Photography for Impact

Poster courtesy of Alvin Leong Academy

I was fortunate enough to join another photography course organized by Alvin Leong, and this time he brought Jason Ong of Masamichi Studio from Brunei as one of the speakers for the program. The talk is divided into two parts, first is Jason's session, talking on creating impactful photographs.

Here's a lil' bit of info on Jason.

Here's a slight recap of the program:

This is so true. Unfortunately some think that by having a DSLR camera elevates them to a professional photographer status, without knowing that it's the skills, knowledge and experience that really helps in making a good photo into a great photo. Some might disagree by saying they've gotten pretty awesome photos just by snapping to their hearts content, but I beg to differ. You might get lucky once or twice but that doesn't make you a good photographer.

So true! One of the things I've noticed about Steve Jobs presentations (i.e. introducing the iPhone, iPad etc) is that he doesn't overdo his designs (thus the uber simplistic design of the iPhone and iPad) and his presentation slides are always kept to the bare minimum. Photography is similar in that way. It's all about what is pleasing to the eye and clutter has never been popular. 

What is the difference between these two photos? Well, you'll have to attend the talk to know more =).

The one phrase that I'll remember most is when Jason said,

'Photography is a journey, not a destination'.

The second session is by Alvin himself, giving us an overview of the Hasselblad camera which is super-pricy by the way, and he also briefed us on what goes on behind a studio photo-shoot (which is very interesting to know; amazing studio photo-shoots is not the result of one but many).

The queue. People were excited to try out the Hasselblad (which is worth more than a Honda City, by the way). Spotted queuing in line is my pal from high school; hi there Noraini! Long-time-no-see =).

The mock studio set up on stage along with a very sexy model (who was freezing her a** off; the air-conditioning was on full blast and as you can see, the model had very little on her).

For Alvin's slot, he shared with us the importance of evaluating thyself. Something that I'd never have thought of. Definitely you evaluate the shots that you've taken, but have you ever evaluated yourself? Like the skills that you've acquired or the experience that you've gained? He even shared an equation (and here I was thinking that photography would have nothing to do with Math):

Good Portrait = Lighting + Expression

Oh, that means the model's expression, not yours, unless you're the model. 

For those who missed the program, fret not, there'll be another 'Photography for Impact' course being held this 18th of February 2012 (Saturday), the only catch being it's going to be held in Brunei, instead Kuching City.

Poster courtesy of Digital Synergy

To taking better photographs and just being better.


xoxo Mrs Fashionista

Understanding Other Religions - Part 1

So there I was last year coming to the Islamic Information Centre in Kuching for a course entitled 'Friendly Comparative Religion' on which I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into.

This time around, I rejoined the same program (as a refresher course), knowing exactly what I had gotten myself into, and the only difference, the program had changed its name to 'Understanding Other Religions' but the content is still more or less the same.

And here's Brother Shah.

This program is taught by Shah Kirit, a Muslim preacher and advocator from Saba Islamic Media. The program aims to share with its participants on the similarities that Islam has with other religions and it also aims to enhance the participants' knowledge on Islam. It's a two day program which packs in information not only on Islam, but also on other religions like Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism etc. 

The best part is, the more you know of other religions, you become even more aware of your own; meaning, learning of other religions does not mean that you'll be converting to that religion, it is just a learning process for you to appreciate your own. However, make sure you're learning from the right person. Because if you're learning from the wrong person.. Well, let me just put it this way, you wouldn't want to learn how to fix your car from a chef, right? 

Let me share with you one of the things that I learnt from this program (caution: the following part of this blog is very religious in nature):

Embryology, the formation of the human baby inside a mother's womb:

If it says missing plug-in the video is on YouTube. Click [here].

The formation of the human baby is cited in the Quran in the verses of:

76: 2 Indeed, We created man from a sperm-drop mixture that We may try him; and We made him hearing and seeing. (Surah Al-Insan: verse 2).

75: 37 - 39 Had he not been a sperm from semen emitted? Then he was a clinging clot, and [Allah] created [his form] and proportioned [him]. And made of him two mates, the male and the female.

23: 14 Then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; then of that clot We made a (foetus) lump; then we made out of that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh; then we developed out of it another creature. So blessed be Allah, the best to create! (Surah Al-Mukminun: verse 14)

Sayings from the Prophet as narrated by Abdullah bin Masoud:

"The creation of each one of you is composed in the mother's womb in forty days, in that (creation) it turns into such a clot, then in that turns in such a mudgha and then Allah sends an angel and orders him to write four things, i.e. his provision, his age, and whether he will be of the wretched or the blessed (in the Hereafter). Then the soul is breathed into him. And by Allah, a person among you (or a man) may do deeds of the people of the Fire till there is only a cubit or an arm-breadth distance between him and the Fire, but then that writing (which Allah has ordered the angel to write) precedes, and he does the deeds of the people of Paradise and enters it; and a man may do the deeds of the people of Paradise till there is only a cubit or two between him and Paradise, and then that writing precedes and he does the deeds of the people of Fire and enters it." (Sahih by Muslim)

Interested in this program? Here's the schedule:

It's actually a four-part program, so to graduate (i.e. complete the program) you have to attend all four parts. Those who would like to know more can contact the IIC. Their webpage is [here] or you can always visit their Facebook page [here].

Here's me and hubs with Brother Shah:

Oh, by the way, Brother Shah is one of the recipient for Maulidur Rasul Award 2012. Congratulations and keep up the good work!

To learning and being better. 

xoxo Mrs Fashionista

Malay Wedding: Congratulations to Airweckie & Muhd Bond

Me and hubs went to the wedding of Afzan Zarina and Zulyazril Fazli (their names are a mouthful, I must say) better known as Airweckie and Bond (now that's easier to pronounce) at Dewan Hikmah this morning along with my brother Aziz (who is Airweckie's ex-colleague and current Architecture course mate at UiTM). 

The wedding is a first for the Zaidi family and I must say, it's an absolutely beautiful wedding (I shed a few tears when the sisters gave a speech to the newly wedded couple on behalf of the family). And here are a few photos taken from the wedding:

The name of the bride and groom greeted us when we entered the hall =). 

Wedding dais by Muluk. Color theme of the wedding, white, peach and yellow. Simple wedding dais, but then again, less is more =).

Pillars of white, yellow and pale pink roses decorating the walkway leading up to the wedding dais.

The beautiful Zaidi sisters in plum (or Sarawakians would call the color engkodok, hihi!) leading the wedding procession. Looking absolutely lovely, ladies!

The newly married couple looking stunning in concrete gray (the groom) and soft peach (the bride) accompanied by these absolutely adorable (and looking slightly cheeky) sisters. 

Pals of the bride. They flew all the way from Semenanjung to attend this wedding. 

Acoustic performance. Superb band!

The gorgeous couple on the wedding dais, all smiles. Don't you think the bride absolutely radiates happiness?

The crowd.

Scrumptious food. 

And the drinks.

Spotted at the wedding:

Aelma (elder sister to Airweckie), Faizah (love the way she styled her shawl) and yours truly.

Mok (Imelda Harris's aunt) and family.

My bro Aziz and his fiancé, Izah. 

Oh, here's me and hubs. Photo taken by Aziz. Thanks, bro!

Izah and friend. 

Yours truly managing to get a quick photo with the newly weds. Don't you think the bride looks stunning? Congratulations dear!! 

Congratulations to the Zaidi family on another addition to their family. It was an absolutely beautiful wedding *dreamy sigh*. I love weddings, it's a celebration of two people who are in love, and don't we just love happy endings? Oh well, this is not the ending, but it's a beautiful beginning; the start of their marriage, and let's look forward to an amazing journey of getting to grow old with the love of your life *hugs*. 

To love, wedding and celebrations. 

xoxo Mrs Fashionista

What's in a Tumi?

A what? I know what you're thinking. I've never heard of Tumi either. I was recently given a Tumi and being the snoop that I am, I decided to google Tumi. Like, seriously. Have you ever heard of such a brand? And no offense to the giver, I totally love your gift, but I'd love it more if I knew what sort of brand it is (though you must be rolling your eyes right now, but I bet you'd do the same thing). 

Tumi is apparently an American manufacturer of bags and suitcases and the best part is, Tumi incorporates a unique metal 20-digit registration number in all its bags, which customers can register with the Tumi Tracer just in case we lose our bags. How cool is that? And even cooler, check out these people who's been seen with Tumi, I'm sure you'll recognize a few faces (photos courtesy of Tumi's Facebook page):

Hullo Mr. Pitt =)

Mr. and Mrs. Cruise.

Miss Diaz. Love the hair, by the way =)

Whoa, even Mr. President?

These two might not be so recognizable underneath those huge aviator glasses, they're the Olsen twins =)

Am absolutely glad to be a part of the Tumi family and here's my Tumi: 

Laptop bag pack. This is going to look so cool on me. Thank you soooo much for the unanticipated gift!!

Large Tote Bag, which is going to be hanging on my arms very, very soon *happy sigh*.

Complete with a warranty (the first time ever I've had a warranty for a handbag, and this shows just how confident Tumi is on the quality of their product), Tumi Tracer and Experience Tumi handbook.

And a Consumer Services Manual. These people really have a very good after sales service, I must say. 

I'm glad that I snooped around =). Now I'm even more appreciative of my handbag. People, you should do that, seriously, you'd take better care of your handbag if you do *satisfied grin*.

Oh, I almost forgot, Tumi also has a Facebook page, just in case you might want to check it out. Click [here] for the page. 

To handbags and more handbags. 

xoxo Mrs Fashionista 

The Triple Filter Test

As tweeted by @IslamicThinking on Twitter.

During the golden Abbasid period, one of the scholars in Baghdad, which was the capital of Muslim caliphate at that time, was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great scholar and said: "Do you know what I just heard about your friend?"

"Hold on a minute," the scholar replied. "Before telling me anything I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test."

"Before you talk to me about my friend it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you're going to say."

"The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"

"No," the man said, "actually I just heard about it and..."

"Alright," said the scholar, "so you don't know if it's true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?"

"No, on the contrary..." replied the man.

"So," the scholar continued, "you want to tell me something bad about my friend, but not certain it's true. You may still pass the test though because there's one more filter left, the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?"

"No, not really," said the man.

"Well," concluded the scholar, "if what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell me at all?"


"O those who believe, no man should ever mock at other men, since it is possible that the latter are better than the former, nor should women ever mock at other women, since it is possible that the latter women is better than the former ones. And do not find fault with one another, nor call one another with bad nicknames. Bad is the name of sinfulness after embracing Faith. And whoever does not repent, such people are the wrongdoers." (Quran 49: 11).

THE END.

Put the Glass Down

As tweeted by Islamic Thinking on Twitter.

A professor began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it. He held it up for all to see and asked the students, "How much do you think this glass weighs?"

"50 grams!"
"100 grams!"
"125 grams!" the students answered.

"I really don't know unless I weigh it," said the professor, "but, my question is: What would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?"

"Nothing," the students said.

"Ok! What would happen if I held it up like this for an hour?" the professor asked.

"Your arm would begin to ache," said one of the students.

"You're right, now what would happen if I held it for a day?"

"Your arm could go numb, you might have severe muscle stress and paralysis and have to go to hospital for sure!" ventured another student; and all the students laughed.

"Very good. But during all this, did the weight of the glass change?" asked the professor.

"No."

"Then what caused the arm to ache and the muscle stress?"

The students were puzzled.

"Put the glass down!" said one of the students.

"Exactly!" said the professor. "Life's problems are something like this. Hold it for a few minutes in your head and they seem okay. Think of them for a long time and they begin to ache. Hold it even longer and they begin to paralyze you. You will not be able to do anything."

"It is important to think of the challenges (problems) in your life, but it is EVEN MORE IMPORTANT to have trust in Allah swt and to 'put them down' at the end of every day before you go to sleep. That way, you are not stressed, you wake up every day fresh and strong and can handle any issue, any challenge that comes your way!"

So at the end of the day, remember to 'PUT THE GLASS DOWN' and put trust in Almighty Allah swt.

Holy Quran: He it is who sent down tranquility into the hearts of the believers that they might have more faith added to their faith (48: 4). Tranquilitiy is the sign of strong faith while worries and stress is the sign of weak faith.

Tell your mind every day before you do to sleep: "Yaa Ayyatuhan Nafsul Mutmainnah, Irji'ee iLaa Rabbiki Raadhiyatam Mardhiyyah, Fadhkhulee Fee Ibaadee Wadhkulee Jannatee" (Al-Fajr 89: 27-30)

"O soul that is at rest satisfied. Return to your Lord well-pleased (with Him), well-pleasing (Him). So, enter among My servants, and enter into my Paradise."

THE END.

Food in Borneo: Pisang Cheese at Tumis Restaurant

Lately I've been frequenting this restaurant that's recently opened nearby Hilton Kuching. They've got the yummiest pisang cheese (fried banana fritters sprinkled with cheese and sweetened milk) and tastiest fried kuetiaw that I've ever tasted (and if you've seen my Facebook posts, I've tasted A LOT of food). 

I love the restaurant's logo! The stone mortar and the arabic alphabet is such a classic.

Tumis is a family owned restaurant managed by siblings Esthna and Dyana Hanni and they provide some very appetizing food and among the dishes that I find to be utterly delectable at Tumis are:

Ayam Bakar Tumis. Roasted chicken served with plain rice, fried tofu, raw vegetables and sambal belacan. What I love about this dish? The roasted chicken, flavorful on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. Oh, and the sambal belacan... I'd better let you be the judge yourself. 

Hubs favorite, Pisang Cheese. There's actually a number of restaurants in Kuching serving this but according to hubs, Tumis serves the best Pisang Cheese in town. Hurrah! For chocolate lovers, there's also Pisang Cheese Chocolate if I'm not mistaken =P.

Nasi Goreng Tumis.

Terribly sorry but I haven't managed to get a photo of the fried kuetiaw just yet but mark my words, they are simply mouth-watering =).

Spotted at Tumis Restaurant:

The lady who introduced me to the yummy kuetiaw. Thank you Kak Masha! =)

Epit and hubs, yup, we are that antisocial. Our social life is restricted to chatting on Twitter, not face-to-face.

Hubs, me, Ade, Esthna, Rahman and Dyana (she's practicing pirouettes, though for what reason, I do not know). 

If you want to know more on Tumis, they are on Facebook, click [here] for more scrumptious photos of delectable food.

To yummy delicious mouth-watering food. 

xoxo Mrs Fashionista