As usual , the very first thing i do once m up from my bed, open my fridge and have a nice cold ice water. After that I opened my in box comments on my blog. I came across one interesting comment waiting for my approval to be published in my blog. I left it pending! As i thought this will be the next interesting topic to blog!
Knowing I have to rush for GREG’S new office launching, where i’m already late… I decided to write later at nite 
Went for the launch with my partner Sree. Had a good time at Gregs office meeting some interesting ppl there…. Greg… congrats !
Then we headed straight to Sree’s hse….. had wonderful lunch by Janet…. Nasi Lemak with spicy chicken sambal and the condiments!
Came back home n treated myself with a good movie while my gud fren rushed to airport to fetch our maid back from Indonesia ( Raya holiday)
A mega cooking was going on in my kitchen by Guy3, Padma n Rida. Post Raya celebration for my maid ! menu… Rassam, fish sambal, sambar, ‘karruvadu sambal, pumpkin perratal, ikan bilis sambal, bendi perattal and egg omelette…. huh… too many sambals…. maybe influence from my earlier post…. ‘cili’ he he he
Had great dinner. Few packs of whiskey !
Then i read the the comments by Kev @ kervinchong@yahoo.com
The distinction of a professional photographer and an amateur is very thin lines indeed of separation. It always galls me when a supposed professional (is he accredited? Who is the judge? Is he/she part of reuters/ NG/ magnum or other acclaimed credentials?), if not I don’t think he/ she can claim to be professional. Or is professionalism cheapened by those who can own expensive cameras, print fancy name cards and go about selling themselves to those will pay (more like these people are mercenaries). The gist is that no one deserves to be called amateur more so by so called professionals. I’ve seen people with P&S that takes better photos than most ‘professionals’, the only quality that separates them is that one can afford some big ass camera while the other makes do with his/her skills as best as they can with what is at hand.
I’ve been an ‘amateur’ photographer at chinese weddings, all relatives. They had hired five ‘pro’ photographers to swarm the poor couple to capture every angle and it looked as if the ceremony was not about the couple’s wedding but of people attending to look at photographers taking the couple. So why not dispense with the actual ceremony and hold a mock wedding where every shot is picture perfect? Again back to these pro photographers, at that time we had cousins, uncles and people attending taking point and shoot and other non-pro cameras. I have shots of my 7 year old cousin taking the wedding and you know what? he was the most adorable feature there and it value added not cheapened what the pros were doing! At all time the bunch of pros were courteous and when I approach and even apologised if I was in frame, they told me courtly they did not mind me or my presence and it was part of the ‘actual’ happening for the ceremonies.
So advise to pros, don’t look down on amateurs.
Second, people take the perfect shots during pre wedding photo shoot, the actual ceremony is about atmosphere and celebration with your loved ones and it is the outside photographer that is the intruder not others, so he should make the best use of the situation at hand.
Thirdly, if you cannot handle an actual situation of shooting in real life where things are chaotic and not controlled (crowd control haha first I’ve heard, a chinese wedding would scoff if you suggest such a thing), you don’t deserve to be called a photographer.
Fourth, let say you are in iraq, the war photographer will not ask the soldier to stand while he take a shot of a rebel shooting him, photojournalism is about reacting to your surrounding not making the surrounding react to you. If you can’t handle the heat stay with product and model shoot.
Next, amateur photographers are people, you do them a discervice by saying they ruin your shots and take away your moments. We are smart enough to know when to allow you so called pros to take the shots, and even if I have shots, I’ve always sent the entire collection ‘for free’ to the couple while ‘pros’ get paid to do it, seems like they should be hiring me instead.
Lastly, arrogance from people who think so highly of themselves is unbecoming of a pro, maybe like the studio name, paparazzi is appropriate.
A humble person does not blame his tools of others for their failings. If you can shoot non-indian weddings I’d like to see those photos, then we can be the judge.
Now this is my reply……..
Kev, Thank you for your comments. I personally think you are way out of line here.
I must agree that it’s not the equipments, it’s the person holding the camera and the skill set that he/she holds. I am hired to shoot weddings and that is the passion and the love I have for my job. I deliver hundreds of amazing shots at very event (including corporate events and yes also non Indian weddings) – Yes I am self boasting here maybe due to all the credit my clients give and praises I usually get from others. And that motivates me more. So does that mean this makes me arrogant??? Also it’s just not a matter of shooting, a professional photographer needs to have knowledge about camera, situations lightings and adaptations at different times. I can bet you my bottom ringgit that most of the wannabes photographers would not have much knowledge on this – You say that some of the amateurs can give better shots in a P&S situation than a professional, well tell me the ratio – they might deliver 10 good shots – I need to deliver the hundreds – so i guess I must be wrong to call myself a photographer, or even a professional!
I am also amazed that your cousin needed 5 professional photographers to shoot their wedding – wow – the wedding must have been held in a stadiumJ Why would someone need 5 photographers – I don’t think even Datuk Siti Nurhaliza’s wedding had that manyJ. Your cousin must have hired some 3 wannabe photographers and got thrown in 2 for free. I dare you to tell who the 5 professional photographers were! I wanna have a coffee chat with them! Don’t worry since u have outbeat them… u can be included… maybe u can give us some tips… don’t worry…. u don’t have to do it for free … we will pay for it…
Come on! U want to tembak…. tembak laa…but sebelum luu tembak …..belajar macam mana mau pegang itu senapang :-)
Comparing Iraq to a wedding is a joke. You can’t control events or happenings at a war zone BUT you have wedding rehearsals and itinerary and plans for a wedding to make the wedding run smoothly so that everything can be achieved. Hmmmm imagine a rehearsal at a war- “AT 12pm Iraq shoulder shoots US soldier” ha ha ha ha. Your comment was hilarious. However I must say the mock wedding would be a good thing for you amateurs for your training ground – if you need help I can always be there to help. Back to weddings and not war –having all this wannabes is part and parcel of events I MUST AGREE but there is a limit to everything and I don’t think all this wannabes are as supportive and amicable like you to the “pros”. With my blog someone with a mobile phone might think twice before going up to the “mandap / wedding” area to do this – who will this benefit?
Brader ! ….. don’t give ‘kuku bird’ story.
Let me educate you on paparazzi – the shots that the paparazzi shoots are one of the most expensive pictures sought after all over the world. So are they bad? The studio names fits us as I must say we do have better and better shots each and every time (oopps …i am sorry as I am ARROGANT!)
I have not blamed for my failings – I am saying that this has not been our BEST work as we did not have amateur photographers like you there to move away as we ask them politely (YES we are polite – like all other photographers and our bunch are quite a joyful bunch of people!!) Ohhhh – I hope that is not too difficult to digest for you.
Also, there is a lot of ceremony in Indian and Malay weddings compared to Chinese weddings – I believe that is undoubtedly true. I have done multiracial weddings. Even flew in a 22 hours flight to Boston to shoot a non Indian wedding there! (I was hired by one of the most prominent wedding photographer in the country to shoot along with him as a guest photographer!)
I must add that I am not condemning amateurs’ photographers – I have a few under my wing who are guided and share all the knowledge I have so that they are able to learn – and all done “for free”.
Also, here is my number +6019 289 0860, call me and I will invite you over to my office for a slide show of all the NON INDIAN weddings I have done – Do not forget to bring your own “pop corn”
I would like to finish this post with a PANTUN
Buah cempedak di luar pagar,
Ambil galah tolong jolokkan !
Jangan engkau kurang ajar,
Sudah pasti aku kerjakan!
Hitler menang tubuh Nazi,
Bila kalah tembak kepala sendiri!
Jangan engkau kutuk Papparazzi,
Menyesal kau, aku GERENTI !
NIAMAH !!!! - i got permission to use this by Patrick Teoh !
(Patrick Teoh – September 27 at 10:05pm – No permission really needed but since you asked…Sure go ahead and link. And thanks)
Cheers,
RG
p/s : COMMENTS BELOW CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE & HILARIOUS QUOTES & PANTUN- READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED
Guna – Good reply..
Some people should be put at their place immediately.. 
Very impressed…not only on the shots u took but also the pantun…well said actually n hope its understood by the receiving party
it easy to condemn on one but many fail to understand it takes alot of effort and hard work to achieve it….Wanna point fingers?Do it infront of the mirror!U’ll see the truth…..
WOW!!!! well said mr. guna
harlow mista chee cheong fun, ni hao ma? TFK liao ma? KNS la lu ah chong, KNN lu ah pigi jual itu VCD kat PS boutique la, tiuz, mali sini main linkun a?
pardon me for the excessive usage of mandarin or chinese dialects here, blame my neighbor who swears in all the holy word.
pheww, that’s all the chinese words that i know of kev chong.sorry la, i am too old for mandarin education.ayioo, you wanna tiao me for talking bad about chinese a? don’t behave like a MIC fellor la, you nie MCA kan..MIC only talk cock sing song one geh, MCA talk cock and sing cock one..so B a man, tooo (do) the laight (right) thing -russel peters.
dude, so you are the amateur? who gave you the title of amateur? why don’t you call yourself infant stage, or apa nama novice ka apa lancau itu pukitai ,ahh kanasai punya gao sai (dog shit).
Aiseh man, i think i too much personal attack alraedy la, sorry la cheong fun, dark machi is always like that one..so next time you have to think twice to attack a dark dick clan’s blogspace ok else you be prepared to get gao sai like this on your bloody 400 bucks point and shoot camera where you can cover your kukujiao shot that you took with your 16 year old amoi GF w*nking for you with 2 fingers using the PnS built in state-of-the art in cam editor. yea, put in the little elephant trunk icon on your pecker, will ya? atleast, you amateur with a point and shoot came up with a creative shot…
walaaaauueehh,你好厉害哦！(you are so clever la)
giving damn lame “french uk connection” (remember, FCUK is prohibited here, opps i did it again) comparison like sohai..macha, lu betul betul tau itu apa nama (dr M style, now silan style) iraq a? u ingat itu “pandi” pasar ka? next time, want to give comparison mean, think twice using your clay filled skull by the so call name of brain and talk ok. don’t dig your own grave (new technology new proverb,”don’t activate your own incinerator”)
5 photographer for kau lan a? let me guess, one to take the main ceremony, one to take the crowd see any one picking nose and pasting the “gold” under the dining table candid shot, another one upskirt the bride and the run to toilet to finish the business in imagination before the groom can savor the flavor and another one is the back up. and another one is the back up of the back up.phewww, i really don’t know what to comment here already la.
cheong fun, no doubt your “england” is very the “keng” but then hor it doesn’t make you an ang mor (white man) leh. even if you comment as kevin alone, ppeople can still easily know that, hah, see an asian is trying to act smart there. mind you, i said asian ok, not by your ethnic group. ISA jangan tangkap saya……
last but not least: silan, allow me to berpantun ala Vijaya T.Rajendar
vaada yen machi
valaka bajjee,
sindathey dark machi,
nanti s*nni kasi picci!!
sediakan payung sebelum hujan, sediakan sarung sebelum kongkek dan sediakan point and shoot camera sebelum berperang (seperti encik chee cheong fun), sekian melaporkan untuk dark tv oleh dark machi..
woowwoww, bro guna, panas sudah nampak. chill out bro, enjoy the food and tanni and sleep is the best for now i guess. but yet im waiting for this dark machi’s comment la bro…hahaha..then only here will be more spiced up..
It seemed to me this person was just flaring with no sense of direction… His reasons were ridiculous.. How on earth did he manage to compare a wedding and a war field I wonder… Is he trying to say that a wedding is like a war field?? Is someone gona get murdered or shot??? LOL! Haiya if wanna talk oso, talk with sense la… ish ish! buat malu sendiri je…. Guna, I’m sure this kinds of comments makes your day rite?? What a wonderful piece for laughter… =)
I’ve seen your work & you are an amazing photographer…
*LOL* Guna, you just made my day! (Considering it’s a Monday, that’s no east feat!)
I’m no expert in photography and to quote Mr.Kevin “If you can shoot non-indian weddings I’d like to see those photos, then we can be the judge.”, I honestly don’t see what non-Indian weddings or Indian weddings for that matter, have to do with photography! A wedding is a wedding and the main elements are the same – the couple, the ceremony, family and friends. Photography is photography, which Guna so professionally explained is more than just an accidental good shot. In this day and age, for someone to judge ‘professional photography’ based on an ethnic group, it just boggles my mind! Don’t even get me started on the ‘5 photographers’ and comparing a wedding to a war zone! *ROFL*
Guna, both myself and Nicholas thought you were a great guy the moment we met you. The work you do speaks for itself and hundreds of couples have a life time of wonderful memories of their wedding day because of what Papparazzi does.
So keep up the excellent job! =)
I was seriously confused reading the comment done by the other person. Seriously i was thinking what was his point and like Pwincesz mention wedding and War. I am speechless. Anyhow all the best to you Guna and don’t bother to this kinda comments. Hope to see more great shots.. Cheers.
Guna… good come back & totally agree with you on who is behind the camera. Someone need to have an eye for the perfect shot & how to capture it let it be amateur or pro!
I have not personally had the privilege to have you as my photographer but I have seen your work which is really awesome – you are not just a professional phtographer but an artist who captures the best scene of any event; keep it up Guna…
Bro Guna, nicely replied. But I still dont understand why they needed 5 photogs? Perhaps as you said, the wedding was at a stadium, ay?
I am ROTFL looking at how the “critic” has compared wedding photography to the warzone.
5 Pro Photographers……come on dude…5?? How big was the event.
The Papparazi team of 2 takes amazing pics for a crowd of 1000 people….so it deffinitely makes me wonder for the need of 5 pro photographers…
btw , Guna I guess you have put your message very clearly across……and ending it with the pantun, was superb…….and dark machi’s pantun….lol…PRICELESS
Guna,
Pictures paints a thousand words. In your case, your single snap says it all.
There is no need for a blog to diss amateurs as that will only make you look bad.
In fact, you need not justify anything.
It’s not like you have not delivered even in the messiest weddings or the grandest parade. People will say many things because at that moment of time, thats what mattered to them.
Speaking in the liberal way as I always do, you are an excellent photographer (Sree too). And you’re definitely a pro. But a pro does not need to prove to everyone he is pro. So let it be, Guna. Dont hinder what others have to say…
On the other hand, I think shooting in a crowded space with many blockages with minimal space for your creative shot is the best challenge a photographer should sought to seek! The more the challenge the better photographer you are if you can still deliver!! So dont complain about them PnS photographers…let them be too..
Like I said at the start…your pictures have spoken. Eventhough its under all that circumstances.
PS: Guna and Sree shot my wedding photos and I can confidently say that no one could’ve shot it better. It was the best wedding photos I’ve seen! One of their best works.
So thanks to them!
I agree with Jana……and i believe ignorance is bliss……don’t give energy to such negetivity when it is meaningless…..u know for a fact that a lot of people out there appreciate your work of art and the results are proven. So don’t waste your energy or provide justification to anyone who is not worthy of it…..you are a gifted person with a great talent…….So Mr.RG Silan……. just do your best as usual and allow couples (or clients) to cherish the most important moments in their life being captured by someone who has been there and done that like yourself…..be cool and take care.
Hahaha…. Padan muka dia… Kurang asam betul! Obviously he doesn’t have the the brains…. ooops.. I mean, knowledge on photography. I, too, have passion on photography and I know it does not take a minute or two to learn to take good photographs. It takes a whole lot of practice to make it ‘live’ and perfect.
What the heck with 5 photographers?!? It was not a wedding in a stadium, perhaps it was in outer space! Memang dia kena tembak kepala sendiri untuk membetulkan skru yang tertanggal di dalam otak dia…
anyway, well done on your reply Guna> ;D
In my job, managing a major Newspaper, I have had the opportunity to partake in the selection of editorial material including photographs, daily prior to print. Mind you, a picture does paint a thousand words, but a good photo clinches it. To see beyond the realms of the norm is the depth of a professional photographer. This quality is possessed by but a handful and to have one as a good friend,I am truly blessed. In this age of computer assisted touch ups and air brushing, a natural quality photo is a welcome sight to behold indeed. I have had the pleasure of reviewing your photos and have found them to be works of art. I particularly love the way you capture the real essence of the subject and the occasion, people’s unspoken expression. Beauty is certainly in the eyes of the beholder. So bro keep up the good job and fly higher. Click away!!
Hey, hey…how’s it going? It seems so much has been said already that anything i add is just going to be more of the same. That being said, I just couldn’t resist taking my few shots at…. ha, ha, no prizes for guessing at who?
Anyway, dear Kev, here goes. Firstly, I’d like to say that I had a little bit of difficulty reading your post because of all the fancy language in it. Luckily, just as I was starting to doubt my ability to speak the English language, I realised that it was not so much my but actually your understanding of the words that made it confusing. You really shouldn’t use words you don’t fully understand, honey! Either which way, enough about that…we are not here to discuss your use, or maybe abuse, of the English language but to discuss the absolute nonsense that your flamboyant use of language failed to mask. My friend’s father once said, “When a person opens his mouth to speak, we can see all the rubbish that’s going on in his/her head”. How true…
I am going to say right now, at the begining, that I am a huge fan of Papparazzi and their work. I am also a huge fan of both principals at Papparazzi as people. They are kind and honest and accomodating and incredibly fun to be around. These qualities carry forward into their work and that’s what allows them to produce the magic that they do. They really, truly are professionals in every sense of the word. Whether or not they are members of reuters/ NG/ magnum or whatever, does little to prove otherwise. Show me a millionaire who has a string of letters behind his name to prove education and I’ll show you two who have none. Paper qualifications are great to have but are not usually reflective of ability or of God given talent.
“…photojournalism is about reacting to your surrounding not making the surrounding react to you.” This, I lifted from your post. For once, it seems I agree with you, sir! You are absolutely right. Just one thing… photojournalism at weddings, although very much necessary with regards to both pre- and post-ceremony and definitely very much Papparazzi style,is slightly different. You see, there are actual events that need to be immortalised and the people writing the cheques are not going to be thrilled if they are told that those shots were not captured because there was someone in the way and the photographer just didn’t think it was polite to ask them to move. Just to be clear, I am referring to events like the tying of the ‘thali’, exchanging of rings, first kiss, rice blessing, throwing of the bouquet…you get the idea.
The pictures are really the only thing that a couple gets to take with them through the rest of their lives together. The flowers will die, the food…well, you know what happens to the food and the clothes they will probably never wear again.People pay a lot of money to and put a lot of effort into finding the photographer that’s right for them. The intention is that they can share the memories of their most special day with family and kids and grandkids in the future. If there are missing pieces in the story that they are trying to share, what’s the point? So intruders, they may be, but intruders who are more wanted on that matrimonial stage, by the bride and groom, than (dare i say it?) anyone else. The priest is a possible exception.
I really don’t think Papparazzi had any intention of looking down on amateurs or anyone else. They were just trying to do their job and do it well. It seems to me that if you are really “smart enough to know when to allow you so called pros to take the shots”, then this wouldn’t even have been a point of contention and this whole area of Silan’s blog wouldn’t even exist. Imagine that!!
“I have shots of my 7 year old cousin taking the wedding…” This is also from your post and i’m going to take this to mean that he was taking pictures. Kev, I don’t know if you are married yet or not, but in the event that you are not and assuming i’m right about your meaning in the above statement, I am offering the services of my 6 and 7 year old sons to shoot your wedding. We wont even charge because they are difinitely not accredited by any organisation. Also, if you feel you want to out-do your friend who had the 5 photographers, I can organise as many of my boys’ friends as you like. It’ll be soooo cute!! Maybe you’ll even get some half decent pictures.
Ok…phew… I feel better now that I’ve said all that i wanted to say. I’m not really a chess player but I feel the need, at this, point, to say… “CHECK”. Do I hear a “MATE”? If not, I’ll assume I’ve got your queen…
Regards
ME
P.S. How, pray tell, does shooting non-Indian weddings become the judge of professionalism or ability or anything else? Just curious…
http://www.rgsilan.com is very informative. The article is very professionally written. I enjoy reading http://www.rgsilan.com every day.