Four years ago, The Star’s award-winning writer Chin Mui Yoon, interviewed me along with two very established photographers for a feature on wedding photography. Then I was a scruffy newbie barely a year into the trade. Who is this guy Louis Pang? That article probably raised a few eyebrows. I was too happy to be given a shot at national fame.

Four years on, Mui Yoon and I crossed path again to talk about winning the WPPI International Portrait Print of The Year. It is remarkable to see how both of us had grown in our careers and lives. She’s bagged international journalism awards along with a loving husband. All of us at Louis Pang Studio are honored to be featured in our country’s largest English daily, The Star.

I am particularly honored by Bill Hurter’s remark, whom Mui Yoon interviewed via email. It is so strange to be mentioned along side Joe Buissink and Marcus Bell, two master photographers who I admire and respect deeply.

Just a couple of corrections to the article:
1. I am the eldest of two boys. Never had girls at home.
2. Jasmine and I started our business at our home, not my mum’s house.

To read the three-page feature story, you can download this PDF. Love the layout.

During the “Let there be Light” seminar we held last February, we raised RM13,121.31 for the National Cancer Society of Malaysia. The funds came from auctioning five of Joe McNally’s photographs and the mentoring lunch with Joe and I. The check was presented to NCSM honorary advisor, Dato Zuraidah and managing director, Rubi-Ain Dahlan on July 2. It was very meaningful to partner with NCSM and rally fellow photographers to bring some happiness to our community. Sorry about the rather blurry image taken with my iPhone. We are never very good at grab-and-grin kinda shots

It is a trip that we will never forget. Part of working outside of our comfort zone is dealing with the unknown. I’ve never shot in a communist country…well, China with its hybrid communism and free market system, does not count. So everything about Cuba is all new to me. I remember that Cliff Mautner talks about not approaching a shoot with pre-conceived notions. As much as I tried to do that, I couldn’t help but fantasize a little about Havana.

Had the scariest encounter with immigration at Havana. You walked up to the counter. There was a shut door on the end of it that only opened when the immigration officer let you through. So you had no idea what you are walking into. After I got through and picked up my bags, another immigration officer intercepted me and held my passport. After waiting for 30 minutes, his colleague finally found the time to interview me further. He relayed everything I said to him via a radio headset to his invisible superior. This went on for 15 minutes, which felt like eternity.

Havana didn’t roll out the red carpet to the tourist dollars from the free world. Our ordeal didn’t end here. Got to our hotel only to be told they had to transfer us to lower a grade hotel because of an electrical problem. The substitute hotel was located in a seedy looking area of Havana. We slept with our doors barricaded that night.

Things got better after we met up with Michael and Vivian the next day. Their travel and hotel arrangement worked out fine. Most importantly they were so in love and excited about the shoot. Michael is a real gentleman who always puts Vivian first. We roamed around Cuba with a 20-person bus which doubled as our production trailer, changing room, and equipment depot. We had great fun shooting in the streets of Havana, taking over the train junk yard, hanging round old American cars, and visiting the tobacco plantations of Pinar Del Rio. While we recceed a bit, much of the shoot was impromptu. Hats off the Michael and Vivian for being such great clients and troopers. We always get the best clients…ain’t that great?

Apart from cigars and baseball, Cubans love Chinese. “You Chino? (Are you Chinese?)” “Se Chino,” we replied. It’s one of the few places in the world where people of squinty eyes are given preferential treatment. Michael, Vivian, Lee Kuen, Jasmine & I didn’t mind that. Thank you China, for being nice to Cuba.

p/s Michael: thank you for educating me about cigars. You are so stylish that I had to make sure I didn’t over shoot you and neglect Vivian!

We are ready to roll out the red carpet and invite you do drop by our brand new studio in Kuala Lumpur. On August 15, 11am to 3pm we are celebrating the new studio with food, drinks and a small fanfare. So all brides-and-grooms-to-be we would LOVE to meet you. Our place is not very big. To make sure that everyone has a good and comfortable time, we have worked out different visiting time slots. Kindly give our studio manager, William (6016-681-8881) a call so that he can put you on our guest list.

See you on Sunday!

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