Well, i got lucky and blessed again with some of the very best people i have encountered, like these two. Despite the interesting and extraordinary difference of their body heights, the photoshoot session with them was one of the most enjoyable, fun, memorable and experimental experience. They gave me full freedom and trust in what i’m good at, and what i would like to craft a visual story that fits their characters. So here is a set of pictures that show their characters, and my works.
There are times over times, i ask myself — Who is Kai? And what makes Kai, so very much Kai?
Here are some single words that some of our couples and industry peers describe about my works — Lines, proportion, rhythm, geometries, architecture, balancing, dynamic, light and shadow. So, i can create visual pieces with those strengths. I thank those people for appreciating my works. I gained those strengths probably first from my architectural background training. (And yes, i did share plenty about it in my workshop with Nikon Singapore earlier this year.) But there are also a few very important ingredients: the emotions and spirit within, as well as the trust that goes both ways. That’s why i keep reminding myself how important it is to be a listener, to listen to the couples’ stories, characters and even souls. My wife is one of the best listeners that i know in this world, and she inspires me. She probably doesn’t know much. So, by ‘listening’ (beyond literal) to my couples and understanding more about them, the visual works that i create for them are highly customised to each of them. Therefore, the consistency of my works doesn’t rely on how my pictures look neatly in Instagram feed, it rather embodies the visions that i have + the story that i hear + the feels that i feel. Occasionally, if i got asked, i would tell couples before they sign me up — my pictures are not always beautiful, but they feel. And i certainly love the quote by the world renowned photojournalist Robert Capa– “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you aren’t close enough.” I buy that, very much. If some of my pictures are that close, as if you could almost smell it, for better or for worse, i see them as good pictures (probably not the most beautiful pictures). Ultimately, when time goes by, the pictures that keeps the feelings and memories in you will slowly show its beauty of timelessness. Some people wonder, what make pictures timeless. I’m definitely still learning in my life. The answer, is more than what, it should be also about who and where. Therefore, pictures that visually weave the fabric of genuine contents and contexts together, are pretty much what we would hold dear to our hearts.
With heart, Kai
Photographer: Kai