Can you believe that in 5 years of blogging I have never done a Best Pictures of the Year post? Finally, I am doing one this year and working on a slideshow to top it off. Picture here are categorized as moments as they are journalistic and completely unsolicited responses that I captured. I enjoyed photographing these images because they helped people to relive the moments or see them from the perspective of a third person. There has been such a big slant towards posed images, which are beautiful and important too. I wondered if I had posed all these images, will they still evoke the same nostalgia and emotion when my clients view them again? What will they remember of their wedding? How I direct and pose them or the genuine & unbridled emotion they shared with their loved ones?

Here are my personal favorite moments captured in 2010, and why I love these 25 images.

1. Uncropped…lifted up the D700, focus on the soft candy & clicked. Very please that it framed the three girls and the finger nicely. All done in a split second. Down on my knees to get a different perspective of this scene.

2. I had a feeling the bouquet would go over the gazebo so I moved back, went down on one knee. Nailed three frames on D700 & 14-24mm. This was the best. Great expression of the bride and bridesmaids. If the bouquet was tossed lower than the gazebo, I’d be screwed because this framing won’t work. So much of photography is about taking risks. There is no guarantee of success.

3. Some Chinese fathers are distant and serious. Fathers who are warm, engaging and fun always get my attention. Had I not shot this, can Amanda (the bride) recall how happy & proud his dad was of her? I reckon this frame is priceless to the family.

4. How to tie a perfect bow tie in 10 seconds? Boys are always boys. We wait till the final minute and look for the easiest way to get work done. This has happened in many weddings. Interestingly, I’ve never seen girls Googling or looking for YouTube clips on how to dress!

5. Weddings in Hong Kong are usually steeper in Chinese traditions than anywhere else in the Far East. I love the details here: bowing bride and groom watched by happy parents, offerings to the ancestors on the table and red double happiness stuck on the window. I was on manual exposure here the whole time. Whether I am facing the bright window or away from it, my exposure is locked to a correct exposure. A technique I find very helpful when working with available light in a tricky environment.

6. Michael held Vivian’s hand briefly during the tea ceremony. I thought it was a great summary of modern Chinese wedding where there is usually a fusion of Chinese values (the golden bangles) and Western influences (diamond ring). Only wished I shot it with more depth of field.

7. Uncropped. A precious moment for Amanda and her parents. Daniel, the groom, was included in the frame on her right. Shot 4 to 5 frames. This is the “perfect” frame as everyone was in the right place and right moment. Don’t be shy to shoot a few extra frames to weed out bad frames of eyes half close or heads turning half away. Shot with 70-200mm. The reach allows me to close in on the moments without standing too close to the subjects.

8. I love how this picture freezes the moment. Vivian and her dad stepping into the wedding venue. See the blue sky and mountains. Would you believe this was a wedding in Hong Kong?

9. Included this for the simplicity of the image. Two happy people & a clean background. Won’t work if one of them wasn’t smiling. Once I framed my shot, I waited for the moment when they both laughed. Very lucky that a breeze sweep in and added a bit of movement to the image.

10. Fill the frame. One of the first lessons I learned about photography. By including the crowd, the picture provide a context. Imaging if we could only see the two guys kissing.

11. The foliage provided the perfect frame for the bridal party. The orange just stood out in the greens.

12. Love directional light. The highlights and shadows bring depth to the picture. Can you imagine if I shot this by bouncing flash to the ceiling? We don’t have to light up the whole scene.

13. I have pictures of Amanda tearing & pictures of her dad giving his speech. This frame just brought everything together.

14. Great moment with great light brings you great storytelling. Imagine great moment with terrible light. You want that? This image has everything a bride needs for a wedding: a gorgeous gown, a veil, a pair of shoes and her bridesmaids. Again, on manual exposure.

15. Get down! You don’t have to shoot everything from eye level. From a low angle the Irene and her dad look more majestic. Had it been shot from eye level, they’ll look shorter and their heads would look enlarged. Love the smiles on their faces.

16. How would you shoot Gabriella & Gavin dancing near the beach at night when all that’s around you are lanterns? Won’t have enough shutter speed to freeze moment. A single flash behind the couple on the right, operated by my assistant brings light & drama to this image.

17. Bouquet toss? What’s left of a bouquet that was obliterated in the toss. Glad I caught her expression before she became camera aware.

18. Kristie had to identify her man by feeling the butts, could she do it?

19. Again, shot low and wide. This time with an off-camera flash and softbox from the top right, giving you a directionality and softness at the same time. Love the expressions.

20. The bubbles give me the foreground and background. The key to nailing this is to keep my eye on the camera and resist the urge to chimp. The 70-200mm on D3S was on Josephine & Nigel the whole time. It was a huge bonus that they decided to kiss.

21. Always have two cameras and two different lenses, usually a 14-24mm on one and 50 or 70-200mm on the another. Both on my shoulders. Put down the D3S & long lens, lifted the D700 & 14-24mm, focused and clicked. The outstretched arms lead the eyes right to his face & expression.

22. Framed the image with the background in place, and just waited for Ashwini and Sudarshan to waltz into the frame. Focus selector comes in very handy

23. “Let’s take a break!” the bride and groom told everyone. I waited at the lobby with two cameras on my shoulder. Just seconds later, as the girls left the building, they bend down to adjust Natalie’s gown. I pushed open a door with my left hand while drawing the camera with my right. Down on one knee, 30 feet away from the ladies. As soon as the viewfinder met my eye, I fired away. I’ve learned to keep my cameras close & my eyes open, even during the break. Anything can happen any time!

24.Foreground & background to complete the story.

Going to shut the office for a few days for Christmas break. Just wanna spend sometime counting blessings. Someone, somehow at some point has blessed us and given us unmerited favor. I am perhaps one of the biggest recipients of grace & goodness. Why all this goodness & favor? I don’t deserve it. That’s the beauty of grace. That’s the true meaning of Christmas.

Bless you!

Before I became a professional photographer, I wanted to be a professional guitarist. I have a thing for acoustic guitars. They are unpretentious, warm, authentic & intimate. One of the guitarists I admire is Roger Wang. We are from the same town and about same age but alas my guitar skills are no way near his level.

Roger’s name is to be revered at home. Yet when I first met him, he is anything but a prima donna. Gotta be careful with meeting people you admire because often they are very different from the public image they carefully craft. Roger, however, is the most down to earth person you can meet. Totally impressed by his passion and humility. The same could not be said Roger’s first impression on me. We were speaking/performing at the same event but being the newbie speaker I was, I over shot my session so badly that Roger had to cut short his performance! I called Roger to make amends. “Roger I am so embarrassed and sorry about this. Let me make it up to you. I will photograph your family portraits for free.” The perfect gentleman was gracious enough to forgive me. PHEW!

In that process, I got to know the two most important people in Roger’s life, Claudina his wife and Sara the ever adorable daughter.

Always enjoyable to catch up with Roger. Since both of us are in the creative industry, we exchange ideas and encourage each other. “You can be a mediocre accountant or engineer and still make a decent living but if you are a mediocre artist you are finished,” Roger cautioned. How true! We also agree that Sabah is the best place in the world to live and that we can build a great career here despite being 1500 km away from Kuala Lumpur & Singapore. Roger has done very well. Recorded six albums and wrote an award-winning song [十二個音] for Hong Kong pop king, Jackie Cheung.

A few months ago, Roger and I talked about his 10th anniversary compilation album, Milestones. It contains Roger’s favorite work and celebrates the milestone of being in the recording industry for a decade. That’s no small feat. “I would love to shoot it,” I offered. It was a tremendous pleasure and honor that Roger trusted me for such an important task.

Roger inspires me so much. His music is distinct, his passion fervent, his artistry authentic & his vision audacious. Don’t under estimate the determination of this soft spoken man. Everyone counted him out with his first album because it didn’t fit into any convenient segmentation of the mass market. That however earned him a nomination for a prestigious award and more important a fan base. The richness of Roger’s work is forged not by conforming but by being true to himself. As an artist, I know being authentic can be the scariest thing. Copying a proven formula always seem safer. Doing something new? What happens if nobody likes it?

Just picked up my own copy of Milestone today. It inspires me to publish a book on my tenth anniversary as a professional photographer, which thankfully is still five years away. My hats off to you, Roger. Wish you an another amazing decade. Your best is still ahead you.

Milestone can be purchased at most CD retail stores by next week. Especially at CDRama, Speedy and Victoria Music. In Kota Kinabalu – RAM Studio (Damai), Kedaiku (Segama). For online orders please email bunyigitar@gmail.com for details.

Here are some of the images Roger used in Milestone…

I’ve never worked harder in a year than I have in 2010. More time on the road means less time at home, at church, with family & friends. Was it worth it? Perhaps I have taken on more than what I can chew. As 2010 comes to an end, I reflect and take stock of the year. Definitely making some changes to my life and photography in 2011. Excited about the fresh impetus and directions we are embarking in 2011. Sitting in my room at Marina Bay Sands on the 43rd storey, staring at the beautiful Singapore skyline, I can’t help but be thankful.

1. I’ve never met more photographers in a year. Everywhere I go, people share their struggles in the industry. While I am happy to share & help, I also learn a lot from the sharing of others. More than ever, I am convinced great education is the way forward for the photography industry.

2. I’m sitting in this astonishing hotel room courtesy of a very generous and kind couple, Jessica & Jay. “Your clients put you there?” my friends asked in the most envious tone. J & J’s love and respect for me reminds me the privilege I have: being paid & accorded great respect by my clients to do what I LOVE. I am certain there are plenty who would swap place with me in a heart beat. Can’t take this for granted.

3. Being able to serve the photography community. At Creative Asia, a photography conference I am organizing from 17-21 January 2011, we have delegates coming from 13 countries. From Australia to Bahrain, Canada to New Zealand. It’s a great honor to be able to serve so many people.

4. To have a home I long to return to. Not everyone looks forward to going home. I always do because my wife Jasmine, makes it such an inviting place. Home is more than just a physical address; it’s where the heart belongs.

Yes, I may have taken on a lil’ too much this year but still, I have plenty to be grateful for. Thank you Jessica & Jay. Your generosity, love and friendship reminds me how blessed I am.