P-O-P Oh!
One thing that most trainees in NS look forward too will most certainly be the day of the Passing Out Parade. Not in the sense of fainting, rather in the sense of having officially been declared to have run the completion date of the course, satisfying all the necessary requirements. This is the same whether in army, police of civil defence, whether it be BMT, SISPEC or OCS or other courses.
Due to some last minute cancellations as well as a jammed packed schedule, the regular photographer was not around to shoot for the passing out parade of the latest batch from the Marinetime Policing Course, or MPC, from the Police Coast Guard Training School. Somehow a few days ago, the whole deal just dropped into my lap all of a sudden and I ended up being the official photographer for the event. This is really nonsense. I'm more concerned about my dwindling hard disk space, my overloaded and ever so slow computer as well as when I can get that next photographic accessory or other to even bother shooting for events. Besides, I'm really not that good and my style of photographic reportage kinda sucks.
At the same time, nevertheless, I guess that it is always good to learn and take in more experiences, espcially in photography. This whole thing just started out as a cheesy hobby after culminating in many years of fiddling with all kinds of cameras. I never expected things to end up like this. I just took the role, and hoped for the best - literally. People are counting on me to produce pictures, so if I screw up, that's going to be quite a lamentable affair.
The whole passing out parade was held at the Police Coast Guard Brani Base. If army camps have lousy views, then the Brani Base probably has the best - it oversees a narrow channel from which you can see the hill of Sentosa as well as the vast pastures of golf courses. All this just across a narrow channel. Of course, the current in the channel is violently strong as it leads out into the open sea, but that's another matter altogether.
It was quite a simple, yet grand affair. For just a small number of people, the police force's band had to come down in all their number 1 regalia and shiny brass instruments to liven up the entire ceremony. In addition, there were just a few friends around, of course, not counting the noticeable few number of pretty girl(friends) of the graduating squads.
I remember my time in Brani exactly 15 months ago. I mean, you can literally flick back on the archives, on a time when I wrote much longer and more detailed posts as to see how miserably low the morale of my squad was just prior to POP. In fact, a good number of us decided to skip our POP day altogether, relenting only for the fact that it wouldn't be fair to the other guys who had practised so hard only to see half a squad on the day itself.
Everyone was dressed to their best. In nicely and neatly pressed police number 1 dress uniforms (honestly, no different from the uniforms waiters wear at the Raffles Hotel). Shoes were polished till I could literally see my face reflect in it as well as nicely oiled rifles for the drills later on. The mood before the whole ceremony started was one of anticipation for practically everyone - parents, graduating squads and me. I was so afraid that I might get my meter readings messed up and all the pictures would turn out awful. In addition, this was the first time I was experimenting with more advanced techniques of bounce flash - as you can see in the 2nd picture, there is this giant bounce card attached to my camera's flash.
Overall, the weather was terribly hot. I was dripping with sweat all over after some time just by standing in the shade. After a few rounds running around the place snapping photographs, it became progressively worst. What was really difficult about the whole affair was the metering of the scenes.
You have the graduating squads wearing a bright white top. And dark black pants. And their faces are shaded in police peak caps. That means if I expose for the dark black pants - the white tops will over expose. If I expose for the white tops, the faces will become dark and unreognisable. Something like wedding photography where the bride's in white and the groom's in black.
Yet I have to admit the Nikon D70's metering was fabulous. It managed to get a perfect exposure, allowing the clear and sharp view of the graduand's faces while tolerating both the blacks and whites in the maximum latitude of dynamic range. Fantastic. That's why its called a "Nikon". Unfortunately, Canon, here I come...
It comes to a point where the reflection of the sky off the mounted bayonets are too extreme in the range that they get totally washed out. Hence the picture above - showing a handle but no blade. Overexposure to no means.
Overall, I felt that I didn't do a good job. I could have taken much much much better photographs that effectively express the mood of the whole ceremony - one of happiness, relief, and shared joy. After all, at the end of the day, pictures without emotions are a complete waste of time. I missed a good number of shooting opportunities, as well as set my camera on the wrong mode a few time, giving rise to blurred photos. Other times I focused wrongly and yet even more I did not track my focus properly on certain key shots.
I'll see how things go the next few days when I submit the pictures. I don't think that anyone will be unhappy, but I'm sure that most of the people expecting mind blowing pictures from me might figure in their hearts that they are just not of good enough standards and quality. Oh well, my very first time being leading official photographer. I'm not that sure about what to do, so I guess I won't take any silly excuses from myself, I have to improve.
What actually inspires me a little bit more is that the Cultural Medallion winner this year is a 56 year old businessman who isn't a full time professional photographer and that this is the first time in 14 years that the award has been given out for the art form of photography. Kinda inspiring that perhaps this might lead somewhere. While I'm not akin to submitting works for competitions yet. I'll see how things go.
Most of all, at the end of the day. if this ia really a talent from God. Then of course I have to give it back to Him in any way that He pleases. But I'm really not sure lah, seeing my half past six attempt today...
One thing that most trainees in NS look forward too will most certainly be the day of the Passing Out Parade. Not in the sense of fainting, rather in the sense of having officially been declared to have run the completion date of the course, satisfying all the necessary requirements. This is the same whether in army, police of civil defence, whether it be BMT, SISPEC or OCS or other courses.
Due to some last minute cancellations as well as a jammed packed schedule, the regular photographer was not around to shoot for the passing out parade of the latest batch from the Marinetime Policing Course, or MPC, from the Police Coast Guard Training School. Somehow a few days ago, the whole deal just dropped into my lap all of a sudden and I ended up being the official photographer for the event. This is really nonsense. I'm more concerned about my dwindling hard disk space, my overloaded and ever so slow computer as well as when I can get that next photographic accessory or other to even bother shooting for events. Besides, I'm really not that good and my style of photographic reportage kinda sucks.
At the same time, nevertheless, I guess that it is always good to learn and take in more experiences, espcially in photography. This whole thing just started out as a cheesy hobby after culminating in many years of fiddling with all kinds of cameras. I never expected things to end up like this. I just took the role, and hoped for the best - literally. People are counting on me to produce pictures, so if I screw up, that's going to be quite a lamentable affair.
The whole passing out parade was held at the Police Coast Guard Brani Base. If army camps have lousy views, then the Brani Base probably has the best - it oversees a narrow channel from which you can see the hill of Sentosa as well as the vast pastures of golf courses. All this just across a narrow channel. Of course, the current in the channel is violently strong as it leads out into the open sea, but that's another matter altogether.
It was quite a simple, yet grand affair. For just a small number of people, the police force's band had to come down in all their number 1 regalia and shiny brass instruments to liven up the entire ceremony. In addition, there were just a few friends around, of course, not counting the noticeable few number of pretty girl(friends) of the graduating squads.
I remember my time in Brani exactly 15 months ago. I mean, you can literally flick back on the archives, on a time when I wrote much longer and more detailed posts as to see how miserably low the morale of my squad was just prior to POP. In fact, a good number of us decided to skip our POP day altogether, relenting only for the fact that it wouldn't be fair to the other guys who had practised so hard only to see half a squad on the day itself.
Everyone was dressed to their best. In nicely and neatly pressed police number 1 dress uniforms (honestly, no different from the uniforms waiters wear at the Raffles Hotel). Shoes were polished till I could literally see my face reflect in it as well as nicely oiled rifles for the drills later on. The mood before the whole ceremony started was one of anticipation for practically everyone - parents, graduating squads and me. I was so afraid that I might get my meter readings messed up and all the pictures would turn out awful. In addition, this was the first time I was experimenting with more advanced techniques of bounce flash - as you can see in the 2nd picture, there is this giant bounce card attached to my camera's flash.
Overall, the weather was terribly hot. I was dripping with sweat all over after some time just by standing in the shade. After a few rounds running around the place snapping photographs, it became progressively worst. What was really difficult about the whole affair was the metering of the scenes.
You have the graduating squads wearing a bright white top. And dark black pants. And their faces are shaded in police peak caps. That means if I expose for the dark black pants - the white tops will over expose. If I expose for the white tops, the faces will become dark and unreognisable. Something like wedding photography where the bride's in white and the groom's in black.
Yet I have to admit the Nikon D70's metering was fabulous. It managed to get a perfect exposure, allowing the clear and sharp view of the graduand's faces while tolerating both the blacks and whites in the maximum latitude of dynamic range. Fantastic. That's why its called a "Nikon". Unfortunately, Canon, here I come...
It comes to a point where the reflection of the sky off the mounted bayonets are too extreme in the range that they get totally washed out. Hence the picture above - showing a handle but no blade. Overexposure to no means.
Overall, I felt that I didn't do a good job. I could have taken much much much better photographs that effectively express the mood of the whole ceremony - one of happiness, relief, and shared joy. After all, at the end of the day, pictures without emotions are a complete waste of time. I missed a good number of shooting opportunities, as well as set my camera on the wrong mode a few time, giving rise to blurred photos. Other times I focused wrongly and yet even more I did not track my focus properly on certain key shots.
I'll see how things go the next few days when I submit the pictures. I don't think that anyone will be unhappy, but I'm sure that most of the people expecting mind blowing pictures from me might figure in their hearts that they are just not of good enough standards and quality. Oh well, my very first time being leading official photographer. I'm not that sure about what to do, so I guess I won't take any silly excuses from myself, I have to improve.
What actually inspires me a little bit more is that the Cultural Medallion winner this year is a 56 year old businessman who isn't a full time professional photographer and that this is the first time in 14 years that the award has been given out for the art form of photography. Kinda inspiring that perhaps this might lead somewhere. While I'm not akin to submitting works for competitions yet. I'll see how things go.
Most of all, at the end of the day. if this ia really a talent from God. Then of course I have to give it back to Him in any way that He pleases. But I'm really not sure lah, seeing my half past six attempt today...
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