Hello there! I am back after long holidays and festivities, there isn't anything better than to start the year by squeezing out and sharing the missing last 3 months of 2008 studio sessions photos, that many of you have been waiting.

Photo shoot session earlier this year at Isla Blanca in Cancun Quintana Roo, Mexico. This place was quite an amazing place, i never seen anything like it before; its basically a thin strip of beach in which one side is a shallow lagoon and the other side the open sea. And thinking about shallow sands, i wonder if we had been exposed to dangers of getting swallowed by a quicksand! Well luckily we are still around so its all good.


Thanks to Milton Ruiz for the video of the shoot:

Here is another set of photos i found while sorting my library. In this set, there are some random picks from my first photography assignment for food and dinning back last year. I am still learning and heading the right direction now, so maybe next time i post some similar assignments they will be at least better than this ones.

After quite some time, i took the time to compile a collection of past photo shoot sessions from earlier this year at my old Windsor home studio, which sadly i have to sell when i moved back to Hong Kong.
You may notice in this photos that there has been a gradual improvement on my lighting techniques and post-processing at the time these sessions took place, in comparison with last year sessions. Over time, i started making use of beginning to end production work flow with LightRoom and i must say it has saved me hours or sorting and editing without destroying my originals.

The other day, while looking through some old family photo scans, i came across with this childhood memory of my first contact point in photography, i was holding this film roll case, I dont quite remember what was in it at that time.
During my childhood my parents liked to take family pictures just like any other families, but when i look at our family pictures the images show more of a story than just snapshots. There is a feeling, an emotion while at the same time they show conflicting identity times. In those times my family was living in a totally alienated environment, being the first Chinese family in Cancun we together faced all the elements and barriers such as language, cultural and social difference in order to make a living and a prosperous family.

Being born and raised in Cancun was a strange but yet exquisite mix for me, it provided the means for me to interface between the Mexican and Chinese culture. Ever since i left my native home to Hong Kong and explore the world i have become more of a observer, of cultures, landscapes, traditions, and most importantly people. These observations have provided me with a unique eye on photography allowing me to produce unique perspectives.

Over time, during my studies i have struggled to identify myself in a field where best fitted me. With no specific interest or reason, i started photography as a means to share to the world my views and perspectives. Later on photography transformed into a passion. The more i captured the more i became entangled with. For now, all i can say is that only my imagination, my eyes and time will tell my future in this passionate field.

I has been over a week now since i finished my last final exam. It also means the finishing line of my university undergraduate studies, at least for the meantime until i decide what i want to do on the coming years. For now while waiting for my convocation in June, I have started to pickup different projects that i had planned in the past but never had time to finish, it feels good to be done school for this same reason, i get all the time i want to spend on things.

It is also the time for uncertainty for me as well, having to find a job and moving. It all comes down to time management of your life, there is so much one can do at any given moment in time, then you figure that life is finite and you ask yourself this question: "Where do i want to be at the end of the day?". I always had this philosophy of "If you never try, you will never know" in terms of goal setting and discovery, but also give importance to my well-being, how can you really achieve happiness without it?. Remember that there is more to life than just work to live, you have to live for today and live for life.

(Click to listen then read post series)
Once upon a time, in the far reaches of Computer Science universe different kinds of algorithm analysis emerged with its complexities and their hard understanding nature became computer science students final frontier . . .

Yes, you guessed right. Its 0360-454 Design and Analysis of Algorithms and its mighty CLRS book (The MIT Press - Introduction to Algorithms). The course covers a broad range of algorithms along with their design and analysis, some examples are Quick Sort, Dynamic Programming, Greedy Algorithms, Graph Algorithms, NP-Completeness and Approximation Algorithms.

Most of my fellow classmates and previous generations of Honours Computer Science students have/had hard times staying on the thin red line of the passing mark which ultimately i call it the "Final Frontier" of Honours Computer Science students to graduation. All said, may my degree be in the hands of 0630-454.

Today looking around my photo library, i came across this photos that i took sometime before the CBA fashion show photo shoot back in February. These photos were mostly hands-on type on light painting techniques i seen people do. Light painting is a very interesting technique, the idea is mainly based in moving bright light sources in the frame while the camera is on bulb or long exposure mode in a low light environment. The result is over-exposed motion blurred light in certain parts of the frame and other cool effects. You can find a lot of interesting light painting work all over the internet, it seems to be some popular technique that people are looking into lately, for example the a Sprint mobile phone commercial was made with stop motion composed of light painted objects creating an illusion of moving light.

Last month on January 26, 2008 i was assigned to photograph a fashion show, this assignment gave me the chance to practice and explore on-site photography. During the assignment, i took note on some important points about balancing ambient light and subject exposure, the stage setup provided low light conditions which required the use of multiple strobe groups, i had to time my shots as the models came out in order to catch them within either one of the two strobe groups, besides fashion walk shoots i did some backstage, rehearsal and some other random photography involving portable strobes.


I would like to thank the Chemistry & Biochemistry Association of the University of Windsor for giving me the chance to help and exercise my photography skills.

Photo shoot (Jan. 06, 2008) from this recent Christmas holidays back at home Cancun, Mexico with with my friend Giovanna Aguilar Guzman, the photo shoot took place on a dock of restaurant Jin An (Grupo Hong Kong) facing the Nichupté lagoon.
Giovanna graduated in dramatic arts and cinematography studies from Centro de Estudios Cinematográficos de Cataluña, and is currently working in Televisa as casting crew.

This last Christmas break, I went back home in Cancun and as every year enjoyed the company of my family and friends, and the beautiful weather. Every year that i have been at home i have a tradition of celebrating new years eve and finish relaxing at the beach to receive the first rays of light and watch the first sunset of the new year, year after year this have been quite a energizing and colorful sight. This time decided to snap a couple of panoramic shots at Playa Delfines to share with you.

Finally, finished putting together the photo montage of the Tiffany Wong Collection 2007 fashion photo shoot that took place about 2 months ago. In this photo montage I decided to throw in all of the photos from the beginning to end of the photo shoot in sequence, so that you can see the tedious process of a photo shoot.

Well, a new year has begun, a year for new goals, new challenges, and new expectations. 2007 was a revealing year for me in photography, i discovered strengths to exploit and weakness to avoid. 2007 was the year in which the way i did photography changed, i dived into books and learning materials that allowed me to widen my vision and refined my techniques. As of 2008, i will work hard to bring more stunning photography to you and to share with the world. I would also like to thank all of you who supported me and made my photography more than just capturing a moment.

This last summer i helped out in two RTHK - Radio Television Hong Kong assignments as behind the scenes photographer and assistant photographer. For the assistant photography aid-ee i was able to snap some good pictures of people and Hong Kong culture for the TV documentary program Hong Kong Story, the photos were used for an animated collage introduction of the program.

About 2 weeks ago, i had the opportunity to work with my friend Tiffany Wong a very talented fashion designer. She needed to get her designs photographed and cataloged for her portfolio, and i was quite happy to help out and at the same time it served me as experience with my studio, it resembled a production environment and work flow. The team included Tiffany's friend Alice Saengchannavong (model), Stephanie Joves (makeup artist), Tiffany Wong (fashion designer), and me (photographer).


Lastly, would like to thank the photo session team for the great work and dedication. Special thanks to Tiffany Wong and her talented designs.