Where we were working today, the Crew and I were required to adhere to a certain dress code since it’s a formal event attended by VVIPs with protocols and such…

A softbox, from camera right (checking the shadows near Ariffin The HDR dewd leg) place about 10 feet from the ground (so the shadows is shorter behind us lah, but that was not really necessary as I placed another light behind us, just out of the frame, also camera right to ‘kill’ off any shadows lah ), another light, just out of the frame to the right of the camera right to kill off any shadows at the back. Hmmm, now why lah I am repeating myself?

Speaking of dress code and such, in certain events that I’m happened to cover, I’ve seen many other photographers who covered the event for their Client’s/Bosses etc oso. They’re dressed in many manners, some really sempoi one, you know, shirts and jeans and sneakers. Some, will be dressed with their ‘monkey suit’ of camera vest, pouches and huge backpack style camera bags piggybacking their erm, back (’We’re going off to some expedition now, aren’t we?’). Quite often some dressed in office attire. Some just black shirt an djeans and baseball cap turned backwards (baseball caps turned backwards? I kid you not. I won’t even start about video crews, that’s another rant by itself) Well, okay lah, nothing wrong in that, to each his own, some would say, tapi kan, if the event is attended by VVIP who dressed in suits and ties, you’re not gonna be attending the event in khakis and combat boots, no? (okay, I’m exaggerating on the combat boots things. What do you mean you’re always dressed in combat boots?) No, you dressed formally oso so YOU DON’T STAND OUT!

Blend in with the crowd, of course people will know you’re a ‘camera man’ (istilah Orang Kampung, masa aku shoot wedding masa aku mula-mula start dulu hahahahaha) but blend in lah. The event is not about you, or for you. Your job is to record and document the event (if you’re the hired shooter, that is…), not to be the centre of attention. I got shivers up my spine when I covered a formal event sometime back where everyone dressed formally and I saw a photog in blue jeans and pink striped round neck shirt with white shoes (okay, for the purpose of disclosure, the photog is a lady, hence the pink striped round neck shirt with white shoes) snapping away at the Guest and Participants.

Later I found out that she work with a vernacular press and she have a few more events to cover that day hence the attire. Waaaaaay later I heard venacular press photogs has to cover at least 10 events in a day oso! Wah lau! If I got to work like that I oso want to dress comfortably lah, but not in jeans and pink striped shirt tho. You people will look defintely look at me funny one kind…..

SO anyhow, (now this post begin to sound like a rant), blend-in lah with the environment you’re werking in. If a VVIP is going on a hiking trip to a remote village campaigning for an election and such (heh heh heh), surely you’re not gonna be wearing batik and dress shoes, no?

Okay lah, act-cheerly, the purpose of this post is just for me to show off my new suit made by Bon Zainal lah whoah hahahahahahaha!

Whew! Last week was quite hectic, and my shooting schedule is gonna be tight till the end of the month, hence, the gap between the post again (my apologies lah folks, gotta makan first, play-play later mah). SO, what lah been happening these past few days?

Well, I’ve been working for an annual report photoshoot for the past few days lah, and before that I’ve shoot yet another corporate golf tournament (the best part is, Impian Golf Resort, which is the the venue for the said golf tourney, is just besides my Office aka Barebone Studio ajer….) and some commissioned portraiture session. Oh, Almost forgot lah, I covered a dinner event for a company which celebrates it’s 20th Anniversary. Not bad no for a Company that’s able to celebrate it’s 20th Anniversary and oso fete it’s staff and personnel. And that Dinner is right after the golf tournament. Told ya I’ve been busy. Well anyway, you’re not here to read about me (allegedly, you don’t really believe everything you read on the Innernet, no?) ajer kan (I sounded so vain)? You’re here to checkout how I set-up my shots lah during my assignments not reading about me promoting meself. *laffs*

I often used studio strobes for my work. If there’s power supply available that is (I can’t afford those dang expensive battery pack units for studio strobes, I rather buy petrol for my car and food for the Family lah!). Sometimes, I used a mixture of small portable flash/strobe for my location work. I used my Nikon portable strobes with both my Sony Alpha camera (via Pocket Wizard™ radio triggering thingies, a piece of dang overpriced, expensive plastic if you ask me…) or using CLS set-up if I use my Nikon gears.

Now you gonna ask, which is better? Radio triggering thingies or optical triggering devices (Nikon CLS set-up uses pre-flashes to ‘communicate’, measuring distance/ambient light and so on and so forth, go read the manual lah if you’re a Nikon user)?

Both has its own advantages and disadvantages, one method is solely just to trigger strobes while the other offers full control but via line of sight ony. Each has it uses in many situations. The trick is to understand each merits lah.

*The Client (which I’ve shot their Annual Report for the past three years, btw..) has given approval for materials from this photoshoot for my One minute video clip tutorial that you can download from this site. Don’t ask me when it’s available lah. You gotta wait till I settle down a bit, this week right thru the end of the month is kinda busy lerr (did I mentioned that already? Oh, I did. Hahah),work comes first, play later lah! *grins*

So anyway, back to the above picture lighting set-up, I used a Bowens Esprit 500 studio strobe that’s position to the right side of the camera. I put on a softbox on the Bowens to ’soften’ the lights a wee bit since I gonna place some people on the truck, the tailgate and oso on the floor of the warehouse. I positioned another light to the left using just a standard reflector to light up the side of the truck. I adjust the power so the whites of the truck is white, as it is painted, errr, white.

If you look to the right side of the pic, there’s 2 more trucks that’s being lighted oso by another studio strobe, oso using it’s standard reflector only but the white colour of the truck isn’t white enough lah. I rectify it later by moving the lights nearer to the trucks. This image here, is my ‘test shot’ anyhow (I’m so tempted to use the word ‘Polaroid™’, from the good ole (wiping a nostalgic tear) film days. Nahh, one gotta keep up with the times, no?), so WYSIWYG lah.

You just be able to see the arm of my assistant who were busy, erm, assisting me

Now, did I left anything? Hmmm…..

Ahhh, checkout the inside of the truck lah. It’s lighted up by a Nikon SB-800 portable strobe (@ probably 1/4 power in Manual mode) triggered via a Pocket Wizard™ (that dang, expensive piece of plastic!) oso. If I don’t put any light in there, it’s gonna be a big, black empty spot in the picture. Not nice.

Well, that’s it lah, as soon as I deliver the rest of the work to the Client then I can post up more pics to share-share with you folks lah Meanwhile, I gotta go to bed soon, 2molo’s call time is at 7 30am, that means I gotta leave the house by 6 30am, which means I gotta be up by 5 30am….

Come to think of it, petrol and food are a necessity, while sleep is a luxury. Oh dear…

IKEA Handel Malaysia held a Farewell Dinner for it’s dedicated staff last nite, and I was hired to do the coverage. After a short speech (straight to the point, which I like, which how I do oso in my workshop and talks in seminars organised by others lah) and a short certificate presentation ceremony, it’s time for the group photo lah…

Arranging the people in a informal positions…

The chimping mode after the button pressing session…

And the 3rd and Final image, which I choose to be printed and present to the Client

Why a softbox instead of a on-camera flash?

I had to use a wide angle lens for the group photo (of which some distortion is evident at the edges of the frame lah) as the space is quite limited. If I used my SB-800 on camera as my main light, The flash coverage is not enuff lah (which will result in ugly vignetting effect. Vignette werks is some portraits, but not for group photo, oh no. But then again, like how I said in some seminars, ’sometimes suka-suka you punyer setting lah’. That being said, you don’t believe everything you read on the Innernet, no?), so I used my studio strobe with its softbox (if you join my previous workshop, you remember about how big light source equals soft light, and small light source equals harsh light? you do? You do? Good lah for you! Remember, practice makes perfect, so go and practice more lah, life to precious to spend time surfing the Innernet, no?) for it’s wider spread of light (which happens to be soft).  Find out more about quality of light in my next upcoming Studio Lighting Workshop that is going to be held this September 2008 lah.

Till then