Sunday as you all know is usually reserved as fun with the family day. And that’s exactly what we had in the studio with Lysha and the family. While the girls (Kaitlyn insisted) had their makeup being put on, the boys decided to get warmed up with some shots of their own. Once the girls were ready we went straight into it. All along the way it seemed baby Kayven needed some coaxing so we must have promised him 2 of every flavor of sweets and ice-cream known to man and alien (1 for Big Sis).

The kids took a break and Lysha and Kim had a few shots of their own. I had to insist because I liked Lysha’s hair and hubby Kim was being such a good sport. Then it was off to the changing room for the 2^nd look; white on denim. This was my favourite because it looked like a GAP ad!

By this point everyone was pretty much warmed up and into it so we just went with the flow. Somehow, we ended up playing Simon Says and everyone got their turn. This was where the inner director from baby Kayven came right out as he demonstrated over and over again how everyone should perform a twirl for the camera.

Kaitlyn and Kayven are no strangers to the camera having been in the studio once before. Kaitlyn in particular remains one of the best models I’ve ever worked with. The girl can hold a pose for minutes on end and take instructions while having seemingly limitless energy.

Throughout the shoot, everyone had insisted that Kayven’s favourite flavor of ice-cream was chocolate. I’d been told that they were going out for Ice-cream as soon as they were done. So for the last shot I asked Kayven what his favourite flavour was. He gave a shy smile. Vanilla…

And here are some shots from a couple months back when I first met Kayven & Katelyn…

It’s been a long time since my last beach holiday. In fact, it’s been so long I really can’t remember! That IS bad!! Like my friend once said, he needed a holiday from my holiday and that is exactly what I need right now after a fun-filled-hectic 10 days in Melbourne! It’s time for some unwinding and I’m taking a chill-pill!

We’ll be heading to Pangkor Laut Resort for this year’s FIFOTO company trip! (We went to Phuket last year and it was a blast!)

I’ll leave you with a preview of the portrait shots I took in Melbourne!

Pauline & Ben

Michelle & Gerald

Gia

So… After 10 fantastic days in Melbourne, I’m finally back to the land of dull, hazy skies, slow internet and traffic jam!  I was so so so wrong when I thought I’d be able to catch up on work while in Melbourne! It was indeed a good working holiday (80% play, 20% work)! My impression of the city has completely changed this trip, compared to when I was back there in 2002. This time, I really got to immerse myself in the Melbourne culture.. The food, the coffee, the art, the outdoors, the wine and the nightlife. Having taken the bus into town and hopping onto trams and trains, I really do feel like a loco! Going from one place to another is so convenient! The public transport here is clean & efficient and a day pass (AUD10) can get you around many places!

I arrived on a Friday night and the mission for the evening was to prepare for Derby day the next day! My task, specifically, was to make jello shots while Gia’s was to disguise alcohol as food or other liquids and sneak it into the party! Derby day is another world of its own! And I’m glad I had planned my trip to experience it! All the women, decked in pretty cocktail dresses, came in their fancy fascinators and high heeled shoes. Derby day was as much a fashion event as it was a horse racing event! And just for the heck of it, I bet on two horses that day: OneMoreNoMore (coz I liked the name) and Primson (coz it had high odds). Of course, that was the last I’d seen of my AUD40! But all the excitement of seeing your horse go and rooting for it was worth the 2 mins (or less!)! .. although I really couldn’t tell which horses were mine!

The rest of my time in Melbourne was left open for me to explore! We did an impromptu mini road trip to Yarra Valley and visited a number of wineries, I explored the city (more than once!), Chapel St (which I absolutely love and it reminds me of Austin with it’s quaint vintage shops, cafes and local fashion boutiques), Fitzroy (I didn’t have time to explore this area but got the chance to hang out at Little Creatures for a bit and my favorite beer is their Pilsner!) and event went to Point Cook for a shoot!

And what could be a better way to end a vacation than a Malaysian-style potluck dinner, hosted by Wanda! She made delicious tandoori chicken, which I must admit, beats the ones at Lotus anytime! Brett, Wanda’s husband (who by the way is Irish/Australian!) made superb beef vindaloo. Carrie made her famous and very yummy beef rendang. Gia & I brought salad and ice cream from Trampoline (well Gia made the salad while I packed my bags!) and Amanda baked really good and sinful chocolate souffle!

Nindia, Wanda, Amanda, Saras & Gia

Wanda + Brett, the Poser

Lena + Nic

Wanda + Amanda

Gia + Wanda

Here’s a scene from the GodFather

On Monday when everyone else had to go to work, Ferny, Lena, Nic & I drove to Yarra Valley

This was one of the most interesting pieces of work exhibited at the Yering Station.

TarraWarra Estate

Our plan was to have lunch here but they were closed, which was a blessing in disguise! They directed us to Giant Steps instead!

Ferny’s impression of “Beat It” by Michael Jackson. She did the background music too!

I love Bulldogs! This one was looking forlorn but awfully adorable! And patiently waiting for his master to finish his beer at Giant Steps, Innocent Bystander… This is where we discovered the Innocent Bystander Moscato!

The food here was DELICIOUS!

I was mesmerized by the scene at Degraves St & at Centre Place (off Flinder’s lane)… it felt like Europe, with cafes and quaint little boutiques that lined the alleys…

Graffiti is a huge part of Melbourne and you can find them at every corner!

At Brunswick/Fitzroy area…

Inside Napier Hotel, a local pub. Gia brought me here to try Australian pub food; Parma & Pot

This is Will, the jogging buddy who pushed me to keep pace going up a 45 degrees-steep slope, on my 4th km!!! (Ok ok ! It was good motivation!) We ended up doing 8.25km (2 rounds around the Botanical Gardens) and I broke my record for longest and fastest jog thus far!

We bar hopped on Thursday night and I think the best club/lounge we checked out was Spice Market! The music and venue was HAPPENING!!!

We dropped by Carlton Hotel for a Vintage sale… The hotel, people and stuff for sale were very interesting and turned out to be one of my favorite spots for photography!

Isn’t this surreal? I mean.. seriously??

Back on Bourke St (I think!)

Finally had the chance to try KOKO Black on the 2nd last day of my trip! The iced chocolate was yummy but filling! But the desserts at Max Brenner’s is also another must-try if you visit Melbourne!

I love the arches at GPO (GPO = General Post Office. It has been converted into a high-end shopping mall)

Section 8 is a container bar on Tattersalls lane. I returned 3 times during my stay there - twice for my portrait photography!

I would like to say a big THANK YOU to  wonder woman, Gia who played host all week long, showed me her side of Melbourne city which I absolutely fell in love with! And even assisting me on all my shoots all weekend long, bearing the hot summer heat and withstanding hay fever! Did I mention she’s Wonder Woman? (yes, this is the same girl who stuck her hand in a loaf of bread and stuffed it with a plastic bottle filled with whisky!)

To all my girls- Wanda, Christyn, Joy (who flew in from Sydney just to spend a day with me! Thank you!), Ferny, Lena, Pauline, Purdee and the boys- Brett, Nic, the 2 Justins and Ben… It was great catching up, hanging out and partying with y’all!

A big shout out to all the people I met and the new friends I made- Amanda, corporate power woman by day & up and coming baker by night/ weekend, Will, jogging buddy and muse, Michael, Carrie, Jo, Laurent, Kieran, Kim, Josiah, Pia & Dom, Candice, Saras, Nindia & Yota, Michelle & Gerald! Keep in touch!!!

I’ve had a great time in Melbourne and these past two days involved shooting 3 wonderful couples; Ben & Pauline, Michelle & Gerald and Chang Chang & CJ! It was a lotta fun!!!!

Here’s a preview of Chang & CJ’s pre-wedding photos from today’s shoot!

I’ve also had the chance to catch up with quite a few of my friends who I haven’t seen in awhile and it’s bee great! Been meeting many nice people and making new friends! Tomorrow, I’ll be exploring the little nook and crannies of the city tomorrow, to recce for some cool graffiti to shoot at this weekend!

The Nike Chic Pop event was a joint event held by Nike & Tongue in Chic 3 weeks back at the Nike store at Mid Valley. There’s something about Nike events that pops! On that day, it was the clothes, shoes and accessories spread across the table that got me excited!The event was all about styling and renowned local stylist Ming was there to show us the works! His creations were interesting and flamboyant!!

Reversible clothes make great buys! Like this jacket which I LOVE!!! You can wear it as an orange bomber jacket or a black cardigan!

After Ming’s exhibits, the girls had the opportunity to put together their own outfits, decked in Nike apparel and complemented by the gazillion accessories available…Of course, the girls went crazy!

… and it resulted in the following… (the rest were too painful to show, seriously)

I got to play with Joyce’s Olympus Pen and I love the Pin-hole Art mode!

My friends have warned me about the weather here and how there can be 4 seasons in a day. Should I say “lucky me!” ? I experienced it today! The morning till midday started out very warm and we were all sweating underneath our prissy dresses. By 3pm, cool winds started moving in, and finally, we had some relief from the heat! It got pretty chilly by dinnertime and we were freezing our b**ts off as we hurried to the car! After dinner, it poured!

It was an awesome experience at Derby Day and a fantastic start to my trip in Melbourne!

Here’s a pic of us, early on in the morning, when everyone was still looking fresh and feeling chirpy! (The sun got pretty unbearable by noon!)

The feedback we’ve been getting from our inaugural FIFOTO 101 class has been very positive. During our graduation party, Chris & Anderson came up with a tag line for FIFOTO 101 - “More than photography”, which I think, truly captures the essence of the course. And I cannot let on why it is more than photography coz that will just spoil the fun & surprise - you will just have to trust us on this one! (Or, you can speak with any of our new graduates and they will tell you why!)

Due to the many requests and interest for this class, we are now open for registration for next year’s class! Seats are limited so sign up early!

It was Amri’s birthday bash last Saturday and needless to say, a fashionably fabulous one! Held at Hakka Replublic, the theme to this year’s Fashion Fabulosity party was Park Princess and Hip Hop Boys and the best thing about these parties is that EVERYONE dressed to theme! (which is quite a novelty for our local Malaysian culture!) The music was thumpin’ with DJ Goldfish & Jiman in da house, and as fashionistas rolled in in their Laboutins, the night got better, and better and better!

Happy Birthday to the ever-so-fabulous AMRI RAHIM!!! We love you!

Photowall by Jason

Event by Steve

Photos from my party cam!

Isn’t Khoon Hooi so adorable? By the way, for all you brides out there… he makes fantastic gowns!!

Birthday boy is GLOWIN’

THANK YOU ANDERSON for the lovely gesture!!!

(By the way, Sango is his new Japanese restaurant located at the Crystal Crown Hotel in PJ. I’ve been there once and the yakitori selection is amazing! Plus… cherry blossom ice cream!!!!)

After class, we handed the fresh grads their certificates and then… crazy booth portraits!!!

We ran out of Mango ones, which are a hit with everyone!

We have to ration these gummy/sweets with Ernest…

Ernest, the wannabe porn photographer

We headed to Twentyone to celebrate!

(I don’t usually take photos “for fun” but I’m so inspired by their work I thought I’d make an exception!)

All of us had a lot of fun, getting to know each other and sharing our photography stories. It’s really great to see how everyone gets along so well and so effortlessly! It’s been a fun and exciting month for me, as you raise the bar each week on the assignment photos! Again, I’m truly blown away by your creativity and technical improvements over the last couple of weeks! I’m so proud of all of you!! But more importantly, we’ve made new friends and I’d like to thank y’all for your undying support to FIFOTO!

]]> http://fifototemp.ipower.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=3316 http://fifototemp.ipower.com/blog/?p=3295 http://fifototemp.ipower.com/blog/?p=3295#comments Sat, 24 Oct 2009 05:57:23 +0000 fiona http://fifototemp.ipower.com/blog/?p=3295 Prior to the first class, students were asked to submit their best photo. The last assignment involved a reshoot of the same subject, and the objective of the assignment was to demonstrate their understanding of all the theories, tips and techniques learned in the past 3 weeks and incorporating them into the photo.

A month has come and gone and every week, everyone blows me away with their photos! It’s so gratifying to see the progress of everyone’s works and I hope I managed to not only provide them with the basics of photography, but instilled inspiration and creativity.

To the inaugural class of FIFOTO 101, 2009: I hope you guys had as much fun learning and shooting as I did teaching. It was great meeting and getting to know you and I hope I’ve inspired you to discover the world of photography! Your photos truly inspire me and going through my old collection of travel/macro photos in preparation for the class slides have re-kindled my passion and I’m motivated to take some photos for my personal pleasure!!!

Here are the shots! (Pls note: no editing was allowed, these shots are straight out of camera!)

Please vote for the photo you think has improved the most!!! Leave a comment and tell us what you think!

Poll closes tomorrow (Sunday Oct 25) at 12pm!

Photo #1 - Before

Photo #1 - After

Photo #2 - Before

Photo #2 - After

Photo #3 -Before

Photo #3 - After

Photo #4 -Before

Photo #4 - After

Photo #5 -Before

Photo #5 - After

Photo #6 -Before

Photo #6 - After

Photo #7 -Before

Photo #7 - After

Photo #8 - Before

Photo #8 -After

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