15 July 2008

Email interview

I had an interview recently and thought it a good idea to post in here since it has some good advice for wedding couples



Here is the email interview:

1) Can you give me an introduction of yourself, when and how did you start out and what is your wedding site about?

I am a wedding photographer who feels wedding photography is about the process and preparations of getting married.

Not just the wedding ceremony itself.

In the past , we see only the ceremony itself and very little of what

happens before and after the ceremony. Today, photojournalism is about the whole event and we cover it as if it is a whole story. To tell that story, we need to string together key events, not just random pictures.

tommyleong.com

2) I understand you have been in the wedding-related field for quite some time and is now successful. What do you think is the key factor to your success?

To be successful, I feel this string of pictures need to be done both artistically and documentary.

Artistic means there is a certain neatness or unique angle to the picture.ie, the composition, the lighting , the mood, etc

Documentary means some shots are needed although it may not be very artistic. The sucessful combination of these 2 give rise to a GOOD story, a feeling of being at the wedding, of hearing the sounds, of catching the people in their moments etc.

3) When you are working with couples, what is it that you are most proud of?

When couples and I reach a certain level of comfort and confidence with one another…., where in their intimate moments, I become like a cat in the house, you know I am there but you aren’t bothered by me…that kinda of feeling is GOLDEN.

tommyleong.com

4) What is the greatest challenge that you have faced while growing your career?

The challenge I face at each wedding is how I can outdo myself from the last wedding, how I can beat my past work. So each wedding I do, I am very excited and sometimes a bit nervous. Because there is always the element of the unexpected….and each time, I wonder how I will
respond. It isn’t a premeditated response. I find I can’t quite control that, it’s just very spontaneous.

5) Currently, what is the one wedding tip you want to give to soon-to-wed couples?

And because things are so spontaneous and sometimes so uncontrolled, couples shouldn’t TRY to control everything but just let things flow…….

if you have done your homework, if you have made all the arrangement and delegated everything away from you on that day…..then, you have

done YOUR BEST. Leave the rest to God…….

Its when couple fight against this and try to control everything, they end

up very frustrated. That spoils the mood and spoils the pictures……

tommyleong.com

6) What are some of the areas do you think wedding couples always overlook when planning their own weddings? (can be pertaining to your own field - in this case photography)

One advice I would offer couples is that they DELEGATE everything to people they trust.

And then, TRUST these people and back them up whatever decision these people helped you to

make…..

7) Your final thought and advice for my wedding blog readers?

Final thoughts for all couples is this :

Wedding is an event, it is over in a day or two.

Marriage is a process, it doesn’t end.

tommyleong.com

That’s the end of the interview.

Killer Photo

Every now and then we wish we had taken a killer photograph of something....
but this is doing the killing ................

Killer photo
Killer photo