F8 AND BE THERE "John W. Ishii Photographer"

Images from the D3x

2009-04-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

Well these days I have been very very busy for some reason doing assignments all over the place. I think I can give the credit to my new Nikon D3x its image quality is best I have ever seen on a DSLR. Some consider it too expensive but for me its reasonable , its already paid for itself. Clients are so impressed with the images it just blows them away. I'm glad its so expensive it keeps it in the exclusive club.

Lloyd

2009-04-18T00:26:00.001-07:00

Here are some images of Lloyd I took the other day in Penang.

Storm over KL

2009-03-03T03:47:00.000-08:00

2009-02-14T17:47:00.000-08:00

The view from up here is amazing I was lucky enough to get this shot of my friend when we were doing a job not to long ago.

Happy Chinese New Year!

2009-01-26T04:49:00.001-08:00

My favorite place "Ankor Wat"

2009-01-23T16:11:00.000-08:00

Ankor Wat is such a magical place, its so beautiful and a photographers heaven.

In terms of natural light and places to photo there are few places in the world that can compare to Ankor Wat.

Is this what its about?

2009-01-10T06:23:00.001-08:00

I mean really, day in and day out of this kind of living hmm seems to me there must be an easier way.

Anyway I enjoy taking images that compress lots of people in in a very small concentrated and intense area.

I'm off to get the new Nikon D3X!

2009-01-06T16:28:00.000-08:00

Well today is the day, time to upgrade and get the best of the best. As a professional photographer is very important to make sure you have the best tools for the trade. In my case the D3X is the world finest DSLR on the market today. I've seen the image quality and there is nothing that a can hold a candle to this beauty. Its IQ is definitely in medium format territory and its versatility is unsurpassed. In the next few days I'll be posting some sample shots with this new beast so please stand by.

Tsunami Christmas 2004

2008-12-27T03:09:00.000-08:00

Well I just wanted to remember that morning December 26th 2004 at 930 am in Phuket Thailand. I was on my way to the beach on my little motor bike but decided to stop at a connivence store to get some food and drinks. I suddenly decided to work out at the Kata gym before I went to the beach. Little did I know that decision saved my life.

While I was working out I noticed thousands of people running down the street, thinking it was a terrorist attack I quickly grabbed my camera and got on my little motor bike and then realized what was going on. Here are some images I took at the scene it was unreal and devastating.

Yeannie and Chow

2008-12-18T07:11:00.000-08:00

This will be the last posting of my foc pre- wedding shots, its been a real experience and had a good time with the project. All my thanks to the couples who put up with all the heat and my direction. Hope you guys have good marriage and hopefully last more than a few years. Good luck to all.

Dissapointed

2008-12-15T18:06:00.000-08:00

Well after finishing my pre wedding FOC project I must say it was quite fun and at the same time very disappointing. It was a lot of work and I had some great people to help me out in the project, but what was so frustrating was the fact that a few couples couldn't care less if they were on time or worse still no shows without a call or any form of contact.

One of the couples, even failed to meet up to claim their free 60 plus images and FOC prints which I thought would make a nice wedding gift. I waited and waited with no call a few days later I got a call from them saying "So Sorry" I was busy lah! NO RESPECT !

This selfish thinking is something I just can not tolerate, and therefore other couples missed out who really wanted a chance. Well any way that's it for now.

Misty morning

2008-10-20T17:44:00.001-07:00

The KL tower and the Petronas twin towers are like brother and sisters in the morning mist.

A helping hand

2008-10-11T07:02:00.000-07:00

Sometimes in life you just need a helping hand not just to handle the hard to reach areas but to

help you in tough situations. How about a great caption for this photo, I'm sure somebody can come up with some funny lines.

Nancy and Steven

2008-09-15T08:18:00.000-07:00

Had a great time photographing Nancy and Steven, what a great couple. Here are just a few shots of them. Just wait a few more days for some outrageous pre wedding shots coming up.

I'm off to a another shoot!

2008-09-12T08:35:00.000-07:00

Well this is me off to another pre wedding shoot, only this time its going to be way cool so keep watching my blog.

"The Slowing Economy?"

2008-09-02T08:23:00.000-07:00

Is this the signs of a slowing economy? As I drove around KL looking for new locations for my shoots and it looks to me that the economy is slowing.

August 23 interviews

2008-08-29T23:05:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank all the couples who came by last saturday, it was very amazing that there is such an interest in alternative pre wedding photography.

Well after going through my list I have short listed the two couples I will be shooting for my last FOC pre wedding shoot. I will be contacting them shortly, and for those of you that did not make it please don't be disappointed. You never know when I might do it again for FOC so keep watching my blog. Also keep an eye on Dailylifestyles.com and pre-wedding info to check on the latest community services programs I'll be conducting.

Thanks again to all of you.

Elections in Malaysia

2008-08-28T02:38:00.000-07:00

Well I guess I missed out on the elections the other day and I heard it was very exciting from a photographers point of view. So let me congratulate the winner and hope the future will bring a change for the better in Malaysia.

UFO's and my close encounter!

2008-08-18T07:58:00.001-07:00

The other night, I saw my first UFO's and then the aliens landed on my balcony to have tea. Check it out! It was great, so get ready for my new adaption of pre wedding photography and you'll have a close encounter too.

"The business end"

2008-08-17T02:11:00.000-07:00

This deadly weapon is what creates the magic in my images. A combination of the Nikon D3 and the Nikkor 200mm f2 VR its like an A-10 "WartHog"! Deadly accurate with pin point precision sharpness. What more can I say!

"Can't Touch it"

2008-08-15T06:02:00.000-07:00

First of all I want to thank the many great folks who have helped me with my editorial pre-wedding project. Its been lots of fun and I've learned so much about this profession. After getting so many responses from couples who are looking for something different, well your in luck.

I'm going to go all out to create wedding images that will blow your minds! Stay tuned folks!

I will be starting my new venture very soon, so if your looking for some radical, super cool editorial pre- wedding image you better contact me to make an appointment. I will interview each couple to make absolutely sure that is is what they want. Keep an eye my blog and I'll be posting some interesting images that might spice up your heart!

Heritage Hotel community project

2008-08-15T05:45:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank Lloyd Gan general manager of the Heritage Hotel who's vision made this great photography experience happen. Lloyd has an incredible amount of energy and passion thats beyond words. Also I would like to thank Tommy and his gang from Dailylifestyles.com, their organization was just flat amazing! If we could only have 1% of their organizational skills life would be a piece of cake and Pretty and White for the use of their beautiful wedding gowns!

We all had a great time, and the three couples were fantastic, and seemed to have a abundance of fun. Can't wait to do it again so stay tuned.

A new day!

2008-08-06T08:38:00.000-07:00

Every morning I'm greeted by a sunrise that's just very difficult to describe in words. KL and Malaysia is a very beautiful place and if all the people of this great city could see the sunrises I see every morning I think every one would be a lot happier and kinder.

Tiffany and Norman

2008-07-28T07:49:00.000-07:00

Tiffany and Norman, were just great to work with, what sports they were. We had a fun time shooting and I was able to explore some new angles and venues. For all those photographers out there, I found that the Nikon D3 mated with my 200mm F2 VR creates an unbeatable combination. With its ultra fast focusing and its Super ED element the sharpness is beyond words.

So this is my 5th couple and slowly I'm getting to where I want to get at.

Editorial photo shoot (Pre-wedding)

2008-07-21T07:21:00.000-07:00

I've been racking my brain, trying to get the right formula and slowly but surely I'm starting to make some progress.

I was lots of fun to shoot Cheri and her husband to be. I think it will be an experience they will never forget.

Stay tuned for more cool images.

2008-07-20T20:10:00.000-07:00

Well stayed tuned for some more pre wedding images. This shoot was lots of fun and the couple were having a great time.

I'll be posting some more so stayed tuned.

One more time

2008-07-16T08:25:00.000-07:00

For all those couples who have participated in my free pre wedding shoot, its been lots of fun.

I just wrote a message on Malaysian brides .com but seems like they already took it down hmm wonder why.

Well any way my project seems to be doing very well and my young couples have been very happy with the results so far. Therefore I'm right on target in formulating my own interpretation of wedding photography. By using my many years as a photojournalist and an editorial photographer I have been able to combine the two styles into something quite unique have been able to produce some very amazing wedding shots and I've never done a wedding shoot in my life. What I am in doing is providing an alternative to the very very boring style of wedding images I've seen. This project has been very challenging in both creativity and physically but worth the challenge. There not very many wedding photographers who can challenge me due to the amount of high end gear I have, plus my many years doing editorial assignments all over the world.

By using nothing but the best in camera and lens equipment the couples who have been taking part in my project have been given a life time opportunity for Free!

I've come to the point where I am starting to figure this wedding photography business out and I'm coming to the conclusion that there is very little creativity and most of it is just down right boring. Like I tell the couples during my interview that I am not a wedding photographer and don't pretend to be so don't expect traditional wedding shots.

Anyway I am going to select 2 more couples for a September shoot, and I will be interviewing them very soon, so if you read this message please call me at 016-956-8697 or email me at

johnishii@mac.com ASAP. Cut off date is Saturday the 19th of July.

Hsu-ann and Justin

2008-07-02T03:05:00.000-07:00

Ok here we go with the third couple, Hsu-ann and Justin, in fact they were the first couple that had contacted me for my free pre wedding shoot.

In this particular shoot I tried to do something a bit different, by using more of an everyday city environment as the back drop. This gives me a kind of urban editorial feel to the shoot, it's fun spontaneous and you just never know what your going to get. It was lots of fun and my production crew had a good time.

I had no idea!

2008-06-23T02:35:00.000-07:00

When I took this image last year during the Ijok bi-elections for BBC, I had no idea that these three fellas would make such an impact in Malaysian politics. I guess I was just lucky or at the right time and right place probably both. In the image is Jeff Ooi the famous blogger and now member of parliament, Tan Sri Kalid MB of Selangor and then the famous Anwar.

Dalphine and Zen

2008-05-27T08:14:00.000-07:00

Ok, so now I'm starting to slowly figure this out. Like I mentioned I've seen so many of these so called "Wedding photojournalist" and I must say it so far being a photo journalistic image. Like I mentioned most have never been photojournalist before any way so how can they be called a photojournalist or even dare to use the term. I have never done wedding photos in all my years as a photographer, but in two shoots I managed to pull it off. Even though I am a photojournalist I still can't call the images of my pre wedding shot photojournalism. My approach is editorial pre wedding shots, which is huge difference than PJ. I know I'm going to get a lot of flak from this but I think I am more than qualified to make this judgement call. Keep watching I'll have a few more and it will be very very interesting.

Dalphine and Zen

2008-05-27T01:46:00.000-07:00

Dalphine and Zen were great, they did a fantastic job modeling for me and I know how difficult it must have been. It was so hot that I was having a melt down.

Anyway it worked out great and must say that my gear never let me down. My D3 with the wide angle 14-24 and the 200/F2 made my shoot a lot easier. I am trying to create an editorial style to my shoot so It creates a different type of mood.

Free pre wedding shoot!

2008-05-19T01:01:00.001-07:00

When I set out to take this project on I decided to use real couples instead of models, why because I felt that is would be way more challenging and the fact that its the real deal.

Yes it was quite difficult to get what I was wanted, but in time it all came together. By directing the shots and having a good crew helped me out quite a bit. There would be no that I could carry all the gear that was needed to do the shoot. I must say that my Nikon D3 really showed its true qualities by being able to get what I wanted. I guess you get what you pay for, but truly the Nikon 200 mm F2 was stellar its performance is unmatched. Stay tuned and I will be posting more and more of my editorial pre-wedding images.

The First Free Pre-wedding shoot images.

2008-05-19T00:36:00.000-07:00

Well yesterday I did my first couple for the free pre wedding shoot that I mentioned. It went quite well except it started to rain in the morning and my light started to fall off sooner than I thought. As I mentioned before I am a photojournalist by profession and not a wedding photographer but I did mange to create more of an editorial style to my images. Since I do mostly editorial and photojournalism I tried to incorporate those techniques in all my images.

Jesse and Gabe were fantastic to work with and were able to keep their composure even in the high humidity and my constant direction. I had a whole crew to help so it made it a lot easier on me. I used a Nikon D3 and for my wide angles I used a 14-24mm Nikor and for my long end I used a Nikon 200/F2 which gave me such beautiful creamy images yet with a nice sharpness were I needed it.

Since the light was so low, I had no choice but to shoot at high ISO's from 800-6400 yet the images were able to capture the mood that I needed with out any serious degradation .

I will be posting more and more of these images in the days to come so keep an eye out.

A rare pink dolphin near HKIA

2008-05-04T05:33:00.000-07:00

Now this was a rare site, I was on a small boat and happened to see a pink dolphin. Amazing, too bad I couldn't get a frontal shot.

Also the pollution in HK was no joke, in seven days I never saw the sun!

My trip to Hong Kong

2008-05-04T05:21:00.000-07:00

I must say Hong Kong is one of the most intense cities I've ever been too. The first time I was in Hong Kong was in 1966 and in those days the hill sides of Hong Kong island were nothing but squatter slums due to the huge influx of chinese refugees from communist China. Well now those hills are covered with condos that cost in the very very high millions of dollars!

I find the intense lifestyle very interesting and confusing, its all about going nowhere fast! Anyway here are some images I took of this city at a different perspective of how I see it.

Hope you like them and find them interesting.

Asian Defense Show in KL

2008-04-26T18:44:00.000-07:00

Sorry, about that two images for some reason didn't make it. At the moment I'm in HK but its been so hazy here therefore difficult to get any good images. Will post as soon as I can.

Asian Defense Show in KL

2008-04-22T03:28:00.000-07:00

Today I went to the Asian Defense show and it was very interesting, lots and lots of weapons of all kinds from all over the world.

Its amazing how big this business is, and to see arm dealers from all over the world too.

Here a few photos I took of the event.

"Pre Wedding shoot FULL" Thanks

2008-04-13T23:01:00.000-07:00

Due to the over wheleming response, my FOC pre wedding shoots are now filled up. I want to thank all those who took the opportunity took a chance. It was an exhaustive day of interviews, but the selections have been made. For the lucky ones that were chosen they will have some stunning shots from a real photojournalist.

For those who missed this opportunity keep taking a look at my blog and if I feel that this project was fun I will do it again. The main objective was to give a break to those who are on a tight wedding budget and I also want to give back.

So stayed tuned and I just might do it again, and look for the images in the next few weeks.

Thanks again.

My View every morning!

2008-04-08T16:58:00.000-07:00

Every morning, around 6:45AM I look and see pink and orange as I look out my window. So I quickly grab my D3 and head for my balcony to see some of the most amazing sunrises I ever seen in Malaysia or any where else for that matter.

Here take a look.

Seattle Washington "My Home Town"

2008-04-08T07:52:00.001-07:00

Just found a nice photo of my home town I took last summer when I went back to visit my family.

Its such a beautiful city, my grandfather came all the way from Japan in the early 1900's to make a new life in the new world.

As for the Free pre wedding shoot

2008-04-07T22:26:00.000-07:00

Well it looks like word got out pretty fast, but it took a few days. The 3 free spots have been taken, but doesn't mean I won't do it again. If you are still interested please email me and I will keep you updated on further shoots for free. If I have a cancellation or if you come with some very cool ideas I'm open to some more. So watch out for my blog to view the up coming shoots of the 3 lucky couples.. I might do more time permitting so please keep in touch.

My email is johnishii@mac.com

Free pre wedding shoot!

2008-04-06T02:14:00.000-07:00

Come on folks I got two places still not spoken for, lets not be shy now. It free no catch, sometimes the best things in life is free. I'm doing this for couples who just do not have the budget to hire a top end wedding shooter.

Better hurry!

www.conceptshots.com to see some of the photos.

Free pre wedding shoot!

2008-03-30T06:49:00.000-07:00

Every day I read about these so called wedding photojournalist, who claim that they are photojournalists. Well I'm getting tired of them giving them selves that title. I bet most of of them of never worked as a photojournalist for a international publication or news agency.

We photojournalist are an elite group of photographers who put our selves in "Clear and Present Danger" to get the image for our client's readers so they enjoy their morning coffee. To get these images we just about risk everything to get the shot and work in extreme harsh conditions to get the picture.

Well to show who has the title rights I will do a so called "Pre-Wedding shoot" for 3 young couples for FREE! And you get it done by a genuine "Photojournalist"!

My credential speak for themselves, my images have been published in just about every major news publication in the world, just recently CNN, USA Today and the Washington Post.

I will be interviewing the lucky three couples ASAP 016-956-8697 call and make an appointment.

Ankor Thom

2008-03-24T18:59:00.000-07:00

Of all the places in Ankor Wat area I really enjoy Ankor Thom, its my third time there and I love seeing all the different angles of Buddha's face.

Well stay tuned I am working on conducting a Photography Safari workshop to Ankor Wat in the near future for about 10 t 12 photographers. It will lots of fun and excitement so keep watching my new posts.

Ankor Wat

2008-03-22T05:59:00.000-07:00

Well I just got back from Ankor Wat and the Siem Reap area of Cambodia, its my 3rd visit there in the past ten years. When I first went there ten years ago it was just a very sleepy dusty Cambodia town, beaten by years of war and torture. If you were an outlaw that would be the place to hide out. Now its a bustling tourist town with millions of tourists visiting every year from all over the world. For us photographers its a feast for the eyes and lens, with every corner of the city telling a story of torment and beauty.

As you can tell I really don't have that many images of the temples, I think because everyone has the same ones, so I decided to display images that I captured. I guess as a photojournalist I'm compelled to to take images that are a bit more meaningful.

Malaysian General election

2008-03-10T06:29:00.000-07:00

Just got back from Kelantan, Malaysia covering the Malaysian general elections for AP.

It was very exciting and was able to use the full potential of the new Nikon D3 and the ultra wide angle lens. Well in short it was an amazing lens, I was able to get shots that would have been very difficult if I had a 1.5 crop factor and a 16mm lens.

Here are a few images I took.

Advanced Digital Photography Workshop

2008-02-29T01:44:00.000-08:00

On April 5th and 6th I will be giving a Professional Model shoot and Lighting Course at a private residence in Country Heights.
This will be a two day affair in which students will bel introduced to outdoor and indoor lighting techniques.
With 2 models on hand in two different settings one indoor the outdoor in a Balinese setting each participant will get professional hands on instructions on the fundamentals of studio and outdoor lighting techniques. Since there will only be a max of 10 students they will be divided up into two groups of five, therefore giving each shooter plenty of shooting opportunity.
Later after a full catered lunch we then proceed to photo post processing using the industry standard Adobe Photoshop CS3.
Second day will be concentrated on shooting in a studio environment, for different types of clients.

Lastly digital printing using the latest HP inkjet print techniques using icc profiles and color management skills to get the perfect print. So if you want to learn the A to Z of digital photography you better not miss this chance.
For more information please contact me at 016-956-8697
F8 and Be There!

Intensive Boot Camp "Photojournalism Course"

2008-02-26T18:42:00.000-08:00

I will be giving a course in
Photojournalism is the next coming weeks and it will be only given to a selected few who I feel have the ability to be a pro shooter. It seems to me that almost every other
photographer I bump into these days say they are a" photojournalist". Many of whom have never worked for a news paper, wire service
or magazine and I mean on an international level not a local tabloid or broad sheet. In order to become a photojournalist at an international level one needs to have published work in international publications or magazines even websites that cater to an international audience. Therefore in order to address this issue, I will be conducting an intensive course for a selected few shooters that I feel have the "Mojo" to work the picture.
The course will entail, the art of seeing as a PJ, how to compose the image for different clients, conquering intimidation, do you have what it takes to get abused and harassed and come back with the images? Writing skills, being a PJ is more than just shooting, but a large portion of the job is writing skills, captions and story lines. Working with correspondents and editorial writers, knowing the difference between a photo essay, documentation and hard news photography.
By the time you finish the course you will have enough fundamentals to confidently take other more specialized courses in photo journalism or to show your portfolio to perspective clients.
Interested individuals who feel that they have it and have the passion and desire contact John W. Ishii 016-956-8697.
"F8 and Be There".

The Microsoft "Photo Club"

2008-02-26T18:38:00.000-08:00

The dedicated Microsoft photography club on one of my workshop photo outings.

Microsoft photography club outing.

2008-02-26T02:10:00.000-08:00

Well, it was a great pleasure to take the Microsoft SIG photo club out for a photography outing.
With their point and shoots they were able to take some great images and learn all about composition .
The day started out with a small briefing on composition and then a practical.
Starting from Majid Jamek we went towards the central market and then to the KTM rail road station.
Since there was great lighting the students were able to practice and understand how light can be used
create a mood that they were looking for .

The photographers eye.

2008-02-15T05:07:00.000-08:00

When you look through the view finder of the camera it becomes an artist canvas. Its up to you to make it happen.

Assignment images

2008-02-15T01:19:00.000-08:00

When you do travel photography for certain publications you must shoot to communicate to the reader a desire
to travel to that destination. Here are a few examples I shot during a recent travel book assignment.

My eyes as a photojournalist

2008-02-14T22:11:00.000-08:00

In order to become a decent photo journalist you have to see things differently. This is where the separation from the pros and beginners are distinguished. In many of my workshops I stress and keep stressing that as a photographer you must look at the world differently from the average person. This is where the challenge begins and the snap shots stop.
I will post a few examples I took for AP and AFP that were published through their wire service.

D3 images

2008-02-14T22:04:00.000-08:00

More Nikon D3 Images

2008-02-14T18:44:00.000-08:00

The Nikon D3 has been a god send for me, as a pro photographer my camera must perform at all levels with
absolute excellent results. This new Nikon D3 more than meets but exceeds all levels of high performance photography.
Its like having a AC-130 spooky and a Harpoon cruise missile in my hands. "Now that's got work"!

Editorial and commercial Photography work

2008-02-11T22:07:00.000-08:00

For those who are interested in having commercial or editorial work done by a professional photo journalist please go to '
www.conceptshots .com
www.pbase.com/jwi
From here you can take a look at my work.

About myself.

2008-02-11T06:18:00.000-08:00

For many years I've always wanted to be a photographer and a writer, well after studying many years as a photographer in the early to late 70's in my home town of Seattle Washington USA I finally made that plunge.
Well it took a few years but I did it and never looked backed. I always wondered how those images of historical events and hi profile news items made it in news papers and magazines.
So years later I finally got my break and took images for a in flight airline magazine, from there I did a few small exhibits and then my big break came through.

I was hired on by AFP a French news agency one of the big three, and made a name for my self. My work has been published in news papers and magazines all over the world. Just to name a few, Dow Jones, Wall St. Journal, Far Eastern Economic Review, Asia Week, CNN, USA Today and many more.
I have covered stories from riots in Malaysia to one of the greatest natural disasters known to man the "Tsunami of 2004".
Now I do mostly commercial work for hotels and resorts, such as the Westin Hotel, Equatorial Hotel group, Tanjong Rhu and others. Other photographic endeavors included digital photography workshops and clinics.
Now based in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia the location gives me more flexibility in pursuing photographic jobs in this region.
So in a nut shell thats me.

2008-02-11T01:40:00.000-08:00

From the files of the Nikon D3

2008-02-11T01:32:00.000-08:00

These are some images I have recently taken with the new Nikon D3.

The New Nikon D3 images

2008-02-11T01:19:00.000-08:00

After being a very long time Nikon users for many years, from the F5, through the digital age of Nikon DSLRs I switched from my trusty D2x to the Canon 1DMk3 system.
Well after thousands of dollars worth of top of the line Canon gear and just a few months of use I made a major decision to move back to Nikon. Due to many reasons, probably the main issue would be the auto focusing malfunction and the poor LCD screen on the Canon MK3.
After receiving one of the first Nikon D3's and the new 14-24 2.8 and the 24-70 2.8 in Malaysia I was good to go.
In addition I also invested in a 70-200 2.8 VR and best of all the amazing 200F2 VR monster! Of all my professional years as a photographer I have never seen a lens that amazing! The resolving power and sharpness is something to behold.
So there you have it my months of system changing and fine tuning my tools of the trade. Oh yeah can't for get my upgraded new Mac Book Pro too.

2008-02-11T01:08:00.000-08:00

Today starts the first day of my blog from here you will be able to read and view all kinds of cool images and up coming events that I have planned.
So stayed tuned in for some exciting images and photography clinics.

2008-02-11T01:06:00.000-08:00