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Wednesday 19 December 2007
Wednesday 5 December 2007
Project Dullsville
Perth has been labeled by some local and inter states journalists as dull or boring. After having stayed here for 18 years and being a migrant from the ever busy city state of Singapore, I have to disagree with these kind of labellings. Perth may not have huge number of spots for night lives, but it sure has its share of interesting events and entertainments both in the inner city and in popular hang out areas like Northbridge and Fremantle.
In view of supporting the promoting of Perth city, I have decided to do a project on capturing images of the Perth city and the metropolitan area. I hope to showcase a little bit more of Perth through photography. I've named this personal quest as "Project Dullsville". I welcome anyone who is interested in joining me in show casing our great and most livable city we call home.
I will start the project by showing some famous Perth landmarks and will move on to showcasing events that happen in the Perth area and people in the city.
Matilda Bay Boatshed:
Matilda Bay Boatshed at dusk:
Closeup of the Boatshed's door sign:
In view of supporting the promoting of Perth city, I have decided to do a project on capturing images of the Perth city and the metropolitan area. I hope to showcase a little bit more of Perth through photography. I've named this personal quest as "Project Dullsville". I welcome anyone who is interested in joining me in show casing our great and most livable city we call home.
I will start the project by showing some famous Perth landmarks and will move on to showcasing events that happen in the Perth area and people in the city.
Matilda Bay Boatshed:
Matilda Bay Boatshed at dusk:
Closeup of the Boatshed's door sign:
Tuesday 4 December 2007
"Sell the Sizzle and Not the Steak"
I did my first presentation in many years today to my work colleagues. I was asked to present a project I am currently working on as a solution architect. I was supposed to sell a rosy picture about the project - I was to sell the sizzles.
Without going into details about the project, let me share a bit about my experience about doing the presentation (or public speaking). You see, I have never thought myself as a fluent public speaker. I can still remember the many fumbles I made everytime I was asked to do a speech. I still remember my very first presentation to a group of university lecturers and fellow students during my Honours year at University of Western Australia. I recalled being so nerve-wrecked and fumbled along the way throughout the presentation.
Fast-Forward the time-line to today. I did a presentation to my work colleagues and a couple of IT architects about the project I am currently working on. Surprisingly, the outcome is somewhat different from my previous experience. I am much more confident (or maybe just - could be self delusional I think). I used a lot more hand gestures as part of my communication. I ensured that I had eye contacts with my audience and I wasn't murmuring to myself. At least I did what I could to present my material to my audience in the clearest and the most interesting way I could possibly muster at that point in time. Well one down, I have one more presentation of the very same to go tomorrow.
Without going into details about the project, let me share a bit about my experience about doing the presentation (or public speaking). You see, I have never thought myself as a fluent public speaker. I can still remember the many fumbles I made everytime I was asked to do a speech. I still remember my very first presentation to a group of university lecturers and fellow students during my Honours year at University of Western Australia. I recalled being so nerve-wrecked and fumbled along the way throughout the presentation.
Fast-Forward the time-line to today. I did a presentation to my work colleagues and a couple of IT architects about the project I am currently working on. Surprisingly, the outcome is somewhat different from my previous experience. I am much more confident (or maybe just - could be self delusional I think). I used a lot more hand gestures as part of my communication. I ensured that I had eye contacts with my audience and I wasn't murmuring to myself. At least I did what I could to present my material to my audience in the clearest and the most interesting way I could possibly muster at that point in time. Well one down, I have one more presentation of the very same to go tomorrow.
Saturday 1 December 2007
Fourth Wedding shoot for the year
Just came back from a wedding shoot and thought I'll quickly drop a few lines about my experience today.
I believe this will be my last wedding for the year (well, we are already in December and I don't have any more appointments or engagements for the rest of the year). It had been very much a high tempo shoot, a tiring but ultimately enjoyable shoot. My arms and my back ache like crazy right now. This came from shooting with 2 bodies (my trusty Nikon D200 with a 70-200 mm lens and a borrowed D70s with my lovely 17-55mm lens). Carrying both cameras for a few hours was indeed an interesting experience. For the first time, I had the set up I have always wanted for doing wedding shoots. No only I found that I had the range I needed, I had an absolute great fun in trying out different things because of the range in comparison to my previous wedding shoots.
Ah, there was one repeated mistake that I have made again. I have never used a D70S before, and trying to figure out how to set certain functions of a rather "strange" camera on the day of an actual shoot was a big big big mistake. Not only I had to constantly "guess" how to change the functions of the camera quickly during the shoot, I wasn't quite sure how to use a less sophisticated camera then my very own even though both cameras are from Nikon and supposedly to be similar. Well, you see, on a D200, I had the luxury of the 11 points focusing feature. Whereas on a D70s, there are only 3 I think. I wasn't game enough to try and shift the focus point. I had it left dead centre and it dramatically slowed down the speed in which I was able to get a focus lock quickly compared to my D200.
I did, however, learn from many of my other past mistakes from my previous wedding shoots. I felt that this was my best shoot for this year. Well, I can only hope I will keep improving.
A few more tips before I end this post:
[edited: I've corrected my very bad grammar - caused by fatigue... or whatever bad excuses I can come up with... note to self.... I must proof read my own writings before I post anything up in the future.]
I believe this will be my last wedding for the year (well, we are already in December and I don't have any more appointments or engagements for the rest of the year). It had been very much a high tempo shoot, a tiring but ultimately enjoyable shoot. My arms and my back ache like crazy right now. This came from shooting with 2 bodies (my trusty Nikon D200 with a 70-200 mm lens and a borrowed D70s with my lovely 17-55mm lens). Carrying both cameras for a few hours was indeed an interesting experience. For the first time, I had the set up I have always wanted for doing wedding shoots. No only I found that I had the range I needed, I had an absolute great fun in trying out different things because of the range in comparison to my previous wedding shoots.
Ah, there was one repeated mistake that I have made again. I have never used a D70S before, and trying to figure out how to set certain functions of a rather "strange" camera on the day of an actual shoot was a big big big mistake. Not only I had to constantly "guess" how to change the functions of the camera quickly during the shoot, I wasn't quite sure how to use a less sophisticated camera then my very own even though both cameras are from Nikon and supposedly to be similar. Well, you see, on a D200, I had the luxury of the 11 points focusing feature. Whereas on a D70s, there are only 3 I think. I wasn't game enough to try and shift the focus point. I had it left dead centre and it dramatically slowed down the speed in which I was able to get a focus lock quickly compared to my D200.
I did, however, learn from many of my other past mistakes from my previous wedding shoots. I felt that this was my best shoot for this year. Well, I can only hope I will keep improving.
A few more tips before I end this post:
- It is so important to have a second body. There is absolutely no time for lens swapping during high tempo event photo shoots,
- Remember to have sufficient memory cards and batteries,
- one last thing.... remember to bring some water. Shooting a wedding is like doing a low impact exercise. The water you bring with you will come very handy
[edited: I've corrected my very bad grammar - caused by fatigue... or whatever bad excuses I can come up with... note to self.... I must proof read my own writings before I post anything up in the future.]
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