Magic happens.

Magic happens when we meet Mother Nature somewhere half way. We had things set up to go, and Mother Nature worked her magic – providing the sort of light that I can only imagine about.

Working with model Sophie on a on-location fashion shoot was a breeze. She was the consumate professional. Dedicated to her work and to the assignment. I was half dipped in water trying not to slip on the water-buffed, slippery rocks when the light from heaven greeted me through the lens. It was a handsome handshake. “Sophie, trust me on this”. She did, as she always does.

I love my country, the big brown land of Australia. As a photographer, nothing brings me more joy than to be on shoots with models in my big backyard, taking in the rugged beauty of Western Australia.

– Sanny Chong

V.2 of my web site

I am excited that the BRAND NEW website design is now set to rock! I met with the designers this morning and I think that Simplisite is easily the best team to work with. “www.sanny.com.au” is set for a facelift and the new version (V.2) will soon be ready with work commencing as we speak.

On a slightly different note, thank you for all your emails and encouraging remarks on the photos. I am humbled by the attention and I am very encouraged by your feedback. Let’s continue to keep in touch!

Next blog: Notes on latest work.

Spring!

Absolutely beautiful day in Perth today. After a prolonged winter spell of rain and dark clouds, the sun is finally starting to warm things up for summer on the land down under. The clear blue skies and warm sunshine has certainly brought out the happiness in people.

Saw these two bobs sitting on my fence when I got home this evening.  I could not help but leave the camera out for a bit longer. Here’s to spring… finally.

Down South

I have spent the last three nights in the beautiful south-west wine region of Western Australia, about 25km further south of Margaret River, almost out in nowhere. We veered off the main highway onto a dirt road. Then, about 5km of rock and roll later, we arrived at our lodge and we were immediately greeted by a few curious but wary kangaroos.

The Margaret River and Augusta region of Western Australia forms the perfect setting for world renown wineries, awesome surf spots, magnificent caves and the Dunsborough Bakery. There were always plenty of opportunities for photography especially when the golden 5.30pm sun provided flawless natural lighting.

In addition to the friendly country folks, quaint small towns, wide open space and beautiful beaches, there was something else about being away from the city that I loved: I could actually hear myself think again. Actually, what I had found myself thinking about most was if the bakery in town would still be open for lunch.

I loved the bright lights of Tokyo and the beautiful skyline of Sydney. However, being away in the south-west has always been my quick escape without my passport, and it has always helped in my search for inspiration.

It is great to occasionally escape the rush of the city, although I do have to admit that it had been a little while since my last trip to “nowhere”.

Hang on, where has my glass of wine gone?

(blogged using the iPhone 3GS, WordPress App.)

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Photos from down south taken and processed with the iPhone:

Lunch. The only food place in town which was open at 3pm.

The Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse in Augusta.

This view greeted me every morning at our lodge.

The morning light hits the breakfast table.

From the iPhone

The remnants of winter against the blue spring sky.

Today is the 4th day of spring and Perth is playing host to the most beautiful weather in a long time. Hello spring, hello summer!

R&P Baby

“Cameras, light and action!” aside, almost every photography job I walk into starts long before I press the shutter button. It is what I term “R & P”, Research and Preparation, which is in addition to the actual brief taken from a client – something that I like to do in my own time. Perhaps this habit had been instilled from my days doing research and development (R & D). After all, old habits do die slow… or not at all.

The Preparation

The best results come from understanding and knowing what I am actually walking into, for example, the people that I will be working with in a shoot and the objective of the shoot. I like to absorb and learn about the subject as well as the encompassing elements as much as I possibly can. For an outdoor shoot, this may include researching the location, looking up the weather forecast, knowing the direction of the sun, paying particular attention to the light and the little details around the place. Having a good idea or knowledge of the location, subject, and elements allow me to prepare for a shoot by mentally constructing, composing and visualising the shoot as well as the final results.

The more thoroughly prepared I am, the more likely I am to obtain the results that I desire and ultimately, what my clients desire.

The Research

If time permits, I would most certainly spend some time with the client and / or models to build trust and understanding.

If it is a themed shoot, time away from the camera is spent on studying the particular focus and subject. This may involve looking up art pieces, design work and delving into brief history lessons for creative inspiration.

The Sketch

Often, I would carry a sketchpad to note my thoughts and to transfer concepts onto paper. What goes on paper include ideas and concepts that go through my mind. Often, this may include elements such as a client’s brief, what I need to bring with me to a particular shoot, a sketch board of compositions, or in the situation of a wedding, an essential list of shots to take in a wedding shoot.

Do I only stick to systematically shooting items that are on a list? Of course not. There are things that sketches, notes, slips and lists simply could not address and replace such as instinct, experience, and Mother Nature. External factors can present themselves as either great opportunities or hurdles. Being able to think outside the box helps a lot.

These days, having an iPhone enables me to carry an electronic “to-do” list on my phone.

The Journey in…

Big things started small, so here goes the “real” first blog. In a nutshell, how my journey got going.

Being able to create, capture and share moments and conceptions are great rewards to my soul. The wind behind the sail, my motivation is to use the power of photos and photography to highlight the plight of disadvantaged people in poverty stricken countries.

My life before photography was marketing. Being an Executive in marketing was a great job. There were a lot of perks. Part of my role involved networking, hob-nobbing, and attending client lunches. I also collected plenty of free pens, lanyards, bottle openers, and attended a lot of premieres. However, a big piece of the pie was always missing from the kitchen. There was always a nagging feeling at the back of my mind to pursue my passion, which is in photography and in the creative arena.

Tertiary qualified and having worked as a professional in the fields of marketing and management for 10 years, my eyes were pretty much trained to discern between what could look good, and what couldn’t. Part of my job as a marketer was to also ensure that things looked better than they were. As inspiration, glossy magazines, ideas, images and concepts passed by my desk on a daily basis. Over time, they served as valuable instruments in conditioning my perceptiveness.

One fine day, an acquaintance of mine, a professional photographer brought over posters and prints that he had taken in his tour of Uganda in Africa. The images left behind a haunting impact. That was perhaps the turning point. I realised the power of effective photography and so I started pursing my passion in it, chasing it down every possible way. In the course of my journey, I have met many incredible people, including fellow BBC Photographer, Alfie Goodrich who served as a good inspiration.

My view on photography is that it is an art form. In effect, photography is painting with light. Photos are silent, yet they can speak a thousand words. To me, it is about being able to creatively produce still, silent images that speak to viewers in many different accords. Effective photography “speaks”, and that is how I try to approach each and every single composition.

Photography allows me to compose and share what I see though my eyes. It takes me to places and allows me to view things in a totally different way. And yes, I still network, hob-nob, and attend client lunches from time to time. Who doesn’t? 

From the iPhone

I was driving down from the Perth hills yesterday when there was just a rare glimpse of sunshine in between angry rain clouds and a dark sky.

All I had with me at the time was my iPhone.

Welcome

Welcome to my blog. My name is Sanny and I am a photographer and conceptual artist. I believe I have the best job in the world – with all the freedom to create, capture and share. The only boundary is my imagination, and occasionally, a client’s brief.

I am in the process of writing my first “real” blog, that is: how I got started in photography. That should be up tomorrow. It takes time to think, and to put all the right words together, you know.

Until the real one tomorrow, welcome to Sanny’s blogosphere! CHEERS!