Justin Eeles, a long-time publishing contact, reached out to me recently informing me that he had taken the role of Editor-in-Chief of NOW! Singapore, a new lifestyle magazine rolling out in our island state this month.  Justin was interested in publishing a photo essay about Singapore and was curious what I had in my archives.  I knew immediately what images I wanted to share...

Chinese opera is deeply ingrained in Chinese culture, with roots back to the Third Century.  The Chinese immigrants who have settled in Singapore over the past 150 years have transported this traditional form of musical theatre with them, performing it on makeshift wooden stages in car parks and open fields across Singapore’s heartlands, most notably during Chinese New Year and Hungry Ghost festival celebrations.  Other than offering entertainment, most performances highlight positive virtues such as love, loyalty and patriotism.

I have always been drawn to the vibrant costumes and colourful face painting of the performers, and have often wished for an opportunity to photograph this fading traditional art.  However, the opportunity was only recently presented to me, when invited to join a performance by the Xin Xin Rong He Teochew street opera troupe in Ghim Moh, a neighbourhood not far from my home.

Backstage buzzed with energy as cast and crew raced back and forth through the cramped dressing room -- lit only by naked light bulbs dangling from wires.  Drums pounded and cymbals crashed on the small stage, located just beyond the thin, transparent sheet that separated fantasy from reality.

These photographs are a small collection of the work I created when I spent that evening with the Xin Xin Rong He troupe; more of this series can be found on my website.

Way, way back in 2008 -- alongside popular food and travel writer Robyn Eckhardt -- I photographed a 14-page destination and luxury lifestyle feature in Langkawi for Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia.

As is the case with many of the travel pictures I make, they often have a shelf-life that extends beyond the original assignment, reappearing in other publications in the future. However, I've never had an instance where an image that was originally printed in a magazine was reprinted in that same title nearly six years later...

This happened just this month with the release of T+L's The Best of Penang + Langkawi, a free downloadable digital guide to two of Malaysia's most popular island destinations featuring my photograph from beautiful Bon Ton Resort on the cover.

Captured poolside within the grounds of Bon Ton's 100 year-old coconut plantation, this photograph reminds me of those few glorious days spent shooting on Langkawi all those years ago, as well as a subsequent visit to Langkawi and Bon Ton for a personal holiday just over two years ago.

Browse more of my luxury lifestyle photography here.

When contemplating China, people often imagine the crowded and increasingly cosmopolitan streets of Shanghai and Beijing.  I've been fortunate enough to visit and photograph these thriving metropolitan centres, documenting their frenetic energy and economic optimism. I am fascinated by the urban sprawl of China’s metropolises as these cities continue to grow.  It is amazing to me that China has more than 160 cities with a population greater than 1 million people, and I am very interested in how this is changing rural life for the Chinese who live in the outlying areas of these cities’ ever-expanding limits.

To this point, and to try and seek a different perspective on China, I have spent time documenting the more provincial cities and smaller rural towns of Yunnan province in the picturesque southwest of the country.  I relish photographing these quaint, unrehearsed scenes where traditional life is set against a stunning canvas of rugged, natural beauty.

I was recently contacted by my friends at Publicitas in Singapore; they were looking for a cover image and a photographic essay for Thai Airways' Sawasdee inflight magazine.  They were interested in featuring some of my China work, and I was more than happy to oblige.

A small collection of my China reportage appears on the cover and across 10 pages inside the October 2014

edition of Sawadee and includes photographs I made in Shanghai, Beijing, Lijiang and Diqing.

Often called the “Paris of the East”, Shanghai is modern China’s crown jewel, a city of shiny shopping malls and teeming skyscrapers mixed with European colonial concessions and traditional Chinese architecture.  Shanghai is a remarkable fusion of the modern and the historical, a hornet's nest of frenetic energy and (seemingly controlled) chaos, and I loved photographing this juxtaposition.

In Beijing I was drawn to the city’s labyrinthine hutongs (narrow streets and alleys) where local flavor and a taste of China’s cultural history endures.  I was also drawn to the 798 Art District in the Chaoyang District located outside the city.  Situated in decommissioned 1950s-era state-owned military factory buildings, 798 is home to Beijing's burgeoning arts scene.

Yunnan province lies within the picturesque region of southwest China, and is distinguished from the rest of the country by its geographic and cultural diversity.  Yunnan’s topography, rich in flora and fauna, stretches from the lush tropical rainforests of the south to the spectacular snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas.

Constructed toward the end of the twelfth century, Lijiang was the capital of the ancient Naxi Kingdom and a crucial

fortress on the Yunnan-Tibet “Old Tea Trade Route”.  Today, distinctive Naxi-style architecture and tradition still flank the cobblestone lanes of the quaint Old Town, and strolling these twisting lanes is a photographer’s delight: local artisans work in open doorways, women stir steaming pots on the pathways men play mahjong in cafés and there is a bounty of handmade jewellery, clothing, carvings and pottery for sale.  Outside the city, in the meadows nestled beneath the snowy peaks of the soaring Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, is home to dozens of ethnic minority groups, each with its own distinctive tribal costumes and traditional customs.

Further north, perched on the edge of the Tibetan plateau and within the rolling, rocky area designated Shangri-La by the Chinese government, visitors to Diqing and the surrounding villages will find a small but unique slice of giant and enigmatic China and be afforded glimpses into its charming and customary rural past.

Look for my 'Colours of China' photo essay if you're flying Thai Aiways this month.

"A handful of parents established the Singapore American School (SAS) in 1956 in a private home with just 105 students to meet the educational needs of a burgeoning expatriate community.  Today, SAS is an independent, non-profit, co-educational day school offering an American-based curriculum for preschool through grade 12. There are more than 3,800 students from more than 50 nations, and approximately 70% hold U.S. passports.  SAS... is the largest single-campus international school in the world."

I have long admired SAS for its innovative spirit, willingness to change and desire to be a world-class school.  Whenever the school asks me to participate in a student activity -- whether it's assisting the AP Art class, delivering the keynote address at the Model UN conference or speaking about photography to the Yearbook class -- I am always happy to oblige.

So when Vanessa Spier, the Director of Communications at SAS, approached me last year about photographing the school's latest brand and advertising campaign, themed 'SOAR', I was extremely excited for the opportunity.

In working through the broad creative idea with Vanessa and her colleague Kristina Doss, I learned that through a series of discussions with administrators, principals, and teachers, several overarching themes emerged.

Extraordinary care is a consistent, longstanding thread recounted across faculty, staff, parents and students -- not just for students in their learning, but in their lives, as well as for families as a part of the SAS community, and faculty in their support of one another.

Vanessa also explained to me that a second well-known indicator of SAS's success is a culture of excellence. However, she was careful to clarify that although this culture was promoted very well internally, it wasn't always portrayed as well externally.  Vanessa described how SAS has one of the top AP programs in the world, its younger students deliver some of the highest test scores in the world and its older students attend many of the world's top universities and colleges.  Excellence is definitely a part of who SAS is, but not always part of the story SAS tells.

And finally, Vanessa described SAS's desire to promote its culture of possibilities, emphasizing the wide choices that students have in their course selections, activities and clubs.  She wanted to show that every student, no matter what their age, learning style, interest or strength can find a place at SAS where they can succeed and achieve amazing goals.

In our early meetings, Vanessa shared with me SAS's most recent advertising campaign: "Be engaged. Be challenged.

Be inspired. Be you."  SAS began identifying students who had unique stories to tell or were able to pursue their passions and achieve levels of excellence.  Throughout this process, Vanessa explained, she and her colleagues often recounted how these students were able to "soar".  As Vanessa said to me, "It just all fit together that 'SOAR' should be our campaign theme.  It's who we are.  It's what we want our students to do.  It's what our faculty does on a daily basis.  It's where we want to go as an organization." And so the campaign's big idea was born...

What was unique about this commission was that I worked directly with the client (and not via an advertising agency) who offered me a true hand in the photographic idea generation and throughout the entire creative and production process.  In fact, Vanessa, Kristina and I spent a day together touring the SAS campus, brainstorming possible 'SOAR' photographs and how to execute them.

My favourite photographs from this campaign are the ones that feature students whose passions, nurtured at SAS, are leading them to success in the real world.

One was Alex Fortmann, a high school senior whose beautiful short film, "Flight" -- that Alex wrote, directed, filmed, scored and starred in -- resulted in his acceptance to the prestigious Tisch School of the Arts at

NYU.  We made Alex's portrait in the SAS film studio surrounded by lights and cameras while projecting a scene from "Flight" onto Alex himself, essentially using Alex as a canvas for his own art.

Another was Devon Reagan, a young woman who wished to integrate her passion for horses into her senior project. Devon decided to work alongside the Riding for the Disabled Association of Singapore, volunteering regularly and mentoring one student while studying the bond that has been known to develop when the handicapped learn to ride horses.  During this process Devon became certified with the British Horse Society and successfully gained entrance into Equine Science program at Colorado State University.  We photographed Devon alongside a beautiful horse at the Bukit Timah Saddle Club where she volunteered.

High School junior Kartikye Mittal designed and engineered the quadcopter we photographed on the SAS soccer field. He is one of the founding members of the SAS Robotics Team and has participated in several competitions around the world.  Interestingly, Kartikye is also a Google Glass student developer helping to Beta test Google's latest technology.  This photograph was a lot of fun (if not extremely challenging) to make, involving a Genie lift, some technical challenges and some very patient pilots and

and teachers.  (Read a behind-the-scenes account of this shoot on Singapore American School's 'Perspectives' blog).

Finally, there was Colton West, who transferred to SAS a few years ago.  Colton and his family were concerned that he would not be able to fully pursue his deep passion for ballet at a high school here in Singapore.  However, teacher Tracy van der Linden's dance program is not only flexible, but also of a quality and rigour that allows students of all abilities to excel.  Colton has continued to soar at SAS; last year he won the prestigious International Competition du Grasse in France, one of the most important classical European dance competitions.  Colton trains two and a half hours every day after school, and six hours a day on weekends.  He graduates this year and his goal it to attend the famous Juliard School to study dance next year. Colton's was a very enjoyable photograph to make, as I collaborated closely with him and three of his ballet peers to make certain we captured his pose perfectly.

Together we made a total of 15 'SOAR' photographs for SAS to roll-out in press campaigns, publish online and display across campus throughout the current 2014/15 academic year.  I am always excited to see my work come to life, but because of my close relationship with SAS and its faculty, it feels a little more special this time.

Special Thanks to SAS Administrators and Faculty

Chip Kimball, Vanessa Spier, Kristina Doss, Mona Stuart, Mimi Molchan, Tracy van der Linden, Barbara Harvey, Peter Cuthbert, Alison Cuthbert, Wendy Liddell, Anne Westrom, Paul Koebnick, Anthony Wong, Barton Millar, Meredith White and Jim Ryan.

Credits

Client: Singapore American School

Production: Ugly Duckling Projects

Executive Producer: Annette Fausboll

Hair & Make-up Artist: Andrea Claire

Photographer's Assistant: Zam (Stills Network)

D.I. Artist: Agnes Teo

See the 2014/15 'SOAR' print media campaign and read more about these inspiring students' stories here.

In May I was approached by my friends at Ink Publishing to shoot the cover feature for the July/August 2014 edition of Tiger Airways' Tiger Tales Asia inflight magazine.

My creative brief was to photograph five food and beverage establishments that have a "dual personality" -- that operate as local hawker stalls by day and then transform into high-end restaurants and bars at night.  As writer Celine Asril says, "Kopi-O or craft spirits?  Mee pok or a fancy omakase set?  In parts of Singapore where old-school kopitiams and high-end F&B outlets share the same space, it all depends on which time of day you turn up."

Not only is multi-purposing spaces a clever idea, it has become a business imperative in parts of Singapore such as Tiong Bahru, where operating costs have rapidly increased in recent years.  As Celine explains, "Built in the 1930s, Tiong Bahru recently underwent a makeover that saw it ascend to the ranks of the Lion City’s hippest enclaves (including making Vogue's recent list of 'The World's Coolest Neighbourhoods').  But the area’s gentrification didn’t come without a cost.  In the face of forays by businesses catering for the affluent, the modest eateries that put the neighbourhood on the map in the first place

were in danger of being pushed out.  Rather than enter into a conflict that would have proved beneficial to no one, however, a compromise was reached.  By splitting the cost of renting their retail spaces with high-end bistros and bars, the owners of these time-tested stalls managed to stay in business while simultaneously helping preserve the area’s old-school flavour."

The first location I photographed, the iconic coffee shop at 56 Eng Hoon Street, which becomes Two Face Pizza & Taproom every evening at dusk, was the first of these dual-purpose food and beverage outlets to open.  However, as owner Victor Tan says in Celine's article, "I felt the use of the space could be improved.  I never thought I’d be starting a trend.”

But start a trend Victor did...

I photographed four more F&B establishments that serve two uses, depending on the time of day one visits: Tiong Bahru's Dough & Grains (bakery) and Backdoor @ Seng Poh (pub), Hua Bee (hawker stall) and Bincho (yakitori-ya restaurant), Tanjong Pagar's Manicurious (nail salon) and Jekyll & Hyde (cocktail bar) and Shoebox Canteen (eatery) and Bitters & Love (cocktail bar) in Chinatown.

It was a fun assignment to shoot as it gave me an opportunity to capture the same places twice -- both before and after their evening transformations -- which was an enjoyable creative challenge for me.  It was also fantastic to meet so many young and interesting local entrepreneurs who are following their passions and dreams in Singapore's competitive hospitality industry.

Read the entire 'Double Happiness' cover feature in Tiger Tales Asia.

Way back in January -- prior to all the Nikon D4S content we made, and in collaboration with JWT Singapore -- my creative team and I photographed the Asia-Pacific/Middle East/Africa print campaign for the launch of the brand new Nikon D3300 DSLR camera for our friends at Nikon Asia.

Shot on-location in the backyard swimming pool of a private Singapore home, and featuring six young boys ranging in age from five to 13-years-old, this was an extremely enjoyable (if not challenging) image to direct and photograph.

Print ads featuring this picture rolled-out across Asia and around the world a few months ago -- one of which actually hung at the bus stop a few doors down from my home in Singapore for a number of weeks, which was exciting to see.

I Am The New Nikon D3300.  I Am Endless Possibilities.

Credits

Client: Nikon Asia

Agency: JWT Singapore

Producer (JWT): Pepper See

Art Director: Laurent Pastorelli

Account Service: Missy Tolentino, Jeanette Tan

Production: Ugly Duckling Projects (UDP)

Executive Producer (UDP): Annette Fausboll

Producer (UDP): Andre Chen

Styling: Evon

Grooming: Mag Yang

Photographer's Assistants: Zam & Halid (Stills Network)

This story, written by Martha Blanchfield, was originally published on Nikon USA's Focus On Cinema blog.

High Resolution Stills and Video in One Lightweight, Rugged Package

Photojournalists, DOPs, documentary producers and photographers are producing significantly more multimedia assets as part of client deliverables. What’s needed is a rugged, versatile camera that can go the mile, whether at a beachside wedding or high atop a mountain in extreme freezing cold.

Mike Rogers and Scott Woodward, a Singapore-based filmmaker and photographer team, were tasked with testing the new Nikon D4S DSLR and pushing the camera to its limits. Over the span of 17 days, the team created three short films and thousands of photographs that showcase the features and capabilities of Nikon’s latest tool for creative storytelling.

Nikon in Bhutan

Each pro had specific and exacting challenges for the camera. Woodward sought to demonstrate how the D4S is an optimal tool for working in extreme conditions, while

being a must-have camera that produces flawless still images. Rogers wanted to capture the beautiful and enigmatic Kingdom of Bhutan, one of the world’s most

Untouched and unforgiving landscapes through three short films: (1) “Taking Aim” - A film about a young female archer in Bhutan, (2) “A Journey to Perfection” - The team’s story recorded during the Bhutan trek and (3) Behind the scenes for a “A Journey to Perfection”.

Nikon wanted us to reach to extremes for both our creativity and this new camera, so we envisioned a trek up the slopes of Bhutan’s Himalayan Mountains—with a plan to work at altitudes between 3,000 and 4,300 meters (10,000 and 14,000 feet), temperatures as low as -10 degrees Celsius (15 degrees Fahrenheit), and in environments of snow, dust and wind,” says Woodward. “Our goal: push the new EXPEED 4 image processor day and night. Task every new feature and invent ways to tell our story through both motion and still art.”

Capture in Bhutan hinged on the team’s ability to get equipment to each shoot site. While not a typical commercial production, a large crew and plenty of gear was nonetheless required. A team of 10 Bhutanese guides led

the group of eight; their 21 pack horses carried supplies and gear (totaling 300kg or 661 pounds). The team traversed rough terrain and ascension to altitudes where work in freezing weather—day and night—was on the agenda.

Trek Test

During the journey, Woodward fired off more than 5,000 frames and Rogers produced 15 hours of footage. To task the operating strength of the camera, a decision was made to run all video processing internally. In other words, all footage acquisition went straight to the memory card, minus external recorder and HDMI uncompressed-out. The objectives being to not only prove that the camera alone could deliver tremendous output, but to max-out processing muscle.

“We shot with the decision to perform post-processing and color grading direct from compressed H.264 .MOV files right out of the camera,” notes Rogers. Working that way did create a risky situation in that he did not have immediate large-view feedback. “Nonetheless, our first impression regarding quality of footage was remarkable. Direct-to-camera permitted us to move more efficiently through the final stages of post-production since

capture was already pretty well-balanced in terms of color.”

A View to a Hill

When viewing the films, try to visualize how capture was achieved. The team mixed things with a variety of POV (point of view) acquired using tripod, handheld and glide cam systems. They varied frame rate speed and pushed ISO into the deep end.

Fast lenses were used; a NIKKOR 35mm f/1.4 was the mainstay. For longer distances, a NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8 provided depth of field that yielded desired bokeh-ish mood. The NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8—the widest lens on-hand, was tapped when working 60p with a glide cam and jib. “We also heavily relied on a 16-35mm f/1.4 (most of the behind the scenes film was shot on this lens), a 24-70mm f/2.8 (Woodward’s favorite), plus a pair of 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II lenses (often used for the long scene-setting shots),” notes Rogers.

Aside from swapping a lens to vary DOF, Rogers eased between FX and DX modes. For instance, his 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II lens became an effective 105-300mm which served as a quick and effective option to get closer to a subject.

Slowing Down the Ascent

Rogers says, “Let’s start by talking about the 1080p slow-motion capability with the Nikon D4S. Capped at 60p when running NTSC (50p on PAL), this new speed feature turns the D4S from a regular DSLR into a creative power house. Once we saw how 60p looked, we filmed many scenes at this higher frame rate with the intent to create a bed of footage that could be later slowed down to accentuate a key moment in a scene.”

He continues, “A lot of cameras offer capture at 60p, but it’s important to bear in mind that this setting alters how the sensor reads the light. Done poorly, the record process can seriously increase artifacts and noise in dark areas of the image. In our motion scenes—many of which were staged in darkness and illuminated only by a single small studio light and/or purely a table of candles—the blacks stayed smooth with very minute artifacting.”

Rogers jumps back to comment on Nikon D4S versatility at 1080p, specifically when footage is to be cropped down. The camera’s excellent capture gave him more options to vary focal lengths (digital retouch in post-process) using that original take. He could also work this crop functionality into slow motion edit work. And finally, 720p Web delivery was possible.

Black Made Better with White

Calling out a specific span of capture at 60p, Rogers references the candle scene. Here, he wanted to keep the presentation very natural, so illumination cast by the candles was the only light permitted. “I focused the camera, adjusted the Nikon Spot White Balance setting to the skin tone of my subject, then commenced capture.”

Working in this manner did require him to increase ISO to 1600 (to preserve some exposure for background and environment). “This ISO boost, with almost all other cameras, would have rendered blacks in the scene to be grainy and horrible. I’d be spending more time in post-production color to correct things,” he says. “In the past, when using other brands of DSLR as a main camera, I’ve noticed a less than stellar track record properly rendering colors. The Nikon D4S did an amazing job of keeping the blacks nice and smooth, even with capture direct-to-camera.”

Accurate white balance in a final product is highly influenced by the processor’s ability to capture, then accurately display on the LCD monitor, what the camera has acquired. With the Nikon D4S’s new Spot White Balance function, that challenge has been solved. In “Journey To Perfection,” Spot White Balance in Live View was tapped

to accurately set white balance. “In that production there were a lot of different light sources with various color temperatures. Spot White Balance is an amazing feature that we both continue to frequently use on sets and locations. We both witness highly accurate tonal range and interpretation,” says Rogers.

The white balance feature was also called up by Woodward when creating stills during that dark scene. “This spot control allowed us to immediately set control in each and every scene. We could make quick decisions about the look of a scene, which then permitted us to move immediately to creative decisions without wasting time messing around with gelling lights or windows,” he adds. “This feature quickly became one of our favorite functions while on set.”

New Sounds for the Nikon D4S

Just one more aspect put through the tech wringer was the new audio system. “Minus a standalone mic, would our two Nikon D4S cameras be able to satisfactorily record a documentary shoot via solely directional boom mics?” Assets Rogers, “The objective—test the D4S paired with as little extra gear as possible.” What would it be like to take the camera straight out of the box and begin producing?

Rogers affirms that while not one of the sexiest new

additions, the D4S has notable audio functionalities that saved production several times while on location in Bhutan. Monitoring and adjusting-on-the-fly sound sensitivity levels for the attached mics was a breeze. “We could gauge audio levels at any moment of filming. Having that live read-out permitted us to shoot continuously in a variety of locales. If a change in audio occurred, we did not have to interrupt capture to adjust placement of a sound record device.”

This audio oomph came in handy on more than one occasion. Rogers recalls a shoot series where the main characters descend a steep hill then come into the frame aside a noisy river. The Nikon D4S was positioned on a tripod adjacent to the water; the audio setting initially dialed low to tame the sound of the rushing stream. As the characters enter the frame and come close enough for him to hear them, Rogers easily adjusted the dial to a more sensitive level to capture the conversation. “Audio for that progression would have been too low had I not been able to adjust to a significantly different level of sound.”

Mighty Multimedia

Woodward sums up, “We believe the Nikon D4S is a tool that digital filmmakers and multimedia producers should take a serious look at.” From a photography perspective,

his favorite feature is the Group Area Auto-Focus. The improved AF accuracy achieved by a 5-point focus grouping helps reduce back/front focus challenges for a subject that has erratic and/or unpredictable movement. He was able to more accurately track subjects with greater certainty and less distraction or shift of focus.

From a filmmaking point-of-view, a favorite feature of Rogers is the 1080/60p functionality. “To be able to capture slow motion footage at a resolution of 1080p with such a small form factor is a game changer,” he asserts. “I can quickly capture various options for editors without the need to switch between cameras. As a result, I saved time using just one capture device, and kept all files stored on the same memory card. That’s a big time saver in post-production.”

This story was originally published on Nikon Asia's Learn & Explore blog.

I believe that photography is the most accessible and democratic form of artistic expression.  The ubiquity of digital cameras -- on mobile phones or small point-­and-shoot models, all the way to large, powerful DSLR or medium format cameras -- is making it ever simpler to capture high-quality images anywhere, anytime.

But as most will attest, making great photographs has little to do with owning the best and most expensive equipment. The real secret behind great photography is in how you see a moment and interpret it in a still frame, regardless of what type of camera you are using.  Are you able to make something ordinary appear extraordinary  by showing it differently?   Are you able to make the viewer feel an emotion when they see your photograph?   Are you able to transport someone to a moment with you simply by pressing the shutter?

I once read that a camera is a great excuse to delve into a place deeper than we otherwise would. I like this description. Searching for an interesting photograph forces us to look at our surroundings differently, to explore a

place further, to look beyond the obvious and hunt for something unique and special.

I call my photography style “Choose Your Own Adventure Photography”, after the books I used to read as a child. Literally and creatively, I can go one direction and discover a remarkable photographic opportunity; or I can go another direction and find something entirely different.  It is this adventure that is the beauty of photography for me.

#1 - Be inspired. Research the destinations and locations your travels will take you ahead of time.  The more you know about where you will be shooting, the better prepared you can be.  Try to have some ideas for the types of photographs you want to create beforehand.  There is no shame in looking at other photographers’ interpretations of a location or scene.  Use others’ work -- there is an endless stream of imagery from photographers across the globe on Instagram and Facebook and Flickr and Twitter -- to be inspired and help get your creative juices flowing so you can create your own unique photography.

#2 - Add life to landscapes. Beautiful landscape shots can be breathtaking, but if you’ve ever been subjected to a friend of family member’s holiday snaps, you know how

dull they can become after you’ve looked at dozens of them in a row.  Try adding people to your landscape photographs. Even if they occupy just a little bit of space within your frame, a human touch helps make a more powerful photograph: it gives scale to an image, offers perspective and adds drama.

#3 - Play with light. The most critical ingredient in all great photographs is the lighting.  The best images always make interesting and powerful use of light.  The angle of the sun significantly affects the warmth, contrast and texture of a photograph.  As often as possible, shoot in the warm “golden hours” of early morning and late afternoon (one hour after sunrise or one to two hours before sunset when the sun is low and the light is soft and yellow/orange).  Dramatic light can make even the most mundane subjects appear outstanding, so also be on the lookout for beams of light peeking through clouds, filtering through trees, or shining through windows.  Make use of long shadows cast during the golden hours, and try to use backlighting to silhouette your subjects.

#4 - Experiment. Be on the lookout for creative and dynamic angles.  Shoot without looking through the viewfinder.  Shoot speeding traffic by moving the camera at

the same speed as the vehicles.  Get on the ground and shoot up.  Climb a tree and shoot down.  Shoot without the flash.  Try long exposures.  Get close to your subjects.  And when you think you’re close, get even closer.  The more creative you get, the more you’ll learn about what works and what doesn’t work, and the better your photographs will be.  Or maybe you’ll just get lucky and make a beautiful accident.

#5 - Be a tourist in your own city. To me, people don’t necessarily have to travel to make “travel photography”. London is an exotic destination to someone who lives in Bangkok, just as Bangkok is an exotic destination to someone who lives in London.  There are fascinating places, characters and stories everywhere -- even in our own backyards.  My advice is to be a tourist in your own city: explore your familiar surroundings with a keen eye and you will find wonderful photographic opportunities. This practice and experimentation will help you be better prepared when you do finally go on a big adventure.

This story was originally published on Nikon Asia's Learn & Explore blog.

A story of tradition and legacy sparking modern day success, 'Taking Aim' was shot exclusively on the D4S by Nikon ambassadors Scott Woodward and Michael Rogers. The story follows a young Bhutanese girl, travelling the roads of her ancestors to deliver traditional yak butter tea to her father.

When Nikon first contacted Scott about test-driving the new D4S, he recounts knowing instantly where he wanted to take it.  Coining his style as “Choose Your Own Adventure Photography”, he knew Bhutan’s rolling hills are a mecca of inspiration, begging to be tapped into.

Bhutanese culture has long celebrated the sport of archery, with communities gathering to observe, sing, dance and drink as men dress in traditional ghos send arrows flying. This inspired Scott and his team instantly – “We thought that there was nice synergy between them through the legacy of archery in Bhutan.  We wanted to create a story that took inspiration from both the history of traditional archery while including Bhutan’s contemporary female athletes.”

Traversing the vast landscapes of the Himalayas is challenging in itself, being rich in vast mountain planes and a lively Bhutanese culture.  It’s not a journey for fainthearted, considering the 4,000 meter trek, with the added task of transporting production equipment onto location.  With the help of Ian Mangiardi, a trekking specialist, the team was left in good hands.  Battling the heat, cold and unfamiliar grounds they began their journey into the Himalayas.

Using the latest features of the D4S, they were able to capture luminescent lighting in dark interiors, all without losing the brilliant colours adorning people and places. Much of the cast in the narrative film were locals from the countryside eager to join in.  “People watching our crew work were very supportive and kind.  We had some serious production equipment, like a 35-foot jib that was pretty unusual to see out in the Bhutanese countryside, so that certainly caused some head scratching and curiosity amongst our observers.”

The short film shares the importance of home, the people that make it your sanctuary, the traditions we uphold and our duty to keep it alive.  Mixed in with sweeping scenes of Bhutan, you get the sense of Bhutanese lifestyle existing in

harmony with nature.  The journey takes us from the country side, riverbeds and bustling market stalls, before we see the metaphorical passing of the torch and sharing of legacy.

Affection for Bhutan and the Bhutanese heritage is not only alive in the 'Taking Aim' story, but was ever present in the people they underwent the journey with.  One of the oldest Bhutanese guides that they lovingly referred to as “Yak Man” was quick in forming a friendship with Scott and the crew, showing them his herding techniques whilst sporting traditional Yak hair sunglasses -- a patch of hair wrapped around the eyes of the wearer.

“Additionally, our Production Assistant and Fixer in Bhutan, Sonam Tshering (ST), is also Bhutan’s national mountain biking champion.  He tutors young riders on the weekends and we required four young boys for our bridge scene in ‘Taking Aim’; they are ST’s mountain biking protégés.”

These are the people that inspired a story of love and culture, old and new adventures.  We can only hope to see more of what makes Bhutan such a captivating place.

See more of our film and photography from Bhutan here.

I've been a little slack (alright, A LOT slack) in posting my eNewsletters here on my blog this past year.  That isn't to say that my creative partners and I haven't been busy with some extremely exciting assignments around the globe over the past twelve months.

eNewsletter #12 featured an Around The World With Voyager highlight reel and a showcase of all the portrait photography I made throughout the duration of the six month television production.  It also included links to editorial work that I created for Land Rover in Singapore and some of my personal Myanmar iPhoneography.

The beautiful Ukrainian supermodel, Alla Kostromichova, graced the cover of eNewsletter #13 with a photograph from a fashion shoot that we did together for Condé Nast Traveller (Russia) at the gorgeous Song Saa Resort in Cambodia.  Additionally, commercial work I photographed to support Johnnie Walker's sponsorship of the McLaren-Mercedes Formula One team -- both for their Join The Pact responsible drinking initiative and Circuit Lounge private F1 event -- and luxury lifestyle imagery I made for the grand opening of the InterContinental Osaka were included in this missive.

And, just last month, I rolled-out eNewsletter #14, my first ever "Video Issue" featuring exclusively the branded film-

based content my long-time creative partner, Mike Rogers, and I have made during the past few months.  This included a trio of films we shot in Bhutan for a Nikon global product launch, a pair of SanDisk videos we filmed while crossing Cambodia and a series of short movies for an international Clear Shampoo beauty campaign.

If you (or someone you know) would like to receive future issues of my quarterly SCOTT eNewsletter directly to your inbox, then please take a moment to subscribe to my mailing list.

All 14 back issues of my SCOTT eNewsletter -- showcasing a variety of my travel, portrait, fashion, lifestyle and advertising photography over the past four years -- are online here.

As a Nikon Ambassador, I have worked closely with my friends at Nikon Asia since 2004.  From shooting new product advertising campaigns to hosting photography workshops and seminars to judging sponsored reality television shows, Nikon and I have partnered on a wide variety of creative collaborations over the past decade.

This past January, I was asked to a meeting at the Nikon offices in Singapore.  Although I was not informed of the specific agenda, I was more than happy to see my friends from the Regional Marketing team for a discussion about upcoming projects and partnership opportunities in the year ahead.  I had no idea Nikon would request I work with them on the launch of the brand new Nikon D4S.

Creatively, I and my team -- consisting of my long-time partners Mike Rogers, Meghan Shea and Annette Fausboll -- was given a very long leash.  The only thing Nikon insisted was that we take the D4S on an extreme adventure.

We knew immediately where we wanted to go: the enigmatic Kingdom of Bhutan.

We decided to bring the D4S on a trek in Bhutan's Himalayan Mountains.  We had only one small problem: none of us had any experience with this type of adventure. So we reached out to Ian Mangiardi, the high altitude

trekking specialist from The King's Challenge.  With Ian's help, we planned a route that would take our team beyond 4,000m (nearly 14,000 feet), pushing the limits of both the camera and ourselves.

Working within the broad creative framework of "I Am Perfected By Pros", Nikon gave our team three specific content deliverables: a Camera Test demonstrating the camera's new features and innovative technology; a Behind the Scenes video giving viewers a glimpse into the shoot production and logistics; and a short, scripted Narrative film shot entirely on the D4S.

In a word, our Camera Test and Behind the Scenes shoots were epic.  A team of 10 Bhutanese guides led our crew of eight people, while their 21 pack horses carried all of our supplies and gear (and there was A LOT of gear) on an unforgettable adventure.  With the local insight and assistance, we were privileged to witness and document the rugged beauty and friendly people of Bhutan: filming an early morning archery competition at sunrise, visiting a monastery on a mountain with a single monk living inside, experiencing an unexpected overnight storm that dumped more than a foot of snow on our campsite, singing traditional Bhutanese songs by campfire with an elderly yak herder and sharing breathtaking views of Jomolhari, Bhutan’s highest mountain.

Immediately following the trek, our team jumped straight into shooting our Narrative movie about a young Bhutanese girl's journeys across the countryside.  Led by Director-and-Writer team Mike and Meghan, making this film was a unique opportunity for me to wear a different creative hat and gain experience assisting them in producing and shooting a short scripted movie.

As I say in "A Journey To Perfection", never in my career have I taken a camera straight out of the box and onto assignment.  But having taken the D4S above 4,000m and through more than 5,000 frames, I can confidently say...
I Am Impressed.

See previous multimedia content created by our team for Nikon Asia for the launch of the Nikon 1 V1 camera.

Credits

Client: Nikon Asia

Executive Producer: Annette Fausboll

Director / DoP: Mike Rogers

Writers & Producers: Meghan Shea & Elizabeth Jensen

Editors: David Flood & Mark Chua

Assistant Cameras: Sangay, Rinchen & David Flood

Trekking Specialist: Ian Mangiardi

Production Assistant / Fixer: Sonam Tshering

For the past few years my creative partners, Mike Rogers and Meghan Shea, and I have worked closely with the Sala Bai Hotel & Restaurant School in Siem Reap, Cambodia to document the positive work they are doing for the nation's disadvantaged youth.  We have made photographic reportage and documentary films about this tuition-free hospitality training school and how they provide students with the skills and experience necessary to secure gainful employment in one of the city's numerous hotels, guesthouses or restaurants.  These skills, and the resulting economic independence, not only improve the students' quality of life, but that of their families as well.

Our close friend, Sam McGoun, has made a lifelong commitment to supporting Sala Bai in their effort to help stop human trafficking before it starts by providing young Cambodians -- teenage women, in particular -- with an education at Sala Bai.  Sam explained, “My purpose is helping others -- giving more in this world than I could possibly ever take.  My passion is Sala Bai, and more specifically, giving young Cambodian women access to education and employment in the hospitality industry.  My true happiness, therefore, is the result of helping others, and in particular, the students of Sala Bai.”

Inspired by the challenges overcome by the students of Sala Bai, in April 2012 Sam decided to run, cycle and swim more than 670km across Cambodia to raise funds for Sala Bai

and to increase awareness of the dangers of human trafficking.  As the documentary photography- and film-making team tasked with chronicling Sam’s odyssey, we did our best to keep pace with him as he traversed muddy lakes and rivers, ran through small villages and pedaled across the craggy countryside of rural Cambodia.

Sam’s route across the Kingdom of Wonder followed the metaphorical journey traveled by more than one thousand (and counting) Sala Bai students -- from a small floating village in Mechrey on Tonlé Sap Lake, to Sala Bai where they study in Siem Reap, to a sandy beachfront overlooking the Gulf of Thailand in Sihanoukville where the students’ graduation celebration is held annually.

For 10 days this past November, Sam and our small documentary team descended upon Siem Reap for a second cross-Cambodia fund-raising adventure.  This time Sam ran, cycled and swam more than 701km across the country, honoring his commitment to raise money to help the students of Sala Bai and to fight human trafficking in Cambodia.  Once again, Mike, Meghan and I were tasked with following Sam up hills, into mud, across lakes, through rivers, onto floating villages and into pagodas to tell the story of his epic journey.

A few months before Sam's odyssey began, I was speaking with my friends at SanDisk in California.  They had seen the

short behind-the-scenes video that Mike and I created following Sam's first cross-Cambodia triathlon and there was interest in us making some similar photo and video content during Sam's upcoming second adventure for the #SanDiskStories campaign.  We were excited for this opportunity and, along with our editor, David Flood, the team agreed to make two short films for SanDisk.

The first video, 'Extreme Cambodian Triathlon', is a short film that introduces Sam to viewers as he explains his inspiration and personal challenge.  It also takes people behind-the-scenes with me as I document Sam's cross-Cambodia adventure.

The second film, 'The Challenge', is a short video about the personal challenge I gave myself during the documentation of Sam’s journey: to make 10 photographs in rapid succession, every hour on the hour, from sunrise until sunset, each day of the adventure.  It includes me explaining the nature of my photographic experiment and shows viewers both the process and results of my creative challenge.

These films are complemented by a series of blog posts that the team created for the SanDisk Stories site.

Click here to see more of my work as a member of the SanDisk Extreme Team.

For more than five years I’ve been collaborating closely with Annette Fausboll at Ugly Duckling Projects and Mike Rogers at Persistent Productions on the creation of a variety of commercial advertising campaigns and documentary films across Asia and around the world.

During the past 18 months, our creative partnership has extended into producing branded multimedia content for a variety of commercial clients, including Nikon and Google, as well as philanthropic organizations like Touch Sala Bai and The Chain Reaction Project.

This past year I also worked with The HISTORY Channel in the dual role of Host and Photographer on Around The World With Voyager, a five-part broadcast television series sponsored by Diageo that featured me traveling around Asia and capturing the Johnnie Walker brand and product story in both imagery and voice.

This combination of presenting/hosting and collaborative photography and video production recently led to Mike, Annette and me partnering with Arcade and their client, Unilever, on the creation of three Clear Shampoo online beauty videos offering tips for women on how to look flawless in headshots: in groups, in a mirror and the increasingly popular self-portrait (or #selfie).

Conceptualized by Arcade, the 360-degree 'Nothing To Hide' campaign also includes a customizable photo app (available for download in both the Apple App Store and on Google Play) that is designed to help users make, upload and share their own "flawless headshots".

Filmed in different locations across Singapore this past May, the making of this campaign -- which was produced by Annette, directed and filmed by Mike and hosted by me -- was a true team effort and great fun to create together.

Clear's 'Nothing To Hide' recently launched in Thailand and will continue to roll-out in markets across Asia, the Middle East and elsewhere around the world throughout 2014.

Credits

Client: Unilever Asia / Clear Shampoo

Agency: Arcade

Executive Creative Directors: Matt Cullen & Mark Taylor

Executive Producer (Arcade): Rebecca Soh

Account Service: Dorothy Yew, Saufi Salleh & Chin-Han Yu

Production: Ugly Duckling Projects (UDP)

Executive Producer (UDP): Annette Fausboll

Producer: Andre Chen

Production Assistant: Quinny Vu

Director / DoP: Mike Rogers, Persistent Productions

Assistant Camera: Shahril

Main Model: Thaís Garavello

Supporting Model 1: Sara A.

Supporting Model 2: Monalika

Styling: Furqan Saini

Hair & Make-up: Andrea Claire

Photographer's Assistants: Zam & Halid (Stills Network)

D.I. Artist: Agnes Teo

22 NOVEMBER 2013 - CHOM BOK TO SIHANOUKVILLE: 138KM

The Beat Goes On

Sourcing untapped reservoirs of energy, Sam demolished the first half of the day at speeds not yet seen on this trip. With a combination of running and cycling, he made his way out of The Kirirom National Park and traded the earthen roads of village life for the paved ones of Troaiong. As we entered Troaiong’s busy streets, Sam had to compete for road real estate with various unruly vehicles.  One of the motorbikes got too close, cutting in front of Sam and knocking him from his bike.  Thankfully Sam’s fall was cushioned by a puddle of mud and roadside trash.  Sam’s staggeringly good nature was omnipresent as he wiped himself off, told the driver of the motorcycle that he was fine and thanked the man for stopping to inquire about his well-being before carrying on.  It would be difficult to make a trip like this without a heavy dose of grace and humility.

By lunchtime Sam had already put in 103km and was able to find a few moments of respite for his worn feet by wading into a river that ran alongside our lunch stop. During this final break we asked Sam to take us back to the beginning of his journey, and his connection to Cambodia and Sala Bai. He talked about his initial visit to

Phnom Penh that motivated him to learn more about Cambodian history and prompted him to think about what he could do to support young Cambodians during this time of national economic rebirth.  It wasn’t until his first visit to Sala Bai that his connection and commitment was fully ignited; “When I visited I saw the impact that Sala Bai had -- their focus on education and guaranteed employment in a growing economic sector -- and how this combination of education and an employment acts as an immediate solution to poverty.”  He went on to talk about the personal transformation this caused saying, “When I learned more about the students themselves, what many of them had been through in order to get an education and get to Sala Bai, it transformed and inspired me.  And it is this inspiration that powers me on.”  We left lunch with a deep appreciation for Sala Bai, their students and Sam’s commitment to helping support them.

Cheeseburger in Paradise

With a fire in his belly and a celebratory cheeseburger on the brain, Sam rode hard in the final 24km stretch on the bike.  The course had saved the best for last, and Sam had to conquer a series of grueling hills during this final push on the bike.  Coming into the booming port town of Sihanoukville, he was unwavering in his decision to end his adventure on the exact beach where the Sala Bai students

celebrate their graduation.  In the final stretch of his eight day journey, Sam found himself running down a carnival-like strip of beach bars and restaurants.  With heavy legs, Sam managed to negotiate one final Cambodian cacophony of hawkers, vacationers and locals to pull his body to the finish line.

Success Was Sam's

Sam reached the finish line at the end of the beach road. Diving into the ocean immediately upon arrival, he savored the final moments of the journey in the sea.  He emerged minutes later, taking time to thank the entire crew and express his thanks to all of those who have been thinking of him, donating and supporting him along the way.  He was resolute in wanting to express to the Sala Bai students that they are his inspiration, saying, “I wanted to leave no doubt that I could deliver and over deliver on what I had told them.  And I can’t wait to go back and tell them that I did it – that we did it together.”

After completing his 701km journey, tired yet elated, Sam headed off to take a well deserved shower and indulge in the cheeseburger that had been occupying his dreams.

Donate to support Sam, Sala Bai and the fight against human trafficking.

Watch 'A Step Between', a short documentary film that chronicles Sam's 2012 Cross-Cambodia Journey through the voice of one courageous human trafficking survivor.

And learn how Sala Bai empowers Cambodia's most impoverished young women to obtain employment in Siem Reap's growing hospitality industry in 'Khatna's Journey: A Sala Bai Story'.

- Meghan Shea

21 NOVEMBER 2013 - KAMPONG CHNNANG TO CHOM BOK: 111KM

Sam started off strong, departing from the pagoda where we had spent the evening.  He powered through a 20km run via a small town that overlooked the countryside ahead. The day was hot and the road was long, but with the Sihanoukville finish line drawing closer, Sam started and remained in high spirits despite his fatigue.

For the past eight days the team has traversed myriad Cambodian landscapes: urban environments, wetlands, farmlands, jungle foothills and mud encrusted mountains -- but it was today’s landscape that proved the most charming.  Sam cycled down a red earth road surrounded by paddy fields, lofty lean coconut trees and bamboo huts on stilts.  Clumps of wild lemon balm littered the verge as darting swallows skimmed the lotus pond and delicate white butterflies wafted on a luxurious breeze.  Local fishermen cast long bamboo poles into fish filled lakes as Sam wove his way through this tranquil setting.

These are a few of my favorite things

Sam has spent over a hundred hours powering himself throughout this adventure; ample time to think, stew and

ruminate.  Today our team put the question to him, “What do you think about when you ride, run and swim?” After a short pause, Sam responded with the following:

- My family

- Delivering on my promise to the students of Sala Bai

- Cheeseburgers

- Individual Sala Bai students who have inspired me

- Delivering on the commitment I have made to those who have donated to complete this journey; standing with integrity

Thinking of Sala Bai, his family, and food -- classic Sam.  With these thoughts energizing him, Sam met the dusty afternoon trail.  Kampong life poured out in the road and school children on bicycles, herds of cattle and motorcycles created a virtual “Frogger” game for Sam and the support crew.  Successfully navigating through this rural hullabaloo, Sam clocked in 90km on the bicycle and a 21km run.  We bed down at our campsite in the Kirirom National Park this evening.

Go Sammy Go!  Tomorrow you’re on the home stretch.

Donate to support Sam, Sala Bai and the fight against human trafficking.

Watch 'A Step Between', a short documentary film that chronicles Sam's 2012 Cross-Cambodia Journey through the voice of one courageous human trafficking survivor.

And learn how Sala Bai empowers Cambodia's most impoverished young women to obtain employment in Siem Reap's growing hospitality industry in 'Khatna's Journey: A Sala Bai Story'.

- Meghan Shea and Gaynor Fitzgibbon