A wedding...

I hear wedding bells. My second cousin Celia wedded last weekend and I thought I'd bring my SLR along to see if I could capture the moment. I enjoyed the fact that I wasn't hired and that I was doing it for fun. No pressure. Plus everyone was more relaxed. I didn't require anyone to pose since I prefer capturing the moment in a candid fashion. However, my little niece and nephews stole my heart that day. I enjoy photographing children for their lack of self consciousness in front of the camera and their blasé behaviour towards a photographer.

Ashton looking quite handsome in his Tux.

Kaitlan dawdling down the aisle.

Little Alicia.

Alicia posing for the camera.

Tita Carol & Ate Celia blowing the butterfly towards freedom...

Kaitlan giving me a dirty...

M.I.A.O

The next set of images are of the products that I've been capturing for Suki Tam's business that I mentioned early from M.I.A.O. The collection of artists produce a range of products from jewelry to bags and clutches.

I also traversed Darling Harbour on the way to the Young Blood Designer Market at the Powerhouse this season which has local artists exhibiting their unique designs and artwork. I happened to have stumbled upon a charming jazz band called Smooth Criminals lead by TuxGuy who were performing in front of the floating restaurant. They were singing all the popular jazz classic which I was totally in love with. Exactly the genre that I'm constantly addicted to and it's even better when it's live.

A ferris Wheel we walked past on the way to the Markets...

James & Evie

Since I have a lack of subjects and I’m attempting to keep sane in my hometown, I decided to post up images that are a bit more personal. This involves my loved ones and friends. I find that I’m doing more event photography than anything else right now and I’ve already been asked to cover 2 engagement parties! I’m not even a professional! Hmm.. so I’m hoping I don’t disappoint anyone down the track, even though I enjoy covering functions, it’s not my forte but they all know that.
The next series is dedicated to my brother and his fiancé. James and Evie are about to be married in 2 months (October 2010) and it seems as though I’ve recorded their progression via images. I never realized it but I guess I’m just around them a lot.

This is them sitting in their engagement party whilst the speeches were underway. Evie's originally from Brazil and so her family from Brazil sent a short video greeting congratulating them on their engagement. (I didn't understand a bit because it was all in Portugese, but it was nevertheless touching).

Ashton is one of my cousin's sons. He was highly amused with the helium balloons and was entertained for an hour or so with it.

James & Evie (and their friend James) engaged in a conversation

Their engagement cake was a cluster of cupcakes that was towering in the centre of the room.

They were celebrating Evie's 22nd at a Thai restaurant and (typically) James included a large piece of granny underwear as part of her present. She pulled it out as she unwrapped her present which sent them into a crazy spiral of laughter.

They were walking down Paddington, Oxford street where all the boutiques were. This was at the end of a long, wet day of looking for wedding suits and dresses. We managed to find at table at Max Brenner (which is my most favourite place in the world ie. chocolate land). I remember earlier this year when I took the photography class, my teacher asked why I liked this image. I said because it looked fashion photography-esque. She then began dissecting it into little segments as to why it wasn't a good photo. That was also the reason as to why I started pulling back in photography. I started seeing things from a more technical point of view... I felt that after taking that class, creativity became a bit too calculated... too technical... too structured. And that was my unfolding...

July- Stuck in Sydney

So it's been a while since my last post. But my explanation is warranted considering the circumstances! I've lost a lot of motivation in relation to photography since my last post. Last month I enrolled into a short 5 week course in photography. I just thought I'd want to learn more about the techniques and other aspects of photography that were essential in expressing the moment and my point of view. Little did I know that it was ALL about technique. The tutor was highly experienced and I learnt a lot in the short span of time but I felt as though that side of photography hindered the creative side. I'm not saying that we don't need the technical aspect of it. On the contrary, how else are we meant to express ourselves creatively? Its these technical foundations that support and drive our purpose in this art form. However, from my point of view and experience, this class was more structured for students interested in pursuing editorial work. Very staged and propped themed photography. I guess I learnt a valuable lesson in this class too. I realised that this form of photography was not for me. I preferred street photography, travel photography, event photography where I'm limited to what I can control other than my camera.

The reason as to why I've been missing in action is I've changed full-time jobs (I work in a private hospital now) which requires me to be on-call. As a radiographer I'm expected to update my knowledge and be constantly keen on furthering my education in terms of the different and abundant modalities this new work place is offering me so all my time and effort has been coned into the "work" department of my life. I haven't really had the chance to pick up my camera let alone take any more photos.

I've been considering buying a new lens. One of the Pro "L"-series (Luxury) lenses specified for pro-photographers. I merely use a humble 450D lens which is nowhere near pro-level but does the work I want it to. I doubt I am or will ever be a pro-photographer but the lens I'm after does the trick but for a high price. Once I get this lens, I have no choice but to use it. I'm excited because I know I'll jump right back on the saddle.

I find that being back in my hometown, I've become too comfortable. Sydney to me isn't a holiday destination, and thus I'm not intrigued and curious about the workings of the locals here like I was in Rio or San Francisco or Buenos Aires. I'm not enticed to capture that moment where I'm stuck in traffic on the way to work or take that picture of the ceiling as I'm flat-out from work. Naturally, you succumb to the daily grind and all you want to do is rest at the end of the day. This is exactly where I DON'T want to be- Having a monotonous week. Feeling as though you "live and breathe" work. I have workmates who see their work as their life. I see my job as work. Nothing more, nothing less. I've been turning to photography for a while now to channel my energy and output somewhere else. I've find that the only photo-op involve some form of low-light event photography which none of my present lenses are able to handle. That's the reason why I love to travel. I love to be out in the sun, the daytime, their winter where the locals go about their business and you see their world completely different to them and thus you're able to encapsulate their world with one picture. You become more confident and take street photography in your stride. Every day's different. Every place is different. Every person represents a unique history, a story which you desire to know. Every place has a song & dance you wish to witness and become swept up in. The more foreign, the better.

The stories you compile in one trip is enough to last you a lifetime, and I wish to live many lifetimes. The most compelling, eventful, inspiring, fun & challenging experiences I've had abroad.

San Fran: The cab driver realised from our accent that we were "Aussie" and asked us about his most favourite TV show "Summer Heights High". I had NO idea that this aussie show was airing in the states let alone having a solid fanbase. He took us to our destination but wasn't really recommending it to us (because it was the dodgy side of the city) so he stopped the meter and gave us a mini tour of the suburb and its surrounding locations for free and told us to tell him when and where we wanted to hop off. Such an awesome guy.

Vegas: in Caesar's palace at the lost and found counter looking for my best friend's wallet & passport on New Years day at 5am. Bump into these two European guys who were well-dressed, well-groomed and quite good looking. They were from Norway. Norwegians! I've never met one before. So in my drunken stupor I struck a conversation with them and invited them to have breakfast with my group. we ended up chatting and laughing until 8am! I had no idea they were so well-educated and fluent in English. They had wit to challenge anyone and the best sense of humour. Amazing people again. 4 hours later, we were on a helicopter ride in the grand canyon. Note to self- do NOT drink alcohol before a helicopter ride. although there were no tragedies on the flight, the poor German tourists beside me were worried about any sudden oral pyrotechnics I was capable of.

Rio: Me carrying my digital SLR around was like tempting the hungry wolves with a chunk of meat. Even one of the sales assistants told me to "Be careful of your photo machine. A lot of thieves". How endearing- "photo machine". oh how I love Brazilians. But luckily there was no tragedies there. I even went on a Favela Tour through Rosinha the largest slums in Rio. I had my SLR taking pictures (when permitted) throughout their town. The people there were full of life and love. They were offering us fruit and nourishments. the kids would jump in front of the camera yearning to have their picture taken. Yes the drug dealers are the unofficial "government" of these Favelas but there's so much culture and life in these places. It's enlightening to see the state in which they live in sometimes. Rubbish scattered everywhere, zig-zagging through the uneven concrete paths. The way our tour group had to ascend the mountain was via motorcycle and my mother almost had a heart attack. I forgot my mother had a fear of bikes, let alone motorcycles but she was a trooper. she latched onto the driver for dear life, I think she may have drained the airs from his lungs. She almost finished the whole rosary with both her eyes jammed shut tightly. Let me tell you, these motorcycle taxi's aren't a stroll in the park. they weave in and out like their racing to get to the finish line. The whole bike tilts and you feel like your knees are gonna get scraped by the blurred concrete road. They overtake and squeeze through impossible gaps in the traffic. Mine almost hit the corner of the bus! But alas, I'm alive. and what an exhilarating ride that was.

So experiences such as these take me through a place and inspire my photography.

So here's some images to express the monotony of my daily grind:

My Fish called Barbara Streisand. Yes I know, this fighting fish is a male BUT it's a personal joke of mine and my sister (who is currently in New York after working on a cruise ship). Barbara Streisand was staring at a childhood picture of us.

Here's a place near Darling Harbour in Sydney. My brother was looking for a Reception Hall for his wedding.

A lake near where I live in Western Sydney. This lake in Norwest is beside a popular Japanese restaurant.

I found this quite quirky. This situated at the cemetery where my father is buried. I find serene beauty and stillness in the cemetery. I visit every week and find a sense of calmness and awakening in that area.

Good Ol' Melbourne

Suki (the founder of Tamptation and my agent) and I got the courage to book a ticket to Melbourne to venture into the unknown world of “the artist’s market”. We summoned the courage to enrol for the Rose Street Artist’s Markets in Fitzroy, Melbourne and fortunately we were able to rent out a stall; stall number 6. We flew down and mentally prepared ourselves for what was to come. I’ve never had the chance to sell anything at a market before. My retail experience was limited to larger chain stores so this was a completely new thing. On top of that, I’ve never had to sell MY own products before (my travel photos). So we bit the bullet and did what we had to do. The response was quite positive. It seemed more like a gallery. I assumed my photos were just photos. Anyone can replicate the moment I captured on their own camera. But when people were impressed with them, I felt quite happy and confused. They were only photos right? But what was even more satisfying was when fellow artists admired your work, in particular the artist next to us selling her paintings and artwork. Her paintings involved a lot of man(woman) power behind those intricate brush strokes and she put so much of herself into those paintings. She was admiring in particular, the picture that involved the Brazilian father walking up the beach with his gorgeous baby while the baby looked onwards towards the ocean, intrigued by something. She wanted to pay for them but then we did an “Artist’s swapsies” and I ended up getting one of her paintings of Melbourne. I feel kind of bad because I don’t think my work was of the same value as hers. Hours of painting does not add up to the single second it took for me to capture that image of the father and child. Especially since her work was quite personal and moving. She explained her work thoroughly and her inspirations and muses and mine was “umm.. I had m y camera and I was in Brazil so yeah”. I didn’t know the value of my work so I just thought “you can just have it. I have plenty at home”. However, her admiration for my work merely encouraged me and it motivated the voice within. I was so grateful and humbled by the feedback that it encouraged me to push myself with photography, perhaps not just in the amateur level but to aim higher and to develop and nurture this passion of mine.
Since Suki had already live in Melbourne prior, she took me around to places such as Fitzroy and its quirky shops & cafes, South Yarra with its mainstream shopping, St. Kilda with its tranquil beach & Richmond (where I bought new jeans!) Melbourne seemed to have expanded & developed since the last time I visited with more cafes and shops. They also seem to invest in local designers which is great to see. And everyone seemed to have a digital SLR which was strange. It was like everyone was a photographer in Melbourne!

At Richmond on a corner. We decided to walk all the way down to South Yarra from Richmond. which was a bit longer than I thought

Their graffiti and street art in Melbourne is quite inspiring.

This sad weed accompanied us while we were at our stall all day.

Looking up at the city centre in one of the shopping malls.

Flinders Station at the CBD. Where all the action happens...

This is of Suki walking down to South Yarra. I wanted to see what this effect would look like.

The sun setting at St. Kilda beach.

The church near where Suki used to live

Luna Park roller coaster at St. Kilda.

I love all things vintage and retro. This vintage petrol pump at the markets caught my eye.

I like their sense of humour down there. This is of the banana hating Cactus.

Sydney & Surfer's Paradise

I choose subjects that intrigue me. I choose subjects that captivate my attention and have a sensitivity that mirrors my own. Men, women, children… animals. The ones I capture move me and as an amateur photographer, I’m compelled to freeze the moment that I see them which in turn dictates and tells their whole life story in that split second. Sometimes I’m lucky, other times I’m not. And this unpredictability is also the reason why photography moves me. The next set of pictures are images that reflect who I am in my own environment. They're nothing special, they're not too artistic, they're not too visually stimulating or fantastic. They're just what I see in places I feel comfortable in a place I call home.

These flowers were in bloom in Double Bay, Sydney where I used to live for a bit. I bought my SLR digital canon the day before and this was one of the very first pictures I ever took with it when I was strolling along the bay with my sister and her friend.

This was at shelly Beach.

This was taken at Rushcutter's Bay. I liked the way the wind was softly humming and its effects on my scarf so I tried to show how my scarf was flapping about... to no avail.

I hate seagulls but for some reason this one decided to pose for me with a pensive look while the guy behind it was soaking up with sun. This was taken on Surfer's Paradise, Queensland.

This picture was of my 2 friends while they were swimming at Shelly Beach, Sydney. It was a very warm day however, Sydney water refuses to warm up and it was freezing in the water so I remained on the surface documenting their cold fun.

This was a picture of my German cousins at Dee Why Beach, Sydney. Kevin was making stupid hand signals and I caught the sun while I was lying down.

This was of a lighthouse of some sort in the Eastern suburbs on the way to The Gap. I took it while I was driving past it. I like how the moon looks so miniscule.

A car whizzes past on Oxford Street where I used to work at a cafe in Sydney.

I love reflections and how they seem like you're viewing the world in a completely different manner. This was at a ticket box office at fox studios sydney before I was going to watch a movie with my brother.

I took advantage of the artwork in Paddington, Sydney while they were having street art festivals. A band was even playing inside a window case at a store on Oxford street and the area was thriving with life, music, art and culture. love it.

A bell tower in Sydney near Central Station. So lonely up there.

Near my place in western Sydney. Norwest lake where they have nice restaurants. I was heading up to have japanese for a family birthday.

...and of an adorable dog on Bronte Beach, Sydney that was persuading me to give him some of my hotdog. I almost gave in but the owner was looking on...