Watercolor

Watercolor was my call in my youth, but then I choose over academic study because I am not too confident about my own craft. As many arts, watercolor require someone to be on very top to be recognizable, I still think I was pretty good, in fact very good, but I don't think I can be the top of it, years and years later, never regret a bit.  Not that reconizable is that important, but in fine art, you need to be recognizable to support even a regular life.
Watercolor is about water and color, where the name comes from. With a digital camera on hand, today, it is not as difficult, time consuming or inconvenience (many people will debate into this, but often I think the inconvenience of creating art is eactly why it is so attractive being part of it) - not to mention today with a dcent stylus and software, you can literally paint on the screen as it is on paper, and it can be quite close, and in some case, extremely close - by a really good "artist", with selection of paper texture and so on.... OK, but here we talk about the camera.
This image, took by using a compact Canon G9, at Pai, a small hide-away town in northern Thailand, the small river stream runing thru rocks, refection of the blue sky, an easy snap.

Morning Sun

Actually a rather common image in a rather common morning. A close up shot on a lotus leaf - one of my most photographed object.
The early morning dew on the lotus leaf reflects the rising sun and shining like perals. Common, but what a picture.
Shot in northern Thailand, Chiangmai.

Body Talks

You can't act sexy, you just need to be yourself!  This is what I usually told my models.  Sexy comes nature, and each woman has her own sexiness, can't pretend, but of course, many women do try to act sexy, which is why often on press, books and on the screens, we can tell who is sexy and who is not, and usually, not by the way the act, not by the way they tried to express, and certainly not by the amount of their dress, and if they tried or not.
It is the body talk, a concerted efforts from all body parts, how the eye opens, lips, body shape, how the head turns, how the body twists, leg crosses, and where the hand puts....

Skin & Lingerie

Shot with a mighty Hasselblad H3D39 digital camera, with HC 100/2.2, perhaps one of the best portrait lens in works today, but this post is not about the camera and lens, it is about the lingerie and the skin of the model.
Lingerie shot, yes, it is about the lingerie itselt, but the focus is always on the skin, its proportion and relationship to the lingerie. It is about the skin that makes the lingerie attractive and sexy.

Woman, Water and Color

The most interesting subject I like to shoot, to me, woman and water are belonged to each other.  Shot again in Changburi Resort & Spa, Ko Chang, Thailand, using Phase One P45 on Contax 645 for this image of a lovely Polish model, Gabiela.
Color photography is a tricky undertaking.  In this image, I see it a very simple color combination, storng, vibrant, bold, and the skin is a nice contract between the colors.  Yes, this is an image somewhat towards nudity, but perhaps the use of strong color took away the attention to the point of expoure, rather, seeing a full presentation of color combination.

Photographer's Eye

Yes, I do shoot man.
In this picture, a recent portrait of the famous Steve McCurry, the legendary National Geography Master.  Shot recently in northern Thailand where we visited a small cottage craft place, thanks to kind arrangement of Mr. Suchet Suwanmongkol, the proud owner of Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, Chiangmai, one of the best hide-away resort in the world (highly recommended), and Mr. Suwanmongkol himself an established photographer.
Coming back to the portrait, I shot Steve with a Canon 1Ds III and a the new Macro EF 100/2.8L IS, in available light, I was able to use a slighly higher ISO - 160, and moderate speed, thanks to the new IS on the lens, to get close enough for this tight portrait.
Time, travel, and not to mention the risks of confronting to those conflicting situations, weathered the fine photographer's face, but the eyes, as sharp as ever, as young as ever.

Eye Contact

Remains to be one of the most efective way of communication, and of the most emotional ones.  This image, captured with a Canon 1Ds III for Alfa Romeo, Brera, a nice roaster by the way.  I have the lovely, attractive model pose 1/2 in the car and 1/2 outside the car, as an invitation.

Sunset at Ko Chang Island

Photographer, especially those who into landscape, have special love for sunset, certaily I am among them, although I often say a photographer needs to be able to shoot just anytime of a day, whether it is noon time or midnight, that is, of course, if you need to shoot then you need to shoot.
The special about sunset is the subtle light and its warmth that is so attractive, not just on landscape but also on skin.  Into digital time, yes, some PS mater may say the effect can be reproudced, true, but then we are not talking about photography.
This one shot in a small island in Ko Chang area, with Canon 1D II, a compact yet powerful Canon EF 50/2.5 macro.

Again on Point of View

This is a studio image shot on the lovely Brazilian model, Myraya, using Canon 1Ds III and EF 50/1.2 L. Many photographer do not consider the 50mm on full-frame camera is a portrait lens, I disagree, and in fact 50mm is one of my most used lens for portrait, in or out of studio. Of course I don't disagree that the traditional 85mm, or 105mm or 135mm are good portrait lenses, I think all the lenses can potentially be portrait lenses, and I often use as wide as 28mm (and on some rare occasions use even woder lenses) for portrait, in fact one of my favorite portrait made on my mentor Si Chi Ko - a worldly known Taiwanese photographer, was a shot using Carl Zeiss Distagon 28/2 on RTS III back in those days still shoot films. This is often that the closest focus of a lens is typically related to the focal lenth of the lens in use, for example a typical 35mm lens its closest focusing distance is approx. 35cm, 50mm lens approx. 50cm, 85mm lens approx. 85cm, 135mm lens approx. 135cm. A wider lens allows photographer to get closer, and with shorter distance, the photographer also bring the viewer get close to the subect, often it is more compelling, and more dramatic. Certainly, the longer length also has its use, this is subjective matter, which is why I often say all the lens is potential a protrait lens.

Back on this image, the normal 50mm allow me to get close while able to fill the frame with Myraya's lovely posed body, and right amount of depth of field. Here again I lower myself to level myself with the model, for this powerful image.

More on Point of View

If my last post of image was not shot low enough, this one was. Still inside the pool, this time I lowered myself and camera to almost the surface of the water, and fired off to get this image, the surface of the water also help to reflect the artificial light so the luminance on the model's face is nice, as well as creating nice reflection on her face.
Still shot with my Canon 1Ds II with EF Macro 100/2.8, a MR-14 ring flash was also used, at the pool of Changburi Resort & Spa, Ko Chang, Thailand. I have mentioned many times shooting here, did I also mention the food here is also great?

Point of View

Focal length of a lens, its angle between the subject and photogrpaher and of couse the setting of the f stop - relationship between sharp and unsharp area, are some of the most fundamental elements of the pictorial compostion, besides the light, shadow and the position of the subject itself.

This image, capture with a Canon 1Ds II, and the trusty EF Macro 100/2.8 at a relatively close range, which means I will have to be inside the pool at the same time and keep myself low enough for this image. Shot in Changburi Resort & Spa of Ko Chang, Thailand (.... again), duirng a sunny day, in order to create the right subject and background luminance balance, a ring flash was use to light up the face of the model, the lovely Thai model - Gift, as well as reduce some contrast on her face, to arrive at this final image.

Rachel

A lovely model from República Dominicana, a true island girl. Perfect tanned skin and lean figure, a perfect model. I shot her using the Phase One P45 on Contax 645, mounted with my trusted Carl Zeiss Apo-Makro-Planar, for this image of beautiful Rachel. A totally relaxed pose, subtle impression yet revealing strong confidence, a display of true beauty.

Global Warming?

Nothing science about this post, just that when northern countires endure some of the harshest winter in recent memories, may be a picture from a hot day at tropical poolside will bring some warmth to where it was needed. Shot in the beautiful beach city, Krabi, south Thailand.

Happy 2010

Just came back from vocation, many thanks to Mr. Suchet Suwanmongkol and his kind arrangements - the proud owner of Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, perhaps one of the best retreat in the world, located at the tourist hub of northern Thailand, the ancient capital of Lanna (millions rice fields) Kingdom - Chiangmai. I was tempted to start a blog about it, which shall be published very soon.

This is an image of once popular Thai actress, Rita Jensen, some may argue that she is still popular, either is right. My Phase One P25 on Contax 645 mounted with my favorite Carl Zeiss Apo-Plannar 120/4 for this image. I like the hair on the shoulder, which define the softness of shoulder, and the peiering look from her eyes.

Shoulder, one of the most negleted part of female body, soft, tender, characteristic or uncharacteristic......, besides hand, it is perhaps the first part of female body to be touched by a man.