hahahahhaa, yes I am. I just won one award in Fearless Photographers.

Now I can call myself as an award winning photographer Nah, I am just kidding. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to call myself an award winning artist as this is my first ever award in my 5-6 years career. I don’t see myself as so creative and ambitious to be the best artist in the business that really need an award to justify who I am.

Nothing wrong to win an award seriously, in fact I am addicted to the feeling after my first try in the competition. I learn a great thing, especially after looking at all my portfolio I realised that I definitely needed to improve because I said “If only it doesn’t have this” or “I wish that I shot this way”. It’s a positive experience. I will surely participate to more competition in the future. I definitely love to encourage people to participate in such good competitions like Fearless Photographers. Being the best is never an easy step. It is the same way for you being fearless. You can’t be easy and fearless at the same time. Being fearless is not easy. Being fearless is not about style. Being fearless definitely does not define you to be the best in the business. But being fearless is the attitude to accept the responsibility to create something unique for my client. That’s what I’d like to be more fearless to be the best as I can be.

My ambition this year is to taste winning any prestige competition in still/motion pictures. Now, the mission for 2011 is accomplished.

Why I never tried to go to any competition? And why I made the exception now? It’s a simple reason that I shoot for my clients, and my clients are the reason for me to shoot for myself. I definitely don’t see myself as a super creative photographer because I saw so many good ones out there. Obviously I was wrong that going into a competition is never about losing and winning, it’s about pushing ourselves to the limit. I finally made this competition an exception because most of the photographers in this competition are my living idols and legends in their own ways who are very and super creative in their crafts. If you don’t know about Fearless Photography, then you should go and check it out all the winning images you’ll understand how lucky I am to be part of this. I still couldn’t believe that I won one They are the superstars of wedding photographers in the world. Now, I am in the same level as them. Not bad Wiki Definitely I will try to kick their A** someday

Here is my winning award photo.

The photo was taken at Khemara + Maria’s wedding – I hope I can blog their wedding soon That night there was one group of people dancing around while the remaining guests are just too busy with their foods. I looked at them, they just made the circle and dance round and round when the time came they held their hands up. When I learned the pattern of their movement, I placed my off-camera flash inside the circle. I guess I shot it at the right time when everyone’s hands were in a bit up position.

Not only that I am happy that I won an award for my photography career, I also consider myself to have a double winning when my Indonesian friends from Wiki School Pedia – Indonesia won too in this very same competition. This is a very important break through, as the founder of Wiki School Pedia – Indonesia it is my ambition to influence Indonesian wedding photographers to go to the world stage. It’s been tough to start something like Wiki School Pedia in Indonesia as I couldn’t avoid people who started to question my motives in creating WikiSchoolPedia. Obviously, I am not trying to please everyone. But overall, I am very pleased that big numbers of photographers are motivated and inspired in a very good way. To see them winning, I feel that my journey is now starting to pay off in this commitment to teach and to inspire. So It’s a super win for me

Talking about Wiki School Pedia – Indonesia, my friends and I’ll be hosting a workshop, story essay and also a seminar. All of them are 4 days event. The workshop was sold out. However, the seminar that is something for other professionals to meet each other in real life is now open for registration. Check it out!

About one month before their wedding day, was my very first time I met Khemara and Maria. Since it is my promise that every project that I do in 2011 will be personal than ever, I love meeting them in person before the wedding. After a little bit of chit-chat, then I asked them a trivial question “what do you want to be remembered by from your fusion portrait films?”. Then Khemara started to share his life and his 10 years relationship with Maria. They admitted there were ups and downs. After hearing their story, I then proposed to create a story, my wish they can see this video everytime they have a fight to remember what they’d gone thru with their relationship. It is the message from the past for present and future that they must fight for their relationship till the end. That’s what this portrait films is about.

Since I started my personal approach in 2011, I heard and created nothing but masterpieces of my works. It really transforms what I want to become. I guess the couples get to know me better, what I think and what I wish to do for their best. But on top of that, they must work hard too. In this case, they must act. There was one scene where we ruined Maria’s make up .

I will keep doing this as much as I can to produce a beautiful moment about the relationship as long as I am still appreciated. Talking about appreciation, here is what Maria wrote to me on my facebook after the meeting.

Before you watch the film, you must know both of them are Anime and games fans.

This film was premiered at their reception last Saturday. What I heard from Khemara and Maria, it’s been the hot topic that night.

I can’t thank them enough of how they treated me with nothing but with respect and trust. It’s never easy to open up their struggles to a stranger. Thank you thank you…

Please come back to this space to watch their awesome wedding fusion video. The day was rainy and a lot of traveling but their bridal party is a crack up. We still had a great time.