You guessed it. It’s the iPhone and, in specific, the iPhone 4 by Apple.

While the iPhone has revolutionized how the telecommunication is today, the breakthrough for most photography enthusiasts is the camera on the iPhone4. Technological advances in the last 5 years had helped propel mobile photography to new heights and with vast competing markets opening up for photo software development complimenting mobile photography, anyone and everyone can make stunning pictures these days with just their mobile phone in hand.

I have been an avid iPhone user since its 1st Gen inception and have not looked back since. Through Apple’s course of redefining what mobile phone technology can do,  I have followed with great enthusiasm on every phone release about what mobile photography can become in the near future and finally the height of revolution has arrived in the form of the iPhone4 even though as I was typing this, industry watchers have confirmed the next phase of Apple’s mobile advancement in the form of the anticipated iPhone 5 releasing in 2012.

But I digress.

Iphone photography or iPhonegraphy, for short, has made waves in the photography communities worldwide with many websites, galleries and forums spouting up at a phenomenal pace. Photo community apps like EYEEM.com, Instagram, Hipstamatic, Twitter , not forgetting Facebook and even FourSquare, have all been part of the mobile photography growth amongst its users with photographers, amateurs and professionals, pushing the creative boundaries of iPhonegraphy everyday.

As a photographer, I like to document the nuances of stuff and I set upon a fun project of just using my iPhone4 to capture scenes while traveling. Yes, I completely ditched the dSLR and the heavy lens at home and went on documenting my leisure trips with just my iPhone and instantly sharing the pictures online wherever and whenever. Whether I was traveling on the Shinkansen or just enjoying the sunset views, I can instantaneously capture, edit and share those moments with my friends.

Here are some photos from my trips to Japan to share with you:

As you can see, it’s almost like going back to the basics of photography of discovering moments, documenting the everyday scenes of life passing by but with the ease of modern day technology.

For those who are interested in what apps I use for iPhonegraphy: do check out the following - SlowShutter, PhotoTreats, CrossProcess, TiltShiftGen, SnapSeed, PS Express, PictureShow and Camera+

ps: I’m not an iPhone seller and definitely am not working for Apple :p

Want to ensure beautiful photography from your wedding? Here are some tips for getting the most out of your wedding day photography

So you’ve picked the perfect gown and suit, found beautiful flowers, hired a top notch photographer and chosen your dream venue. Now it’s just a matter of enjoying the day and the photography should take care of itself right? Well, actually, there are a few more steps you can take to make sure that the pictures turn out beautiful. Here’s my personal take on how couples can help to get the very best images out of their weddings.

1. Take the time to go through the wedding schedule with your chosen photographer. He/she will be able to point out potential photographic pitfalls, conflicts in scheduling etc. This will ensure that the day runs smoother and gives the photographer the time necessary on your wedding day to create killer images.
2. Once you have chosen a photographer based on their style, give them the freedom to carry out their magic. Make sure that friends and family members give them the freedom to do their best work as well. Very often, an over zealous bride’s maid or groomsman who is constantly directing a photographer can spell disaster for the photography.
3. Ensure adequate lighting at your dinner/reception venue. Hotels and venues tend to turn the light down to very dim levels in the belief that it creates a specific mood. Unfortunately, this is often to the extent where it affects the quality of your photography. Most people are not aware of the moody lighting because their eyes adjust for this dim lighting but the images will be affected.
4. The color of the lighting is as important as the quantity. Many hotels have spotlights that wash the ballrooms in dazzling arrays of pink, yellow, blue, red, etc. While beautiful to look at, luminous green skin tones don’t generally make for good pictures, so find out what sort of lighting, ie, color and intensity, the venue will be using on the wedding day and discuss the potential pitfalls with your photographer.
5. When walking up and down the aisle, please make sure to look up. Very often brides are so worried about tripping over the gowns that they spend the whole walk up and down the aisle with their heads down. This generally doesn’t make for great pictures.

There are more tips to come in later articles, but with these 5 tips and the most important tip of all “Have fun on your wedding day,” you’ll be well on your way to getting beautiful wedding images.

Yu Hsin’s 1st placing in Creative Portraits

Eng Hong’s 6th placing in Details (Found)

Yu Hsin’s 10th placing in Emotion

Darryl’s 13th placing in Toasting

Eng Hong’s winning entry under the “Emotions” category

Yu Hsin’s winning entry under the “Reception” category

We are humans first, photographers second. Humans feel, and by certain standards, it is what defines us separate from animals. And then we shoot what we feel. I think alot of photographers “forget” that they are human, and get consumed by photography. That is the biggest wrong any photographer can do, is to let photography get bigger than, well, humanity.

You walk into an empty church full of flowers and ribbons. It is a beautiful sight and you just have to shoot it, not just because it is beautiful, but also because the bride would certainly like a record of the money she spent. So you stand there for half a minute composing the best shot of the interior.

Suddenly this really adorable little girl in her cute flower girl white dress comes out of one of the pews and runs towards you with the biggest grin on her face, and you realise it’s because she saw the mother of the bride behind you, her favourite aunt, whom she hadn’t seen for 2 years, and this aunt always buys her lollies (not that you would know this). You have no time to recompose, and you snap the SAME shot that you did seconds ago. Think about the power of such an image, and you didn’t have to do anything different. That is what defines a powerful image. Same place, same settings, same light, same composition, RIGHT TIME. Your “photographer mentality” was to shoot an interior shot, but being human, you know instantly that her joy can’t wait, but the interior can.

Being human is easy, we ARE human. Take heart in the fact that there are little girls everywhere at weddings, but for this particular little girl 20 years later, she will remember this moment with such joy, or if she was too young to remember, she’d be facinated by the story of the image told by her aunt. Imagine, you were that little girl.

There are two things that I feel defines a great photographer. One is dedication. Dedication is a very broad word to include the amount of time and effort needed to train in the craft. Reading articles, asking questions, browsing the net and magazines, seeing/analysing/copying(!) other photographers’ work, shooting, re-shooting, making mistakes, learning from mistakes, editing, re-editing. all these, and many other things in the aim to create better images, and getting more experience. Weddings certainly calls for more than photographic skills, you have to learn to deal with all kinds of people, you have to conduct yourself professionally, but not coldly. You have to be firm with pricing, and contract details, yet be lovable, personable and approachable. You are the person that the couple will see the most of, besides each other, on the wedding day. You are so many things at one time.

After the wedding, you have deadlines to meet, images to edit, albums to complete. You have other jobs to get, close and/or deliver.

In your business as a whole, you have costs to manage, equipment needs and replacements, repairs/servicing, insurance, rent, suppliers, quality control, business development and marketing.

This all requires dedication. all this can be trained, and together with time and experience, will bring such a photographer quite far, but not far enough.

The second thing that makes a brilliant photographer, is talent.

I have yet to figure out if talent can be trained. I am inclined to say no. You have it, or you don’t.

Talent is the reason why two photographers can have an exact same path, but one has so much more powerful images than the other.

Talent is the reason why he is always “lucky” to be able to get those shots. I have at times said for a photographer to learn, memorise, and know the full meaning of the word “serendipity”. Somehow, a talented photographer seems to have serendipity as his twin brother.

I have this simple analogy on how to describe talent. Most of us are used to the phrase “we are good at what we like doing”. I like driving cars, but i don’t think i could be a formula 1 driver. Perhaps, the statement of “we like doing what we are good at” is more apt. In this statement, dedication is akin to what “we like doing” (that’s why we dedicate ourselves to it) and “what we are good at” is akin to… talent! It starts with that.

You might be assuming that I have talent, or I found my talent in photography, and that is why I like doing it, because the more I do it, the better I became at it and it makes me want to do it more (remember, I like doing what I am good at). If so, your assumption is true. As proud as this might sound, I believe I am talented in photography. it is actually, believe it or not, dedication that I sometimes lack! Laziness being my bane. Thankfully, that can be trained!

I want to end with a statement that I have been known to make, either in speech or in writing, and this is perhaps the most convicting statement that keeps my passion alive at present:

The reason for my life, is photography. It has kept me alive, and is the reason why I continue to live happily. (I might change this statement if I ever get married, but as of now, this is it…)

But if it’s all too confusing or melodramatic, there’s only one thing to remember, really;

You are human first, photographer second.

An accomplished photojournalist, Huy specializes in a distinctively authentic style of documentary wedding photography. Formerly a staff photographer with The Dallas Morning News (1998-2004), Huy now uses his extensive photojournalistic training and vision to capture the uniquely joyous moments of the wedding day. Recently named the 2005 WPJA Photographer Of The Year, Huy is also the founder of The Foundation Workshop.

It will inspire you, challenge you, and change the way that you think about your art and your business. Numbers are limited to allow for a more personal feel to the event. You don’t want to miss this opportunity!

Date : 23-24 July 2008

Venue : The Grand Hyatt Singapore

Click to view Huy Nguyen’s works

35 couples particpated in a photography contest jointly held by the Straits Times and Changi Airport T3. The contest gave the participants a rare opportunity to capture their wedding photos at the new terminal before its official opening in Jan 9. The eco-friendly design of the new terminal makes it an ideal venue for wedding photography, with an abundance of natural lighting and a good mix of urban and natural landscapes. Particpants were allowed to access areas beyond the immigration where wedding photography is exclusive to this contest.

Here is the winning image by Wansheng from Feldberyl Images.