Uriage 1st Asia Pacific Regional Seminar

Uriage is one of the leading dermo-cosmetic thermal water brands on the international market.  Their 1st Asia Pacific regional seminar was held at Park Royal on Pickering, Singapore. This centrally located hotel provides easy access for the gathering of the representatives from various countries.

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Commercial Photography : Iki Studio

These gorgeous minimalist watches designed by Iki Studio came to our office two weeks ago for some catalogue photos.

Photography was straight forward. I place the products inside the light tent to create nice even lighting from all directions. The challenge is to portray the stainless steel face accurately (the one on the left). It is very reflective and the light that bounces off made it look completely white. 

With some clever positioning of the lights and some tweaking of the curves in photoshop, It looks like stainless steel now. 

If you have similar products that needed photos done, please send an email to ted@teddytan.com.au .

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Facebook........LIVE !

Any of you IT savvy folks has “liked” my page on Facebook? I had a play with Facebook Live a few days ago, and it seemed like a fun way to connect with my audiences. So here’s the question: What would you like to see in my next live video?

I already have a few ideas in mind,

-          Go behind the scene and have a peek at a photoshoot

-          Going through my bag, see what gears do I pack.

-          A live stream from my lighting and portrait workshop

-          Q&A session, ask me anything! Pick my brains! Maybe I will reveal some trade secrets!

It can even be non photography related, like what I am having for lunch. Let me know by commenting below!

If you have not liked my Facebook page yet, click on the link below and choose to be notified whenever I am on LIVE !

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Where do I find inspiration ?

It’s been over seven years since the day I photographed my very first wedding.  With hundreds of weddings under my belt now, things start to appear repetitive. So how do I stay fresh?

Outside of wedding photography, I collaborate with models and makeup artist on various personal projects . Commonly known as Time-for-prints (TFP), these  projects allow me to experiment without the consequences of failure in an otherwise paid job.

It may seem daunting at first to put together all the logistics. But the result is worth the effort, not to mention subsequent photoshoots will be easier. There are a few ways to get the ball rolling – emulating other people’s work with my own interpretation, building a theme around a piece of amazing clothing or prop, or simply let my imagination runs wild.

Take this photo titled "Sewer Fishing" for example, the inspiration came from my childhood experiences when I caught tadpoles from the drain. The challenging thing in this shoot is crowd control. Luckily I had an assistant who helped directing the people while I concentrate on the shoot.

I also volunteer to teach portraiture lighting at a local camera club. I find that being able to impart my knowledge gives me satisfaction. Talking to my fellow photographers also generates fresh ideas and keeps me up to date in technology development. 

Sometimes I also go on road trips. By far the most frequented one is the Great Ocean Road. Visiting the same place at different time of the year bring fresh perspective to me. Usually I will also take this opportunity to location scout.

Fellow artists, I want to hear from you! So how do you let your creative juices flow? Leave a comment below!

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How to Choose a Wedding Photographer - Teddy's tips

If you have been active on social media for the past week or so, chances are, you might have come across the story about poorly taken photographs of  the wedding of Ms Jaclyn .

Here’s a reminder:

Photo: Facebook/Jaclyn Ying

While it is subjective to rate the photographs, as each photographer has his or her distinct style, there are still a few core criteria on what makes decent photography . Here are my few tips to help you select a wedding photographer, and hopefully you will receive images that you like, more  than Ms Jaclyn liking hers.

1.     Select a photographer with the biggest lens.

Size matters. Surely, the biggest lens will produce the most flattering photos, right? How many times have you told yourself, “This person must be a good photographer, look at that big lens he is carrying!”. Having a big lens is a big bonus. The photographer simply needs to park the car, roll down the window, and start shooting, private detective style. This is the highest form of photojournalistic photography, a style that wedding couples rave about nowadays.  It will be least intrusive and images captured will be most candid.

So, the first question to ask when you meet a photographer is, “How big is your lens?”

Photo: fotosale.com.ua

2.     Select a photographer with the highest megapixel camera.

This comes a close second. A high megapixel camera will no doubt capture a lot of details. All the hard work you’ve put into the wedding preparation will be captured with a deservingly advanced camera. High megapixel camera are easily accessible by the masses. Chances are, many of your wedding guests already have smart phones that are capable of shooting more than 10 megapixels. It might come with smile detect ion function as a bonus! In the future, scientist might even come up with cameras that will automatically detect important moments, and capture them.  

So don’t forget to ask, “how many megapixels can your  machine do?”

Photo: properplanner.com

And thank you for staying with me till now. Hope that this satritical piece (in case you don’t already figured it out) will brighten your day a little. In all seriousness, make sure you do your homework when it comes to selecting a wedding photographer. I’m sure there are more serious articles on the web which will guide you through.

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Tesselaar Tulip Festival

Yes, it is the time of the year again. Tesselaar Tulip Festival is here! Just an hour drive out of Melbourne, you can feast your eyes upon rows and rows of tulips of different colours!

Photography is very welcomed here. No special permits needed, just pay for the entrance and you can shoot away! Dogs are permitted too. However, please note that Tesselaar is a working farm. The paths are unpaved and be prepared to get dirty!

While you are there, also check out Puffing Billy Railway and Mt Dandenong.

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Melbourne train strike? Not this one!

Melbournians, still remember the train strike and tram strike a few weeks ago? And now the airport staff is going to strike too ?

Luckily, Puffing Billy railway will not go on strike, because it is run by volunteers! Located in the Dandenong ranges, this century-old railway is still running on its original tracks. It is now a tourist attraction, and the steam-powered locomotives always draw a crowd wherever they go. Needless to say, this is a great spot for wedding photography.

The first picture below is the most memorable one. We researched the train schedule and waited at this specific spot, in order to capture it passing through in the background. There will be no re-takes, as the next train will be hours away. We managed to timed and captured it perfectly!

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Studio Photoshoot: Lighting and Portraiture

Every fourth Tuesday of the month, Waverley Camera Club is hosting a lighting and portraiture workshop, proudly lead by yours truly.

Since the start of the year, the participants had been learning about theories on lighting and how to use off-camera flash. Finally, in July, they had the chance to practice it in a studio setting.

It was a cold wintry night but everyone was on fire! For almost 2 hours, studio lights were flashing and the sound of the camera shutter reverberated throughout the studio. The photographers went home with memory cards full of beautiful images.

Special thanks to Tori and Alyssa to model for the club, and also to Greg D for hosting us in his studio.  

The next photography session will be held on 26 Sept at Jells Park. It is located in the South Eastern area of Melbourne, with tall trees and plenty of greenery to set the scene. I have done wedding photoshoots there myself. Please get in touch if you would like to participate (both photographers and models welcomed!)

Photo courtesy: Geoff Shaw

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Commercial Photography: Boldr Watch

Several weeks ago, I had the pleasure to create some photos for an exciting product. I cannot reveal them until now, for confidentiality reasons.

Introducing Boldr, a hybrid watch combining classic design and clever wizardry. On the outside, it is a classic aviator style look. But what's amazing is the smartmodule that's lurking underneath. It has built-in calls, messages and apps notification. Also, it is a pedometer, phone camera shutter release and it has anti-loss function. On top of that, the battery can last way longer than the typical smart watch! I am getting one myself, for sure. 

Shooting was fun, but challenging. The reflection on the glass surface is a headache but we’ve managed to overcome it. Once the lighting was nailed down, the rest was a breeze. If you would like to showcase your products with photographs like the ones above, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Kickstarter launch 29/8/2015.

Website: www.boldrwatches.com

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Underwater Maternity Photography

Hello all. It's about time that this blog gets an update. Part of the reason why it has been neglected is because there is nothing really exciting to report… until now. What could be that special? How about an underwater photoshoot, with a pregnant woman!

When it comes to creating images underwater, I have to humbly admit that I am a total greenhorn. To prepare for this photoshoot, I googled for some sample images and imagine how would I light the scene. But all these preparation did not take into account of one very important fact - radiowaves don't work underwater! Essentially, the pocket wizards were rendered useless. I have to fall back on plan B - use the torchlight function of phones, 4 of them to be exact. That created barely enough light for  the camera to capture.

 

Next on the challenge list is the physical barrier.  Carrying a few extra kgs in the belly itself is hard enough already, even more so the mother-to-be has to hold her breath, perform underwater stunts, control buoyancy, and looking photogenic at the same time. Not an easy task!

 

Despite all these setbacks, I enjoyed this underwater maternity photography session, a welcomed challenge that threw me into the unknown. I'm  glad that the effort of soaking in the water for 1.5hours is being rewarded with the pictures below :

 

 

 

 

PS: Christmas wishlist - proper underwater housing for the camera, underwater lighting, scuba diving lessons.

PPS: Thank you CF Lui for lending the underwater camera pouch. Special thanks to Tan Boon Siong, Kok Siew Hong and Tan Jian Yong for assisting with the lighting. Even more special thanks to Jacqueline Seow for being so sporting.

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Five Outdoor Wedding Themes

Today's post is from our friends at Simply Bridal. Enjoy.

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Five Outdoor Wedding Themes

 

It’s that time of year again! Winter is upon us, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t have outdoor weddings. Many fruits suc
 
h as apples and citrus come into season in the fall and winter. So what did we do? We made a list of five outdoor themes for 2013.

Barbecue Wedding

Barbecue may be most associated with summer, but there’s nothing like a fire to take off the chill in the fall and winter.  If it is chilly, provide guests with warm blankets to wrap themselves in or provide heat lamps. In addition to traditional barbecue fare, you can serve some winter foods and beverages that hot chocolate, spiced cider, and mulled wine.

Casablanca

We aren’t talking about the movie, but the actual city. Casablanca is sensual, romantic and exotic and you can bring all of that and more to your reception. Create a Moroccan souk complete with floor pillows, finger food, deep colors and incense!

 

Coming Up Roses

Roses bring the romance so why not surround your wedding with roses? Although you don’t need to do a literal interpretation, we to see roses in centerpieces and rose petals sprinkled throughout the location. As we all know, roses can be expensive, therefore don’t hesitate to use rich red colors to accentuate your rosy outlook on life. Oh, and don’t forget the rose wine, it’s a definite must for this occasion.

Rustic Wedding

Rustic weddings were a huge theme in 2012 and are still right on trend for 2013. We love rustic weddings that feature burlap tablecloths and huge tents with the occasional bale of hay strewn around. Serve drinks out of mason jars and outfit your bridesmaids in comfortable cowboy boots. Relaxed, casual and fun is the name of the game.

Picnic Wedding

Lately we’ve been enamored with picnics. It just reminds us of childhood and simpler times. However, simple doesn’t mean unimaginative. Fill picnic baskets with wildflowers and use them as centerpieces. Serve tea sandwiches and mini fruit tarts and don’t forget the lawn games. This is one wedding where the air will be filled with love and nostalgia.

Looking at these themes makes us want to get married all over again. Then again, that means that we would have to select one of these themes for our wedding day and we know that’s impossible. Brides, have fun narrowing down the themes!

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SimplyBridal.com is an American online retailer of high quality wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses, and wedding accessories, such as veils and jewelry. SimplyBridal ships to most of Western Europe, North America, and parts of Asia. Our products have been featured on Style Me Pretty, Wedding Chicks, and Rock n Roll Bride.

 

 

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Justin Timberlake sings at his own wedding

Yes, Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake are now husband and wife. Two of Hollywood’s A-listers have bid farewell to their single life and tied the knot on Friday at the Borgo Egnazia resort in Puglia, Italy. Among the wedding guests were celebrity friends, including Andy Samberg, Timbaland and Beverly Mitchell.

“It’s great to be married, the ceremony was beautiful and it was so special to be surrounded by our family and friends,” Justin and Jessica first told People.com right after the ceremony.

 

Notably, the 31-year-old singer-and-actor sang one of his previously unreleased songs at the couple's nuptials,  which saw The Roots' drummer Questlove DJ at the reception - and he dedicated the performance to his new wife.

A source told US Weekly: ''Questlove played a bunch of Justin Timberlake songs, but no *NSYNC. Justin performed one song at the wedding. It's a new one that he hasn't released yet. He dedicated it to Jessica.''

It is still unknown that if that song will make it to public ears.

 

If you are a singer/songwriter, or simply love singing, you can consider adding a personal touch to the celebration by composing and singing a song for the special one. I have personally witnessed the bride, the groom, and the guests being moved to tears when a special song was sung. This little extra gesture could potentially stir up lots of emotions, thus allowing wedding photojournalists to capture and freeze that moment in time. 

 

 

Photos courtesy of Avior Pictures

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Jared Followill and Martha Patterson

Cat Deeley isn't the only one who utilised twitter to talk about her eventual nuptials.

Together with Holly Valance and Anne Hathaway, Kings of Leon bassist Jared Followill also got married with model Martha Patterson, at each of their own weddings separately of course. This means at least 4 celebrities celebrated their nuptials over the same weekend.

The 25 year-old rocker shared his excitement on Twitter soon after tying the knot, he wrote: “Aaaaaand I'm married. Happiest man in the world.”

With Martha tweeting: “Marrying my best friend today. I'm the luckiest girl in the world. :)”

The couple, who got engaged in April, spent their big day in the grounds of a rustic farm house with sources saying that their wedding reception featured “a beautiful firework display and a five-tier strawberry cream cake".

The beautiful blushing bride wore a strapless gown with a lace bodice and feather styled full skirt, her brown locks falling simply around her bare shoulders with no jewellery except for the rings.

The minimalist approach is gaining momentum over the recent years. If you have the face and figure of a model, why let all the bling overshadow your natural beauty? Kudos to Martha.

Jared's marriage makes him the final member of Kings of Leon to tie the knot - frontman Caleb married supermodel Lily Aldridge in May last year, Nathan wed singer/songwriter Jessie Baylin in 2009 and Matthew exchanged vows with musician Johanna Bennett that year too

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Cat Deeley's Surprise Wedding

What even more secret that Anne Hathaway's Secret Wedding? The So-You-Think-You-Can-Dance host Cat Deeley nuptials to tv and radio presenter Patrick Kielty. The couple secretly tied the knot in Rome this weekend with their close family and friends present.

 

“The wedding plans were top secret. Friends of Paddy and Cat only found out in the last few days,” a source told. “It was a very intimate service with just 60 friends and family.”

Their big day may come as a surprise to their fans as it was only one month ago that 41-year-old Patrick denied rumours that they had gotten engaged, and Cat, as recently as August claiming they had no plans to marry

The pair first went public with their relationship in May, and although they had been friends for years, their romance still came as a bit of a shock.

It was shortly after this that Patrick moved into Cat's £1.7million Beverley Hills mansion with plans to renovate the property.

The couple kept their blossoming relationship out of the public eye for quite some time after rumours about their friendship turning romantic began to surface after they went on holiday together in February.

Patrick, made it known last year that he has been thinking of tying the knot in 2012, saying: 'I think that might be my New Year’s resolution... to get married.'

He and Cat have been friends since they hosted one of the original TV talent shows Fame Academy together from 2002.

As for Deeley, she perhaps offered a hint as to her marital status last week, posting a photo of herself and Kielty leaving the Emmy Awards last week. "And then they lived.... Happily ever after....cx," she wrote on twitter.

 

Planning a secret wedding requires a lot of hush-hush, especially with the wedding suppliers. You have to let them know the details, yet have to trust them not to leak the news to the public. A contract comes in handy most of the time, but it is only as good as the parties who sign it. No contract can stop someone from speaking, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

 

I had the honour to photograph an engagement party of a celebrity few years ago. There wasn't any physical contract but only a verbal agreement. A lot of trust was placed in me, mainly because previously we had worked together and I was found to be trustworthy :). I have heard stories of how a wedding was ruined because of a rogue wedding supplier, so it pays to write everything down in black and white - the details of the items/services that you have purchased, the payment plan, and agreement like photo copyrights and "vow of silence".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Anne Hathaway's unique Valentino wedding gown

Continuing from the topic of wedding veil, Hollywood A-lister Anne Hathaway also said "I Do" in a secret sunset wedding at the scenic coast of Big Sur, California on 29 Sept 2012. The 29-year-old actress tied the knot with actor/jewellery design Adam Shulman.

The Dark Knight Rises star who recently chopped off her hair for the Les Misérables movie, sported a super-short pixie cut and didn't wear any extensions for her wedding. A lot of women probably imagine long flowing locks pinned into a meticulously braided updo (not that there's anything wrong with that) underneath a sheer veil, but Anne just proved that short hair on your wedding day can be just as beautiful.

 Her romantic off the shoulder dress that had a delicate lace trim was a vintage inspired dress personally designed for the bride by couture designer Valentino Garavani. The bridal gown featured intricate lace and embroidery and was paired with a dramatic floor-length veil and vintage-inspired headpiece

Anne also reported wearing minimal jewellery which is quite an interesting choice, given her husband is a jewellery designer and co-designed her engagement ring.

 

 

However, not all of the people agree — especially on the matter of the headpiece.“looks like she had a serious head injury… hope she’s okay,” joked Twitter user danielleNhale. “I like the dress, but the head piece and bridal veil are awful,” added @SummerMarisa.

While there were other criticisms of the headpiece over on People.com, the dress received pretty positive reviews. “Beautiful gown and it’s NOT STRAPLESS! Yay,” wrote SavedByGrace. Aliciad2649 agreed. “I LOVE the headpiece and the dress is classic. Anne’s a lady, through and through.”

Personally, I think with the face like Anne's, she can easily pull off any looks, including this one. That veil and headband combo complimented the pixie cut perfectly.

As usual, dirt and dress doesn't play well together (unless you are going for a "trash-the-dress" photo), so get a helper to manage the dress and veil. It is usually the job of the bridesmaid, but husbands, you can start your new life on the right foot by learning from Adam.

 

Anne's wedding comes as a bit of a surprise as she previously insisted the wedding would not take place until 2013 because of her work commitments. She told Hello magazine recently:

"We're getting married, probably sometime next year-ish. Not this year, it’s too big with two films coming out."

Checkout more paparazzi pictures here.

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Holly Valance's 15ft veil

Former Neighbours star-turned-millionairess Holly Valance married Nick Candy in a large and lavish fairytale wedding on the weekend in Beverly Hills.

 

 

The 29-year-old bride could have chosen any of the world's designers with what seemed like a limitless budget for her nuptials, but went back to her roots, opting for Melbourne couturier J'Aton for her full meringue-style skirt resembling feathers and a bodice-like top. Unfortunately, the dress has found itself on the end of some less-than-flattering criticism.

The Daily Mail said the gown was a "Barbie-meets-Miss-Havisham frock...[with] cascades of pigeon-coloured frou-frou about the hem."

While the Telegraph likened the gown to an all-inclusive British package holiday stalwart. Which is no good thing.

The British newspaper said the "rag-taggle skirt...looked like it had been concocted from endlessly layered lettuce leaves faithfully reproduced in singed white silk."

Ouch.

Nevertheless, Valance topped it off with an exaggerated lace veil in a vintage style which also acted as a train, and carried a dramatic dark-red bouquet, with the wealthy property owner wearing a Dolce and Gabbana tuxedo.

The fifteen footer (4.5 meters) veil, although a traffic-stopper, is barely a fraction of the world's longest veil as confirmed by the Guiness Book of Records. The bride Elena De Angelis from Italy arrived at church with a mammoth 3km (1.86 mile) long veil, literally a traffic-stopper!

More on that story here.

 

 

 

Personally, whenever I see a long veil, I will secretly jump in joy, because I get to shoot photos like this:

 

 

So if you have a simple wedding gown but still seeking for that WOW factor,  consider adding a floor-length veil. Preferbly, nominate a helper to manage the veil. It requires delicate care but it is certainly a lot easier to manage than a feet-dragging wedding dress like Holly Valance's. 

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Lin Dan's wedding celebration on 23 Sept (Lunar Calender 8 Aug)

Double Olympic gold medallist and five time Yonex All England Open Badminton champion Lin Dan held a wedding celebration with former Chinese teammate Xie Xingfang’s on 23 September 2012.

 

"As a Sunday coinciding with the Chinese Lunar calendar's Aug 8, it is a good choice," Lin said.

"From a traditional perspective, a binary date is a preferable choice," Lin was quoted as saying by Oriental Sports Daily.

The number "8" signifies prosperity, and couples who got married on this date is thought to be blessed with double prosperity.
 

They are currently the highest profile couple in Chinese athletics and so the wedding ceremony is highly anticipated. The celebration was held at the Beijing University of Technology.

 

 

Also known as "Super" Dan, Lin had been married to Xie at the end of 2010 in a quick ceremony which was more of an administrative formality, but the wedding celebration held on Sunday in Beijing was the one everyone was looking forward to.

 Wedding suppliers tend to be booked out at least one year in advance for auspicious dates such as the day of Lin Dan's wedding. This is even more so if the date falls on a weekend. To avoid disappointment, it is advisable to contact the wedding suppliers, especially the venue and the wedding photographer, as soon as you have decided on the date of your big day.

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Natalie Portman's vegan wedding

Oscar winner Natalie Portman tied the knot with Benjamin Millipied on 11 Aug 2012.  The two met on the set of the movie "Black Swan" during 2009. The wedding was eco-friendly themed and it reflected the couple's outlook on the world.

Here are a few wedding details:

Instead of having flowers flown in, the ceremony featured wildflowers indigenous to the Big Sur coast where the ceremony took place, and instead of "fish or steak", the menu was strictly vegan in keeping with the bride's diet. Portman, 31, chose a traditional white gown, complimented by a crown of white wildflowers in her hair.

When things wrapped up around 2 a.m., the approximately 100 guests took home packets of wildflower seeds as party favors. The packets were inscribed with a single word: "Merci."

Source: People.com

Themed weddings are favoured by a lot of wedding couples. It gives the guests something to remember, and possibly become talk of the town.

Planning a themed wedding is rather easy. The difficult part is coming up with the ideal wedding theme itself. Wedding themes range from movie-oriented to personal beliefs such as Natalie's. Other themes could be colours, patterns, and symbols that are meaningful to you: a pretty patterned pillow can form an entire wedding theme.

If your wedding has a theme, be sure to convey this to the wedding photographer in advance. The photographer can plan and keep this in mind when shooting the wedding, and also design the album according to the theme, which ties up the whole event together.

All the best to Natalie and Benjamin.

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