PILA Campaign

PILA – Effortless Classy
A gentleman’s perfect weapon….. An armor he puts on when he goes to battle in that important corporate meeting …… Or at an event to please and attract investors …… Nothing beats a PILA.
Come June 15th to 31st, you can see these wonderful collections at Siam Discovery ~~~

Teaser for the shoot in Bangkok, Thailand. Bringing bespoke to you. The finest craftsmanship and the best fabrics with the bias form fitting cuts inspired by the standard-setting Saville Row. The award winning designer brings to you the best in sophistication and elegance. It’s almost a crime to look this good. PILA Bangkok is setting trends and becoming an instant classic. You can set your eyes on these wonderful bespoke suits at their new popup store at Siam Paragon level 3 till the end of July. Coming soon …… We will show you how ladies can also rock that suit n be the headturner ~~~ British Dandy at its best…… Look dapper and suave with PILA !

Credit to #TeamPILA
Photographer: Jeri Soh of IxxICreative
Jewelry: Jan & May
Model: Zeng Zee
Hair Stylist: ig @kengi_kengi
MUA : Kanphuchit Aristotle
Stylist: Nipon Pila / Jan janjan / Sunai Blissanova/

Cecilia Jiang Yizhou Testshoot

How to win a Fashion photography competition

1)     Know the contest – First and foremost,  know the rules and regulations of the contest you are taking part in. Read the brief and know what is expected of you and what the restrictions might be. Certain contests require you to shoot on site at a particular location so make sure you have the clearance to shoot  and do find out what the guidelines are in regards to bulky equipment as they might  not want you to bring along a big crew and affect the day to day running of their businesses. Do also keep in mind whatever formats or restrictions in terms  of photoshop or the maximum / minimum number of images. ( You will not want to screw yourself over by destroying your chances by breaking the rules. ) Work within restrictions and have fun with it.

2)     Concept and Research – Brainstorm for ideas and research past winners and judges. If you know the taste of the judging panel, it might increase the chances of you winning something. Email them if necessary and get to know the inspiration for their work, I am sure they will be more than willing to share their past experiences. Do create mood boards or storyboards as they help everyone visualize better. Doing your “homework” allows everyone to be clear about what you want to achieve.

3)     Be Original – I have to stress while there is a certain formulae for getting recognized in certain aspects of photography, judges will also like to see something original and unique.  Do not follow the trend blindly and always be willing to take risks. While replicating the works of a master might impress some judges, it also shows a distinct lack of creativity. I have seen a shoot of the great bull run done to the death. There is like a couple of hundred of those photos out there winning prizes till it’s starting to get real boring. Be willing to take a risk, you might fail but if you do get recognized , they will love you for being different. Photography in an expression of your views of the world, so make sure you have got something to say.

4)     Gathering a team. While it is advisable to gather a big team of people to help in executing the shoot , it is still best to be able to have complete control over how you would want the shoot to be done. While it is awesome to have feedback and creative input, it’s crazy to have to accommodate to all aspects. Be in control but keep an open mind. A collaboration is supposed to benefit all the parties involved so do try to make sure everyone has something to put into their portfolios. The chemistry between a good team can create sparks to propel you to standout from the rest of the competition.

5)     Booking a model. Always choose someone who can bring out the theme of what you want. They do not need to be pretty in the traditional sense but must be able to pose. Engaging a professional will probably make your job easier but do have a few poses in mind in case you run dry. Also do get a release form ready as it will allow you to enter the photos for contests. You will not want the model or the modeling agency haunting you down for using their photos without permission. If you have an existing working relationship with a modeling agency, the booker might allow you to do testshoots and charge minimal amounts for contests.

6)     Location Scout – It’s probably easier if you can go in advance to recce the place. It will allow you to plan in advance what you want to do and where. It’s challenging to be on site as it might rain or the place might all of a sudden be closed or out of bounds. Do get permission to shoot as you might be prosecuted if you are trespassing. Ask around , I am sure you can find a good place to shoot. Tap into the resources of the people you know. It will aid you in the quest for excellance.

7)     Buying or making props , clothes etc – While it is awesome to have a stylist help you get clothes and accessories , it’s at times not within the budget to engage a professional. You can always buy / rent cheap and just mix and match for the look you desire.

8)     Logistics – Getting transport if you have a big group of people or big props. Vans or lorries are sometimes necessary to help you move equipment so do up a list first and see what kind of transport is necessary.

9)     Assistants – I cannot stress more the importance of getting some assistants. I started off s one and they can make a photographer’s job look so easy. Finding someone who has prior knowledge is beneficial so having a buddy tagteam up as your Photography Assistant will probably boost the quality of the shoot, especially if they know their ways around lighting equipment.

10)  Postprocessing – They say the best photoshop is the photoshop you do not notice so please do not overdo it. Some people tend to add in too many effects and it takes away attention from what it was meant to be about….. the CLOTHES.  Fashion is all about the clothes and in case you do not know what that means….. it’s about displaying the fabric, the detailing and how the designer wants you to perceive the brand, so if the outfits look good, so will you.

Good Luck and most importantly have fun.

Podcast Feature from Professional Photographer Magazine UK

http://www.professionalphotographer.co.uk/Magazine/Podcasts/Professional-Photographer-podcast-22-May

 

The May Issue of Professional Photographer Award UK is now in stores worldwide. You can get a copy from Kinokuniya and other major bookstores in Singapore . The magazine has a special section focusing on the winning images for The Professional Photographer of the Year Awards 2011. There is an electronic interactive version available here as well:  http://www.professionalphotographer.co.uk/News-and-Reviews/2012/4/Check-out-our-PPOTY-Awards-interactive-magazine

Blah blah blah ………

The past few months have been a chaotic period for me as there was so much happening that it was getting hard to find time and room for personal space. Been stuck in a dead end day job really does not help matters. Although I have had the intention to move on, it just suffocates me and prevents me from doing my best creatively. There were a couple of projects that I had to turn down due to time constrain……. things I would love to do…. the challenges I would love to take on…..

Since returning from my European trips, I have missed the great scenic architecture and the very friendly creative people like Monika, Olivia, Silvia and Stefanie ……. The open mindset and the stone cobbled streets….. concerts and plays around every corner …… more things that I missed……. Europe Withdrawal Symptoms……. Arggghh….. How I would love to be able to live and work there.

The Photography competitions wins and mentions are great and all, but I desire to get better at my craft…… Any Full-time Photographer jobs to recommend here locally in Singapore or Overseas ?

London , England Trip August 2011

 

The trip to London was a fulfilling one. Winning the Kempinski European Flair Special Prize meant I could go to any of the hotelier’s branches and stay for a full 5 days fully sponsored. London was my chosen destination as it has so much history and culture and it did not disappoint. The Architecture there was splendid beyond words. The temperature was about 15 Degrees Celsius and for a Singaporean, it was at a comfortable level that allows one to travel without sweating and fatigue and this was in Summer. The first day upon touchdown itself was tiring but welcoming ….. the staff at Stafford Hotel were obliging and helpful. Our room has a traditional Victorian style to it that has a very cottage or horse carriage feel to it. One cannot help falling in love with it. Situated just next to Green Park Station which features a park with a luscious green field where the locals chill out in on brightly striped beach chairs. We also visited Mexican restaurants and a boutique restaurant which has a ballet theme….. arghh, how I missed their steak.

Me and my fashion stylist Rachel were welcomed by multiple rainbows around the city while looking for a Chinese restuarant in Chinatown. It was raining a little but not heavy enough to be a hindrance ….. there are lots of small shops around the famed Picadilly Circus Area that will surprise you with quality souvenirs like dolls and shirts and even ornamental guitars.

We were also doing photo shoots for 3 days with Monika Godlewska, Olivia Janin and our fabulous MUA Silvia Ribera. We had a great time shooting within the hotel with great hospitality shown by Carsten Schubert and Ursula Vonplaten. We also shot at the beautiful Hampstead Heath.

We also paid a visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum which I will feature in the next post. Now here is a place which one can spend the whole day….. the amount of art pieces and artifacts are so numerous and overwhelming that one can get lost in it.

We also visited Bond Street to visit the branded boutiques and their collections is just breath-taking. The Viviene Westwood shops were divided into 3 shops within walking distance of each other….. perhaps about 15 minutes walk apart. The Bridal and Couture branch at Davies Street has a unique charm with the wooden floor planks and thick carpets and a basement level where the staff goes to to check the stock. Feels so surreal ……. too bad I was budgeting so I can get souvenirs for my friends cos there are so many great designs here and all of which is cheaper than what we can get in Singapore.

Where ever you go in London, you see concert walls and performing art theatres …… wished I have had the time to catch a play or musical back than……. the London Underground subway trains are smaller but never as crowded as a MRT at any given time of the day. Traflgar Square was also an interesting place to be with the statues and fountains and a countdown clock to the Olympics running the background. There were also many performing artists and buskers around, all adding to a very carnival like feel to the place on a Sunday. It was crowded at times but always with room for personal space .

Definitely a place to recommend for those shopaholics out there but also for those who like Victorian Style Architecture and those looking to open up their minds and souls.

Gustavo Lins Collection @ Women’s Fashion Week Haute Couture Showcase 2011 Singapore

 

Gustavo Lins initially studied to be an architect in his native Brazil. He would be designing dwellings today if his professor hadn’t asked him to reconsider which materials he’d rather be working with – glass and steel or linen and silk?

Lins’ Fall/Winter collection of leather-piped wool shirts and jackets, paper-thin leather tunics, clean-lined drap de laine wool coats, and draped wool jersey dresses is his eighth. Roughly half of his 65-piece collection is destined for men, an “efficient” and “systematic” wardrobe of coat/jacket/shirt/knitwear/trousers like a uniform that he designs with himself and his needs in mind. Lins’ womenswear shares a similar slim, straight-shouldered silhouette but also has an almost medieval allure this season. “The collection is a blend of armure souple and drapé,” Lins says.

Fashioned from the most exclusive fabrics – cashmere, silk jersey, cool wool, wool crepe and softest lambskin – Gustavo Lins’ clothes are quietly luxurious. As a fledgling designer, he apprenticed with John Galliano, Lecoanet Hemant and Jean-Paul Gaultier Couture, and worked alongside a woman who used to be Cristobal Balenciaga’s chef d’atélier. These were experiences that taught Lins the rigors of cut, the importance of fit, and instilled in him a love of fine fabrics. In the early years of his label, he moonlighted as a modéliste for other big name brands, and his preoccupation with taking the two-dimensional design of a garment and making it a three-dimensional reality still informs his work. Lins is obsessed with the way clothes hang on a body, and fits all his pieces on a mannequin. His garments, many of them reversible and as beautiful on the inside as on the outside, are displayed on three-dimensional torsos, “so that people can see the garment’s inside as well as its outside.”

The men and women who wear Lins’ clothes are a select bande d’initiés . They recognize each other by the topstitching that articulates the “joints” of their jackets and trousers; the slim leather piping finishing the edges of a jacket lapel or detailing the drape of a dress collar. Another giveaway would be the Gustavo Lins label, but you’d have to really look for it. His name is there, certes, but completely hidden, under an architect’s triangle of smooth leather stitched at the back of the neck.

Gustavo Lins Collection can be viewed at his website @ http://www.gustavolins.com