A lot of times, my inspiration comes from the many films I watch. And it is not just about 'feels' of a certain film. It can get quite technical.

There's a reason why photographers select and switch between their wide-angle lens and their close-up telephoto lens. If you've got 2 minutes to digest what I am about to type, thank you .

We recently got the opportunity to ‘sit down’ with Ching, a florist / stylist from 5am Flowers, one of our fellow wedding industry partners. This impromptu photoshoot session came about from another one of my project ideations and I thought of featuring (all the while honing my studio portraiture experience) fellow industry vendors and understanding them a little.

I wouldn’t dare call myself a street photographer. In this day and age, who would? Oh wait - unless you’re one of those ‘photographers’ on the streets approaching pretty ladies, asking them for a photo. Heard that they are rampant on TikTok. ‘Hi I’m a street photographer, can I take your picture?” is how they begin. Cringe much. Even in China, they are getting increasingly popular. Even Straits Times term them ‘street photographers’ in this article here. Got to do your research, team at ST : (

But what I can claim, is that I love photographing on the street a lot. In fact, I got my start in this career, photographing on the streets.

Here's the short version of the story about how I first started using Fujifilm when everyone around me was wielding a Nikon or a Canon, back in 2018, for weddings.

Back in 2016, I started doing wedding photography on the sides (yes I was moonlighting lol) and I was team Nikon. My very first camera was a D40 for the older photographers here, before moving to the D610, the D750 and then D810.

This year, one of the creative direction we wanted to take, was to do more corporate and family / studio-based portraiture sessions. We thought of the need for a space to conduct it, at our own pace and time.

Finding the space wasn’t difficult, but setting it up was.

I think Erin and I (mostly Erin) managed it well haha. Here are some photos from the space.

I know I haven’t been writing much here (you can always read more on my IG I blabber there aplenty).

But, 2022 has been a hectic, unforgettable rollercoaster ride.

It was the year we gradually removed our masks during weddings, thus allowing emotions to be fully expressed. It was a year when I could walk around with my couples during their pre-weds without having to mutter muffled instructions. A year where I visited many wonderful new venues, for pre-weds and actual days. A year to see people celebrating twice, thrice as hard at weddings, both the young and the old.

The more I photograph on film, the more I realise I am forever trying to tweak my digital files like film. As much as I try, there is always something unique and different about photographing in film format. I can never do it - replicating film on digital.

April 2022 marks the third year I have been photographing weddings as a full-time job. What began as a leap of faith in 2019, after 10 years of corporate slaving, turned into a real passion and the belief that I could photograph 'nice' photographs for couples looking to celebrate their special day.

As the malls start to play Christmas songs, and the year runs down to its inevitable end, I'll just start by saying - we survived. Sorta. Soaked in the festive mood, but yet taking in the harsh realities of what Covid has done to us at the same time, I took a while to gather my thoughts to pen this. This year has definitely been one to remember, for all its fragilities and dualities. For every small win that we can celebrate, we would be countered with the seemingly overused phrase of "one step forward, two steps back". For weddings to take place, we have to adapt to the many restrictions to limit the spread of Covid.