Wedding Preparations

Hi there, I am Tristine ( Tristine and Lionel ) and I have been invited to share my wedding preparations as a guest contributor.

I guess planning a wedding isn’t easy. It is an occasion where conflicts will definitely surface.

No matter what, mutual respect is important in the end of the day. Couples have to communicate and compromises will have to be made during this period.

For my wedding planning, I depended very much on the internet. I source most my stuffs through the Singapore Brides Forum. I got the wedding speech and itinerary from some of the brides and of course, only use them as reference. Planning the actual day itinerary itself made up the bulk of my preparations as I wanted to make sure that nothing goes wrong on that particular day. I met up with my brothers and sisters ( Groomsmen and bridesmaid ) a few times to go through the itinerary with them, amending various details whenever there is a need to.

Before I plan my itinerary, I had to decide what I am going to do on that day and how much time to cater to each. Always cater additional time for each event especially for the gate-crashing as you never know what the groom and his merrymen will have up their sleeves such as deliberately turning up late, hence timing plays a crucial role when come to my planning.

If a photosession is part of the itinerary, do let your photographer and videographer know in advance so that they can advise you where to go and whether time allows it or not. I am glad that Tommy has met up with us before our wedding to plan out the details and of course giving us advice on where to go after we told him our preferences.

Delegating roles according to each person's strength is important as I know that each individual can be trusted to get their jobs done. Since Rayson is always punctual, we delegated him as the time-keeper as to help keep track of the time according to our schedule. JJ and his wife, Erina were choosen to be our emcees of the night as they are both outspoken speakers. For Eric, he will liaise with our parents to make sure all the caterers were already at our places and assist Lionel accordingly. AMK who is jovial and responsible is choosen to be our coordinator. His responsibility is to ensure smooth running of the activities and arrangement. My sister accompanied me throughout the whole day, assisting me in changing of gowns and helping out at the reception table along with other bridesmaids (Jasmine and Jur).

One problem faced during our actual day is the timing for the bride to return home. I can only return home after 1pm hence Rayson had to help our videographer to bring the raw tape back to his home for editing so that the videographer was able to continue the shooting till the tea ceremony is over.

Although the actual day is rather packed, but with the help of the brothers and sisters, it makes our day a relaxed one. Even though there were last minute messages and calls from people who cannot make it to our dinner, Lionel and I need not worry as Joseph and Ivan helped us with the allocating of seats to ensure there is no empty seat in the table. We were glad that both of them made such good arrangement in the seatings.

Since the whole day event depends very much on the brother and sister gang so give them the authority to do the things and trust them as they will make your wedding a memorable one.

Art Canvas Prints

Introducing Art Canvas Prints.

Yes I am now offering Art Canvas Prints to my clients who sign up Wedding day packages.

I am very excited about this product as I have been searching high and low for them and now,

finally I have found the right mix of material, printing and framing.

Canvas prints has been around and many bridal studio in Singapore offers them.

However,

1) Resolution is not high enough, ie, you can't quite see details. Here I am able to find one that has very high resolution that can be equal to photographs.

2) Glossy coating that gives reflection. Here the art canvas has the quality that last and does not need that high gloss coating. Thre is no reflection at all. IT IS SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL.

3) Colour fastness was an issue with those old technology. My own wedding picture is now purple in color. ( I wan't in wedding back then ) These canvas prints were tested for colour fastness for 50 years ( accelerated UV test ). I MADE SURE that was the first criteria :)

4) Because there is no glass over the canvas prints, it must be able to withstanding cleaning. These canvas prints are suitable to be cleaned with a wet cloth.

See how beautiful these prints are ! Look at the extreme left picture and notice how there is absolutely no reflection.

I JUST LOVE THEM.

EPSON P7000

I have got to get me one of these :)

You can view pictures ( both jpeg and RAW format ). It does movie and mp3 and of course, store lots and lots of photos.

Comes handy as you can put it in a pouch, drop your CF memory in, transfer and then continue shooting more pictures or video.

It has the BEST LCD in the business. Nothing comes close

WOW

The low-temperature polysilicon (LTPS) TFT LCD displays 16,770k colors (200 ppi), supports SD/CF (Type II) cards and is equipped with two USB 2.0 ports. Users will have to wait only for 1.5 seconds to see a 10 megapixel JPEG file on the screen. Epson claims it takes a little more than 2 minutes to read data from an SD card with 1 GB storage.

Using Epson’s proprietary Photo Fine Premia technology, the company says users will be able to view photos from an angle of 80 degrees from all sides. When fully charged, users can watch three hours of video in MPEG4 on the P7000.

Epson will start selling the P7000 and a model with a 80GB HDD (P6000) worldwide next month. In Japan, the P7000 will be priced at a whopping $730, while the P6000 will retail for $550.

Canon EOS 50D

Canon EOS 50D specs is just leaked out by Canon China website.

Here's some of the more interesting specs ( it has a long list of improvements )

1) 15 Megapixel - Do we need any more megapixels ? This is more marketing hype than anything.

2) AF fine tuning - Yes, this is great, another top end feature at a middle range product.

3) ISO 100-12,800 - This is absolutely fantastic

4) 6.3 fps (high speed) 3fps (low speed) - Hey this is great but i don't really use it.Nice to know it is there when , if , I need it

5) 920,000 points VGA 3.0-inch LCD monitor - At last they are going to upgrade the LCD resolution. Last 2 camera from Canon, 30D and 40D has horrid LCD. Many people try to defend their purchase with ridiculous explanation, but here, Canon shows that it think otherwise.


6) 3 Type of RAW files. - this one I absolutely like: full RAW ( 15mpixel) , sRAW1( 7mpixel) which is most useful, sRAW1 (3.8mpixel).


Good move by Canon.

here's a picture of the camera
it look just like any other Canon camera....
or that other Canon cameras just look like one another.............

080808 Carol and Sebastien

Carol and Sebastien picked this very special and easy to remember date for their wedding.
It was indeed a memorable time.
Carol is abit camera shy, but it doesn't show in the pictures at all.

Small and cozy wedding at the Marriott Grill Pool restaurant. It holds maximum of 60 guest.
Food is absolutely fabulous and service is outstanding ...........I know, because the couple invited me to dinner too. Thanks Carol and Sebastien. I really enjoyed your wedding.

Attitude

I got this from a couple recently , and it has been a blessing to me.
I hope you will be blessed today with this..............
Have a change today

Attitude is more Important than facts.
It is more important than the past,
than education,
than money,
than circumstances,
than failfures,
than success,
than what other people think
or say or do.
It is more important than appearance,
giftedness or skill.


We cannot change our Past.

We cannot change the fact that people
will act in a certain way.

We cannot change the inevitable.

The only thing we can do is play on the string we have,
and that is our attitude..........


Life is 10% of what happens to us and 90% how we react to it.


We have a choice - EVERYDAY - regarding our attitude we will embrace for that day

Why color matching your clothes is very important

This guy got it all WRONG

Creative Labs should have hired this guy

Creative Lab would have sold a lot more products if this guy is in-charge of product development
:D

Asian drums

Ginny and Shawn

This must be the most relaxed couple I ever did for ROM ( Registration of Marriage ) service.

The minute they enter the chamber, they started chatting with the justice of peace ( see her expression in the video ) and created an almost homely atmosphere.....to such a point that even I got distracted.....I was wondering have we started or are we rehearsing.....? I have done countless ROM, but have never got distracted in the chamber before. This is absolutely the first :D

They are really fun to be with, I enjoyed shooting them.

Oh Yes, I seem to be having some well-to-do clients lately.....

Clink on the picture to see the DVD photo movie.

Love vs Infatuation

Got this from a website
and I think it is very apt to share it here :D




LOVE vs INFATUATION

Young people are often confused and unable to discern the frustrating flush of the magical experience of "falling in love".

Infatuation is the initial, instant attraction and intense desire for a person of the opposite sex.

Love is a friendship that has caught fire. It takes root, develops and grows one day at a time. The process is slow.

Infatuation lacks confidence. When he/she is away you wonder if he/she is cheating you. Sometimes you check perhaps even discreetly.

Love means trust. You are calm, secure and unthreatened. Your beloved feels the same also and this makes both even more trustworthy.

Infatuation is marked by a feeling of insecurity. You are excited and eager, but not genuinely happy. There are nagging doubts, unanswered questions or some unclear actions about your beloved that you would not like to examine too closely. It might spoil the dream.

Love is quiet understanding and mature acceptance of imperfection. It is real. It gives you strength and grows beyond you to bolster your beloved. You are warmed by his/her presence even when he/she is away. Miles of distance do not separate you. You want him/her nearer, but near or far, you know he/she is yours and you can wait.

Infatuation has an element of sexual excitement. If you are honest, you can admit it is difficult to be in one another's company, for the underlying fear that it will end in intimacy.

Love is the maturation of friendship. You are confident that you must be friends before you can be lovers.

Infatuation is usually temporary and eventually fades. It, however, might lead you to do things you will regret later, but love never will.

Love is an upper. It makes you look up. Love usually lasts longer and goes deeper than strong sexual Feelings. It makes you think up and makes you a better person.

Infatuation makes you feel anxious, nervous and jealous. You feel convinced that you can't live without the other person. You are unable to see the person for who they really are because he/she is perfect in your eyes.

Love makes you feel excited. You are willing to respect the other person's opinions and accept the good or bad qualities. You share similar values and beliefs and you see the person for who they really are.

Infatuation says, "We must get married right away! I can't risk losing you!"

Love says, "Be patient. Do not panic. Plan your future with confidence. There are rewards in waiting."

Dear God letters

Here's a sample of hilarious letters written to God by kids........




















See more at this website

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.

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.

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……

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.

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

Dual touchscreen notebook

This sounds more like a joke ………………
but these guys are serious about putting this to market. But then again, usually the best things do come out of the blue…………….or in this case , out of the box ( thinking )

read more about it here

Serene & Matthew

Serene and Matthew had a cozy civil marriage ceremony (ROM ) at their home. Its a very nicely done up place and the ambience is up to par with some of the better places out there. Most importantly, it’s the couple own home….and that alone makes it really special.

This couple, as Serene puts it is “entering into marriage with both eyes open and with the Grace of God”. They are practical and knows what it will take to make marriage a success. They have no illusions and knows that it will take effort and compromise and they are ready for it.

After spending time with them, I get the feeling Yes, they will certainly make a loving couple.

Congratulations Serene and Matthew……..I certainly enjoy my time with you guys

Click on picture to view slideshow

This really made my day !

A good friend Kelvin send me this ..............
Man , it really cheered me up.
Thanks.

I hope it do you good too :D


Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

Samsung Omnia the REAL iphone killer

Sometime ago I wrote about the HTC Touch Diamond as the iphone killer but now, it seems Samsung has the real killer at hand.
Its a killer because for everything that iPhone can do, the Samsung Omnia does ......and get this, its not locked to any telecom operator unlike the iPhone.
To me , that's one of the greatest incentive ( or disincentive ) not to get the iPhone.

Also, any software you buy for the iPhone, you can only do so at Apple ( something ).

Well, any case, OMNIA ( pronounced Ooom-neeeah ) sounds like some hokkian ( Chinese dialect ) phrase :D, has almost the same specs as the iPhone.
Its also incidentally 8GB or 16GB. The HTC Touch is only 4GB.
Omnia has 5Megapixel camera, iPhone has 2Megapixel . etc
Specs wise the Omnia leads in all department.

BUT for some, its not APPLE product....................
Have a look at this video, see how responsive the touch screen is
and the later video showing a direct comparision with the iPhone.
It seems to be the exact size ( almost )









I would like to add, personally I hate korean products

SONY new flash : great out of box thinking

Here's an example why competition is great for the industry.
Sony's latest flash shows the way forward after decades of stagnation
in the camera industry.

This new Sony flash ( has a stupid name which I shall not mention here )
has the ability to turn the flash head ( not the flash ) sideways.
It is not just rotate to the side which is the norm, but it
actually turns to the side.......well, a picture tell a thousand word
See the pictures below:







Read more of it at Digital Camera Resource Page 's website

Do we REALLY have to do this ?

Sometimes the pictures just convey the words
even though we can't say it

Wedding of NoiHong and Daniel

I have decided to do things a little differently, instead of the usual pictures I thought I might try just posting a slideshow , DVD photo movie of the couple.

Do give me your feedback , especially if you have trouble watching a smooth movie.
( to give comments, you need to register yourself. Just click register in the right bar )