my trip to Phuket

Today has come to an end to my trip at Phuket, Thailand... Haha, I am still sitting in a cafe having a cuppa of mix fruit smoothies and it tastes good. It just cost me about 75THB...what can you asked for?

The trips in these few days was not so encouraging or as expected because it was raining in all 4 days I am here...what's a pity? I arrived at Phuket on the 1430 hours (GMT +7) 08 Nov 2008 which is an hour earlier than Malaysian Time Zone. It was drizzling at that time and checked into a taxi to look for hotel. Wahahaha...we did not book any hotel while in Malaysia before this trip and yet we were able to book a hotel, a budget hotel in Patong Beach...cost me 1200THB per night. During the night, I went to Patong Beach most happening place in town, Bang La Road (sounded like Bangla road-LOL) to shop around and managed to buy some souvenirs to bring back home...

Ok, need to pack off and fly back to Malaysia. I will be flying at 2115 hours and stay tuned for updates...more photos to show...a travelogue...

Signing off...

High-keyed Portraiture with April "The Law"

This week did some breakthrough in my photography journey. I learned indoor photography with controlled-lighting environment...what we called Studio aka Strobes Lighting...some fundamentals to grasp and find it hard to digest at first...after awhile things get warmed up and shooting got hot up...wow, what a fanstastic experience to remember...

The shoot consisted of 3 photographers, a model and a MUA...superb combination with fun-filled session. Now I am salivating over strobes light and looking forward for another shoot. Let's not talk more and first picture to present you...April "The Law"...

a day off...

I am sleeping at home today because was caught with fever. Now I got bone aching all over my body...at least I do not feel good now...

After a hectic week, I finally laid back a bit for celebration of Diwali...well, I am staying in a multiracial country and everybody live in harmony...hope this will continue...

So, holiday is around the corner. What do I do next? Of course, go for shooting spree. Fashion show, studio shoot and many more things to do. Hahaha...

Finalist submission for Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival 2008

On the second day of Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, I had submitted 7 photos for Portraiture Photoshoot Competition sponsored by Fujifilm Malaysia. Each of photographers can submitted as much photos as they like for the competition...

The contest features several beautiful models as the subject of photography...joined by a throng of enthusiast/ amateur photographers with thousands of photos being submitted for the competition...and judged by 3 renowned judges with representative from Fujifilm. And 15 pictures being selected as finalist...jeng...jeng...jeng...my picture went into the last 15 finalists, a breakthrough from last year as my picture only went into 2nd round...

Here is the submission that made the grade...

An ending to a love story...

I have not written in my blog for a while due to work commitments and out of idea how to write...so now I gotta sleeve up and write something here...

For the last week, I am so miserable and sad after broken up with my girlfriend of 3 years++...this was such a disaster to me and seem like end of the world... At that particular moment I thought, there will be nobody for me...I was just can't accept the fact my beloved girlfriend had left me, left me in vain and sorrow... The feeling of sorrow had taken over me for a few days, at least. As for now, I am all ok for the all the support that my friends and family had given me. I must thank them sincerely... THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!

Life is not an end if someone left you..there are so many other options you can get outside there. Currently my life is all about career and personal development...love life must only come after I have completely wash away all my past and starts again...

Life is so beautiful, why only thinking on one person.

My first anniversary...in photography

I was pondering my journey in the past one year as a hobbyist photographer... I started off with a Canon EOS400D, an entry level DLSR from Canon. It was a good camera, why 'was' because I sold it off and bought an upgrade which was Canon EOS40D... Upgrading was not due to I am gearheaded but I felt that need to step up to a better level from that on...

Is my photography getting better and better after a year of non stop shooting and learning. I can felt that my learning is a steep one as people around me have been shooting for quite sometime, one of them almost 25 of delighting years... To me photography is something very subjective and everything you put inside your image are emotional... Images are emotion-filled matter and it will touches certain people in a certain way... beside my OOF (out of focus) pictures, haha...

Throughout these 12 months endeavour as a photographer and as a person, I have learned both photography and way of life... Firstly, I need to pay special gratitude and acknowledgement to a mentor who always give guidance and a frequent 'knock on the head' gesture...who have taught me the things that develops me into a person as today. I am an improved person from a year ago...he is no other than the "White Man" (name undisclosed to protect anonymity of the person). Another person is Mdm S.O, whom I go to beside my mum who always give me some valuable lesson in life (could not get any photography knowledge from her)- she is going to knock me on my head again because of my english which is directly translate from Chinese... The another person I want to thank is another photography buddy of mine who has 25 of delighting years in experience which I mentioned earlier on....who taught me photography in a quite unique way which isn't like any classroom teaching. I got a lot from him as well, part of my perseverance and persistent into my learning. He sometimes gives up on me as I am a very lazy person and sort of spoon feed guy...ya I am quite lazy in a way or two...I need to apologize to him for my attitude, will do better from now on... Lastly to all the people who are directly and indirectly guide me through my journey...a million thanks and you all shall earn my utmost respect... And I apologize to any party that I had conflicts or misunderstandings with while working with them, sincerely... I seek your forgiveness...

I have now developed some interests in portraiture, landscape, travel photography...hoping to make it big in photography scene... And now I am broke with many outstandings debts...haha...kidding...

Stay tuned for more photos...

Just edited...editorial pre-wedding

I have spent my whole weekend sitting down exploring Adobe Lightroom 2...it is to my surprise, much more easier to do complete my post processing with it compare to Adobe Photoshop CS3. Indeed, I am beginner in post processing eventhough have been taking photos for the last one year...

I was spending my weekend at my dear girlfriend home at Sungai Petani, Kedah. I took my bus to her home on Saturday and it was a long ride...just to see her... Ok, let me start working with the photos first as I need to pass the photos to Norman after final retouching. Really hope they like it as this is my first pre-wed shoot...

Here are a few selected for viewing...

Pyrotechnic fireworks in display at PICC...

Last night I went to Putrajaya to have a taste of photographing fireworks...outcome...as expected...No Good!!!

I was trying some of the techniques of capturing fireworks...places to stand, of course angle of anticipation of fireworks bursting...Poom!!! Poom!!! Poom!!! the roaring and deafening sound of fireworks being projected into the air from the Putrajaya Bridge...

I arrived there at around 2030 hours with my fellow photog who accompany to that area...while equipped with the essentials like camera, wide angle lense, tripod, shutter release and a bottle of water to quench my thirst...exactly at 2130 hours, the countdown and the a dazzling firework display by the Malaysian team bursted off to the sky and brighten the sky with beautiful colours...

what is love all about...

In a fine afternoon, while I was having my quick nap...something flashed my mind. It was indeed a mind boggling matter to be exact...what is that???

LOVE...erm...what is this thing...sex, lust, desire or something else which is more serene and pure...can somebody please tell me about this ancient feeling...where does it come from??? Air, water, steel, wood or fire (according to chinese metaphysics elements)...

How would you react when somebody tells you that they love you??? Will you accept them if they are meant in mutual kinda things like a guy loves a gal...or a son talked to her mother...will it be the same...there are so many kinds of love in this world...how would you differentiate them...to me I got my first love 3 years back and I am still loving her strongly...it is kinda an affection from me towards her...

There is another love that I know from my spiritual practice, Buddhism. My teacher, The Buddha had taught us loving kindness which to portray love kindness to everybody even top your enemy...this will eliminate all the sufferings that we are having now...

What is love???

...my day at work...

Today, I was wondering what am I suppose to do...daily tasks at my workplace...seismic interpretation, log interpretation, people and my BOSSSSSSSSSSSSS...

As usual, can't really focus at work while I am learning to do so...my KPIs have made me like that and I want it to be exactly like that because it is all about achievement. I have never achieved better ratings in my years at my workplace...what should I do??? Achieving KPIs or achieving my goals??? Please enlighten me...

Life has been ups and downs for me in recent years...taking up things, letting go things... At the moment photography has made me feel my life to the fullest. Am I achieving something here? It is expensive hobby though, is that affecting my work...to obssessed with it???

Darn it!!! Love what you are doings and maybe occasionally do what you love most...

Stay tuned...

...production in the making of "D..."

hey, my weekend just ended...I found this weekend was so enriching because get to work with some young guys in my buddhist community...a production of a trailer for one event...psssstttt...

The art direction was set up by the MEtz team (a multimedia production team for INCOVAR)...

This is a story about an INCOVARIAN who has strived hard in the working world where he is to obssessed with his career...too busy to do things and neglecting people around him as well...in the end he is strucked by unexpected moment which bring him back to the way he was before...

My new baby has arrived - The "EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

Haha...gotta laugh out my lungs as to show my new anticipation for the arrival of my EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM"...tested last night and testing various parameters to be continued today...

The results will be out soon...

Stay tuned for updates...

Pre-Wed Editorial: Tiffany and Norman

Here is my first work of pre wedding editorial featuring Tiffany and Norman who will happily tie the knot on November 2008. Let's celebrate this couple on this auspicious event...

Such a lovely couple...

I started my morning by having my dose of roti canai, teh 'o' ais limau and half boiled eggs while waiting for my photography pals...

Special thanks to pal, John Ishii for the given opportunity to learn while having fun...not to forget all the fun that the couple had during the shooting which so much joy was shared throughout the entire day...

Stay tuned for more...

This is the part 2 of my editorial pre-wed shooting with more varieties...hope you like it...hehe...

My first journey

Hello, would like to introduce myself in first blogging experience. My name is Lai Kar Wei, 27 years old currently residing in Kuala Lumpur. How should I start off after my brief introduction huh???

Well, I am currently pursuing my career in the Oil and Gas industry. Well...it is quiet challenging in my daily undertakings. At least I am happy with my new found challenge in a new area of work...haha...

I took up photography recently and found it very enriching hobby...training myself to be good and of course, getting a good mentor in it. I am a strong believer of coaching techniques...but to get a willing one is not a easy task with people mindset being stuck in the world of the own...no spoon feeding of course... I personally like portraiture and landscape, trying out some photojournalism...if there anybody willing to give some guidelines or take me as their apprentice. A person who is willing to learn, my passion for learning is just there (the fire is inside...sounds like Intel Inside).

Ok...thats all for the time being...

Stay tuned for more updates...