8 Legged Freak

Shot this guy (from angle below) during my recent trip. Wish I had my macro lens with me at the time but the 18-200VR did a fairly good job at it I thought. Used the SB800 to fill in on the head a bit of light (sun was shining bright on its abdomen and the web). Shot in RAW, with minor tweaks using Capture NX. Click to view bigger image.

Thaipusam photos

Just posted some photos from the Thaipusam shoot. No commercial work is ever like shooting events like this, where you move around the people and try and capture the best possible moment and angle, without the luxury of setting up lights, pose models and direct the scene, so to speak. Going on shoots like this reminds me how much fun to it is to shoot with available light (and sometimes a speedlight) and let chance take over. Enjoy.

Too painful to watch

While all of us are still drooling over the prospect of owning a D3 and think of better ways to make use of it, this guy decided to test the solid construction of the D3 body by *gulp* dropping it 15 feet onto bricked walkway. Ouch! Dummy set? Dumb owner? You decide. Apparently it survived the fall. Being a Nikon and all, natch. And if that didn't make you faint, check out the other tests.

Other bits of update:Nikonian D60 review now online. Nikon Capture NX class now open for registration. Can't wait to share some cool tips with the participants on this class.

Quick update

Just a brief update as work is really catching up on me since CNY. Couple of events and happenings worth noting in the recent weeks, check this space for meatier update complete with photos and comments, but in the mean time, here are some newsworthy bits:

• Nikonian Academy, in collaboration with international supermodel and actress Amber Chia, is proud to organise the first ever Modeling Photography class for all you portraiture lovers out there. In this class, Andrew and Amber will be sharing lots of tips and tricks with participants relating to shooting, posing and being a model. Don't miss this exclusive class as only limited seats are available. More info here.
• Nikonian Academy's got itself a first-hand look at the new Nikon D60, one of the first few to arrive on our shore and boy are we liking it. Look out for our review on Nikonian's website soon.
• NikonUSA has just updated its website with spanking new design (love that customisable main photo complete with EXIF and photographer info). Loads of cool photos and information, don't miss it.
• Did a couple of photo shoots lately, commercially and leisurely; including one that involves a pedestrian tunnel, 6 Nikon speedlights, a handful of colour gels and a bunch of light stands at 3am in the morning. Definitely a psychedelic experience, that one. Watch this space for the photo, and other cool shots by the other Nikonian gang that were there too.
• More updates soon. Stay tuned.

KLGCC Workshop

Spent the weekend at 2 Nikonian D40/x workshops conducted together with Andrew at KLGCC here in Kuala Lumpur. Check out some photos of the workshop, and the participants' shots.

 

Photonica font in use

Big thanks to Axel Leroux who was kind enough to send me a note to say thanks for the Photonica font that his company's used for a french bank BNP Paribas ad campaign. Alex emailed: It's nice to know that the free font's gone this far, considering it was a pet project back then to create a font based on our national car's logotype. Click here to see the ads. Thanks Alex! (BNP Paribas)

Back from JB Workshop

We had a blast of a time in JB, our first time ever conducting Nikon D40/x workshop down under. A good crowd of proud D40 and D40x owners showed up (and a few more with D200 and D70 too!) and participated in a fun and lively workshop, chockful of knowledge sharing. This inaugural event also marks the honour of having Mohd Haidar joining us to impart some of his 25 years of experience in the industry shooting celebrities and corporate leaders. Check out some of the highlights of the event over at our Nikonian website.