thegaleria

Geraldine & Ping

2012-01-19T08:08:00.001+08:00

I love weddings done in the comfort of your own home. It's always more intimate, personal and reminds me more of a gathering of close friends rather than a grand ceremony that most of us are used to seeing in weddings.

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Make-up and Hair-styling: Peter Khor
Geraldine's Gown: Jenny Packham
Photography: Brian Ho & Luvin Lim / thegaleria
Videography: Yang & Zech / Substance Films

Benny Ong / Associate Photographer

2012-01-04T08:09:00.000+08:00

With every passing year, we meet new people. Some are acquaintances, some become friends while some eventually become close associates. Some of you who have been following my blog and Facebook would have probably heard of Benny as he has been my associate for numerous wedding shoots that I've done. I met Benny during a casting session for the short film, The Passing/过 that I directed more than a year back. He was my main cast and even back then, he already had a keen interest in photography. One thing led to another and I'm now proud to introduce Benny Ong as my Associate Photographer.

Here's a short excerpt of the interview I had with Benny...

How did photography got started for you?
Since young, I've always been exposed to various mediums of the arts - drawing, paintings, sculpture and above all photography. Photography has always been a medium of expression that I was most comfortable with. In many ways, I felt very at ease with photography and it's easy for me to convey my message to the audience.

Why weddings?
I love people photography. Wedding is really a lot about people. There are myriad of different expressions in weddings - excitement, joy, love and all the priceless moments and expression all in one single event.

Where do you draw inspiration as a photographer?
I see photography as an art form. I constantly expose myself to different genres of art and this helps refresh my perspective as a photographer and more importantly as an artist.

What keeps you going? How do you keep every wedding fresh?
I've taken countless weddings over the course of my career as a photographer and yet I still feel that every wedding is unique in its own way. The people, the mood and the atmosphere is different for every wedding. And it's that very difference and uniqueness that I aspire to capture. But above all, my love and passion for photography challenges me to look for something new in every wedding. Even after sleepless 48-hour back-to-back weddings, I still feel fresh and raring to go. I guess that's what passion does to you. It drives you pass a limit you never thought possible.

How do see yourself 5 years from now?
Well, I believe I'll still be looking back at all the unforgettable memories I've helped people to capture and I would still be looking forward to many more happy memories to come.

Chik Hwa & Rebecca

2011-12-09T13:26:00.001+08:00

I met Rebecca a couple of years back when she was a bridesmaid at KK & Yanhao's wedding. So, I'm very pleased that she still remembered me after all these years and I'm indeed very honoured to play such a vital role on perhaps the biggest day of both Chik Hwa & Rebecca's life.

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Church: Church of St Ignatius
Banquet: Raffles Hotel
Rebecca's Wedding Gown: Love, Yu
Make-up & Hair-styling: Eleanor
Photography: Brian Ho & Luvin Lim / thegaleria
Videography: Yang & Zech / Substance Films

Thomas & Jennifer

2011-12-01T09:51:00.001+08:00

11.11.11 - probably the most auspicious date to get hitched and we were pleased to be part of Thomas & Jennifer's big day at none other than Singapore's Grand Old Dame.

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Location: Raffles Hotel Singapore
Photograpphy: Brian Ho & Luvin Lim / thegaleria
Videography: Why Keen & Sylvester / Ichiro Films

Nagano, Tokyo & Kyoto

2011-11-24T10:12:00.002+08:00

I'll be making a trip to Nagona on early October 2012 to cover a Japanese wedding. So, for those who are keen on having your bridal shoot either in Nagona or Tokyo, drop me a note on my email or Facebook. Kyoto is doable too if I can squeeze some time.

My overseas wedding schedule can also be seen at http://www.thegaleria.com/weddings/overseas_calendar.php.

Alex & Cheng Yee

2011-11-09T09:06:00.003+08:00

I got to know Cheng Yee from her sister Jessica whom I photograph about two years back at her wedding. A very simple church ceremony with family and friends held at the grounds of Orchard Presbyterian Church. Although I've walked pass the church on several occasions, this is first time I've ever been inside.

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Venue: Orchard Presbyterian Church
Photography & Art Direction: Brian Ho / thegaleria

Alvin & Fiona

2011-10-31T21:35:00.001+08:00

Portrait of a Lady

2011-10-24T08:10:00.004+08:00

This photography project was a collaboration between myself and talented local designer Vivienne Lin from upcoming luxury label Fuchsia Lane. Vivienne came across my work on Facebook and dropped me a note asking me if I would like to collaborate on her latest collection of designs - Portrait of a Lady. Collaboration with a local artist is an opportunity I always relish. They don't come often but when they do, it'll be something I seldom pass up.

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Creative Direction & Styling: Vivienne Lin
Photography & Art Direction: Brian Ho
Hair: Ryan Hsieh (Creme Hairdressing)
Make-up: RMK
Assistant: Ng Kok Shen
Location: Arts House @1 Old Parliament Lane

Raffles Romance Wedding Show - 23 Oct 2011

2011-10-24T08:03:00.003+08:00

Once again, I'm back at the Raffles Romance Wedding Show and this would be my fourth time in as many wedding shows Raffles have had.

Andrew & Terienia

2011-10-14T11:15:00.007+08:00

Every now and then, I'll meet a wedding couple who are super enthusiastic about their wedding shoot. They'll share with you their inspiration, they'll sit down and plan with you, they'll lose a few kilos for you and they'll even spend the whole day location scouting with you. Andrew & Teri is one such couple, a very spirited and fun-loving couple who'll gladly climb a mountain if I ask them to.

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Styled by Amanda Lee Weddings
Photography: Brian Ho & Luvin Lim
Art Direction: Brian Ho / thegaleria

Steffen & Christine

2011-10-06T09:15:00.006+08:00

My first wedding with a traditional Korean ceremony and a host of Danish wedding traditions that I'm seeing myself for the very first time. This is perhaps one of the reasons why I love being a wedding photographer. You get to see and in some ways experience different cultures and it's always interesting when two different cultures meet.

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Location: Raffles Lawn and East India Room, Raffles Hotel
Christine's wedding gown: Vera Wang
Photography: Brian Ho & Luvin Lim / thegaleria

Raffles Wedding Show (Oct 23)

2011-10-04T10:31:00.004+08:00

Once again, we're pleased to be part of the Raffles Romance Weddings Show. Couples who are having their wedding show at the grand old dame enjoy a exclusive discount on all our bridal/pre-wedding and actual day packages.

On top of that, we're giving further discounts (on top of the Raffles exclusive) for couples who sign up during the wedding show itself.

We look forward to seeing you on Oct 23 at the Raffles Hotel!

Fermin & Su-Yen

2011-09-13T07:59:00.007+08:00

Fermin wanted to give his relatives back in Venezuela a glimpse of how Singapore looks like, so we had this idea of capturing Singapore from a fresh perspective of a tourist's. In Fermin's words "Look at Singapore like how a tourist would". We tried to give this series of photos a different flavour in each and every location we went to.

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Make-Up & Hair-styling: Sharon Tan
Photography & Art Direction: Brian Ho / thegaleria
Lighting: Luvin Lim
Film: Kodak TRI-X, Ilford FP4

Paul & Judy

2011-09-05T12:32:00.005+08:00

Yet another wedding at the grand old dame.

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Church Ceremony: Church of Our Lady Lourdes
Wedding Reception: Raffles Hotel
Photography: Brian Ho & Luvin Lim / thegaleria

Soo Chuan & Yvonne

2011-08-19T09:55:00.004+08:00

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Wedding reception: Raffles Lawn
Yvonne's gown: Ivy & Aster
Photography: Brian Ho & Benny Ong / thegaleria

JY & Sharon (Part 2)

2011-08-05T01:21:00.006+08:00

Here's the second part of JY & Sharon's wedding.

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Banquet: My Humble House
Make-up: Sharon Tan (the bride)
Hair-styling: Robin Chook
Sharon's gown: Kai Bridal
Harpist: Eilidh McRae
Photography & Art Direction: Brian Ho / thegaleria

Female Brides Lookbook (Issue 2)

2011-08-03T01:12:00.001+08:00

Two of my wedding couples are being featured in the Female Brides Lookbook (Issue 2) magazine - Angela & Gerrard and Winnie & Adriel. Coincidentally, both couples were with me during the bridal shoot in Europe. One was at Liverpool & Rome while the other was in Paris.

Sky & Renee

2011-07-20T09:37:00.011+08:00

For those who have been following my blog and facebook, you'll probably recognise Sky & Renee as the couple who took the road less travelled and picked Angkor Wat as their bridal destination. While this may not be the typical choice, I'm glad we did. Angkor Wat is such a mystical and underrated destination. I certainly hope more wedding couples would join me in Angkor should I organise another trip there.

Their wedding was an intimate and private affair with company of family members and close friends, in a not-so-typical place too :)

JY & Sharon

2011-07-08T16:00:00.006+08:00

Those who have been following my blog and Facebook would probably remember JY & Sharon as the adventurous couple who was with me in Barcelona & Venice. Sharon has been a business associate and a friend ever since I started my career as a wedding photographer. So for me, it really felt like attending a friend's wedding more than a photographer on duty. And it always felt very special that way.

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Venue: Studio M
Sharon's Gown: Kai Bridal
Make-up: Sharon Tan
Hair-styling: Robin
Photography & Art Direction: Brian Ho / thegaleria

A tribute to 80 years of rail travel

2011-07-01T12:34:00.008+08:00

Yesterday marks a very historic date in the history of rail travel in Singapore. The Senandung Sutera of the Malayan Railway (KTM) took her last journey out from Tanjong Pagar station at 10pm and the station closes its doors to 80 years of rail travel. The last time I took a train from Tanjong Pagar was when I was just a little boy, making a trip back to Butterworth on the early-morning Ekspres Rakyat. Back then, a journey from Singapore to Butterworth took 17 hours. When I heard that KTM would be shifting their operations to Woodlands, I took the opportunity to have as many wedding photos taken at the rail tracks as possible. Here are some from my collection taken over the last two years.

Xianyi & Phoebe

2011-06-29T08:50:00.007+08:00

The first time I met Xianyi & Phoebe was just two days before their wedding day. Before that, my only liaison point was with Xianyi's mum as both Xianyi & Phoebe are stationed out of Singapore. But as it turns out, I have in fact met both of them before as Xianyi was a good friend of another wedding couple of mine whom I photographed two years ago. It all came to light when they were browsing my photo albums. What a small world!

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Make-up & Hair-styling: Joanna Ang / The Makeup Room
Photography: Brian Ho & Luvin Lim / thegaleria

Thomas & Jennifer

2011-06-21T09:16:00.006+08:00

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Location: Bintan, Indonesia
Photography & Art Direction: Brian Ho / thegaleria

Andre & Rina

2011-06-09T20:06:00.009+08:00

While I've done a couple of muslim weddings in the past, this would be my first time documenting a muslim solemnisation ceremony in the sacred grounds of a mosque.

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Make-up & Hair-styling: Sha Shamsi
Photography & Art Direction: Brian Ho / thegaleria
Videography: zero3studio

Amanda Lee Weddings + thegaleria

2011-05-31T20:02:00.001+08:00

I've always been a great admirer of Amanda Lee's works. Some of you who are familiar with my work would probably notice that many of my overseas wedding brides are dressed up my Amanda's keen eye for exquisite designs and immaculate details. I'm proud to announce that I'll be having a collaboration with Amanda Lee during the Great Singapore Sale. Brides who are engaging Amanda for their gowns enjoy a special exclusive discount on their gowns as well as 10% discount on any of my photography packages.

Glenn & Sarah

2011-05-27T09:20:00.005+08:00

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Make-up & Hair-styling: TG Goh
Sarah's Gown: Kai Bridal
Photography & Art Direction: Brian Ho / thegaleria

JY & Sharon at Venice

2011-05-16T10:47:00.007+08:00

Story-boarding has always been an important element for all my pre-wedding shoots more so for those that are done overseas. Usually what I'll do is to arrive one or two days earlier and plan out all the possible locations that I might want to do a shoot. The planning is quite comprehensive with details of exact timing and walking routes so that on the day itself, everything is very efficiently done and everyone is clear with the art direction. But Venice was a little different, the whole place is like a big labyrinth and every turn of the corner look so similar. So, I remembered telling JY & Sharon this "We're gonna walk from Piazza San Marco to Rialto Bridge, but I have no idea how to get there". It's really very difficult to chart out a route in Venice, so most of our exploration was pretty much touch & feel and gut instinct. Nevertheless, everything turn out much better than what I had hoped for.

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Sharon's gown: Kai Bridal
Photography & Art Direction: Brian Ho / thegaleria

Interview with Penang State Tourism

2011-05-16T02:01:00.003+08:00

The email interview session I had with Penang State Tourism Development, Culture, Arts & Heritage was published on their website.

JY & Sharon at Barcelona

2011-05-06T11:29:00.008+08:00

Sharon and myself have been friends and business associates for a long time. I met Sharon on a wedding shoot early in my photography career and since then, we've worked together on numerous occasions, most were weddings while one was on a short film production that I co-directed with another friend. Her pre-wedding session in Barcelona was somewhat familiar and yet different in so many ways. In some ways, it's just like another project where we are both working together and yet the circumstances are so different. But one thing's for sure - I always enjoyed working with her and I think we all had really an enjoyable time in Barcelona amidst the close encounter with pickpockets and a broken camera lens :)

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Sharon's gown: Kai Bridal
Photography & Art Direction: Brian Ho / thegaleria

Sky & Renee at Angkor

2011-04-28T11:06:00.012+08:00

This trip was a re-visit to my four favourite temples in Angkor - Bayon, Angkor Wat, Preah Khan & Ta Phrom. The last time I visited Angkor was back in 2005. Back then, there was much fewer tourists than there is now. Most of the temples had this "free-roaming" element in them. So long as there are steps that lead to somewhere, you can climb them no matter how dangerous or steep they are. There were almost no barricades. Feels a lot like Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. You can climb any pillar you want and crawl through any opening you see. Things are a little different now. Steep stairs are barricaded, there are some places you weren't allowed to go to, man-made wooden platforms and stairs were erected. A tourist or two had perhaps taken a tumble and the Apsara authority (the folks who manages Angkor) decided to make it safer place for everyone. Although the "free-roaming" element is somewhat lost, the Angkor temples were still as majestic as ever. No one can take that away from them. I think the best experience I had was the shoot within Angkor Wat itself close to closing time (6pm). The place was so serene (all the tourists had gone home) and at the same time strangely grand so much so that it makes me wonder how it must have felt during the heydays of Khmer empire.

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Make-up & Hair-styling: Sharon Tan / A Touch of Colors
Renee's Gown: Vera Wang
Photography & Art Direction: Brian Ho / thegaleria

Away in Europe (Apr 4 - 17)

2011-04-03T18:24:00.003+08:00

I'll be away in Europe from April 4 - 17. I'll still have access to my email and Facebook. So, do drop me an email or FB message should you need to get in touch with me.

Adriel & Winnie

2011-04-01T02:00:00.006+08:00

This is one of those weddings that I had to wake up really early and travel very far. It's like taking an early morning flight. Some of you would probably remember Adriel & Winnie as the couple in my most recent shoot in Paris. I think it's always interesting to be part of a couple's wedding journey no matter how small the part may be. I was with them for a couple of days in Paris and again, seeing them on their wedding day. It's like a close to a beautiful chapter in a novel and on to the next one.

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Wedding Banquet: Four Seasons Hotel, Singapore
Make-up & Hair-Styling: Sophia Chia
Winnie's Gown: Amanda Lee
Videography: Taylor / A Cinematic Story
Photography: Brian Ho & Benny Ong / thegaleria

Glenn & Sarah

2011-03-30T11:39:00.005+08:00

This set of photos were taken sometime back in December last year but was never published because Glenn wanted to keep it a surprise for all his guests during the wedding. So, on my part, I had to keep everything under wraps until their wedding day which was held last weekend.

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Make-up & Hair-styling: Sharon Tan / A Touch of Colors
Sarah's Gown: Kai Bridal
Photography & Art Direction: Brian Ho / thegaleria

Anna & Simon

2011-03-16T14:52:00.005+08:00

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Location: Raffles Hotel Singapore
Make-up & Hair-Styling: Liren Neo
Church ceremony: Living Spring Fellowship
Anna's Gown: Vera Wang
Photography & Art Direction: Brian Ho / thegaleria

Away in Angkor from March 13-18, 2011

2011-03-13T00:21:00.002+08:00

I'll be away in Angkor for a bridal shoot from March 13-18. I'll still be reachable via email

AG|WPJA Photographer of the Year 2010

2011-03-07T23:47:00.000+08:00

This came as a huge surprise to me. I just came in second in Artistic Guild Wedding Photojournalist Association's (AG|WPJA) Photographer of the Year Award for 2010.

Gerrard & Angela

2011-03-04T12:31:00.006+08:00

Most of you would probably remember Gerrard and Angela as the adventurous couple who braved the rowdy soccer fans at Liverpool's Anfield Stadium on match day. The score was Liverpool 1 WBA 0 and I shall not go into who scored the only goal :). The wedding day was pretty much a soccer affair too. A team of Gerrards all decked in LFC's football kit, eager for some footie action. Their opponents proved to be an equally enthusiastic bunch, certainly a lot more challenging than LFC's friendly neighbour across the large field at Goodison Park. In the end, I think the Gerrards got more than what they had bargained for. But all is well, all is done in the name of fun.

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Make-up & Hair-styling: Sophia Chia
Angela's Wedding Gown: Amanda Lee
Wedding Planners: Do-Wed
Banquet Venue: Four Seasons Hotel
Choir: Eunos Primary School
Videography: Yang & Zech / Substance Films
Photography: Brian Ho & Luvin Lim / thegaleria

Soon Aun & Angie

2011-02-18T11:26:00.005+08:00

It poured the day before. It poured the day after and never stopped for the next few days. But not on the day we had the shoot. Or a least it wasn't pouring when we were shooting. It was pouring when we had coffee but stopped when we wanted to have a shoot again. One of us had to be the descendants on the Sun God :). A cool, breezy morning that was so comfortable to be walking around for a relaxing stroll.

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Make-up & Hair-styling: Sophia Chia
Photography & Art Direction: Brian Ho / thegaleria

Lucius & Phyllis

2011-02-10T10:44:00.009+08:00

For some strange reason, Cantonese seems like such a natural language for "gate-crashing". It sounds nicer and the poems in Cantonese rhyme better, which adds so much to the "negotiation" atmosphere. No wonder some people say that Cantonese is like the French of all Chinese dialects. So melodious and soothing to the ears especially the Cantonese spoken by Hong Kongers.

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Venue: Fullerton Hotel, Singapore
Photography: Brian Ho & Luvin Lim / thegaleria

Blissfull Brides Issue #13

2011-01-16T10:37:00.001+08:00

Download article: http://www.thegaleria.com/weddings/docs/bb13_pg332.pdf

Alan & Mei Siang

2011-01-14T12:33:00.008+08:00

Yes, it's another wedding at the grand old dame! This is my fourth visit at the Raffles in the last 2 months or so. Even the folks at Raffles went like "You again?". It's almost like I'm the resident photographer there. Alan, Mei Siang and myself are actually fellow country-mates, though we come from different cities. When fellow country-mates meet, there is always a common topic to talk about - the state of affairs in our native country. Not always pretty and rosy but nevertheless always interesting. Definitely never a dull moment.

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Venue: Raffles Hotel Singapore
Mei Siang's wedding gown: Dang Bridal
Photography: Brian Ho & Luvin Lim / thegaleria
Film: Kodak TRI-X, Fuji Superia 800

FineArt Photo Album

2011-01-13T09:36:00.004+08:00

This is perhaps my longest standing product that has gone through many refinements over the years. The layout and presentation has evolved quite a bit but a few things remained unchanged - I still produce the prints myself, the prints are made on arguably the best fine art papers available and as much as possible, everything is handcrafted and handmade. So, every album is unique in its own way and never feels quite the same as another.

Gerald & Nicole

2011-01-06T11:02:00.006+08:00

This would be my first time at Raw Kitchen Bar (located at an old fire station along Upper Bukit Timah Rd) let alone taking a wedding there. First impressions - it really looked like having a party or a small gathering in someone's home - so cosy, so comfy and so personal, to a point that I forgot I was attending a wedding. It's like having a barbecue session at the garden of my old home. I love weddings done this way. You may say it's a personal taste but I always felt that wedding is such a private affair that should only be shared with people who are very close to you. The other thing about Gerald & Nicole's wedding was that there were a lot of uncannily familiar faces that I've somehow met or seen somewhere before. Only later did I realize that many of the guests were former national swimmers.

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Venue: Raw Kitchen Bar, 276 Upper Bukit Timah Rd
Nicole's wedding dress: Ee-lyn / weloveyou
Make-Up & Hair-styling: Red Ngoh
Photography: Brian Ho / thegaleria
Film: Kodak TRI-X

Vocalise Artistes Management

2011-01-04T10:32:00.002+08:00

With every passing year, we rekindle old relationships and discover new ones. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce to you VOCALISE ARTISTES MANAGEMENT. Some of you may remember Vocalise from the series of photos I took for VOX, a string quartet currently managed by Vocalise. So, whether you're looking for a jazz vocalist or classical musicians to add some melody to your wedding, do drop by at their website and see what they have to offer - http://www.vocaliseartistes.com/.

Joey & Agnes

2010-12-30T08:46:00.006+08:00

I met Joey when I was the photographer for his sister's wedding a couple of years back. So, it was nice to see many familiar faces, some I could clearly remember while some more vividly.

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Wedding venue: Raffles Hotel
Photography: Brian Ho & Benny Ong / thegaleria

WPJA Q3 2010

2010-12-26T17:33:00.003+08:00

This photo I took of Ken & Jaslyn came in 18th place in the "Engagement Portrait" category of WPJA's Q3 2010 contest.

Italy Bridals (Apr 10 - 15, 2011)

2010-12-20T17:23:00.000+08:00

Some updates on my travelling plans. I'll be making a trip to Milan on Apr 10 from Barcelona and will be there till Apr 15. So, if you're keen on having a bridal shoot in northern Italy during this period of travel, drop me a note.

Other updates:
I also have a confirmed trip to Bali in early November 2011 and planned trips to New York in mid May and Europe in late August.

VOX @ Asian Television Awards 2010

2010-12-16T20:40:00.010+08:00

This is perhaps my second time photographing VOX on a major event, the previous one during the inaugural YOG Celebration at the Marina Promenade. This time round, they were at the Asian Television Awards, an appreciation to recognize and reward the very best in Asian television industry. This year's Awards also saw Mediacorp winning Terrestrial Broadcaster of the Year. VOX was invited to grace the event with a beautiful opening number from Coldplay's Viva la Vida, followed by two more equally stunning renditions of Guns N' Roses Sweet Child of Mine and Antonio Vivaldi's Four Season "Summer" presto. VOX is a pop/rock string quartet consisting of their two long standing members - Lester on 1st violin and Huiwen on cello who are recently joined by two of their newest members - Justine on 2nd violin and Melissa on viola. This is perhaps their best performance yet and what better way to do it than on the stage floor of such an illustrious event with a history that dates back to 1994.

Lester / 1st violin

Justine / 2nd violin

Melissa / viola

Huiwen / cello

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Make-up: Ginger
Hair-styling: Kenneth
Photography: Brian Ho / thegaleria
Videography: Barnabas Oh
Artiste Manager: Ziline Chen / Vocalise Artistes Management

James & Amber

2010-12-09T19:22:00.003+08:00

I've never met James & Amber before prior to the shoot. We only communicated via email as both James & Amber reside in Bordeaux, France. They had their formal ceremony in France but never really had any wedding photos taken. So, they decided to have some wedding photos taken in Singapore in none other than the iconic Grand Old Dame. Singapore is of course no stranger to James having lived here for a while. Usually, I'm apprehensive taking assignments of wedding couples I've never met before. Wedding couple-photographer chemistry is something I'm extremely particular and sometimes it's hard to establish that relationship via email exchanges. But as it turned out, everything went pretty well.

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Location: Raffles Hotel, Singapore
Photography & Art Direction: Brian Ho / thegaleria
Film: Kodak TRI-X

VOX - practice session

2010-12-07T13:40:00.003+08:00

The folks at VOX were practicing for one of their performances and I managed to capture a few shots of them before my lunch meeting. So, I had about an hour or so with them.

Another session with VOX

2010-12-06T16:42:00.005+08:00

Had another photo session with VOX, this time round with two of their newest members - Justine on 2nd violin and Melissa on viola. We decided to go for the "darker feel" this time round both in terms of mood as well as lighting intensity. Thanks to Barnabas and Ziline for helping me out with the lights. VOX is managed by Vocalise Artistes Management.

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Photography & Art Direction: Brian Ho / thegaleria

AG|WPJA Q3 2010

2010-12-02T15:36:00.002+08:00

Two of the photos I submitted were picked by the judges for AG|WPJA's Q3 2010 contest. One was Gerrard & Angela's taken at Trevi Fountain, Rome while the other was closer to home taken at Guillaume & Francesca's wedding.

5th Place - Sense of Place/Architecture category
Judges Comment: This is an image that is extremely manipulated and it works beautifully. The composition of the picture was well-thought out. Sophisticated.

1st Place - Kids (Being Kids/Category)
Judges Comment: Well-composed. The whisper and the expression on the boy’s face make the photo. You can almost feel like what the girl is telling him is really important. The stark whites compliment the other subdued colors in the photo.

Spain & Italy Bridals

2010-11-23T19:17:00.004+08:00

I'll be in Spain and Italy sometime in mid April 2011. So, if you're keen on a photography session in these locations, do drop me a line and we can talk more over a cuppa :)

Boon & Hui Ee

2010-11-22T10:51:00.006+08:00

I met Hui Ee many years back at a wedding and again some years later at another wedding. So, I was pleasantly surprised when she still remembered me and asked me to take some maternity shots for her. This is of course not my usual cup of tea but I must say it was a pleasant change from my usual genre of work.

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Photography & Art Direction: Brian Ho / thegaleria
Film: Kodak TRI-X

Online gallery on iPad & iPhone

2010-11-14T10:26:00.004+08:00

All Online Galleries released from Nov 11 onwards support Apple iPad and iPhone.

Angkor Bridals - March 2011

2010-11-13T08:15:00.003+08:00

I'll be making a trip to Angkor, Cambodia from March 14-18, 2011. Drop me a note if you're keen on a photoshoot in this historic landmark.

Updates for this trip can found on my Facebook.

John & Kei

2010-11-12T10:13:00.009+08:00

It's good to be back at the grand old dame after a brief hiatus, and what more when you have such an amazing couple with you. John & Kei were one fun-loving couple who were so at ease with my camera and they hit it right off the very moment I clicked my first shutter. So, taking photos of them was such a breeze. Everyone's so relaxed....myself included.

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Wedding Venue: Raffles Hotel
Kei's Gown: Vera Wang
Wedding Entertainment: Vocalise Artistes Management
Photography: Brian Ho & Luvin Lim / thegaleria
Film: Kodak TRI-X, Kodak Porta 400VC, Fuji Superia 1600

Guillaume & Francesca

2010-11-02T09:31:00.007+08:00

I remembered reading an article about this photographer who does street photography. I can't remember whether he was press photographer or a hobbyist but all I knew about him was that he loved street photography which incidentally was how photography started for me. His method was very simple. He'll look for a busy location like an intersection of two busy streets and he'll plant himself there waiting for events and moments to unfold. According to him, if you stay put at a location long enough, very soon you'll just blend in and people would not take notice of you even when you're just a few feet away from them. And he always used a 35mm or 50mm lens, which is essentially a close-range lens. In war photographer Robert Capa's words. "If your photo ain't good enough, you're not close enough". This was pretty much the case for this wedding. Small, confined place with people mingling around. There were "moments" at every turn and never more than a few feet away; and all I had to do is to look for a nice spot, plant myself there and observe. Every five to ten minutes or so, I would look for a new spot, stay put and observe all over again.

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Francesca's gown: Vera Wang
Venue: Bistro Bar, 3 Rochester Park
Photography: Brian Ho & Luvin Lim from thegaleria
Videography: Substance Films

Rent-A-Beetle

2010-10-27T12:14:00.003+08:00

thegaleria is proud to be partners of LoveBug. Rent a classically-restored vintage 1972 Volkswagen 1302 Beetle for your wedding day with exclusive promotional deals with thegaleria + LoveBug. Learn more about LoveBug's offering on www.lovebug.sg. LoveBug is also on Facebook.

Jeffery & Anne

2010-10-25T17:09:00.011+08:00

Christopher, William (both from Ichiro Films) and myself were at the White Rabbit early on a Sunday morning as we wanted to have some photos taken of the lovely couple. We heard it's a pretty unique venue - a former church converted into a restaurant. When we were back at the same venue later in the evening, the wonderful folks from Truly Harmony had the whole place transformed into the magical and whimsical world of Alice in Wonderland. Absolutely love what they did to the place. A simple ceremony, a simple wedding with the company of family and close friends, just like how every wedding should be - personal and intimate. Oh ya, there was a small corner exclusively for kids, with kid-friendly menu too. There were magicians and all sorts of entertainment to keep the little ones entertained while the big boys and girls can happily chat the evening away.

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Venue: White Rabbit
Make-up & Hair-styling: Joanne Low
Anne's Gown & Styling: Miah Tay from Amanda Lee Weddings
Wedding Planner: Truly Harmony
Photography: Brian Ho & Luvin Lim
Videography: Christopher Tay & William Chua from Ichiro Films

Adriel & Winnie in Paris

2010-10-15T15:48:00.010+08:00

For some reason, this trip was a lot more relaxed than my previous ones even though I believe I actually covered much more ground. Could be because I'm a lot more familiar with this place than other European cities after having been here and stayed in a different andorissement (district) on separate occasions. So, location scouting was a lot more thorough and concise. Could also be the weather this time round was pretty cooling throughout the day. I remembered there was a heat wave in Western Europe the same period last year, making walking around such an uncomfortable endeavour. Nevertheless, it was good to be back in this beautiful city. A truly romantic city in every sense of the word.

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Make-up & Hair-styling: Miu
Winnie's Wardrobe: Amanda Lee
Photography & Art Direction: Brian Ho
Film: Ilford Delta 400, Ilford HP5+, Kodak TRI-X, Kodak Porta 400VC

Gerrard & Angela in Rome

2010-10-05T08:48:00.007+08:00

When I first watched Ron Howard's Angels & Demons sometime last year while en route to London, I was so captivated by the sights of the Roman city that I told myself that I must definitely make Rome one of my wedding destinations. So, you can understand how excited I was when Gerrard and Angela wanted to have their wedding photos taken there. It was only sometime later that I realised that almost the entire movie (except for some street scenes) were taken in a Los Angeles car park. Like how the art director of the movie, Allan Cameron puts it "hopefully you won't be able to tell the difference". So, this shoot was pretty much Angels And Demons revisited.

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Make-up & Hair-styling: Silvia Gerzeli
Styling & Wardrobe: Amanda Lee
Photography & Art Direction: Brian Ho
Film: Ilford Delta 400, Ilford HP5, Kodak TRI-X, Kodak Porta 160VC, Fuji Superia 800

Gerrard & Angela in Liverpool

2010-09-22T10:26:00.006+08:00

Birthplace of the British fab four The Beatles and home to arguably the most supported soccer club in English football, Liverpool FC. When Gerrard and Angela first broached the idea of having a photo shoot at Anfield on match day, I thought they were joking but as it turns out, they were not. So, off we went to Liverpool and before we knew it, we were at the Shankly Gates of Anfield Stadium. Having seen Anfield every other week on cable tv, being there and seeing the real thing is indeed a very surreal experience. For some strange reason, entering the Centenary Stand for the first time almost felt like a spectator entering a gladiator arena. Think Ridley Scott's Gladiator and you'll get the picture.

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Make-up & Hair-styling: Ruth Marcella
Gerrard's suit & Angela's gown: Amanda Lee
Photography & Art Direction: Brian Ho

Ken & Jaslyn

2010-09-17T21:35:00.006+08:00

One of those bridal shoots where we had an entourage of helpers who doubled-up as entertainers, keeping Ken, Jaslyn & myself entertained throughout the shoot.

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Location: Capella Singapore
Jaslyn's Gown: Bridal Veil
Make-up & Styling: Jyue Huey (The Makeup Room)
Photography & Art Direction: Brian Ho

Featured on 2010 Formula 1

2010-09-16T15:36:00.001+08:00

The publicity images that I took for VOX is currently featured on 2010 Formula 1 website

Art of Composition

2010-09-15T15:21:00.005+08:00

An article entitled "Art of Composition" which I wrote for Canon PhotoYou Autumn 2010 issue. I particularly like this article for a simple fact that a lot of my personal and non-wedding images were featured.

Full Article: http://www.thegaleria.com/articles/photoyou03_artcomp.pdf

Clarence & Joyce

2010-09-14T12:07:00.007+08:00

It's good to be back after being away for a while. Here's a shoot I did in early August but didn't had time to share them until now.

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Joyce's Gown: Silhouette The Atelier
Photography & Art Direction: Brian Ho
Film: Agfa APX 400, Kodak TRI-X, Fuji Superia 800

Away in Europe from Aug 25 - Sep 10

2010-08-25T17:56:00.003+08:00

I'll be on assignment in Europe from Aug 25 - Sep 10. I'll still be contactable via mobile and will periodically check my email when time permits.

Gerrard & Angela @ Changi T3

2010-08-24T10:37:00.010+08:00

Never knew taking bridal photos at airport can be this fun. Gerrard had this idea of "leaving on the jet plane" and so he brought his extra-large luggage along. Then, an idea popped up. I remembered watching something on HBO's Sex & The City and I came out with an idea - why not have Gerrard and Angela walk alongside a group of Singapore Airlines (SQ) girls in kebaya. For the shot to be effective, we needed at least 4 SQ girls and it has to look as if they were all ready to board a plane. So, we got Sherwin (from DoWed) to help us "hunt" for willing volunteers. Unfortunately, we found none. Either they were too shy or too shock with our proposal. So, in the absence of ready volunteers, we had to "steal" a shot. We "ambushed" 2 SQ girls and as they were walking along, I got Gerrard and Angela to quickly walk beside them. They (the SQ girls) must be wondering what we were doing. So, in the end we got our "Sex & the City" shot albeit with only 2 girls (instead of 4). But like the saying goes, something is better than nothing.

Location: Changi Airport T3 / Singapore
Angela's Gown: Amanda Lee
Photography & Art Direction: Brian Ho

VOX @ YOG Celebration

2010-08-23T09:03:00.005+08:00

While I've photographed VOX on two separate occasions, this is however my first time watching them perform live on stage. Kudos to the string quartet for delivering such a lively performance. VOX is managed by Vocalise Artistes Management.

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Location: Promontory @ Marina / 20 Aug 2010
Photography by Brian Ho

Jeffery & Anne in Hanoi

2010-08-19T18:04:00.009+08:00

When Anne first broached the idea of having bridal photos taken in Hanoi, my first question was "Why Hanoi?" Don't get me wrong. I've been to Vietnam several times and I love the place. Rustic old charm, hospitable and friendly people amidst all the traffic chaos. Oh yes, may I also mention that they serve one of the best coffee. Anne's reply was simple "I've never been there before and I wanted something different". So, that sealed the deal and before we even realised, we were in rustic Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. The weather wasn't exactly very forgiving. While it didn't pour (there was a typhoon and flooding two weeks before we were there), the temperature was a scorching 35deg and humidity at 100%. But Jeffery & Anne were game for it. Anne even had her make-up on while we were location scouting the day before just to get a feel of how it'll be on the shooting day itself. So, kudos to Jeffery & Anne for their enthusiasm and effort. Couldn't have been this good without them.

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Location: Hanoi, Vietnam
Anne's Gown: Amanda Lee Weddings
Photography & Art Direction: Brian Ho
Film: Ilford Delta 400, Ilford HP5+, Kodak TRI-X, Kodak Porta 400VC, Fuji PRO 400H, Fuji Superia 800

Ron & Ching

2010-08-12T08:55:00.006+08:00

A wedding with a very memorable and in some ways spectacular moment. Just as soon as the bagpipers started playing to kick off the ceremony, three military helicopters flew pass above us followed by to the unmistakable roaring engines of F16 fighter jets flying in unison. And to top it off, we had the firing of canons and all this is happening in the space of a few minutes. It's hard to describe in words nor in pictures what a majestic feeling this was. If you were to shut your eyes for a moment, you would feel that you're in the movie set of Pearl Harbor but this isn't the case. This is a real wedding of two very lovely people at the Raffles Lawn with the folks from NDP doing their rehearsals at the Padang just a stone's throw away. A few reasons why to have a wedding at the Raffles Lawn on NDP rehearsal days. And oh...do make sure it's in the evening :)

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Ching's Gown: Divine Couture
Photography: Brian Ho & Luvin A. Lim
Film: Kodak 400TX, Ilford Delta 400, Kodak Porta 400VC, Fuji Superia 800

The Passing / 过

2010-08-10T18:25:00.002+08:00

This would be my debut short film that I've produced with friend and co-director, Jef Tan. My heartfelt gratitude to all those who have made this film possible. I couldn't have done it without you guys.

Two people. One afternoon. A guessing game of clouds...
...and the hours in between.

The Passing. A film by Jef Tan & Brian Ho

Parallel Lines - http://www.youtube.com/philipscinema

Starring/Cast: Benny Ong, Phyllis Tan
Wardrobe: Hansel
Make-up & Styling: Sharon Tan (A Touch of Colors)
Mandarin Translation: Chan Wee Guan
Production Manager: Lesley Chew
Clouds Animation by Omens Studios
- Producer: Ellen Xie
- Effects/Animation/Compositing: Donny Yuniarto
- Modelling/Texturing: Shi Wei
Voice Recording: Jason Chong (Red Light Studios)
Music: "Soul Talk" by Stobierski Thomas
Cinematography & Editing: Brian Ho
Camera Assistants: Douglas Ng, Joey Yu, Luvin Lim
Props: Artison Asia
Story & Screenplay: Eran Husni, Jef Tan & Brian Ho
Directed & Produced by Jef Tan & Brian Ho

Blissful Brides July-December 2010 Issue

2010-08-04T02:33:00.003+08:00

Click here to read the advertorial

Away in Hanoi from Jul 28-31

2010-07-27T23:25:00.001+08:00

I'll be away in Hanoi for a bridal shoot from Jul 28-31. Still accessible via mobile and should have some form of internet access.

Tim & Lilia

2010-07-26T09:17:00.008+08:00

Tim & Lilia are truly unique people who like many couples, shares many things in common. They both love music. Lilia belongs to a local ambient folk electronic band known as Morphy. Her latest album "Just Like Breathing" can be purchased from her website. Tim & Lilia are also champions for the environment. Tim's suit was made from recycled materials and Lilia runs Broken Brolly Project, a research and experimental project to find solutions to designing sustainably. On top of that, Lilia is a fashion designer (http://www.liliayip.com). She designed her own wedding dress and came up with a host of other unique creations - sewing kits as hairpins being one of them :).

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Photography: Brian Ho
Videography: Damon Low
Film: Kodak TRI-X, Kodak Porta 400VC, Fuji Superia 800

Emma Lyons

2010-07-23T14:16:00.003+08:00

Had an opportunity to photograph Emma Lyons a couple of weeks back. Emma's so natural in front of the camera and is an absolute joy to work with. She understood my art direction almost immediately and we got everything under wraps in under an hour. Emma Lyons is managed by Vocalise Artistes Management.

The Passing/过 Teaser

2010-07-19T10:30:00.004+08:00

Two people. One afternoon. A guessing game of clouds… and the hours in between.

The Passing. A Film by Jef Tan & Brian Ho

Janus & Gillian

2010-06-27T11:51:00.000+08:00

Once again, the opportunity to document a wedding of a close family member is indeed such a rare moment for me. I think this is my first time documenting a relative's wedding in the capacity of a main photographer. The good thing about such weddings is that I get to meet people I've have not met nor spoken to in ages, one of those rare occasions where I'm the photographer as well as the guest. In many ways, weddings are like reunions where people get together and catch up with old times and sometimes it's good to know how everyone is getting along.

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Gillian's Gown: Wedding Present
Videography: Yang
Photography: Brian Ho

VOX

2010-06-20T09:27:00.008+08:00

Had the opportunity of photographing VOX, a Pop Rock string quartet featuring Lester on 1st violin, Mingtse on 2nd violin, Yingtse on viola and Huiwen on cello. Before I got to know VOX, the only other local string quartet that I've heard of is Tang Quartet, which I'm a huge fan of. This is a sneek peek of the group shots which we did a couple of weeks back. More to follow.

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VOX is managed by Vocalise Artistes Management.

Join VOX on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/VOX/89884226544

Photography: Brian Ho & Luvin Lim
Make-up: Ginger
Hair: Kenneth Ong
Styling: Samuel Wong
Wardrobe: New Look, Love Yu, Pedro, Resham M
http://www.thegaleria.com

Overseas travel updates

2010-06-10T10:35:00.000+08:00

I've updated my overseas calendar with new travelling dates and locations. I'll be off to Penang in a month's time and will be there from Jul 2 - 7. So, if you're keen on having a shoot in the UNESCO Heritage town, do give me a buzz. I still have one more slot in Paris from Sep 8-9 for those who are interested.

租来的幸福 MV

2010-06-09T10:37:00.009+08:00

This would be my debut music video production in a capacity of a cinematographer and also my first time dabbling with motion picture. I only did the music video portion of it while snippets from the film footage were actually taken from When Night Fa11s, a short film directed by Derrick Lui

Artist: Tao Ran [陶然]
Lyrics: Huang Bi Ru
Music: Bang Wenfu
Director: Derrick Lui
Director of Photography (When Night Fa11s): Lim Beng Huat
Director of Photography (music video): Brian Ho
Production & Set Director: Michael Wee

Errol & Lesley

2010-06-05T06:41:00.000+08:00

Once again, it's nice to be a part of a wedding of a close friend more so when you get the meet people you've not met for a very long time. Lesley and myself are absolute fans of the NBC TV series Chuck, which has one of the best music selection I've ever seen and heard in a TV series. So, the online gallery of this series of photos were pretty much themed after some of the music tracks played in Chuck, most of them from Season 1 & 2.

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Make-up & Styling: Jasmine Tiong
Photography & Art Direction: Brian Ho
Film: Kodak TRI-X, Kodak Porta 400VC

David & Geraldine

2010-06-04T06:22:00.006+08:00

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Geraldine's Bridal Gown: Renee L.
Make-up & Styling: Jennis Wong
Videography: Christopher Tay
Photography & Art Direction: Brian Ho
Film: Kodak TRI-X, Kodak Porta 400VC, Fuji Superia 800

Alvin & Grace

2010-05-26T12:54:00.004+08:00

AG|WPJA Q1 2010 Contest

2010-05-19T13:51:00.005+08:00

I just got news that a photo I submitted from Yik Shiong & Lin Li's wedding won 1st Place in the AG|WPJA Q1 2010 Contest under the "Getting Ready" category.

"I loved this shot as soon as I saw it. The gesture, tone and sense of texture really make this a compelling image. I might suggest a crop on the left side to clean it up a little and to bring down the hot spot behind the lamp but either way this image is still a strong winner"

Link: http://www.agwpja.com/photography-contests/39-agwpja-q1-2010/01-getting-ready.html

Film stills from Tao Ran's [陶然] MV

2010-05-10T08:56:00.008+08:00

Film stills from Tao Ran's [陶然] MV shoot on the set of When Night Fa11s. Only managed to get a few shots this time round as I was filming the music video.

Bridal Gowns by Lai Chan

2010-05-10T08:50:00.002+08:00

Featuring bridal gowns from Lai Chan taken during the Raffles Romance Wedding Show on 11 Apr 2010.

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Photography & Art Direction by Brian Ho

Alex & Jessie

2010-05-04T09:08:00.018+08:00

I met Alex & Jessie just a couple of days before the wedding and we were saying what we would give for good weather on Saturday. As it turns out, we got more than what we have bargained for - we had too much sun. We literally "melted" under the sweltering heat but all things considered, a sunny day is always better than a rainy one especially when the wedding ceremony is going to be held outdoors.

Make-Up & Styling: Sharon Tan
Photography: Brian Ho & Luvin Lim
http://www.thegaleria.com

Turn the Lights Down

2010-04-25T10:27:00.001+08:00

Photos and words: Brian Ho (thegaleria)

As dusk falls and the sun slips away, photographing people becomes a sensuous play on light and shadow.

I love photographing people and it is something I do day in, day out as a wedding photographer. Some years back, a fellow photographer shared with me this book, Tête-Bêche, a pictorial book with still shots from the movie set of In the Mood for Love (directed by acclaimed filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai) and I was immediately captivated by what was possible with seemingly impossible lighting conditions. The overly dramatized and moody feel has ever since become my personal favorite and a hallmark of my photography. While what ia presented is mainly people photography, you can easily extend the idea to any subject of interest. The way you observe and compose a shot, be it people or not, is no less different. Taking pictures in low light should be an affair that is easy, practical and requires no need for cumbersome equipment. Contrary to popular belief, leave your tripod and flash at home. All that is needed is your camera, a steady pair of hands, a good pair of walking shoes and above all - a keen eye for observation relying only on the use of ambient light.

Looking for a light source
Low light photography isn't about taking photos in pitch dark locations. It is impractical to think that you can get decent photos from such impossible conditions. The key to low light photography is looking for a light source. The light source can be anything from street lamps, spot lights, lights from a passing cars, lights from an opened window, table lamps and so on. The important thing is to understand how light works for you. Observe how the light falls on your subject, take note of the contrast and shadows it creates, and above all, experiment until you get it right. With enough practice, you will soon be able to identify the kind of light that gives you the kind of mood you're looking for. As you can see, this has nothing to do with camera technique but more on instinct and a keen sense of observation.

Keep it Steady
Lugging a tripod around is cumbersome. However, there are times where you wished you had one with you. In the absence of a tripod, there are various ways to prevent blurry shots. Lean the side of your body or your hand against a sturdy support like a wall, lamp post or floor base and use this to keep your camera steady. Prop your camera against a surface. When holding up a camera, rest both your elbows on your stomach and voila, you have an improvised tripod!

(Bottom right image)
Yik Shiong & Lin Li London, 2009
It totally slipped our mind that it was a Friday night as Oxford St and Regent St were packed with shoppers and party-goers. We found a back alley at Regent St and decided to take a rest. Then, I realised what a perfectly-lit back alley this was, with a row of street lamps and a glass window showcase that reflected light; even the floor seemed to be reflecting light from below.

Shadow Play
Use shadows as creatively as you can. You can either use it as part of the image or you can use shadows as the main composition. I've seen some very beautiful images taken only of shapes and shadows.

Ken & Yen at Farol Da Guia, Macau Ken first spotted the shadow cast from the spotlight at the lighthouse and we wanted to try something creative with shadows. This was a very quick moment when Yen turned around perhaps to take a peek at what I was doing.

Keep It Shallow
Shallow depth-of-field is one of the hallmarks low-light photography. It keeps the main subject isolated from the environment and the slightly out-of-focus feel simply adds to the mood. Cinematographers like Christopher Doyle (In the Mood for Love & Chungking Express) uses this to good effect.

Perspective
Give your photos a sense of depth and perspective. In the image on the right taken on the streets of Prague, I used the long cobbled-stone street with the street lamps at the side to give the image a sense of depth. The diminishing perspective of the street towards the far horizon plus the fact that the couple were walking towards that direction gave this photo a sense of three dimensionality. Again, a very shallow depth of field was used.

(Left image)
Rick & Ishir at Hradcany, Prague
The shallow depth-of-field was partly by choice and partly due to circumstances. You rarely get a lot of depth-of-field to play with in low light conditions. I liked the well-lit Coliseum-like backdrop, so I had Rick & Ishir stand at a location that was fairly well-lit (under a street lamp). I kept the depth of field deep enough so that some details of the background could be faintly distinguised but at the same time shallow enough that I could hand-hold the camera and retain the moody feel that is characteristic of low light photography. All this was done just by relying on ambient lighting.

Black & White
One of the important elements of low light photography is contrast. In the same way, Black & White photography shares the same characteristic too. This is the reason why low-light photos in most cases look excellent in monochrome. They are devoid of colors and rely solely on contrast, shapes and shadows. Most cameras have at least a black & white setting which you can fiddle with. Give it a try!

Movement & Motion
While blurry and out-of-focus shots is not something most people would favour and something most photographers would rather avoid, it is however the best technique to suggest motion.

Equipment Does Matter
It is important that you use a camera that will help you get that shot in low light. Using a DSLR with a fast prime lens is the recommended modus operandi. Canon's EOS 1000D and 500D are such cameras which boast light bodies with all the features you need. Lens-wise, a 50mm f/.8 II is the most versatile. The 35mm f/2.0 is also a very good alternative. These lenses are cheap, lightweight, easy to carry around, fit nicely in your handbag and they excel in low-light photography. You wouldn't want to leave home without them.

(Right image)
Rick & Ishir at Hradcany Prague
We were taking a stroll back to Charles Bridge when I caught a glimpse of Rick and Ishir under the faint street lamp lights. The diminishing perspective of the long street along with the shallow depth of field and the long row of street lamps gave this image a unique sense of depth. It was as if they were walking into the picture

Prelude to a Kiss

2010-04-20T07:20:00.002+08:00

First published in PhotoYou (Spring 2010). Photos and words: Brian Ho (thegaleria)

Wedding photographer Brian Ho leads us down a memory lane of unforgettable kisses caught in his lens.

A couple of years back, I caught a glimpse of French photographer Robert Doisneau's works and was instantaneously captivated by it. His most recognizable work is a very famous photo of two strangers sharing a kiss and embrace in front of Hôtel de Ville in Paris hence the title Le baiser de l'hôtel de ville (Kiss by the Hôtel de Ville). In many ways, that iconic image encapsulates Paris as the city of romance, a fact that was true in Doisneau's time in the 1940s and still holds true today. Some years later, I saw Cinema Paradiso, an Italian movie directed by Giuseppe Tornatore and was immediately mesmerised by the last scene of the movie which had perhaps the best kissing scene montage in motion picture history. And that inspired me to create a series of images that had this special moment in mind - a moment of shared love, a moment of private intimacy and a moment we all experience at some point in our life.

Steven & Charissa. While sharing an intimate and private moment is a natural thing to do, carrying it out in front of a camera at close proximity (and before an adoring crowd) is really a different matter. The challenge of acting out a "kiss" is daunting especially when you need it to look natural as if the camera wasn't there at all. Chemistry and trust have to be present and a special relationship has to develop between the subject and the photographer. This is not something that can be established with just anyone. Between the couple - Steven & Charissa - and myself, we shared a unique understanding that produced very natural shots that would have otherwise been difficult.

Nameera. This was a very quick shot and the only shot I took of Nameera and her great grand-auntie - the oldest member in the family. This was a classic example of being at the right place at the right time and clicking your camera shutter at precisely the correct moment. Like how French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson used to put it "Il n'ya a rien dans ce monde qui n'ait un moment decisif" (There is nothing in this world that does not have a decisive moment).

Tim & Charmaine. In this picture, I love the expression of the priest most. I like the fact that he has probably seen couples kissing a million times and yet was equally bemused when Tim & Charmaine shared a kiss; as if he was witnessing this for the first time. I simply love photos taken this way. Somehow the bemusement of the priest added a very different flavour to this image, making it more amusing than romantic!

Robert & Jackie. There are simply so many kinds of emotions revealed in this image. In one take, the kiss was captured along with the emotions of people who were close to them. The symmetry of the dresses and suits and all the special moments were captured all together within a single frame. This was the only shot I caught that day and quite possibly the only chance I had to preserve this very special memory for eternity.

Tjerk & Marilyne. Tjerk & Marilyne are both personal friends of mine. It's such a rare treat documenting a friend's wedding. The emotions always seem more real and vivid as a person close to you is embarking on another journey in their life.

Shaun & Barbara. This image is, in my opinion, a classic Doisneau moment. While it is quite different from the Hôtel de Ville contemporary, it shares the same stark resemblance. In addition to the fact that it is in black and white, the voyeuristic nature of this shot adds to the mood and realism.

PhotoYou (Spring 2010)

2010-04-18T07:11:00.001+08:00

Canon's inaugural issue of PhotoYou and I'm fortunate to have such a significant involvement. Shot the cover page, written two articles and did the photography for three articles. Available at Borders, Kino & Popular at $9.90. It's pretty informative for those who are starting out photography. More to come...

Sneak peek at Raffles Wedding Show

2010-04-16T09:26:00.006+08:00

A sneak peak at Raffles Romance Wedding Show on Apr 11.

Wedding gown by Lai Chan. Art Direction & Photography by Brian Ho

Hong Kong in Holga

2010-04-15T08:45:00.006+08:00

These images were taken in Hong Kong back in Nov 2009. Didn't really had time to take much so these are a few from the only roll (12 shots) I captured with my Holga 120GN.

Photography by Brian Ho

Amsterdam in Holga

2010-04-09T10:00:00.002+08:00

This series of images were taken back in October 2009. Finally, I had some time to process them and have it uploaded. As far as I can remember, it was a wet wet trip with rain almost for the entire duration I was there.

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Photography by Brian Ho

Raffles Romance Wedding Book

2010-03-26T05:28:00.002+08:00

thegaleria is the exclusive photography partner of the Raffles Hotel. So, if you're having your wedding at the Grand Old Dame, do contact us for special exclusive rates.

Raffles Romance Online: http://www.raffles-romance.com/

Photography by Brian Ho

London

2010-03-25T22:09:00.006+08:00

Some images taken sometime back in Aug 2009. Haven't had time to process them until recently.

More images London taken in 2008 can be found on my Facebook

Photography by Brian Ho

George and Leng

2010-03-22T15:38:00.006+08:00

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Photography by Brian Ho & Luvin Lim
http://www.thegaleria.com

When Night Fa11s Private Gala Premiere

2010-02-26T13:29:00.006+08:00

Finally, I got to see the long-awaited short film after a one year wait. Once again, it's indeed great to see and meet the entire team again and in one way or another, I'm sure we were all looking forward to this day. The production quality was of course excellent and the audience were equally as fantastic especially during the Q&A session. So much participation and so much depth in the questions that were asked, some of it were quite a revelation. Hopefully, there would be more film fest coming up.

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Lighting & Photography by Brian Ho

Rick & Ishir featured in Blissful Brides #11

2010-02-25T12:07:00.007+08:00

Rick & Ishir bridal photos taken in Prague is featured in Blissful Brides Issue #11 (Jan-Jun 2010).

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Yik Shiong & Lin Li's Wedding (Part Two)

2010-02-24T11:01:00.008+08:00

This would be Part Two of Yik Shiong & Lin Li's wedding, a wedding party held at the Raffles Hotel Garden Lawn. The groomsmen and bridesmaids were again back to their usual antics with an absolutely hilarious skit for everyone's entertainment and enjoyment.

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Make-up & Styling: Sophia Chia
Videography: Yang
Photography: Brian Ho