Got to know Said (pronounced as Sa-id)when we engaged him as a model for the Joe McNally 3-day advanced workshop. He has a very strong face for photographs and his Murut cultural costume is spectacular. What a thrill to get him all for myself for an afternoon of shooting. FYI, The Muruts were headhunters until they embraced Christianity. So I couldn’t afford pissing off Said.

This is the beginning of a personal project I am embarking. Don’t really have a clear direction of where it will end up but I am just intrigued by the historical and cultural significance of the Kadazan Dusun people in Sabah. So much of their older way of life is lost in the midst of shuffling and fitting into modernity.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is Said, the Murut warrior.

On a separate note, I am really stoked about the London Fusion Workshop I am teaching together with UK premier wedding shooter, Adam Alex. This guy has swept home a host of awards in the last two years. Passionate teacher and shooter. What an honor it is to teach together with him. We have put together a great syllabus. The early bird registration will end in a few days when it will go up £300 to £1300. I’d be honored by your presence. For details check this out.

We started from here, all available light…

and we ended up here…

Three lights. Group A: key light with half cut CTO & Honl 1/8″ grid. Group B: Over head light on a C-Stand with half cut CTB gel. Group C: 35 feet away with half cut CTO, triggered by Radiopopper. Why this combination of color gels? I want a cool color like moon or starlight coming from the roof and a warm light (possibly a fire) on the face of Said. The third light is to illuminate the background & add depth. Half a cut of CTO is warm enough for Said’s already dark skin tone and the wooden long house.

This picture took a lot of time…perhaps an hour? My first approach didn’t work out so I switched to plan B. Wasted a bunch of time there but kept telling myself, “Keep moving. Keep breathing. It’s ok, Louis.”

A simple no frills portrait shot. SB800 on an Ezybox Hotshoe softbox shot through a translucent triflip.

High speed sync allows me to shoot at f2.8, 1/2000 sec through an Ezybox.

And the final shot…two flashes from rear for the rimming. The key light was on a C-Stand boomed in + a Honl grid to provide a tight light on the face.

I have been shooting in Hong Kong for the last four years but Michael & Vivian’s wedding is the most un-Hong Kong wedding I’ve ever shot. First, at five degrees plus strong wind, I was shivering. I am no stranger to Hong Kong’s winter but I never had to bundle up until this wedding. Secondly, I never thought it was possible to have a wedding ceremony at home, at least not in Hong Kong where land is scarce and premium. Finally, never seen such gorgeous blue sky here. Always thought Hong Kong sky was smoggy and hazy.

Since shooting their bridal session in Cuba, I have been looking forward to Michael & Vivian’s wedding. Chinese weddings in Hong Kong are always steeper in tradition than those in Malaysia or Singapore. The outfit, gold bangles & protocol mesmerized me. Also impressed with how much Michael “wants” to marry Vivian. He pressed through the torturing games dished out by the bridesmaids: gluing on hair shaved from the groomsmen to his face, putting on bright yellow g-string, and swallowing disgusting concoction in great spirits because he wanted to get his bride. After apologizing for his limited musical talents, Michael topped off the evening playing the guitar and singing Vivian’s favorite song. What courage. Such deep devotion. William Hung, you can step aside!

Just wanna share with you some of my favorite images from this wedding…