDING DAY PART IV
In case anyone is wondering where this wedding took place, it’s at Bridgewater Country Estate, a good 40 minute drive away from Auckland City towards Northwest. I found this venue to be very lovely, offering ample beautiful wedding details. More photos to come later.
Minutes before the start of ceremony, Jack kept on checking if the bride had arrived.
There they are!
Kc carefully walking down with her father
Everyone had their eyes on the bride, and she hnd Jack’s full attention.
The Bride and her proud father
The happy Jack, I bet every single cell inside his body was happy.
The happy expression on their faces needs no hiding. And when words were verbalized through their vows, sweetness was overflowing.
Family and guests’ reactions
An intimate eye contact
Sometimes only by looking at the way they both laugh you could almost tell they’ll make a good couple together.
They walked into the ceremony individually and walked out as happy husband and wife.
Since we were trying to nail real emotions, how about this one as today’s last photo? ; )
TO BE CONTINUED…
JACK AND KC WEDDING PART IV ::: THE FINAL MOMENT
Finally, after a busy month I now welcomed a cosy weekend full of cosy activities. Picking up a guitar to have a few strums despite the strings have already gone rusted; sitting in a boutique cafe for a few hours just to read books; editing photos on my laptop while surrounded by the delicious smell of roast coffee beans; popping down the gym although it’s probably my least priority; attending screening for our V48 film work; going to friend’s place for housewarming party…but before I am about to do all these, I am committed to release the 4th Episode of Jack and Kc’s wedding day photos.
Here we go, this was the final bridal preparation moment before Kc walking down aisle. This was the moment when I get to spend quality time shooting the girls as they were more relaxed and least interrupted. And I was quite amazed by the amount of details the venue offers so there were just so much I could photograph. Above all, surrounded by all girls? Sure, I love it! 
Previous episodes :
JACK AND KC WEDDING DAY PART I
JACK AND KC WEDDING DAY PART II
JACK AND KC WEDDING DAY PART III
JACK AND KC WEDDING DAY PART II
“Talents and gifts do not reduce or diminish when shared; they expand and increase like the widening ripples from a pebble dropped in still water.” This was one of the quotes I came across today, and it reminded me of the good weekend I had spent with friends for the V48 competition despite the already busy schedule I had. I have photoshoot on weekends on top of my regular 9-5 job; I have editing timeline and still squeeze frequent social agendas in between. Now, I have ventured into video and film production and discovered endless joy and interest in them. Who does that? Only the man who has an explicit and ever-evolving vision I must humbly confess. I can’t tell you how much I love what I do!
To be honest I really don’t know where I am going with this and how many “episodes” there will be for Jack and Kc’s wedding. I just follow my heart to share these photos with everyone here, and hopefully, you will like it too.
In case anyone missed my previous blog post, JACK AND KC WEDDING PART I is here. In PART II, let’s focus a bit more on the guys. : )
On a wedding day, a photographer needs to plan ahead, shoot and capture as swift as possible. PLAN means your will need to know the wedding day schedule by heart in order to prioritise your shots. This is especially true when travelling between two to three different locations is required. After I finished shooting bridal makeup and getting ready, I quickly dashed from Quay Street to Jack’s new apartment at Viaduct…at 6ish. AM!!!
McDonald’s breakfast for the guys, keeping them strong and healthy for the long day ahead. 
Tie, burger and speech.
SHOOT includes planned shots, so the photographer will need to know exactly what to photograph. Here comes the Groom – Jack!
Over the other side, waiting for a final touch, Kc was nearly all ready. Here CAPTURE involves taking a lot of candid shots from everything important to everything interesting, all in a very fast pace.
There were so much stories on the day and I was glad to be there all to tell.
For a traditional Chinese wedding it’s not that easy for the groom to see the bride straight away. He needs patience, strategies, money, good communication skills and lots of help from the groomsmen.
If you have a strong friendship with the groomsmen, they would probably lay their life down for you.
Quiz by quiz, penalty by penalty, the Prince will eventually hold the hands of Princess.
TO BE CONTINUED…
JACK AND KC WEDDING DAY PART I
Rolling in bed, I remembered I could hardly fall asleep that night. If there was a syndrome it would be called “pre-wedding insomnia”. I was excited, because in a few hours I would be photographing my friend Jack’s wedding. I was nervous, because I was afraid I had to get up REALLY early would miss the alarm. That wedding required me to get up at 4ish in the morning and I’ve never in my life started my day this early.
It was pitch dark outside my bedroom window, perhaps the only thing bright was the soft glowing distant city light. In an early morning like this, even summer time would still be lingering some winter chill. But when I reached Kc’s building in downtown Auckland and opened the apartment door, I saw a completely different scenery right in front of me. Kelly and her RensFx team were already in position busy transforming the living room into a makeup studio. For me, I was just delighted that I wasn’t alone! : )
For those of you who follow my blog and photos, you could probably remember I have posted Jack and Kc’s Auckland Pre-wedding photos. Well, in fact their pre-wedding wasn’t pre-wedding at all, as this Big Day took place even a week before their pre-wedding photoshoot.
I had been too busy for the past few months, so coming to an off-season I finally get a chance to sort out the photos and blog about those awesome weddings, pre-weddings, portraits and other interesting photoshoots! And just be cause I can, I will probably divide the entire wedding set into a few different episodes. Really, rushing into posting photos without the company of a meaningful blog is the last thing I want to do. So here we go, hope you will enjoy Part I.
hmm…I insist the last photo belongs to this set! Stay tuned for what’s to come!
AUCKLAND PRE-WEDDING ::: JACK AND KC
It isn’t true. This Auckland set isn’t part of Jack and Kc’s pre-weddiing photos; it was intended to be. However, when you fly over from Melbourne to have a wedding in New Zealand, you know you’ve got to work around some tight schedules. Jack and Kc really wanted to spend more quality time with their family and guests on their actual wedding day, so they decided to have a separate set of photos done on a completely different day. Then looking at our Calendar, I suggested we should have it the week after because that way I would know what kind of photo style would be required and what could best enhance their wedding experience. So this made it a “post-wedding” photoshoot really. With the first ray of sunshine entered my bedroom window on that Saturday morning, I knew it’s going to be a perfect day.
Our human eyes are susceptible to bright light. Especially under the blazing sunlight, a 1200w strobe and in front of a large silver reflector (which effectively creates another blazing sunlight), most couple would have a hard time opening their eyes. So getting the couple frowning in front of the camera isn’t anything less typical. A second reason could well be that their faces were showing concern on how the photographer could manage to hold so many things at one time – support the reflector with one knee, hold and toss the end of the bride’s veil with one hand while operating his camera and flash with the remaining hand. Or perhaps, they were even wondering why the photographer was frowning like them. It’s simple: yes, Felix was the one facing and looking directly into the sun! I am so considering shooting with my sunglasses on in the next Summer.
Westhaven, and the truly beautiful Auckland city skyline.
CBD, where you get a glimpse of the inner Auckland flavor.
Lastly, Muriwai beach with its killer sunset!
Kc has shown her charm throughout the day without fail.
NORTH ISLAND WEDDING ::: CHRIS AND GRACE
Strange maybe, the internet back home would only allow onc computer access at a time. So for the past few weeks I’ve been surfing the internet via my dad’s computer, his Asus laptop. Using a non-calibrated monitor once again reminded me of what a world of difference photos can look on other people’s computer! Therefore WARNING: if you are not a Mac user and you’ve never had your monitor calibrated before, the photos below may exhibit somewhat lifeless skin tone and poor contrast. That’s because you are totally missing the real dynamic and glow! Which means if you are an Apple Mac user, you are safe. This is how it is, you don’t pay more for nothing. ; )
Each physical aspect of a beautiful wedding is attributed to its venue choice, planning, details and tons of planning and details. Selecting the right venue not only would save your wallet but also means better time management and what’s more, a special experience for you and all of your guests. Chris and Grace picked this beautiful venue with an elevated view overlooking the entire Pakiri beach and a large expanse of ocean and also the Goat Island. But good venue sometimes come with a sacrifice: the videographers and I and also people who helped put this wedding together had to travel for about 90mins from Auckland City. And in my initial visit I even felt carsick. So the photographer me insisted to drive my own car on the actual wedding day.
Enough said, I hope you all enjoy this images! Have a wonderful Thursday!! = ]
There are so many nice spots in this house to allow you frame your shots.
The wind was incredibly strong that morning that it tipped over almost everything!
There comes the sacred moment!
Let’s end today’s post with a happy bridal party shot. : D
AUCKLAND PRE-WEDDING ::: ANDREW AND WINNIE
I hate to admit that the fours year gap has alienated me from everything I used to know about my hometown, but home is home. And home is great. I really feel like a short four weeks period is way too short for me to practically accomplish anything meaningful. Probably next time I should come back for 6 months at least. Hahaha!
Currently I am living in a new place with my parents, and this place feels a little remote. My elder cousin said to me this arrangement must have been intentional because this way I got nowhere to go but to spend more time at home with my parents. Funny. I really enjoy catching up with family and chat about the silly things we did in the past, and all those things mentioned became part of the memories which defined my life in the past; formed part of my personality that is influencial to my future. They became me! : )
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out my blog updates are getting a bit erratic. In fact every time when I’ve got so many updates to post it becomes like this. Dislike. Since when did I realise I’ve never had enough time to spare and spend? But one thing I did realise - was that I have a strange flair for overseas clients. Haha! So here I proudly introduce this Melbourne couple Andrew and Winnie. In our initial contact Andrew and Winnie orginally had the craziest idea to engage 50 photographers over a few different countires to shoot their pre-wedding photos and put them together in one album. They even emailed me their profile, photoshoot porposal along with many of their cute photos. However I bet the amount of energy and budget each photoshoot requires must have forced this Melbourne couple to give it a second thought. In the end they’ve decided to simplify the whole process to a few shoots and guess what…I am so proud that I wasn’t sacked! : P
Our entire day was filled with interesting events. To start with we felt so lucky to have some super nice gentlemen who allowed us to use their boats for photoshoot and even offered us to go on a free cruise. How amazing! It felt just as amazing as Kobe Bryant would allow me to borrow his basketball shoes. If we went then the photoshoot would have officially end there as it might take hours. Politely declined on the cruise offer. We’ve then headed to the beautiful Northern Steamship for shooting our second outfit. And that sunday happened to be some kind of sports sunday or whatever that the downtown part of Queen Street was blocked. Pedestrians were allowed to walk, stand, sit, lie down or even play tennis in the middle of the road. This country really opened my our eyes. And we were given balloons. After a quick dress change and supermarket shopping, we headed to the park to have picnics, followed by the amazing sunset on Mt Eden and the evening cityscape. By memory that was the single most tiring weekend ever since I’ve been a photographer. The night prior to their photoshoot on Sunday I just finished Jack and KC’s wedding photoshoot on a Saturday evening. Then I headed to Sky City hotel to had a quick face to face intorudction with Andrew and Winnie. After a few hours sleep then I was back in their hotel again…and it lasted another whole day… I was so glad that EVERYONE OF MY PHOTOSHOOT IS DIFFERENT!!
Oh by the way, I later found out that Andrew and Winnie were from Hope Melbourne church. What a coincidence! ))
A different experience at Westhaven
The magical Northern Steamship Brewbar
I believe there must be magical power behind the super tall book shelves and the reversed hanging lamps…a reality of the Harry Potter world.
After having wine/beer at the bar, coffee at the outdoor cafe, we are now having a picnic at Cornwall Park.
Then we had to catch the sunset on Mt Eden.
The night was a little sexy in Auckland. ; )
SOUTH ISLAND PRE-WEDDING ::: FREDDY AND PRISCILIA’S LOVE JOURNEY PART II
I am updating my blog from China. And the internet filters in China have made this internet surfing experience particularly inconvenient. I am living in the world with no Facebook, no YouTube and no WordPress. Thanks to the profound wisdom of Chinese Government, I had to “climb the wall” every time I wish to access the dashboard to update my blog. No joy!
Having been away from home for the past four years, I finally got to spend some quality time with my parents. Even with my last trip back home I could only stay for as long as two weeks due to work commitment, so this time I feel the need to make it up for my absence over these few years. I’ve grown up much, and so have my parents, except the older they grow the more they need to be taken care of. My hometown has gone through drastic transformations over the years. Having been so used to the cosy New Zealand life I’ve found the city had become a little too big for me. In the midst of new surroundings and busy traffics, my brain would occasionally be tempted to switch off. Despite all the craziness, somethings never changed – my sentiment for this city, my past memories and my parents love for me. And that is an understatement, because I could sense they have become stronger.
Perhaps distance really makes heart grow fonder, just as most of my overseas clients have all been involved in a long distance relationship one way or the other. Freddy and Priscilia attended the same high school together. He was her senior, and they hung out in separate groups. But I believe an opportunity not arising doesn’t mean it did not exist, it’s just patiently brewing and waiting for its timing. In 2009, he finished his studies and returned from Sydney back to Indonesia, where they met again. Their unique experience and situations have never made building a close friendship easy. In January 2010, their relationship was put to a test when she had made her career move to become a stewardess in Singapore. Flying cross different time zones constantly means that when she is having a morning in LA he would be just about to sleep in Indonesia. They met once a month for only two days when she had day-off. They were facing tough challenges physically, mentally and emotionally. A fairytale ending belongs to those believe in faith and persist with it. He proposed in 2011 and asked her to move back with him to Indonesia. After serious considerations (thinking x1000) she finally decided to let go of her dream job and move back to the country. They engaged on 13 Nov 2011, and are now preparing for the big day.
SOUTH ISLAND PRE-WEDDING ::: FREDDY AND PRISCILIA’S LOVE JOURNEY PART I
Steamboat, increditable!
That’s me.
TO BE CONTINUED…
PORTRAIT ::: LINDA ::: A WORTHY GIFT
Each of us has gone through tough phases. We at times set hard expectations for ourselves. And we often challenge our very limits physically, mentally and spiritually. However, can you remember when was the last time you gave yourself a nice treat if ever? Shouldn’t you deserve something more than an ordinary gift for all the hard work you’ve put in? I am sure the answer is a big YES.
At least once in a while, there should be times where we should justify our good efforts by rewarding ourselves with a special gift. No any other reasons required. Silly maybe, but this is the one silly little thing we should keep practising. When I received Linda’s email for a portrait photoshoot session as a birthday treat to herself, my immediate response was: wow this girl really takes care of herself! Probably the best gift for a girl is to turn her beauty and youth as of today into everlasting images, for today is a gift, that’s why it’s called present. Stay true, and stay fabulous.
A guy would want a different treat. And I am totally looking forward to mine. ; )
AUCKLAND HONEYMOON ::: JANE AND NICKMAN
With the first ray of sunshine on my face and the lighthearted blue sky outside of my bedroom window, I could feel the presence of Autumn. And I couldn’t be amazed enough how quickly the clock spins. Naturally Autumn reminds me the busy wedding season will soon to come passed; and it alarms me that there are plenty of post-production work needs to be done. Recovering from a cold, a new blog post is due… ; )
Pre-wedding photos, engagement photos or post-wedding photos…due to timing and different conventions I sometimes don’t even know how to define thothem myself. But it really doesn’t matter how we call them, what really matters is how the bond of love connects between two people in a magnetic and divine way. When two people are in love, their true emotions emanate. Be it in Bali, Korea or New Zealand…at that moment location simply doesn’t matter. And you don’t have to be at present to sense the love and happiness.
Jane and Nickman are a couple from Malaysia. Having known each other back in University since 2004, they have been through almost six years of friendship, and a challenging two years of long distance relationship before finally getting married on 12 January 2012. Right after that this newly married couple travelled to the pure land of NZ to spend their honeymoon and of course to have a photoshoot session with an Auckland based photographer such as me. ( ;
Photographing them was particularly smooth and easy because of how easy going and comfortable they are with each other. I feel so honored and blessed to have so many overseas couples who enjoy my photography style and put their trusts in my hands. All I hope is that my photographs will be the true reflection of their love and happy lives together. Happy marriage Jane and Nickman. Thanks Mayling for the beautiful makeup.
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
…
PORTRAIT ::: AMY FENG
In the world where music and photography peacefully unite, I find a perfect space.
在音樂與攝影融合的世界，我找到了一片完美的天地
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!
AUCKLAND PRE-WEDDING ::: ALPHA AND SUKI
Just as we thought Summer was here, Auckland welcomed another rainy day. Gentle breeze enters my room through the window gaps. Cool and comfy. What can be better than lying in bed reading your favourite novel, editing photos while listening music and blogging? Luxury time.
Ever since the Rugby World Cup, the cityscape of Auckland has changed a lot. Revising downtown Auckland would always mean new discoveries and new surprises for me. Today’s blog features the latest photoshoot from last weekend Alpha and Suki’s Auckland Pre-wedding.
Alpha and Suki met each other back in university, about 4-5 years ago. They spotted each other at the campus and the invisible bond was immediately formed. She was always cheerful, lovable; his easy going personality was perfectly reflected on his big smile that he carries anywhere he went. It wasn’t a coincidence that they both ended up in the same accounting class, giving them the opportunity to get to know each other further… and deeper. On their first dinner date, they knew they were meant for each other. And now several years later, they are now engaged to each other, excitedly looking for their big day in March next year, where they will hold each others hands, sharing life together as husband and wife.
BRITOMART
VIADUCT
AUCKLAND MUSEUM
IN THE WOODS
The sweet couple, in such beautiful light
MURIWAI BEACH
I was particularly moved by this shot as I was reviewing the photos I took from that day. I feel so happy for you.
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
WEDDING DAY ::: SANDY AND STUART
It’s just a gradually developed convention that I would normally put guy’s name in front of girl’s when I blog about couples wedding or engagement photos. Interestingly for this couple it feels like their names sound better when you put the hers before his – so it’s Sandy and Stuart not the other way around.I think I am not the only person who has agreed to that. : )
When we were told by Sandy that they were getting married in September back in July, we were all excited and had been looking forward to this day. Sandy and Stuart have been knowing each other for over 20 years, and finally had their ceremony at Brigham Cafe in Whenuapai, Auckland. We were still in transition from Winter to Spring, so the rain was still on and off that afternoon. However, unpredictable in some way is also a prediction, so we had the entire ceremony semi-indoor that comfortably accommodated everybody, and everyone could still get to enjoy the beautiful garden around and without getting the rain. If I were to describe their wedding with only one word. “FAMILY” would be it. It was a simple, relaxed, family-surrounded fun wedding that (officially) brought everybody into one big family.
Laughters wereHere it’s quite hard not to laugh when Sandy said to Stuart in front of everyone, “Now let’s get serious!”
After dinner we headed towards a heritage house for the wedding party.
Here comes the highlight of the night…The band! The band that Sandy and Stuart are in marched into the room with exotic musical instruments, many of which I have probably never seen or head of. The music was drumming my ears because I was so close to them. We were on the 2nd floor and I could VIVIDLY recall the floor was LITERALLY vibrating PHYSICALLY up and down, plus there were many high-spirited people who were EXCITEDLY jumping around me…so as much as I enjoyed getting the cool band shots, I was SIMULTANEOUSLY worried about the stability of this building. Did I mention it’s a heritage building?? The band TOTALLY rocked it! I was told afterwards only half the band (approx 13 people?) turned out that evening. Pheww…I really wonder what would have happened to us if the whole band was there! HAHA! The band will be performing in Europe next year.
Just to around up today’s blog post here’s the evident of other people calling them “Sandy and Stuart”! Whoever baked this must have a super-sized kitchen because it’s very very HUGE!
SHOWTIME MODEL ::: KYLE BAI
It felt like summer hot when I entered my car yesterday afternoon. Oh yeah, summer day light saving officially starts today…which means, it has stolen my precious one hour. So here I am, still siting in front of my laptop at 5:17am! This also means that we have now entered a busy photography season! Exciting, busy, crazy! I still got a lot of photo and video related work I need to catch up on and this is why I am still up so late.
I have been looking around and purchasing some studio and outdoor strobes for the past few days. This will allow me to explore the creative flash photography in a much deeper level. I am so looking forward to do more fashion and commercial photoshoots. Well if you have interesting jobs and feel that I will be able to handle, please give me a buzz here, flickr me an email at felixili@hotmail.com, or add my facebook.
Below are some nothing much but some of the shots I took for Kyle this (or yesterday if you will) afternoon at Muriwai. Please check them out and give me feedbacks if you like or don’t like them. Have a good night (morning)!!
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
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…
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!
WEDDING STORY ::: DONALD AND KYLIE
Where shall I begin? Sometimes you’ve got to admit that our world is getting smaller and smaller, this is especially true for us who live in Auckland. A friend of mine on the internet turned out to be an old friend of my homestay parents. And thanks to this friend Brian, Tom and Imelda met each other and they became Mr and Mrs Dixon. I believe there’s always some kind of connection between people. It’s like how Vincent and Summer bumped into each other 3 times in a roll and Vincent took the courage to go up to ask for her phone number. I also believe that God has a plan. It’s just like how last week a client was searching for wedding photos online and happened to click on one of the photographs I took in the past. So she found me. In our first meeting, I found out that she has visited my mother church before and we’ve in fact probably already met each other before. How two people could meet each other on this planet is really a miracle. No really. It’s miracle that we know each other. : )
This miracle took place 14 plus years ago when these two had their lives intercepted each other, miraculously through a common friend of theirs. She was a young wild child wanting to experience the world. He was a maturing senior who’s always a few years ahead of the game. They attended the same University together, well technically they did, but no. Because one was in Palmy while the other one was in Welly and in a totally different year. From Palmy, Welly to Auckland, climax after climax the friendship and courtship between Donald and Kylie unfolded as they faced many challenges. A miracle wouldn’t be called miracle unless it had been tested, tested and tested…and will eventually see victory.
On Saturday the 7th of May, together with other 250 guests at Zen Garden, we’ve witnessed the fruit of this relationship, in joy and in happiness.
To be continued…^^
Thanks to Remi and her team. They were so busy that day! Well done!
Some “behind” the scene revealed
Bridesmaid No.2 – Pinny was caught by camera.
The elegant look.
Kylie and her stunning Kay Po.
Busy preparation before the tea ceremony.
The girls…
The cool boys arrived at the waterfront apartment. Don and his “Hing-Dai” (brothers) survived the games!
Despite the “rain throughout the whole day” weather forecast, I think we rocked the weather that day pretty well!.
SOUTH ISLAND ::: DAY 1-2
Although I have been to South Island for way too many of times, each time I discover something new and amazing about this place…
Let’s begin with an iconic photo – the mighty cross and Lake Tekapo…taken on Day 1
Over all the weather turned out to be much better than what the weather forecast, but it didn’t last till the evening though so we didn’t get to see the stars at night. It’s a bit disappointing. However, we were invited to stay with Andy and Elva, which made things even. : )
Day 2 – Second day started with an exciting news – It snowed last night! The streets were covered with ice and snow so everything looked so white and clean.
The beautiful weather insisted to stay with Lake Tekapo. As we were heading towards Mt Cook we could hardly see anything but fog. And as we were driving in the National Park it began to rain, then snow! I’ve never seen snowing like this before so it’s definitely new to me.
I saw this at the i-site and thought it’s a pretty neat arrangement for wheelie bins!
One side is heavy snowing, and on the other side it’s the beautiful sunset colour.
So much for Day 2.
Today is Day 3 and the weather looked beautiful and we could finally glaze Mt Cook in a distance. I took heaps of photos today and I don’t have any good reason why. Tomorrow Crystal will join us and very soon we will have Issac joined us as well. Please look forward to this journey. : )
CELEBRATION FOR EMILY & OLIVER
As soon as I woke up this morning I rushed to church. And as soon as the service ended I rushed to back to studio for photoshoot. And as soon as the photoshoot ended (not really entirely ended) I rushed to Emily & Oliver’s celebration dinner. Now after a long day like this I just want to do my OWN stuff. Test and assignment are just 2 days away this coming week will be another tough week. God bless.
Emily & Oliver had their wedding in the US on 2 April and tonight they invited a whole lot of people to celebrate with them. I admit there are fewer and fewer occasion like this where I am actually sitting at the table as a guest and I am supposed to enjoy just being a guest, but when I saw other people taking photos for the couple I just couldn’t resist not doing it. So I snapped a few at tonight’s dinner also.
This cake is yummy, so yummy!
There’s something amazing being a parent and from the face we could tell how happy and proud Emily’s mum is.
Bonus point goes to Oliver. He is looking at my camera from a distance!
Why did Emily toss with orange juice instead of WINE remained the biggest mystery for tonight.
I love my 85mm 1.2L. It rocks at any reception! Emily just happen to appear in all the rest of the photos.
Tonight they will be staying at…[top secrete location!]
Happy marriage forever : )
