Freddy's Photos (5/52)

I grew up on a sailboat. My earliest memories were either on the boat, leaving a trail of peanut shells in the water, or jumping all over the boat mattresses in the winter when they were stored in my basement. Some of my best vacation days have been on boats. A fortuitous 24 hours journey from Malaysia to Thailand amongst friends over Christmas. A 3-day unforgettable adventure in the Whitsunday's (Australia) experiencing the Great Barrier Reef first hand. I have this sense of calm and exhilaration when I'm on boats now. It's actually the exact same feeling that I have the moment just before I hit the shutter button to a photo I know is going to be good. The circumstances are always different (as have been my sailboat journeys), but the feeling is the same. It's that split second moment of knowing something special is happening. It's those feelings of accomplishment that drive me to keep taking photos.

Freddy's Photos (4/52)

My clock radio goes off tuned to a popular station every morning. My iPhone is constantly playing the latest song I downloaded while I commute to work. Most evenings, I'm in a dance studio grooving to inspirational tunes.  I remember those days when Motown was being played throughout my childhood house, and singing along loudly as soon as I could work out the words.   Now, as an adult, there is nothing more inspirational than seeing live music. There is something about the collective enjoyment of talented people on stage that just makes me so happy. I guess in some ways, everyone wants to be a rock star. And my singing along from my seat is my way of living out this dream.   It's why I go to as many live shows as I can. The camera is always with me. What's better than being a rock star? Being a part of the rock star's entourage. Maybe I'll never be on stage entertaining people, but I could possibly one day be documenting them.

Freddy's Photos (3/52)

Sometimes it only takes a moment to stop and be thankful for what I have. I had one of those moments today, as I was celebrating Mother's Day with my mom. I have no idea what the conversation was, I'm not even sure what I was thinking about, but for one moment we didn't say anything and I was thankful for being a part of an amazing family. Both my parents were individually, strong people. They both had their own way of teaching me life lessons, and it's on days like this that I thank (both) them for what I have now. It's not specific lessons that I learn now, it's moments. And laughing with my mom over her inability to relax in a pedicure chair was today's. So thanks mom, for sharing all these moments!

Freddy's Photos (2/52)

I have had a few interesting philosophical conversations over the past few days with some very intelligent people. However the theme of searching and the need for balance in life (and in people) seems to be the crux of all these conversations.  I have thought a lot about what makes a fantastic photo, and balance seems to be the crux of that as well.  It's not just the physical aspects of it, but the emotion that comes from the moment before and after the photo is taken. Some of my best photos have come from those balanced moments and I have learned to know when those moments occur.  It's also why I take photos every day. You never know when those moments will occur, or when they will occur again. But the good news is, I know they will keep occurring.

Freddy's Photos (1/52)

My dad loved photography. I remember every trip he took, a camera came along. For those trips that he took without the family, he would bring back photo after photo of the same vista, just so he could get the perfect shot. He bought me my first SLR camera, and took me out shooting the Hong Kong skyline as often as possible to show me how it worked.  I thank (and blame) him for my obsession about taking photos every single day.

I know he would be really proud of what I've accomplished so far in my photography career, so it's only fitting on what would have been his 70th birthday, I'm dedicating my next project (and this blog) to him. My original intention of this blog was to air out what I was learning while I was starting to seriously study and produce photographs. But, now, I feel like I need to take a little more time to celebrate what he gave me: my love of life and the pursuit of trying to share that love with as many people as possible. So this is my dedication to move this blog into a 52 week project. Every Sunday I will post a photo from my week, and hope that the images evoke, if nothing else, a smile of how lucky we are to be alive.
I know your smiling, Dad.

Busy Times

I'M BACK!! 2011 was suppose to be about keeping this blog updated, so I'm starting a little late.

Since last fall, I've had such consistent business, largely from the dance community of Toronto, that I let a few items slide (this blog, laundry etc). However, even though I'm reusing socks, I've been extremely fortunate to work with some of the best talent this city has to offer, and have picked up some amazing tools that I can use on future shoots.

 

1) Sometimes it's not about the photo.  I took this shot of Natasha at a really casual shoot. We had no plans - I was renting a new studio where I had to quickly assess my lighting and learn out to use it - and I have never worked with her before. I knew from her work as a dancer and teacher, she was extremely giving (and collaborative) so I was happy to be in this situation with her. In the end of this shoot, I walked away with not only some of my favourite photos, but some really good lessons. I learned a lot about exchanging ideas. As much as photographers need to come to a session with a plan, you need to be flexible with your plan. You need to listen, and watch, your models (or dancers) and see how they are comfortable moving and being in the studio.  You need to be aware if something is not working, and move on to something that might. This shot above came from one of those moments that worked for both of us.

2) Sometimes, you can't do it alone.  The shot on the right was a collaboration of the dancers (in the shot), and some extremely talented designers Trixie and Beever, who are styling their upcoming dance show. They came up with this fantastic concept for a "sleeve-face" shoot, and were instrumental on set from clothing, to props, and to help position the ladies exactly to get these results.  It took all our efforts to make this a success, and I walked away knowing this couldn't have happened without them. It was the first time that I worked with so many dancers at once, and so many on-set and it was exhilarating (or it could have been the fever I was suffering at the time).

3) Sometimes, you just need to do it over, and over, and over again.  I have shot this recurring dance event, "The Bazaar", for about 2 years. It was the first show that I attended as a dance fan, and it's been an amazing networking platform to meet (and see) new dancers.
It's a pretty limited shoot, in terms of control. The lighting is horrible (back lit, moving, constantly changing colours), I shoot from the pit (and I'm short), and sometime I'm so enthralled by the dancers, that I forget to hit the shutter button. But it's the one show that I always manage to get really unique shots from, just from "happy accidents". It's also a shoot that I've seen consistent progression in my work, and oddly enough the funky lighting has given me lots of ideas for more controlled shoots.

More fun dance times ahead! (and more consistent blogging to come)

Mistakes are Wonderful

Through my short journey (so far) of becoming a more confidant photographer, I've started to seek out new events to take photos of. I happened to be surfing the internet and came across the Toronto Roller Derby league. Being a sports-enthusiast, this immediately caught my attention as a fantastic sport to get some action packed photos. Not to mention, I love to the chance to be able to support women in sports.
Luckily, the league is run by a fantastic organization, mostly volunteers who are supporting of anyone willing to come out and take photos. So, with media pass in hand, I attended my first bout.

I had no idea what to expect of the lighting, action, or sport. I did all my research through other photographers on flickr, and studied videos of past events to get an understanding of the rules. Other than that, I saw this event as a great opportunity to practice "photoing" on my feet. I packed a few key lenses (50mm 1.8, 70-200MM 4) and 1 flash. I figured I would be shooting at high ISO because the rink is indoor and at night.

I was really happy and surprised by my final results. I managed to get some clear shots of great action, in really suspect lighting (it was even worse than I had planned). But it was in the editing process that I came across a fantastic mistake that became my favourite photo of the night. I was going for the blurred effect, but just as the shutter went off, the ref got in the way.  It was the perfect reflection of what I was feeling while watching these fantastic athletes.

Now only if I could repeat these mistakes on a daily basis...