Studio portraiture anytime anywhere. - Azhar Ariff Photography-Commercial Assignments, Weddings & etc.

I started wedding photography with the Mak Andam's packages. Some people might diss it. I do too sometimes for the cheap prices they put on photographers. When I think about it, I can't diss it because this is where I learn a lot about wedding photography. Instead, I'm thankful that I started there. It is where I learned a lot about photography, because each and everytime, I was thrown-in to shoot at various location conditions from small wooden houses with static drains where the walls are as wide as the pelamins, to bungalows with parking for 10 cars. Now, I love shooting kampung weddings. There's just so much joy and activity. A lot of expressions and moments. The somewhat chaotic scenes are just a pleasure for any pasionate photographers to shoot.

The Mak Andam's requirements are high, but with a budget price tag

. They wanted studio portraitures with various backgrounds. Sometimes making a kampung shoot look like they're in Korea or the Swiss Alps. Furthermore, they really want to see that you have a set of studio lights (on location) plus backdrops.

Yes, to start-off, I did bring a set of 300W studio light with 1 backdrop and stands. I was excited in the 1st place. But after a few weddings lugging the heavy cargo, and setting up the softboxes that took 20-40 mins including light tests in all, I said that was it. No more.

I spent quite a number of hours researching on the internet, referring to other photographers of various specialities such as photojournalists, paparazzis, fashion photographers and wedding photographers around the world on what their workflow and gear was. In the end, I saw light at the end of the tunnel and came up with the current lighting kit that I have now. It's no secret and I did not invent this. I'm just merely adapting ideas that has been done before. At the end of the day, it works for me.

Now, when I go to shoot weddings, I've got only 1 bag on my shoulder with my camera & lenses and my hands with 1 light stand and umbrella. The image below shows my typical workflow of an on-location portraiture shot:

* Image number 1,2 & 3 courtesy of Razali Hassan (Bob) who's been my "partner-in-crime" in wedding photography where we exchanged a lot of ideas and come up with our own gear solutions.