Memoirs of a Mad Man

It's not uncommon nowadays, in Singapore, to see trophies from D&AD, One Show, the Cannes Lion and other prestigious international advertising awards adorning entire walls of local ad agencies and production houses.

It's fair to say that Singaporean creatives and photographers have stood toe-to-toe with the best in the world. However, prior to the 1980s, that was not the case.

So how did it all start? We asked one of Singapore's first mad men, himself a chronic multi-award winner, to tell us the story.

Written by Aaron Ang and executed by Loud Kitchen LLC on behalf of PPAS.

Victor Yeow

Victor came from a poor family. He loved to draw, but couldn't afford to go to art school. He was roped into advertising by a neighbour who knew someone in advertising. They needed someone who could draw.

"I had nothing else better to do," chuckled Victor, " as luck would have it."

What was the state of Advertising when you entered the scene?

There were only five advertising companies operating in Singapore when I entered the scene in the late 1960s as a junior artist. At that time, there were no schools or education centres to learn about advertising. The Nanyang Academy of Fine Art (NAFA) was the only barely related education centre. They taught fine arts. There was nowhere you could learn copywriting.

Most of the first local advertising masters had a fine arts background. They thrived in advertising by applying their knowledge in the fine arts into advertising. In those early days, everything was hand painted, and hand reproduced. If the client ordered a hundred posters, we had to copy each one of them exactly by hand – down to writing 8 point font with a fine brush.

At that time, advertising assets were drawn using various techniques. Some of the techniques became the foundation of the familiar functions we know in today's image processing softwares. Artworks were created using layers of transparencies and developed using techniques like masking, brushing and etching, to name a few.

Once the photographer, illustrator and art director have produced the final images, we had to take photos of the final product and make films to actual size.

These films are sent to a block maker who would make blocks of molds to size. These molds are then used to multiply print. They work like rubber stamps. The molds would be inked and the image transferred to paper (or whatever medium we needed).

Colored images could be mass printed by overlaying the primary colors. However, these images were hardly detailed enough. They were limited to 55 dots per inch.

Hence, “vector” was the standard practice. These created a black and white solid drawing. Also known as line drawings, where only lines are used to draw detailed images.

The traditional way was to cut or scrape lines on a scraper board - a board coated with white plaster. We then draw an image in black paint over it and use a knife to cut into the board to make a negative image. It was extremely time consuming. Line drawing required highly skilled artists and they were highly sought after at that time.

Those were the golden years. There were more jobs than agencies could handle and budgets were generally good.

Having said that, we were often more excited about the creative process than the budget. There have been times when we produced 2 final products at our own cost – one as briefed by the client; the other according to what we thought it should be. Most of the time the client would pick the latter. Some agencies would regularly produce 2 final products, especially if it was a new client.

In your opinion, how did locals rise in the industry? 

Local agencies popped up because locals knew they could do better.

The working environment was tough for the locals initially. Local agencies had little experience in advertising while foreign agencies had better systems and processes. However, the issue with foreign agencies then was that they were not open to hiring locals. It was the era where Asians were not well respected. Foreigners did not respect nor work well with the locals, unfortunately. There was little transfer of knowledge.

To make matters worse, most foreign agencies did not see the full potential of the Asian market. They dispatched leaders who weren't the best in the advertising field while keeping the real talents at the home office. Only a few of better foreign agencies sent in their best to head the local office. 

In my case, I was asked to manage a new agency with 17 local advertising talents who were headhunted from an American ad agency here. But things went sideways soon after. The original founder vowed to raise over a sum of money to be pumped into the new company, but abandoned it when he failed to get it. I was left high and dry with my team. We suddenly found ourselves in limbo. 

Thankfully, we were already working on existing projects when this happened. One of those projects was an above-the-line project for Fujifilm. With that account, I approached the Japanese ad agency Asatsu in the hope of finding the financial support for the agency to survive. That lead to the start of Nexus-Asatsu (known as ADK Singapore today). 

We enjoyed our work to the point that money was not an important factor. 

Note: Victor lead Nexus-Asatsu for 13 years until his retirement in 2003. He worked with countless brands during his tenure there. 

Can you remember how Advertising Photography came about in Singapore?

Although photography was invented earlier, it was only much later in the 1950s that it was adopted into advertising in Singapore. In the early days, there were no professional advertising photographers. Advertising companies would hire photographers from photo salons instead. 

A photo salon is the place you would go to have a portrait taken of yourself our your family. The skills of the first photographers were mediocre, given that it was a relatively new medium here in Singapore. 

All photos were shot and printed in black and white. To produce colored images for ads, artists had to airbrush color paint over a weakly printed black and white image. The finished Master would then be sent to the blockmaker.

However, if the final media needs to be larger than A1 size, reproduction needed to be done by hand, which involved airbrushing each copy one by one. So if the client ordered 50 adverts, you had to airbrush 50 copies by hand. With the hours we put into airbrushing such ads, if you told any art directors of my time to reproduce a photorealistic illustration of a car today, they probably could!

Given the limited capability of photography at that time, how did advertising companies distribute their budgets between photos and illustrations?

Things that could not be shot would be illustrated, but photos were usually preferred. They were faster to produce, more accurate (to real life) and relatively cheaper to mass produce as well. There were challenges though.

The main challenge was that there just weren’t any good commercial photographers around.

Back then our main option was to approach photo salons. We had them do mostly product shots. They did the black and white shots (purposely overexposed to make very light prints) that we used as the base for airbrushing in colour. However, sometimes products would still be illustrated either because the photo salons didn’t have the skills for a certain shot, or if we decided to use a well-known illustrator.

If you take a look at the older Khong Guan biscuit tins, you'll noticed that their logo and biscuit images are illustrated. You can probably still see some of these in Indonesia!

Even so, good illustrators were hard to come by. Sometimes, depending on the look we wanted, we had to fly commercial photographers in to do the job. 

Why was it also the Golden Age of photography in Singapore?

Budgets were very high. I’ll give you an idea – back then you could buy a full meal for less than S$2, drink included, but the billing for photography was typically in the 5 figure range. Per shot. In fact, we once had a campaign billing of S$127,000 for 5 still photos. That was a lot of money in those days.

We could afford to hire top photographers and fly them into Singapore, but soon after, some notable local photographers started making a presence here. Among the initial batch, names like Winson Photography, Picture Farm and Mun and Wong grew faster than the rest. 

We started using local photographers more because firstly, it was cheaper and faster than flying a big name foreign photographer in, and secondly, our local guys were showing some very good skills. 

I remember a beer ad that we did that required a beer bottle to be shot. The foreign creative director insisted on using a famous product photographer in the UK but I insisted the local guys could do it just as well. After some heated discussions, and because the budget was good, we agreed to have the ad shot by both and compare results. We ended up using the one shot locally. There was no question!

These early commercial photographers passed down their knowledge and experience to their assistants, some of whom became top photographers in their own right. Of course there were some big names who were self-taught and earned their place through hard work and dedication too.

It was ultimately during the 1980’s, some 3 generations after, that Singaporean photographers sealed their place firmly on the world stage, and from what I see, this torch of honour is still carried and passed down from generation to generation. 

Victor’s journey

• 1962: Advertising Outdoor Services - Apprentice Artist
• 1969: Grant Advertising - Visualiser
• 1975: Grant Kenyon & Eckhardt - Art Director
• 1980: Bozell Advertising - Creative Director
• 1991: Nexus Asatsu Advertising - ECD/Snr Partner
• 2003: Retirement

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by Loud Kitchen

Your monitor is more important than you think

A Color Management Quick-Dive from a Master Printmaker

Digital photography hit the scene early this century and the world has never looked back. How surprising is it then that twenty years later, we are still getting it wrong?

Taking the photograph is just the beginning of the photographic workflow. We used to call it "developing and printing" in the old days but apart from the tools used, not much has changed.

Remember this?

Something so fundamental to a properly trained photographer managed to tear the internet community apart, due to misinformation.

Let’s start with color management.

Every photographer has heard of it but not many consider it necessary.

Let's approach it from another angle, maybe something equally familiar to everyone – music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVa1qku87cU

Just as we expect professional musicians to know how to tune their instruments and be in sync with one another, photographers are expected to do the same. Where the music fails, photos can fail too.

For photographers, that point of failure is not our camera but our monitor.

For us photographers, that point of failure is not our camera but our monitor – the main device we use to view and edit our image – our eyes into the digital realm.

If calibration is not the first step in your workflow, everything after that WILL be wrong. Images edited on uncalibrated monitors can look under or overexposed, show the wrong color, show the wrong skin tones on the subject, have a lost details in highlight/shadow areas, show a different of contrast, etc…

All your hard work is guaranteed to be lost in translation during post processing. Calibration is supposed to take care of that.

2 Big Lies about Color Management, that Photographers tell themselves

1. “Oh, I buy from *insert brand* so the colors should be good out of the box!”

This is one of the greatest myths people still entertain as victims of marketing.

The fact is, EVERY display must be re-calibrated and profiled when it’s connected to a computer the first time (and checked regularly for color shifts). Here's an example.

2. “Ok, now I know I need display calibration, let me go download a calibration software….” – thinking that human eyeball + software = calibration.

This will not work because our eyes play tricks on us all the time. It’s good for most things visual but not for this situation. Therefore, just as a musician with perfect pitch still needing a tuning device to be sure, we photographers need calibration devices for the same reason.

Monitor calibration is only the first part of color management. As we move down the workflow, we will need to harness more knowledge regarding .raw file conversion, aspects of different file types, color conversions and simulations, etc. I will cover these in subsequent articles.

In a nutshell, display calibration is not difficult at all with proper guidance. Most can grasp it within a day.

About the Author

James Tan, Master Printer

James is an Ilford Master and an Eizo Global Ambassador and is currently serving as Secretary in the PPAS.

James will be conducting a 3-hr display calibration workshop at PPAS AGM 2019, where he will demonstrate display calibration from scratch and explain the concepts behind color management. Click here to Sign Up! There will also be a question and answer segment where you can ask James what works for your setup. Don’t miss out!

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by Loud Kitchen

Have you been charging loading fees?

Loading fees are an important component to your fees that many new photographers fail to include.

Here, we break down what it is, how it will affect your photography business and your creative rights.

What are Loading Fees?

Loading fees are a standard billing component for most, if not all, commercial photography assignments.

Like royalties paid to musicians, loading fees serve to ensure fairness and equitability in payouts for the creative contributors of commercial works like print ads, TV commercials, bus ads, point-of-sale materials, direct mailers and even free gifts or premiums.

These commercial works are broadly categorised as either Above-the-line (ATL) or Below-the-line (BTL) advertising.

How to determine the value of my Loading Fees?

In advertising, the better the coverage (estimated number of people that the ad will reach), the more likely the advertisement will create sales eventually.

Of course, there are other major factors that contribute to the effectiveness of an ad, however, for professional photographers, talents, writers and other creative professionals, advertising coverage is the usual basis on which to charge loading fees. 

In a nutshell, the number of people that will see the image you create for your clients can determine its commercial value.

Loading fees are much higher for above-the-line works due to their wider and higher coverage.

Besides coverage, loading fees also include the:

• volume of media,
• number of countries or territories and,
• the duration of usage for the assigned images

Should I charge Loading Fees if my client wishes to reuse my images?

First Usage:

If the photographer is quoting for a new assignment, the photography charges should be calculated to reflect the types of media that the images will be used in.

Charges would be higher for ATL usage compared to BTL due to higher coverage. Apart from ATL/BTL usage, charges should also reflect the number of different media, number of countries included and usage duration. 

Charges for these items may be included together with the photography fees as a single sum in the quotation, but can also be placed as separate items, as some photographers prefer.

Repeat Usage:

If the client chooses to use the images again after the first assignment is delivered, a new quotation and invoice should be generated to reflect the extended duration as well as coverage for the number of media and/or usage of the images in the countries it's going to be used.

These items can be billed under the heading of Loading Fees or Re-usage Fees. Photography Fees no longer apply.   

'Above the Line' vs 'Below the Line'

The following are some examples of media types commonly classified by Ad Agencies:

What are 'Above the Line' advertising?

Electronic Media

1. Free-to-Air TV Commercials
2. Cable/Satellite TV Ads or similar
3. TV Mobile
4. Cinema Commercials
5. Video Wall
6. Website/Online
7. 3G Mini Drama
8. Public Social Media Posts

Mass Print Media

1. Press (Newspaper)
2. Press (Magazine)
3. Electronic Posters
4. Posters/Banners/Murals in Retail Stores
5. Light Boxes (Dura Trans)
6. Overhead Bridge Displays
7. Escalator Panels

Outdoor Print Media

1. Billboards
2. Building Banners and Signage
3. Life Size Standee
4. Phone Booth
5. Posters in Tunnels
6. Hoardings
7. Window Decals
8. Lift Decals (Interior/Exterior)
9. Bus-Stop Posters and Light boxes
10. Vending Machine Ads
11. Other print media which are highly visible by the public

Transit Media

1. Airport/Ferry Terminal/Train Station/Subway (MRT) Station/Bus Terminal:
   • Banners
   • Light Boxes (Dura Trans)
   • Posters
   • Murals
2. Bus Panel – Interior and Exterior
3. Bus - Wholly Painted
4. Bus Stop Dura Trans
5. Car Park Dura Trans
6. Taxi Bumper Decals
7. Taxi In-Cabin
8. Taxi Top Dura Trans
9. Taxi Wholly Painted
10. Train/MRT:
    • In-Cabin Ad
    • In-train Doors
    • In-train Floor
    • In-train Panels
    • In-train
    • In-train Poles
    • In-train Seats
    • In-train Windows
    • Station Doors
    • Station Dura Trans
    • Station Floors
    • Station Pillars
    • Station Posters
    • Station Seats
    • Station Walls
11. Train/MRT Wholly Painted
12. Out-Stations (Outside Entrance Displays/Ads)
13. Private/Commercial Vehicle Wholly Painted – eg. Delivery vans, Private Buses, etc.

What are 'Below the Line' advertising?

Electronic Media

1. Train/MRT Platform Video
2. 3G Video
3. Automated Teller Machine Video (ATM)
4. In-house Video
5. In-store Video
6. In-Flight Video
7. Roadshow / Exhibition Video
8. Q Video
9. Corporate Video (Outdoor)
10. Corporate Video (Internal)
11. e-Direct Mailer (EDM)
12. Email Blast
13. Moving Spotlight (In-store/Out-store)
14. Private or Closed Group Social Media posts

Print Media

1. ATM/Credit Cards
2. ATM Displays
3. Application/Contest Forms
4. Booklets
5. Brochures
6. Buntings
7. CD Rom
8. Calendars/Pocket Calendars
9. Catalogues
10. Carrier/Shopping Bags
11. Decals
12. Direct Mailer (DM)
13. Direct Mailer Pack*
14. Flyers
15. In-store Posters and POSM**
16. Leaflets
17. Newsletters
18. Packaging
19. PR Kit*
20. Phone Cards
21. Sample Prints
22. Stationery – eg. Envelopes, Letterheads, Memo Pads, Note books, etc.
23. Stickers
24. T-Shirts
25. Take-ones
26. Tent Cards
27. Transit Cards
28. User Guides
29. Postcards

*Direct Mailer Pack / PR Kit – normally contains leaflets, brochures, inserts, booklets, application forms, etc.

How much Loading Fees should I charge?

For photographers, loading fees are normally charged as a percentage of the shooting/photographer’s fee.

For example, if the shooting fee is $1000 and the loading fee is determined as 150% of shooting fee, then loading fees would be calculated as $1000 x 150%, or $1500.

The percentage used is determined by type of media, media volume, number of countries or territories as well as duration of use. Thus, it is important to get this information from clients before preparing a quote.

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If you want to learn more, or are planning to become a Professional Photographer, we can help you on your journey. Join Us!

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by Loud Kitchen

In the Mind of the Beauty Photographer

Edited by Loud Kitchen LLC

What makes photographers gravitate to a certain genre? What does it take to become good at it? As part of this series of interviews, we do a deep dive into the minds of veterans to see how they tick.

Today, we delve into:

Beauty Photography with UKay Cheung

As a fashion and advertising photographer, UKay has worked on a wide range of projects with international fashion brands, magazines, and clients from all over Asia and Europe, such as Guerlain Paris, Chanel, Loewe, Burberry, Harpers Bazaar, Prestige, and SingaporeBrides amongst others. You can view his work at UKayPhotography.com

UKay won his first major award in 2008 when the Master Photographers Association (UK) conferred him the title of Singapore Master Photographer of the Year 2008. He has gone on to win many more accolades in the international photography arena. His latest award is International Fashion & Beauty Photographer of the year 2012.

What’s the difference between beauty photography and portraiture?

Portraiture is more about the person or persons in the picture. The subject is the main focus - like with family portraits and graduation photos. The usual goal of portraiture is to act as keepsakes or to commemorate an occasion.

On the other hand, Beauty Photography is essentially portraiture made with the purpose of selling something - be it a product, a service or a brand.  

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Images by UKay Cheung

Traditionally, you would encounter these images in any department store, on buses, in magazines, billboards, etc. Nowadays, these images have moved online as well, appearing on Instagram, Facebook and other online platforms.

What drew you to Beauty Photography?

Short answer: Because it’s about beautiful images of beautiful people.

I was intrigued with photography from a very young age. After exploring different photography genres like product and still-life photography when I first started out, I came to the realisation that I loved portraiture the most.

When I decided to go commercial, I simply leaned towards shooting portraiture and beauty photography, as that’s the natural evolution. I did mainly test shoots in the beginning as a means to hone my skills and train my photographic eye. I then started sending out my portfolio to everyone I could get it out to, and then assignments started coming in slowly after. As time went on, I just kept putting out the best work I possibly could, and fortunately, clients continued to call. It’s been a really fun and rewarding career so far - being able to work with some of the best people in the industry and churning out consistent work.

Currently I am doing more and more video projects due to market demand, but stills photography will always be my one true love. There is always something magical in freezing a moment in time that you can keep coming back to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qPUcD3wT7c&feature=youtu.be

What’s your approach to lighting?

Less is usually more. The nicest light is the sun.  

Allow me to clarify - although some of my beauty pictures are crafted using between 8 to 12 lights, that’s usually done to mimic the sun.

It is, in my opinion, the minimum requirement in delivering the image to my clients, to achieve the look that best portrays the brand and their message.

My personal challenge is always to get as close to the final image in camera as possible with good makeup and lighting. It saves lots of time, and at the same time, maintains the integrity of the talent, as it does not need extensive post editing.

Let’s talk about your favourite gear

Although the most beautiful and versatile light is the sun, we can't really have that at our beck and call.

My latest setup uses 2 systems.

I love the Broncolor Para 88 as my main light; it adds a certain specular highlight in to the T-zone area when done correctly. It gives a very special wrap around effect to the subject that I cannot replicate with any other light modifier. It’s like the Australian golden hour sunlight in the middle of winter. Beautiful contrasts with tonal highlights in all the right places when used right.

My main lighting setup, which I have been using for eons, is the Profoto system. For cameras, I am using Canon and Hasseblad. When it comes down to the essence of an image, whatever gets the job done well is a good system. Reliability and quality is a very important thing. I am a firm believer of the saying, ‘buy it once, buy it right.”

What are the most important elements in beauty photography?

A good beauty image should be aspirational. Important factors are shape, form, colour, and in particular, how the skin looks.

Shape determines the way lines fall, move or lead the viewer’s eyes in the image. The right lens choice is important. Although lens distortion is frowned upon most of the time, having the right distortion makes a better image, under certain circumstances. For example, the right distortion can lengthen facial features, or sharpen the chin.

Most of us have non-symmetrical faces, and this is true for models too. Hence, the way that the model faces the camera, as well as the lighting, are used to play down flaws and enhance favourable features. I once took a course on modelling in order to learn how models pose to best enhance their features for the camera. That has greatly helped me in numerous ways throughout my career.

Form is the third dimension of shape. It creates depth and makes it “pop”. This is achieved by using proper lighting and manipulating the ratio of the lighting setup - i.e. how the shadow falls, and which modifier to use.

This is an important aspect in beauty photography that I cannot stress enough. When it comes to beauty photography, we typically prefer a shallow lighting ratio - because it helps to bring out skin texture without distraction. We use highlight and shadow to create depth in enhancing the T-zone and chin area. We also use specular light to make the eyes pop as well as high contrast lighting to achieve highlights that makes the skin come alive.

Colour. Depending on the market, we may need to skew the colour palette to suit the audience. For example; the Japanese market tends to prefer a slight blue-ish tonal treatment, due to cultural aesthetics, whereas in Europe, a warmer tone is preferred.

In beauty, of course the skin has to be flawless. Usually the model who is chosen would have very good skin. During the shoot, the whole team’s goal is to bring that up to another level by using a myriad of skills.

I’ll make use of different approaches depending on whether the client is selling makeup or skin care products. Achieving the right micro contrast to bring out the texture of the skin compliments the makeup artist’s efforts - it helps to elevate the entire image.  The treatment and lighting of the image has to be able to bring across the key point and sell the product to its intended target audience.

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Images by UKay Cheung

Working with a good team is essential. I see it this way - if the photographer is the painter and the model is the canvas, then the hair and makeup artist are the brush and paint that brings the painting to life. I love working with people who always push themselves to do better. It makes me push myself harder too.

What do you look for in selecting a model?

Generally, ethnicity, facial features, skin tone and complexion all play a part in the quest for the perfect model suitable for the brand.

Most brands have a very specific look they expect, that is representative of them. So most of the time, this is already predetermined. We generally have to go along with these guidelines, using the above mentioned elements to best bring out the message.

‘Being comfortable working together’ is something that I look out for when selecting models if I’m the one tasked with the model selection. Models that I have worked with in previous shoots are more often at ease with me and my team.

In the past, I used to relentlessly do test shoots in my free time, and this helped me to keep updated with the talents in the industry.

What are some of the challenges you face in creating an image?

Getting the model to give me the expression and pose that I want.

Creating an environment that allows spontaneous creativity to happen is something that I always strive towards. There has to be trust between me and the subject.

Communication between me, the artist and the talent is quintessential. The challenge of establishing a rapport in a short time of usually only a few hours (or sometimes even minutes) is one of the main challenges I face. I am not a extrovert by nature, but the personal challenge of always trying to better myself and my love for beauty photography, have pushed me to come out of my comfort zone and do whatever it takes to get that shot.

Another challenge that I sometimes face is the team not being able to work smoothly together to achieve the look that I want. Hence, I usually prefer to have pre-production meetings and discussions to ensure that everyone is on the same page. It is always a challenge working with teams - especially in new countries -  to make sure that communication is always open and clear.

Language can be a challenge too. In the beginning of my career, I had an overseas client that requested mood lighting for their new jewellery brand. After going on for hours during the shoot trying to achieve the look they wanted and getting rejected, I realise what they meant by mood lighting is actually high key lighting that was totally different from what we were setting up for. The team quickly managed to turn things around and the shoot even finished on time!  Now we look back at that time and have a good laugh about it.

Sometimes things do not go according to plan even with the best laid out plans. Being a professional photographer, we are paid to solve problems for the client, and ultimately we have to get the job done.

Any memorable shoots to share?

Once, the model we flew in specifically for a shoot turned up the day before with an eye infection, causing one eye to swell up. We did whatever we could with the doctors to bring the infection down.

The team was stressed out, as it was a big shoot that had to happen as scheduled. As stressful as it was, we were able to pull through as a team - the makeup and styling team managed to pull off a miracle, thus complementing the excellent lighting crew and hardworking model. We were able to deliver the images that the client was happy with.

Consumers have been skeptical of beauty photography, saying that it’s too "photoshopped" to be real, what are your views on this?

Beauty photography is made to be aspirational. When women wear makeup in public, does that represent a “fake” representation of them? It is actually part of who they are.

Beauty photography is similar - it’s a representation of the brand created with nicely done makeup and hair with a team of professionals, then photographed using the best equipment suitable. Just like how all women want to look their best on their wedding day, Beauty Photography helps brands achieve that same goal, for a commercial purpose.

I am a big advocate of getting the image in-camera as much as possible.

Most of that work is already done even before the shutter button is pressed. Post processing, for me, acts more like an enhancement of the images, as opposed to being what the image must rely on as a crutch. "Using Photoshop in order to make the image look good" - that is not the work of a photographer. Instead, you become a ‘retoucher’, or at least, you are at the mercy of your retoucher.

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Images by UKay Cheung

What we have currently that’s known as “Photoshopping” was done in a traditional manner during the film days - it’s just more accessible to the masses nowadays.

Photoshop has become an essential part of photography in general, even more so nowadays when perfection is expected in all areas. For the skeptics and the naysayers, my answer will be this: when you go to a restaurant, do you expect the same level of flavour and sophistication as if you are having cooked a meal at home? This is the parallel for advertising photography or any form of commercial media production. There has to be a certain level of finesse to meet expectations.

Has a client ever asked for more retouching then you’re comfortable with and how did you deal with that?

My regular clients don't ask for that, as they already know what to expect. There is a fine balance between just nice and too much.

Usually my clients are already seasoned beauty companies that know their brand aesthetics and look very well. There is hardly ever a request that is too "unreasonable".

Being professionals, we will work to address our clients concerns and needs, and we work together to achieve that goal.

What are the flaws that are commonly attended to in retouching?

Symmetry, making sure the balance of the subject is there.

Skin blemishes and fine lines - skin is absolutely vital to a beauty image. The key is to achieve skin that is close to perfection while maintaining texture. Skin tone and colour is also a key element that is scrutinised during post. Any uneven skin tone or difference in textures will have to be unified.

Eyebrows and lashes can be enhanced in photoshop for anything that has been overlooked during the shoot.

Stray facial hairs that may have been missed during makeup and styling will also be removed.

In general, the first step of retouching involves cleaning up the picture of any spots, blemishes and other flaws that makeup and lighting cannot fix during the shoot. Dodging and burning correctly enhances the work of the makeup and lighting.

Making the photo perfect for its intended purpose is the whole volition behind retouching. As professionals, we have to find the right balance between too little and too much, managing the expectations of the client and all the different stakeholders.

3D generated models are being used in many areas of advertising, particularly in the automobile and products categories. Do you see this coming to the beauty genre or has it already arrived?

The day will come when images using 3D models become part and parcel of our industry. I don't think it will completely replace what we have now in the near future, but eventually, traditional photography is going to be replaced by technology in many areas.

Companies may want the option of being able to render a 3D asset for their marketing purposes and goals.

Balmain recently revealed 3D Digital Fashion models - that had a pretty big response with mixed reactions online. It’s inevitable that technology will advance, and what we have to do now is to straddle and embrace it and find our own niche in order to stay ahead.

What advice would you give yourself if you could travel back in time to the beginning of your career?

• Work Harder
• Work smarter
• Nurture better relationships
• Pay attention to your health

Found this useful and want more?

This is part of the “In the mind of” interview series where we get top notch Singapore photographers to share their experience. You can read the rest of the series at:

• Fashion Photography – Kenneth Wong
• Architecture Photography - Darren Soh
• Portraiture Photography - Ejun Low

 

Researched and Executed by Loud Kitchen LLC
Writer: Aaron Ang
Editor: Wee Yen Yee

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by Loud Kitchen

In the Mind of the Portraiture Photographer

Edited by Loud Kitchen LLC

What makes photographers gravitate to a certain genre? What does it take to become good at it? As part of this series of interviews, we do a deep dive into the minds of veterans to see how they tick.

Today, we delve into:

Portraiture Photography with Ejun Low

Ejun Low is a portrait photographer based in Singapore with a background in Film and Animation from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.

He is the founder of Pentaprism, a company that manages and brands developing photographers into industry professionals.

You can view Ejun's work at: ejunlow.com

What drew you to Portraiture Photography as a career?

My personal inclination towards photographing people stems from a desire to document those closest to me.

Indeed, I believe that this is what makes portraiture one of the most beloved genres of photography. To me, there is simply no better way to relive a moment in time, than through a purposefully captured still photograph.

On a professional level, I’ve always appreciated sincere conversations with my guests. One-on-one portraits naturally allows me that freedom to express myself, and undoubtedly, my work better.

"Successful portraiture photographers need to have a distinct style" - do you agree?

From a business point of view, not necessarily so.

In the modern digital age of photography where there is so much content around us, it is easy to be visually inspired by similar styles and approaches.

Undeniably, visual trends continue to be emulated quickly (and rather simply) through the use of modern software and apps.

In other words, simply adopting what is popular might do enough to appeal to clients and give you a certain degree of business success.

From an artist point of view, then most certainly yes.

Being an artist is, to me, the process of expressing myself and the way I perceive the world, through my work.

Simply put, it’s how I’d like my work to look, how I’d like my clients to recognise me, and how I would want to be remembered as an artist.

A distinction in style becomes the differentiating factor between you and every other photographer out there.

Indeed, there are photographers who express themselves in a manner that only a handful of clients can appreciate. These photographers tend not to use revenue as a measure of their own success.

As a professional photographer, you'll need to find balance between being an artist and a business owner.

As a portraiture photographer, you work closely with people. How do you communicate with them to get them comfortable with you before the shoot?

I tend to start my chat with the question of how they heard about me. It’s a simple insight that gives me an opportunity to see if we have mutual friends who referred them.

From there, I look to build on and shift our conversation so that we can start talking about their experiences rather than mine.

All that time spent conversing is also useful for taking mental notes of things like preferred sides or challenging features that might need to be rectified either with lighting or posing.

The worse we can do really, is not to engage them in conversation at all — which pretty much make us an over-priced photo-booth.

Expression, pose and camera angle; how do you decide on these for a given subject?

A pre-requisite to being a good portrait photographer is having enough sensitivity to decipher your guest’s personality. Interpreting this correctly is imperative to deciding everything.

I’d also take to their social media to have a brief look at their lifestyle which tells me plenty about how I should approach with my photography.

In photography, there are bound to be disagreements. How do you communicate with clients who are not satisfied with their portraits?

The simplest manner if it does actually happen, is to approach unsatisfied customers with a genuine “what do you not like about this photograph?”.

A better alternative however, is to occasionally provide visual feedback by having the clients look at how they are performing throughout the session.

If done appropriately, it would give clients a chance to comment on anything that requires improving, or if they aren’t particular pleased with how things turn out.

Would you agree that the photoshoot experience is more important than the final image?

I don't.

Photography is a visual art that is taken in by sight, not by touch, and the final image is the reason why I was commissioned in the first place.

The experience I provide is an integral component to elevating my service standards.

When a photographer say he has a decade worth of experience, it means he can count on ten years’ worth of insights to solve client’s problems and make the entire project a much more pleasant one.

Ultimately, it’s the image that counts in the end though.

What’s your approach to lighting?

I photograph fairly minimally.

One light on the subject is usually what I perceive as being most natural. That said, I would use other lights to add depth to my background, when necessary.

Otherwise, I'd favour just having one (often giant) light source on my guests… just like how the Sun is to our beautiful Mother Earth.

What are some of your favourite gear?

My camera, lights and a good softbox are the three things most crucial to my work.

My cameras of choice are the Fujifilm X-series mirrorless cameras and their line-up of stellar lenses.

In terms of size, functionality and what it can deliver for my clients, these are just a wonderful fit for my work — and a great aid to my deteriorating back since they are slightly smaller in form compared to a DSLR or Medium Format Kit.

Lighting and accessories wise, I’ve always been a fan of the Swiss company Elinchrom’s products. I find their gears relevant to my needs and very reasonably priced for the consistency I need to deliver quality work. My favourite will be their giant 5-foot Octa.

Outside professional work, my Fujifilm X100F has been a feature of the precious moments in life. If there’s a camera series that holds a special place in my heart… this will be it.

What advice would you give yourself if you could travel back in time to the beginning of your career?

First, stay positive. You will be amazed just how much a positive attitude can change a poor run of jobs.

Second, stay humble (a.k.a ditch the artist ego). This is especially true as you gain traction in your photography career. It’s one thing to know your worth, and another to judge others for what they can or cannot afford.

Is there anything about the industry today that bugs you?

If there is any at all, it would be how often I hear people in the industry saying amateurs are spoiling the market.

Indeed, the game changer today is the fact that quality gear are so much more affordable and mobile apps can create stellar images.

It is up to the professional photographer to understand that being able to produce incredible images alone will no longer be a huge advantage. Providing an impeccable service experience will justify our price tags.

Any tips on starting out as a Portrait Photographer?

From a business perspective, I would advise starting a brand with a big enough market audience and branch into a premium niche once you have developed a constant inflow of clients.

From a mindset perspective, strive for competency in your skills before looking to build your wealth. Thereafter, you should look to find your purpose in life using photography as a medium.

Found this useful and want more?

This is part of the “In the mind of” interview series where we get top notch Singapore photographers to share their experience. You can read the rest of the series at:

• Fashion Photography – Kenneth Wong
• Architecture Photography - Darren Soh

 

Researched and Executed by Loud Kitchen LLC
Writer: Aaron Ang
Editor: Wee Yen Yee

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by Loud Kitchen