First day of the Chinese New Year and this year, it coincides with Valentine’s Day as well :)

Truth to be told, I was feeling a tad bit lonely when I woke up on the eve of CNY, thinking to myself what a pity it was that I wasn’t back in KK for the reunion dinner with my family and not having someone to share Valentine’s Day with (not that I’ve ever celebrated it :p). As the day went on, I realised that I was looking at it  the wrong way.

It occurred to me that I am so so blessed to have all that I have – time to go for a workout in the morning, an awesome shoot with a sweet couple in the afternoon (the light was bee-yoo-ti-fool!) and my dear ‘Monkey’ friends who had reunion dinner with me. And today, I celebrated the first day of CNY by having Bodega’s (overpriced!) big breakfast AND a slice of Alexis’ tiramisu to myself *burp* and for Valentine’s treated myself to some photography related purchases online :p 

So what’s the point of this post? Just a(nother) reminder to myself that I should always, always be thankful for what I currently have and whatever else comes along, it’s a HUGE bonus :D Of course, like others I have moments where I’ll wallow in self-pity but who am I kidding? Life is as good as how you view it! 

My Monkeys & I :D Shot recently by Rudy.

Here’s wishing y’all a Happy Chinese New Year!

My wish for you (and me!) is that the year of the tiger be a roaring success in terms of career, health and love. And may you be blessed with friendship which fill your heart with gratitude, like the one I have with my Monkeys :p For those who celebrate Valentine’s Day, enjoy the day with your loved ones. Nom nom more chocs on my behalf k? K :D

Much Love

When I was (muuuuuch) younger, I used to buy the past issues of National Geographic and linger over the marvelous pictures they had in each edition. This was way before I ever thought about being a photographer, it was just the pull of the pictures that had me ooh-ing and ahh-ing over each copy repeatedly.

Back then, I didn’t even know who it was who shot some of my favourite images in the NG. It was only when I started to dabble in photography in 2005 that I started to find out more about the photographers behind some of my favourite images. One of them was Joe McNally.

So imagine my excitement when Louis Pang announced over Wedshooter.TV that they were organising an edition of Joe McNally’s Hot Shoe Diaries workshop in Kuala Lumpur. I was thinking to myself, “ARE YOU FO REAAAAALLL???”. Within a couple of days, I signed up for it.

Frankly speaking, nearer to the date, I had second thoughts – what could I absorb in a day, could I really afford this, I need the money for something else, I’ve got a mountain of editing to catch up with, I don’t have a day to spare for the workshop, I’ve got some crazy deadlines to meet, yadda yadda yadda.

Am glad to say that after much thought, stuck to the plan and attended the one-day lighting workshop.

It was quite a thrill to watch Joe in action and also to hear him speak about different lighting options, etc. And I know this sounds kinda like a teeny bopper, but I was starstruck. Like whoaaaa 0.o This was McNally – he who has not only been shooting for National Geographic for yonks, but for LIFE as well as multitude other magazines and corporations, he who is not only highly awarded but highly respected in his field.

Dayum! I was attending the workshop of a living legend!

McNally’s a great speaker (after a gazillion workshops I reckon it comes naturally to him), articulate and willing to share his knowledge. And I’ll let you in on a not so secret secret. He is absolutely down-to-earth! Like sincerely! Even though you could sorta tell he was jet-lagged, he just answered everyone’s questions and taught with gusto throughout the session. Together with his assistant, Drew Gurian (gaffer tapes rule!) as well as Louis Pang and the rest of the Wedshooter.TV team, the one-day workshop proved to be a great learning experience.

Do hope that more workshops by internationally acclaimed photographers are organised in Malaysia! Kudos to Louis, Jasmine and the Wedshooter.TV team for organising this. And thanks again Joe for being such a great teacher :D From one your ‘vertically challenged’ students :p

Was teamed up together with Naqib, David and Khairul (nice meeting y’all at the workshop :D) during the shooting session in the afternoon and thanks to their suggestions (and also McNally’s session in the morning. d-uh!), managed to get 2 shots which I’m not shy of posting here. Yes, I know they’re nothing to shout about, but these 2 shots are TOTALLY outta my comfort zone, and I’m kinda happy about nudging that zone :)

And y’know something, this may sound sacrilegious, but I think I might be starting to like external lighting. Gasp. The horror :p

Though Joe McNally’s one-day workshops are sold out already, I’ve heard that there’s still a few seats left for his lighting seminar this coming Saturday. Check out Wedshooter.TV here for more info :)

With 5 hours left to 2009, I sit here and thank my lucky stars for what has been an awesome year. Of course, like everyone else, I’ve had my fair share of ups and downs, but I just like wearing my rose-tinted glasses and remember the positives, dump the negatives ;) After all, how good life is depends on your own perception.

I wanted to write a thank you note to everyone who has made a mark in my career and life this year, but I’m pretty sure each and everyone of you know just how much I’ll be gushing over the support I’ve been given throughout my career. So that idea was nixed ;p

So here’s an annual letter to myself (Yes, I do talk to myself. Albeit in my head), which I may or may not publish on the blog, we’ll see how much I feel like ‘baring’ this time round. Its just something I do at the end of every year so that I can look back on it the end of the following year ;)

Dear Anna,

What can I say? You are one extremely lucky woman.

What you’ve experienced in the past 12 months, what you have now, what you’ll be doing in the years to come, its all a blessing. The people you’ve met, the moments you’ve captured, the experiences that you’ve had a chance to be a part of, every single aspect of your life, however small it may be – don’t ever, ever take them for granted.

Be thankful for every couple who gives you the honour of capturing their wedding day, for every family who shares a moment of their personal time with you during their portrait session, for every individual who wants you to record the turning point of their life. Be thankful and humbled by it all.

There may be others who are better than you, who may lead better lives than you (or so you may think) but remember, there’s no point in comparing, for everyone has their own unique experiences, different perceptions to be had even if we’re all doing the same things.

Continue embracing and enjoying the single life, for despite (sometimes) feeling alone in a roomful of people (everyone feels the same way!), be thankful for the many new friendships that have been formed in 2009 and also for the connection you still have with your old friends.

2010 will be an exciting for you, you just need to take that step and grab the opportunities as they come along. Or go search for them if they remain elusive ;) And slow down, take a breather for Rome wasn’t built in a day. Take less jobs in if you must, but not to the point of not being able to send money home (God forbid!).

Besides leading a life which consists mainly of work and working out, nurture relationships and chill out abit. Oh and don’t give yourself crazy deadlines anymore please. Panda eyes and breakouts aren’t exactly in fashion.

Learn from what critics say but don’t take it personally. Instead shoot from your heart with your own style, be inspired by love. Remember? You made the leap into this career mainly out of passion. Not to follow the footsteps of those before you, but to convey your own perceptions. You can’t make everyone love your work, photography is after all, a matter of personal taste.

Everyone has their own set of worries, people have bad days, so however much someone annoys the crap outta you, wish them well for life is too short to hold grudges. Be strong in spirit, be kind in soul and yes, its okay to continue (at appropriate times of course!) swearing like a sailor if you feel thats how you show your affection ;p

Most importantly, continue loving what you’re doing with utmost passion. It may not last forever, but for now, you’re blessed to be doing what you are passionate about.

Hugs,
Me