16 July 2013
// iphoneography: may 2013
The month of May through my iPhone - of food, travel, birthdays and change.
Older: April 2013 | Newer: June 2013
It is July and I am in my dad's apartment in Bangkok as I type this entry. I can barely recall the finer details of sweet May, but I remember a month of catching up with friends I haven't been able to, enjoying fine food, taking lots of photos, finding reasons to celebrate anything at all, drunk nights, speaking my heart for once, and taking the first steps to freeing myself.
May has been and always will be my favourite month. It is a month of happiness and celebration, a month I always look forward to. I had my first couple shoot with two very photogenic Geminian couples and I love them for the happiness and warmth they radiate around each other. I've been hesitant on offering couple photoshoots, and I'll be honest that it may be my view on love that has shaped my thoughts on this. But maybe all that will change very soon.
In the second week of May, several of my relatives and I organised a surprise Mothers' day brunch at NYDC, and even though not everyone was present, it was nice to be in the company of family. I spent my younger and formative years growing up without my complete family, and I still do. In retrospect that has made me who I am today - independent and strong. It has also made me appreciate kinship so much more and I yearn to share a close relationship with a family of my own one day.
Every year, I start celebrating my birthday early even though the actual day is only towards the end of the month. One night, while drinking a bottle of wine by myself in my study, I came to the realisation that I had to finally let go of the vermin that has been suffocating me and stagnating my growth as a person. A close friend reminded me to be happy for myself and I wrote a reminder on a post-it note and stuck it on my noticeboard. Things were going to change, I knew my resolve was true this time round.
Two days later, we found ourselves sitting on a bench at twilight, with the stillness of the water around us that calmed the mess in my heart. We talked for hours, and even though there was no proper closure, I felt like a stone had been lifted from my chest. And in that moment, I knew that I was free the minute I decided I was.
In the next few days leading up to my work trip to Malaysia, I busied myself with packing, shooting, picking out outfits at the H&M showroom with Drea, and enjoying the peace I now hold in my heart.
Last year I spent the month traveling around Asia to Seoul, Hong Kong, Shen Zhen, Taipei and Bangkok. Although I did not feed my wanderlust spirit much this May, I took a week off in the middle of the month for a short work trip to Malaysia with Drea and Nerissa. We spent our days traveling and taking photos around Kuala Lumpur, Seremban and Cameron Highlands.
Our kind hosts in KL were Drea's relatives, the Chong family. They brought us out for good local food and gave us a room to sleep in their lovely home. The next day, we took a train to Seremban and a taxi up the hills for our first shoot location, The Dusun. Groggy from the medicine I took for my flu, I took a nap while the girls prepared for our shoot in the afternoon. At night, they whipped up a yummy meal from the groceries we'd bought the day before while I made myself useful by setting the table. We go through our usual routine of taking photos of our food on our phones before we tucked in to a delicious atmosphere of togetherness and home cooked food.
We stayed in the Sora House for the night, a big open-concept eco villa that was too big for the three of us. We decided to share the bigger bed in the Japanese room, under a glass ceiling that exposed the night's beauty which sparkled in the form of small, shiny stars. We talked for a short while and fell asleep quickly, tired from a day of shooting and traveling.
The next day was spent finishing up the outfits we had to shoot, before we bid Seremban goodbye and took a train back to KL. After scary encounters with the touts at the bus station and a very long bus ride up the dwindling roads of the mountains, we were finally welcomed by the cool air in Cameron Highlands. We checked into a simple hotel we'd booked two nights before and had a warm dinner over steamboat not far away from the hotel before retiring for the night. After breakfast, we packed our bags and left for The Lakehouse, some kilometers down from the peak where we were.
The Lakehouse is exactly what it promised to be - beautifully colored by flowers and gloriously sitting atop a hill overlooking a big beautiful lake. After shooting under the hot sun and a quick siesta, we finally finish the outfits at sunset. Curious by a little route that led uphill, we ventured up the path only to be astounded by the sight that greeted us. I stood there, taking it all in. The skies were blue, the clouds and reflection of the lake tinted by a hint of sunset, and the moon smiling in the evening sky. If only we had such a view in Singapore... Perhaps this is why I always feel like I have to leave one day.
Days pass quickly and it is already nearing the end of May. The girls from Thread Theory surprised me with Japanese-French goodness at Dozo the weekend I came back from Malaysia. These girls are the kindest I have ever met, and I'm blessed to have a friend in them. The rest of the week were also filled with dates with people I hold dear to my heart. I arranged for a birthday dinner with Wilson and we drank to celebrate us remaining young in our Geminian hearts; Drea and N prepared a spread of homemade dishes on the eve of my birthday, and I made friends with her cat, Blondie.
On the morning of my birthday, I laid in bed feeling blue. It feels weird turning a year older again. I don't want time to pass so quickly, yet at the same time I'm excited for what the future may bring. I know that at least, I'll always be young at heart.
The end of May has come, and I spend the last few hours in front of my laptop completing slides for my first ever workshop that will be held the next day - all that soon to come in June's iphoneography diaries. May has brought me so much joy and contentment and it still remains to be my favourite month of the year, and I thank everyone who has been a part of it. Thank you for growing with me.
I promise happier days ahead! x
Older: April 2013 | Newer: June 2013Labels: iphoneography, personal
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about: amandawxr / beautifuladieu
beautiful•adieu:
writing has never been my forte, and words just flow so much easier through photographs.
maybe i don't want to be called a photographer. i want to be a storyteller.
in 2010, i shared a tumblr account with a dear friend and we were inspired by all the images we saw. then we took tumblr-inspired images and were really active on the site, but everything came to a standstill after a few months. it's hard to explain how i ended up here, but photography was the only thing that was there for me when no one else was. in the summer of 2011, i picked up my camera again after 4 horribly uninspiring months. i started off with self portraits because i missed the familiarity of photographing what i used to, but found myself being really awkward in front of the camera. i later signed up for an account on modelmayhem and surprisingly got a few requests and emails which helped me kickstart my "photography career". while i thought my journey with photography ended after some personal problems in my life, it had really only just begun. i started a facebook page and in the next few months, i met so many great and supportive people whom i can now call friends. i was also blessed with a new camera, and i cannot be more thankful.
this year, i found myself in a close-knitted community of like-minded young artists and it makes me feel warm, and at home. it serves as a constant reminder to myself that there is nothing else i wish to do than to take photos. i shoot fashion and faces, and i want to capture all the beauty there is while we're all young and wild and free.
read more about me and my photography in a feature at obscured.sg
amanda•wxr:
i'd like to think i'm a bundle of personalities. i am a business student from smu, a watercolor painter, lover of siri, tiesto and thumper (pet birds and bunny) and all their other friends. i collect vintage working film cameras and my favorite is my canon ae-1 program (you will see some film photos on my blog every now and then!). people often describe me as a quirky and strange person, but i'd like to be known as the clown bringing smiles to people's faces.
you can always find me on my personal facebook, and if you wish to follow regular happenings in my life, please don't hesitate to send a request!
i am a dreamer. i wish we all would stay young and wild and free.
other accolades:
Workshop Instructor for the Photographic Society of NUS Photographic Event Montage 2013
Photography Exhibition at Noise Singapore 2012
Hidden Gem Finalist for Nuffnang Asia Pacific Blogger Awards 2011
Lost Freedom Issue #3
ObscuRed
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frequently asked questions
What camera and lenses do you use?
I use a Canon 5DMII, his name is Chase :) I usually use my EF 50mm f/1.4, and sometimes the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L. I also have a EF 100mm f/2.8 but I seldom ever use that. Most of my old shoots (up till the unfading summerdays series last October) were shot with my old camera, Canon 450D.
Do you use any lighting equipment?
Other than in the studio of course! I'm a strong lover of natural light and not a big fan of all the fancy light equipment (or artificial light for that matter), especially when I do more outdoor shoots. Although I recognise that this may reduce the "professionalism" of my photos to the eyes of 'techies', I'm determined to stick to my style for now. :)
How long have you been shooting?
Well, I had my first DSLR in 2008, but I never really took a lot of photos, till I got my EF 50mm f/1.8 and starting taking tumblr-inspired photos. I later stopped shooting anything for 4 months, and picked myself up after several issues in my personal life. So I think it's safe to say I started shooting "professionally" or knew that I wanted to shoot fashion and portraiture in May 2011. That's about 1 year now! You can read more about this in the "About Me" section among the navigation links above.
Which camera should I buy?
I'll help you with whatever I know, but honestly, I'm not up to date with the new cameras that are available in the market. Usually when people ask me, I'll just google, and compare the specifications (which I'm sure you can do as well) and give my judgement. But ultimately, I'll like to emphasize that it doesn't matter what camera you use - whether a simple point and shoot or an ultra-pro DSLR - what matters is your eye for photography, and your passion. It's always about the artist and not the camera. Unless your equipment is faulty of course, haha!
I love your curves, will you have more curves giveaway?
Haha thank you! I'll love to come up with more curves, but I think I may start selling them in future! For now, I think I'll hold curves giveaways when my Facebook page hits certain "likes milestones"! I'm also thinking of prints giveaway and some other things. I'm having a giveaway of two 4GB thumbdrives for beautifuladieu's first anniversary this 28 June!
Which program do you use to edit your photos with and what is your editing workflow?
I use Photoshop CS5. I'm still trying to get the hang of using Lightroom and Adobe Bridge. My editing workflow is simple: I flag photos which I think I may edit, then rate them accordingly. Ultimately I choose the top 20 photos or so that I'm happy with. I don't manipulate my images that much, I usually just do simple retouching, use a couple of layer adjustments and apply curves.
Who are you inspired by?
Oh wow, there's a whole list I can't even begin! But mainly artists around my age or younger than me who also shoot and believe in natural light: Nirrimi Hakanson and Ann He. There's also Wendy Liu, Caitlin Worthington, Claire Alice, Emily Tebbets, Alexandra Sophie, Kitty Gallannaugh... Seriously, the list is endless! They all take really beautiful photos and you should check out their works too!
Where do you take your photos? They don't look like they were taken in Singapore!
Haha! But they're mostly in Singapore, I just don't like to capture recognisable landmarks. Sometimes I travel abroad and arrange for shoots on my vacations. So far I've done shoots in Hong Kong and Taipei. If you have to ask for specific locations where I take my photos, I'll appreciate if you would come off being anonymous. Being in a small country with limited places to shoot, I think everyone should make the effort to do a bit of their own research. I know it's a sensitive topic to talk about, but I don't think it should be taken for granted.
Do you take requests? How much do you charge?
At the moment, I take limited requests. I may open up to more in future or completely stop, I've no idea yet! I prefer not to state my charges online, so please do drop me a mail if you're really keen. Please note that my charges for lookbooks, model's portfolio and requests are different, so it's best to send me an email!
I've compiled a list of questions people usually ask me, whether by email or in person, and I hope it clears up some of your doubts! If you want to submit an FAQ or ask a question, don't hesitate to leave a comment or email me at enquiries@beautifuladieu.com.
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16 July 2013
// iphoneography: may 2013
The month of May through my iPhone - of food, travel, birthdays and change.
Older: April 2013 | Newer: June 2013
It is July and I am in my dad's apartment in Bangkok as I type this entry. I can barely recall the finer details of sweet May, but I remember a month of catching up with friends I haven't been able to, enjoying fine food, taking lots of photos, finding reasons to celebrate anything at all, drunk nights, speaking my heart for once, and taking the first steps to freeing myself.
May has been and always will be my favourite month. It is a month of happiness and celebration, a month I always look forward to. I had my first couple shoot with two very photogenic Geminian couples and I love them for the happiness and warmth they radiate around each other. I've been hesitant on offering couple photoshoots, and I'll be honest that it may be my view on love that has shaped my thoughts on this. But maybe all that will change very soon.
In the second week of May, several of my relatives and I organised a surprise Mothers' day brunch at NYDC, and even though not everyone was present, it was nice to be in the company of family. I spent my younger and formative years growing up without my complete family, and I still do. In retrospect that has made me who I am today - independent and strong. It has also made me appreciate kinship so much more and I yearn to share a close relationship with a family of my own one day.
Every year, I start celebrating my birthday early even though the actual day is only towards the end of the month. One night, while drinking a bottle of wine by myself in my study, I came to the realisation that I had to finally let go of the vermin that has been suffocating me and stagnating my growth as a person. A close friend reminded me to be happy for myself and I wrote a reminder on a post-it note and stuck it on my noticeboard. Things were going to change, I knew my resolve was true this time round.
Two days later, we found ourselves sitting on a bench at twilight, with the stillness of the water around us that calmed the mess in my heart. We talked for hours, and even though there was no proper closure, I felt like a stone had been lifted from my chest. And in that moment, I knew that I was free the minute I decided I was.
In the next few days leading up to my work trip to Malaysia, I busied myself with packing, shooting, picking out outfits at the H&M showroom with Drea, and enjoying the peace I now hold in my heart.
Last year I spent the month traveling around Asia to Seoul, Hong Kong, Shen Zhen, Taipei and Bangkok. Although I did not feed my wanderlust spirit much this May, I took a week off in the middle of the month for a short work trip to Malaysia with Drea and Nerissa. We spent our days traveling and taking photos around Kuala Lumpur, Seremban and Cameron Highlands.
Our kind hosts in KL were Drea's relatives, the Chong family. They brought us out for good local food and gave us a room to sleep in their lovely home. The next day, we took a train to Seremban and a taxi up the hills for our first shoot location, The Dusun. Groggy from the medicine I took for my flu, I took a nap while the girls prepared for our shoot in the afternoon. At night, they whipped up a yummy meal from the groceries we'd bought the day before while I made myself useful by setting the table. We go through our usual routine of taking photos of our food on our phones before we tucked in to a delicious atmosphere of togetherness and home cooked food.
We stayed in the Sora House for the night, a big open-concept eco villa that was too big for the three of us. We decided to share the bigger bed in the Japanese room, under a glass ceiling that exposed the night's beauty which sparkled in the form of small, shiny stars. We talked for a short while and fell asleep quickly, tired from a day of shooting and traveling.
The next day was spent finishing up the outfits we had to shoot, before we bid Seremban goodbye and took a train back to KL. After scary encounters with the touts at the bus station and a very long bus ride up the dwindling roads of the mountains, we were finally welcomed by the cool air in Cameron Highlands. We checked into a simple hotel we'd booked two nights before and had a warm dinner over steamboat not far away from the hotel before retiring for the night. After breakfast, we packed our bags and left for The Lakehouse, some kilometers down from the peak where we were.
The Lakehouse is exactly what it promised to be - beautifully colored by flowers and gloriously sitting atop a hill overlooking a big beautiful lake. After shooting under the hot sun and a quick siesta, we finally finish the outfits at sunset. Curious by a little route that led uphill, we ventured up the path only to be astounded by the sight that greeted us. I stood there, taking it all in. The skies were blue, the clouds and reflection of the lake tinted by a hint of sunset, and the moon smiling in the evening sky. If only we had such a view in Singapore... Perhaps this is why I always feel like I have to leave one day.
Days pass quickly and it is already nearing the end of May. The girls from Thread Theory surprised me with Japanese-French goodness at Dozo the weekend I came back from Malaysia. These girls are the kindest I have ever met, and I'm blessed to have a friend in them. The rest of the week were also filled with dates with people I hold dear to my heart. I arranged for a birthday dinner with Wilson and we drank to celebrate us remaining young in our Geminian hearts; Drea and N prepared a spread of homemade dishes on the eve of my birthday, and I made friends with her cat, Blondie.
On the morning of my birthday, I laid in bed feeling blue. It feels weird turning a year older again. I don't want time to pass so quickly, yet at the same time I'm excited for what the future may bring. I know that at least, I'll always be young at heart.
The end of May has come, and I spend the last few hours in front of my laptop completing slides for my first ever workshop that will be held the next day - all that soon to come in June's iphoneography diaries. May has brought me so much joy and contentment and it still remains to be my favourite month of the year, and I thank everyone who has been a part of it. Thank you for growing with me.
I promise happier days ahead! x
Older: April 2013 | Newer: June 2013Labels: iphoneography, personal
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about me
// amandawxr: i am twenty one, a
business student and an expressive fashion photographer based in singapore. i am a dreamer; a lover of nature, light and all the beauty there is on earth. i wish we would all stay young and wild and free.
if you wish to do a shoot or collaborate with me, please send me an email at enquiries@beautifuladieu.com!
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