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The Photographer

It’s not that easy to get a wedding photographer less than two months before one’s wedding. Or rather, it’s not that easy to secure the service of a highly recommended photojournalist two months before one’s wedding.

One of the best wedding photojournalists around would be none other than the Principal Photographer of CandidSyndrome - Saiful Nang. This guy is in great demand and must be booked many, many months in advance.

I must also admit that I admire Ikram Ismail’s work – yes, he one of the exclusive Photographers. There’s nothing wrong with admitting my admiration although I know that I can’t afford that particular package I really like, right?

One can always consult their recently married friends for recommendations of wedding photojournalists. But if all else fails, then, there are many wedding photographers ready to offer their service who could be found around here and various photo studios. The normal charge is depends on how many event or per session we want. I peeked at some portfolios and thought that a few are quite okay even if they are not as impressive as Ikram Ismail’s or Saiful Nang’s. But hey, that’s the reason why they cost so differently, right?

It doesn’t take a pair of trained eyes to notice the difference between highly professional and semi-professional photography. When I attended one of my friend’s wedding in SA about few months ago, I have seen how the photographer cleverly guided the newly wed couple for prompted shots. The end results, I must admit look natural and professionally handled. The photos of my friends and his wife took for the sambut menantu kenduri in SA though were something else – they looked rather stiff despite all the cheery genuine smiles. “The photographer did not guide us as thoroughly as the one in SA did,” He explained as I flipped the pages of his wedding albums, remarking on how different they looked on the two separate occasions.

While most of people doesn’t believe in spending a small fortune (“Our friends and family can take our pictures for free right?”) for a wedding photographer, I’ve consulted many friends and majority of them recommended hiring a professional. “Consider it a long term investment. This is something you want to share with your kids, insya Allah, with your menantu, your cucu.. This is something you want to keep for life,” a friend advised.

Okay maybe my dearest fiancé has a valid point in pointing out that our wedding is just a one-day event to start our adventure together for the rest of our lives and if possible, it’s better to save what we can for the future. Still, I’m a sucker for beautiful photos. In fact, I’m simply a sucker for any kind photos, beautiful or otherwise. And I really, really want the essence of our big day to be nicely, naturally, professionally captured on photos.

Thus, We finally settled on hiring a photographer from fp, who was personally recommended by Alang. While I must admit that his portfolio is not as impressive as SN’s or Ikram’s – I consoled myself that at least he’s willing to listen to my wish of must-take shots and even willing to take a look at other people’s photos to get a better understanding of my wish.

After some sort of research - browsing through friends’ and colleagues’ wedding albums, browsing the net for suggestions - I've just compiled a list of must-take shots. Of course these are apart from the obligatory photos on the pelamin – the bride and groom together, the couple with her parents, the couple together with his parents, the couple with all parents, the couple with her entire immediate family, the couple with his entire immediate family, the couple with immediate family members from both sides, the couple with both pengapits, the couple with her extended family members, the couple with his extended family members, the couple with guests insisting on having a picture together on the pelamin and on and on and on..

Here’s my personal list of crucial moments I hope not to be missed by my photographer – please let me know if I should add more, in case I’ve left some important moments…

Majlis Akad Nikah
- The groom before the akad
- The bride before the akad
- The signing of the last few forms in front of the Kadhi
- Ayah before akad (he’s going to do the akad himself)
- Ayah as he utter the akad
- The groom as he utter the lafaz nikah
- The groom as he is about to start the solat sunat
- The groom putting on the ring
- Close up of the hands as the groom slips the ring onto the bride’s finger
- Close-up of the bride kissing the groom’s hand
- Close-up of the groom kissing the bride’s forehead
- The group family picture after the akad

The Kenduri
- Shot from outside the house, the canopy and all
- The preparation by caterer, orang dapur & other last minute touch up on this and that
- The Marhaban group in action
- The bride getting ready/made up
- Mak helping the bride out with last minute stuff like checking on the selendang
- Ayah whispering last minute advice as he kisses the bride’s forehead
- The bride checking herself out in the mirror
- Detail of clothing, shoes, the invitation card, the ring, the bridal bouquet
- Detail of the hantaran, bilik pengantin, pelamin, bunga pahar
- Some touching shot with Mak, Ayah, Abang, Adik, cousins, uncles, aunties, grandma
- The bride with her pengapit
- The groom with his pengapit
- A rear shot of the bride standing, looking down one side at the floral bouquet in her hand
- Some touching shots of the groom with his family as they wait for the kompang procession to begin.
- Close up of the groom’s adorably nervous stance before the procession begin
- Close up of the bride’s nervous posture as the procession nears her house
- The flower girls laughing and grinning among themselves
- The kompang boys as they ketuk the kompang vigorously and sang loudly
- Flower girls happily leading the procession
- The procession
- Guests whispering to each other as they watch the procession
- Wide shot of the guests from the procession’s point of view.
- Close up of the hands holding firmly as the bride and groom proceeds
- Bride and groom at the head table for makan beradat (or is it makan berhadap?)
- All guests at the head table
- Detail of special bunga telur, goblets and food item on the head table from side view
- Close up of the groom and bride feeding each other
- Detail of the wedding cake and the cake table
- Bride and groom cutting the cake
- Bride and groom feeding each other the cake
- Congrats shots – bride and groom hugging, laughing, crying, and accepting well wishes and handshakes from close friends and family.
- Bride’s and groom’s parents chatting with each other
- Kids playing and messing around with the bunga telur, the canopy, the pelamin or something
- Bride laughing or giggling with her pengapit
- Groom with his arm affectionately around his pengapit
- Bride and groom chatting up guests

PERAK: Take a look around

Sigh! I’m beginning to think that there’s no difference to all of them..
Unfortunately, damage done.. no matter what remedies they take henceforth..

Really disappointed with the 3 self serving parties now. We give them
a big mandate to rule without prejudice of race, religion and gender.
Now, they can’t even give and take to choose a MB among 31 state assembly
persons, how can they rule the state then? Maybe we are wrong thinking
it is time for a change for the better.

An end to race-based politics? Gimme a break! The BN formula has
now been supplanted by a variation of the same old formula.
Much like the same old wine in a new bottle and a new lable.

You guys now look like BN component parties with only different names.

Oh, how sweet it is to be proven wrong!

by Abdullah Junid

Syabas, Malaysia! I've never been prouder to call myself a Malaysian than I am today. This is a win for the people of Malaysia more than anything else.

Like so many others, my heart wished for this result, but my head said the deep-seated fears and mutual suspicions nurtured by the Barisan Nasional and its predecessor would once again create second thoughts among most voters on the journey between their homes and the polling booths.

Oh, how sweet it is to be proven wrong! How sweet to show the world that we as a people have a backbone and we have a real democracy.

This is also a win above all else for Anwar Ibrahim. The journey from being a beaten - literally and figuratively - wheelchair-bound figure to becoming the de facto leader of this group of gutsy people who have shaken the previously unshakable BN machine to the core is nothing short of remarkable, the stuff legends are made off.

As some would say, the man can take a licking - but he keeps on ticking!

It was Anwar's clarion call of reformasi, defiantly and in the face of a dictator who would stoop to anything to retain power, in the 1990s that triggered everything that has eventually resulted in this triumph. Anwar irrelevant? The BN folk should practice their stand-up comedy skills!

Kudos too to Lim Kit Siang and his merry band of DAP-per brothers and sisters. Kit - who should have been made a Tun a long time ago - has toiled on the thankless opposition bench for decades. A lesser man would have packed it in a long time ago, but his fire burns as bright as ever.

There's just one more reward left for Kit - to see him as a member of the cabinet. That looks like a real possibility on this historic day, though he'll have to hang around until the next election for that to happen. Heck, after 30 or so years, what's another four or five?

A shout out too to other opposition stalwarts such as Karpal Singh and Tan Seng Giaw, Kit's equally determined and long-suffering brothers-in-arms.

A word too for PAS. They kept their end of the bargain - trouncing the BN in Kelantan and put up a strong fight in Terengganu - as well as leading the charge and winning in Kedah, and denying the BN valuable seats elsewhere in the country.

But most of all, this one is for the scores of thousands who took to the streets for Bersih and Hindraf. They showed that there is really no reason to fear anything. They led the way in this brave attempt by Malaysians to take back their country.

When a massive structure has been in place for decades, it cannot - and frankly should not - be brought down in one attempt. The nuts and bolts holding things in place are deeply embedded, and the first order of business is to remove the outer shell first.

The BN's outer shell has been removed. Now, the opposition parties have to start working on infiltrating the core. And if you really examine today's results, the BN core may not be too formidable at all.

More than 50 of the BN's 135-odd seats came from East Malaysia. In fact, these are the seats that the ruling coalition relied on to retain power. The opposition parties must now focus their efforts on making major inroads into Sabah and Sarawak.

In West Malaysia, it is Johor and Pahang that have provided the firewall for the BN. And these are the states the opposition needs to start working on earnestly. Take away these four big states in East and West Malaysia, and suddenly the BN is a pretty spent force.

But the opposition parties too need to be careful and deliberate in the way they move forward. This win will mean nothing four years down the road if they don't do things carefully.

One of the most important things to remember will be that the foundation of this nation remains the Malays and Malay culture. As go the Malays, so goes the nation. It is important that this fact is remembered and always kept in mind when the three opposition parties negotiate their way forward from here.

It is particularly important that the DAP should reassure the Malays that they are not just a Chinese party at heart. And it is not just words that will do the trick. Deeds are important.

The state that all eyes will be on is probably going to be Perak. Kedah and Kelantan will naturally have Malay first ministers, while Penang naturally lends itself to a Chinese No 1. But Perak is a trickier proposition, and it would be advisable for the DAP, despite winning the most state seats, to make way for a Malay menteri besar, preferably from the PAS or PKR.

Also tricky, if only for symbolic reasons, is the post of opposition leader. Since PKR won the largest number of seats, they have a claim to appoint the opposition leader. But here again, magnanimity and the spirit of ‘Malaysianess’, I suggest that the PKR should step aside and support Kit to continue as the opposition leader. Any other choice will come across as being distasteful and lacking class.

Finally, a word for Umno. It would be foolish to write them off as a spent force. They'll still be running this country, and if they are smart enough, they'll retool, haul themselves into the 21st  century and remain a potent force.

If they don't resort to any hanky-panky in the coming days, they'll deserve praise for respecting the country's democratic system despite all the ills that have diseased this grand old party.

The Peoples Voice!!

System has gone Kaput

The EC has cancelled the use of indelible ink on vote cast, and now don’t expect that they will overturn it.

If the EC uses it, partly to be sure that there will be no ‘penipuan’ in the GE.

But now, it seems that the EC has said NO for it, so be dumb with it. Haji Hadi should fight for it once again (although it sounds unworkable).

The reason was simple; “public order and security issues”, but I think it’s nonsense as I have read in H newspaper that ‘there’s been some Burma families seen in Pekan’.

It’s expected. I know.

Read lah. Bernama only have 15 words in its news, excellent journalism! Here.

Vote for change!

Minyak: The sequel

Harga petrol di Malaysia sepanjang zaman..
(dalam masa 16 tahun - sejak 1990 ) 

Sebelum 90 - RM 0.89
Tahun 1990 - RM 1.10     (kenaikan RM 0.21 )
01/10/2000 - RM 1.20     (kenaikan RM 0.10)
20/10/2001 - RM 1.30      (kenaikan RM 0.10)
01/05/2002 - RM 1.32      (kenaikan RM 0.02)
31/10/2002 - RM 1.33      (kenaikan RM 0.01)
01/03/2003 - RM 1.35      (kenaikan RM 0.02 )
01/05/2004 - RM 1.37      (kenaikan RM 0.02)
01/10/2004 - RM 1.42      (kenaikan RM 0.05)
05/05/2005 - RM 1.52      (kenaikan RM 0.10)
31/07/2005 - RM 1.62      (kenaikan RM 0.10)
28/02/2006 - RM 1.92      (kenaikan RM 0.30)
so on and so forth
 
Perhatian : (Ayat - ayat "Standard') 

1. Kenaikkan minyak sehingga sekarang masih rendah lagi , 
kalau dibandingkan dengan mana-mana satu pun negara Asia yang lain.

2. Kerajaan Malaysia memastikan kenaikkan harga petrol tidak akan membebankan. 

3. Kerajaan Malaysia tidak mampu menampung lagi subsidi harga petrol disebabkan
kenaikkan harga pasaran global. (Tetapi cuma mampu membayar kos untuk DR. SMS melawat angkasa lepas dengan menumpang roket negara Russia )

4. Kerajaan Malaysia memberi jaminan harga runcit petroleum tidak akan dinaikkan
lagi  pada TAHUN 2007. (Sehingga sebelum pilihanraya yang akan
berlangsung pada tahun depan 2008)

Click here