Happy New Year guys. Here’s my first blog post of the new year, which ironically is talking about the previous year. Usually these types of posts are usually done just before midnight, but work wore me out pretty bad (again) and I fell asleep before midnight. Not that it really matters though.
2015 has not been a kind year to me work wise, but there were some otherwise decently good experiences over the year, some more high than others. This is a review of my year over the past 12 months
Jan -3D2N cruise to Penang and back. My first family trip since Hong Kong in Jun 2000. That’s a freaking 15 years ago. To be honest though I was basically in my own happy world with my camera half of the time, especially when we docked at Penang. But still, it felt good to get away from Singapore with my family for the first time in a long while, this time with another 2 kids in tow. Plus, the food was pretty damn awesome every single time.
Apr – National Cheerleading Competition. My second time taking photos for the NUS Alpha Verve cheerleading team. This doesn’t directly concern me, but posting this mainly because of my bro of 8 years (now 9). I’d been watching him do competitions since JC playing soccer, then up to NUS in the cheerleading team, and not winning anything. This was his final competition before graduating, and on this time round his team finally won 3rd place for the first time. He was basically in tears from happiness and I was there crying with him, because I know the kind of sacrifices he made and all the injuries he sustained over the years to achieve this one moment. It’s basically impossible not to cry for a bro at this kind of thing. His girlfriend has taken over the mantle now, so it’s up to her to keep it up now lol.
May – SCANDAL concert in Singapore. Disclaimer before I start that the first 2 pictures DO NOT belong to me, to be honest I rather be at the concert headbanging and enjoying myself like a normal fan than to be photographing them, though I’d jump through the roof to be given a chance to photograph them for any other purposes. I’ve been to one of their previous concerts back in 2013, but this one was much better in many ways. Meeting, knowing and talking to other fans at the airport and the actual venue was one high point, in fact a couple of us (me included) are headed to their Japan live 2 weeks later. The interaction with the girls themselves was another, I will never forgot the look on RINA’s face when I told her I cried during her solo song. And the fun all of us had “stalking” the girls (news of them being at Starbucks spread pretty fast, and our movement to said Starbucks was equally fast too). I could go on and on, but it’ll take up too much space. Definitely one of the highest points of the year.
May – My first paid shoot. I had an extended period of unemployment, and after a while of unsuccessfully looking for jobs I decided I can’t be wasting my life at home, so I threw up an ad for my photography services and hoped for the best, just to tide over that period. This group of post-grad students (I forgot from where, maybe SIM, sorry!) were my first clients. Had a lot of ideas planned out but time constraints messed things up (pretty expected though TBH). Still, the client seemed happy enough
Jul – Commencement of my classmates. I myself already graduated last year, but a whole group of them continued on to honours, so of course I had to go back to celebrate the occasion with them. Not to mention in that group was also my 2 bros who have been taking the same lessons with me since JC back in 2007, so I dug out my old grad gown and did a so called shoot with them. Can’t really be considered one though, I realised how tough conducting a self grad shoot is, or maybe I just don’t have the skills for it. Also, a whole bunch of people from my CCA was also graduating, though I don’t have a group shot with the whole bunch of them, but it was still a great moment to see them graduate, especially since some of them are basically like my 2nd group of brothers in my uni life.
Aug – My 2nd and last shoot of the year, simply because working 6 days on alternate weeks is making it kind of hard and tiring to actively looking for more shoots to take on. This shoot is significant in that I actually had myself questioning if I’m cut out for this business. I had myself doubting my creativity, doubting my ability to work under pressure, questioning my technique of interacting with the clients, and also handling a particularly tough client. I haven’t taken on a new assignment since, though not because I’m demoralised by this shoot, but because of energy and time management issues. I’m still hoping I can get myself to restart this this coming year.
Nov – AFA 2015. I haven’t been to an anime/cosplay convention since AFA14, which was almost a year ago, so admittedly I took some time to get going. This year, I decided I needed to be more confident in my shooting, to trust myself that I can take photos that can make the cosplayers happy, to be confident enough to show them the photos that I took. The last time I did this was back in AFA12, and I got to admit looking back those were pretty horrendous, makes me wonder how I got the confidence to do it last time. Well, this year’s was pretty good, and I got positive comments back from a couple of cosplayers after I passed on the photos, which was a huge confidence boost to me.
Dec – Release of Star Wars Ep VII. As a huge Star Wars fan, the moment Episode VII was announced 2(?) years back, I’ve been super hyped for this. So hyped that I was crazy enough to apply for leave just to watch the 3am screening on the release date in IMAX. The movie effects were pretty damn awesome, though there were some very obviously convenient plot holes lying around. Now that the hype from Episode VII has worn off, it’s time to start the hype for Rogue One and Episode VIII.
Dec – Cosfest Xmas. After the high of AFA15, came the huge downer that was Cosfest Xmas. Maybe I went on the wrong day, or maybe it was just simply a case of too small an event held in too big a venue (Suntec). The atmosphere couldn’t get myself hyped up enough that I didn’t bother reviewing the photos with the cosplayers. Though the 4 dozen or so backdrops in the exhibition areas were a nice touch, I got a couple of decent photos with the backdrops. Still, I guess meeting a couple of good friends by chance kind of saved the day.
Yup, this is my 2015, summarised in a single blog post. Looking back, it’s really kind of eventful, although there has been some pretty low points as well (mostly involving work), but whatever, the year’s over. Here’s hoping to an equally eventful 2016, starting with my first trip to Japan 2 weeks later. Happy New Year to anyone who bothers to read this wahaha. Here’s a photo of some fireworks I took back on National Day, let’s just pretend those were taken last night LOL.