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

“Let’s end it with this or else the whole family will be down at your office or your blog shooting u down.”

 and also this 

“am sorry i am no one to threaten you for your info… We all know you’re a big gangster also…. We also know who you are (dark marchi)…”

 All i wanna say is … siapa makan cili, dia rasa pedas… if u r from singapore … it will be terlalu pedas!

Pls be informed the reason I edited my earlier post … where i spell the word fu@# – FCUK: French Connection UK is just bcoz there was this person mr/ms/ mrs R who called me being one of the relative of the bride / groom … who totally understand what we went thru…. who were very diplomatic… advised me … corrected me …. even apologized to me when i explained the actual situation on what we went thru…. i edited my earlier post… even i called him /her n thanked for the advice given i told her/he  that”  I will bring this issue in another category under my titbits column… ” he / she said  ”i will be the first person to comment.  thanks mate. I m closing comments in this post”  . Those who wishing to comment… pls go ahead as Iwill put it as pending, and post on my very next topic related to this.  Once i got my related topic up… i will shift all the critics there, as I wanted this post for my clients well wisher to post their wishes

regards,

rgsilan

 Valghe Valamudan !