Sharpness

Sharpness is often ignored, but quite an important factor in the final pictorial quality.  Not that it has to be sharp or other way around, it is the right degree of resolution to our eye that define the image is sharp, or less sharp, soft, or even blur.  A heated debate more on the digital imaging, both still and motion; less a subject in the film days, perhaps because digital technology allows higher degree and more flexible manipulation. Whatever it is.  This image was taken with Canon 1Ds III with EF Macro 100/2.8L IS.  While finishing the final image, I merged a less sharp layer on the original ones to reduce the visual sharpness to give the final image a softer feel.

Faces

A recent jewelry work for SK, the set up was rather simple. The art director, Kanjana Chaiwatanachai wanted to have the impact more on the jewelry, to avoid the beautiful Caucasian model, Alisa, to split the attention so the make up on this image intendedly darkern her face, while still leaves the rest of body in a little pale color, and to add the interests on the image, the hair was made as if it is a part of silhouetted profile image.
Shot with Canon 5D II with EF Macro 100/2.8L IS.  The use of Canon 5D II also because we shot motions for this work, and as everyone in industries already knew, the motion file from Canon 5D II is just breath taking!

Daria Portrait

Shot with a Canon 1Ds III with EF Macro 180/3.5L.  Lighting was rather simple, just a 5ft large Profoto reflector with Pro 4 pack and light.  The tele-photo lens is not my common choice of lens in studio portrait works, not that the studio is not big enough for this focal length but for the distance between the model and photographer is a little further than I would like for portraiture work.  Here, however, as I want a little extra glamorous look of the image, 180mm was the call.

Bamboo and painting

A shot took in the Holiday Inn Crown Plaza, Kathmandu, with a Panasonic GF-1 mounted with the beautiul pancake lens 20/1.7.  It was the last day of my trip, the group already left to the airport, I have a later flight, so I enjoy a little solitary, with a small camera on hand, walk around.
This is an interesting view to me, the half fake bamboo plants, the building column, the painting.......

Simle Color

A recent work, the color is tuned down to almost mono-tone, and keep the lighting simple, a studio shot.  Canon 1Ds III with EF Macro 180/3.5L, it is not too often I use the 180mm macro in studio, but for this shot, I want to simulate more outdoor atmosphere, so I took a long shot so the hair on the back and also the gold-foil backdrop with have a more nutral look.

Holy Mountain

This is a shot made recently during a trip to south west China, the region I traveled to is recongnized in China of rich minor and tribe culture, Han Chines, Tibetan, Tai and etc., wtth complicate landscape of terrain and beautiful mountain.  It is also a region connects the Tibetan plateau and mainland China, with geographic significance that many famouns rivers originated from here and drain into East China sea, or run into Indo-China Peninsula, to South China sea and Andaman sea of Indian ocean.  Rightfully speaking, this is the birth place of many cultures, and land of history.
Most of the ancient tribes share one thing in common - respect of nature.  It is of this respect, in particular to those mountains dominate the skyline, they are all considered holy.  This image of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, is no exception, highly worship by the locals. Shot in Shuhe ancient town with Canon 5DII with EF 100-400L IS, this is a panoramic image stitched from 6 separate captures.  Setting sun cast the clound with rich red-orange color that gives more life to this image.

The Moment

Our eyes and mind has a special connection, lots of things at work.  When we see an image like this, not only our mind register the subject itself, the background, where the light come from.... these are all static. Our mind reads a lot more, we recognize what she is doing, the direction where she walks from, what would happen immediately next. A totally differnt matter if the modek simply sits on floor.
Still image does not need to be still.  But this is a decision the photographer has to take.
Shot with a Canon 1Ds III with EF 85/1.2L, studio set up.