Sometimes I wonder how people can study or do revision in noisy places like a fast food restaurant with screaming kids running around, loud music blasting, and people chatting here and there. I tried studying at MacDonald’s a couple of years back for my sociology paper, but it’s pure madness and I went back home feeling so frustrated cos I have wasted a day. I need extreme peace and silence to study. Best is silent until I can hear a pin drop. Haha. But if it’s a math paper that doesn’t require my brain to be in a zen mode, then I’m fine with any place cos I just need to write out the sums, practice on solving the questions, and I’m done.

Same with blogging and replying emails or anything that requires the use of typing/writing alphabets, I need to think and let my brain wander, so I need a quiet place. My Boss was on the phone just now and I almost wanted to slap him cos he spoke so loudly I had to migrate my workstation to another room. OOOPS! Hahahahahaha~! I don’t know if that counts as a pet peeve, but well, that’s mine. 😛

Back to topic, today I’m sharing on our mini wedding photography contest report card! It’s just like the good old school days where we have tests and assessments, mid-year exams, final year exams etc. There’s a report card with all the results to our test subjects and also comments from the teacher. It’s my most feared time of the year and I often had dreams of regretting not studying hard enough for exams and end up failing. I still have that kind of dreams even until today. But anyway, our report card for the final year looks pretty good, and it’s all thanks to our dearest Susu for putting in so much hard work in all the images until she had to blast loud emo songs in the office to make her feel better, dearest Ben for assisting so diligently in all the conceptualised pre-wedding and Actual Day shoots even during his off days, and dearest Raymond for his eyes and brains and perserverance in never giving up in his belief which got us where we are today.

Of course there’s somebody else which we need to thank… OUR DEAREST COUPLES! 😀

You know whenever I look at our conceptualised pre-wedding images, I’ll think of how much effort our couples have put in for the shoot. I’m honestly really, really, really touched by the amount of time they put in for the shoot, how serious and committed they are, how accommodating and how much trust they put into our photography. Every single one of you are all super amazing, and I am uber uber uber uber proud of you guys… really, not everyone can be like you, willing to sacrifice so much for the shoot. I am thankful to have met you guys, work together with you guys, and I cherish this relationship a lot. There’s only a handful of you, which is good too! I will never forget the times we spent together, meeting up for discussions, liaising via email, whatsapping thru and fro on locations and props, makan sessions, drinking sessions, how we got caught in the rain during the shoots, etc etc. 🙂

Just like how God knows each and every star in the universe by name, this is also how I’ll remember each and everyone of you for a long, long time, for I am deeply touched by you. 🙂

Anyway, here are the results from one of the photography contest we entered – The International Loupe Awards 2011;

We had a Silver Award for the Landscape category. Raymond shot this during his Russia trip sponsored by Intel where he travelled to the edge of space. For those interested in his Russia trip and the Intel contest, you can read about it here;

Edge of Space with Intel’s turbo boost.

Silver Award in the Wedding Category for this iconic Zouk image featuring Eddie and Aileen. This image was also placed 16th in the overall top 50 of the Award. Special thanks to the management, to Dominic, Joy, Majella and Susu for assisting too! 🙂

Bronze Award in Wedding Category, featuring the Land Rover, TP and Eileen. Special thanks to TP’s daddy for driving and positioning this baby into the muddy area, and for washing the car after the shoot even though it’s already past midnight. 🙂 Thank you Ben for assisting too! 🙂

Silver Award in the Wedding Category featuring Lokie and Lydia with the upside down “Love”, or the upside down Super Mario plant. Hahahahaha! Thanks to Dominic and Susu for assisting in the cold weather with growling stomachs! 🙂

Bronze Award in the Wedding Category, with Shuqin laying on the steps of the staircase like a sleeping beauty. Special thanks to Mia and Clarabelle, and Susu for assisting! 🙂

Bronze Award in the wedding category with the sexy GTR… Kekekekeke~ Many thanks for the folks at the car workshop for allowing us to use the premises for the shoot even though it’s already past your working hour and you guys had to rush off for an appointment, and also Susu for assisting! 🙂

Bronze Award, wedding category with the food fight image! Of course we have to thank Susu and the domestic helper for throwing the food, and also to the helper for cleaning up the massive mess afterwards. Imagine having to pick up all the splattered chillis, spaghettis etc, and not forgetting she had to clean the ceiling too. 🙂

Bronze Award for the wedding category, featuring Private and Confidential! Steamboat in the middle of the road… Woohooooo! And yes it was raining when we shot this scene. Thank you to all Private and Confidential’s khakis for helping out in the rain!!! 🙂

So these are the 5 Bronzes and 3 Silver Awards from the International Loupe Awards 2011 contest. 🙂

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The second contest in our mini wedding photography contest report card series is the Professional Photographers of America’s Summer Shootout 2011 contest.

This serene and beautiful image of Shuqin won the First Place in the PPA’s Summer Shootout 2011 contest.

I’ll be sharing more on the report cards for the remaining of this week, with results from the Master Photographers Association grading and competition, and also the ISPWP (International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers) contest results, followed by a promo at the end of this week in celebration of the acceptable results. 🙂

To us the results from the contests is like a report card where the “examiners” look through and grade our works. It reflects the efforts all of us at Raymond Phang Photography and our couples have put in, and just like a kid if we didn’t fare as good as expected, we’ll work even harder next time after looking at the areas where we need to work on. If the results are acceptable, we’ll just give ourselves a pat on the back and continue to slog for our couples. Hahaha. Well, Life is a journey of constant learning, and hopefully we’ll improve and produce something spectacular for everyone in the coming new year. Cheers! 🙂

Love,
Angeline