.: ShaolinTiger - Kung-Fu Geekery :.

So these are the last few shots for Krystal, if you liked these you can check out the Kharu sets too.

These are a mix of urban shots, different processing and colour for different feels.

Defiant

Escape

Masquerade

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Due to Krystal being late the first day - Manny kindly gave us a few hours on the second day to shoot Krystal in the morning before she flew back to Bangkok.

We started off again in the earning morning light at KLPac, tried for different feels and looks for the second day.

Yellow Glow

Yellowgreen

Far Away

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So back to Krystal it is, somehow I got some steam over the weekend and finished the first day of the Krystal shoot....some nice pics in there. Day 2 is still looming with another 4GB of RAW files to look through.

I expect to be getting back up to date though as processing on this PC is a pleasure rather than a torture..like the old setup. I just need to learn to manage my time better.

These were shot in the abandoned bungalow in KLPac nearer to midday, that's why the light is quite harsh - but I had fun with that aspect. I tried to make this a more emotionally varied set.

It was fun anyway! Mostly shot with Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 for the wider shots and Nikkor 70-300mm VR for the tighter ones.

Mono Thoughts

Legs Forever

Distant

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Here was a few shots I got from the background while it was some other guys turn to shoot, these can be considered interim shots..

A warm up for Monday morning

Sassy

Trapped

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This is the first set from the Krystal series, shot at KLPac at 10pm to create long flowing shadows and contrasts between light and dark.

A great time for emotional shots.

The black and white yesterday was just a taster.

Mystique

Sensual

Intense

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Coming soon to a blog near you.

The second picture in the series with Krystal.

View the Large 'Freedom' On Black.

Do you like it?

An attempt at Dramatic Portraiture.

Hope to process them all soon!

I have to say, there's few things in life I hate more than spammers, well spammers pretending to be PR execs, that could perhaps be one of the things.

A couple of people received a mail about a new production at KLPac from the KLPac Marketing and PR Exec, I also received it, but I didn't realise it as it was 1) in my hotmail account and 2) in the junk folder (after reading it, I found hotmails placement of the mail rather apt).

The fact is, I'd already checked out the production at Kakiseni, and was interested in it.

This unsolicited mail just leaves a bad taste in my mouth, plus the way it was written is rather patronising and leech like.

Who gave you my permission to use my e-mail address for this purpose? Did I sign up to any kind of notification list? Oh...you just thought I might be interested?

Got your contacts from Gavin's The Homecoming blog. Thought I'd update you guys on the next KLPac production just in case you'd be interested to post it on your blogs. We'll be having a Philip Ridley play starring Gavin Yap (check out the poster visual below! also attached postcard front / back), Faridah Merican and Joanna Bessey, amongst others. It'll be directed by Joe Hasham.

It's the absolutely MUST SEE production for this year, read more below. If you need more info, do let me know or give me a buzz on 012 306 2122. Thanks for supporting theatre in Malaysia!

PS - please help to forward the mailer below to your friends! special promo - flat rate of RM30 on Tues - Thurs!!!

The "Must See" production? Forward to your friends? Hello?

Excuse me, but are blogs a new way to get free advertising? Should I just post any old crap random strangers mail me, to help them profit, to 'help the local scene' or some other childish excuse?

This is not an ad directory, this is not a place for advertorials like some stinkaporean slut sites or coconut boy and his Ford sellout.

Nor are any of the people I associate us with, so please don't treat us like a bunch of kids without nothing to write about that would be really grateful to receive your spam so we can post it on our sites.

I probably would have written about the play, and I was definately going to go, but the fumbled attempt at PR, I'll probably still go, but I almost definately won't write about it.

Kimberlycun has also posted about this: Bad Communication

I mailed her back, rather peeved I might say:

Hi,

I just found this mail in my junk folder, I guess that's where it belongs as it's unsolicited commercial e-mail.

Please remove me from your list, I do not wish to be spammed with your leech like attempt at gaining some 'free' publicity from bloggers.

This is not the way to approach people, trust me.

I am interested in supporting the local theatre scene, and I will continue to do so, I am not however interested in being spammed by you, so please take it elsewhere.

Perhaps consider a line other than PR too.

Cheers

Her massive PR skills gave me an excellent response, and quashed my worries..NOT

Noted

Yeah, that was it, that was her response.

(Name removed and phone number changed to protect the innocent stupid)

Stupid.People.Should.Die.In.A.Big.Hot.Fire

So I'd heard about the local production of Homecoming, which was somewhat surprising as Harold Pinter is a genius, but a twisted one at that.

Harold Pinter has been awarded the 2005 Nobel Prize for Literature, the highest honour available to any writer in the world. In announcing the award, Horace Engdahl, Chairman of the Swedish Academy, said that Pinter was an artist "who in his plays uncovers the precipice under everyday prattle and forces entry into oppression's closed rooms." Pinter will travel to Stockholm in December to accept the award.

You can read his Bio here:

Harold Pinter Biography

A multitalented guy (Actor, Director, Writer, Producer and more!), but I have to admit I didn't think Malaysia would be the place for a play such as Homecoming. Although I'm thoroughly glad it didn't get bastardised by the censors or banned altogether like The Vagina Monologues.

I went off to KLPac (KL Performing Arts Center) Sunday afternoon for the penultimate showing of Homecoming, if you are interested you can read the production diaries at The Homecoming Diaries.

Unforunately the roads decided to change direction around Jalan Duta and I got totally lost on the way to Sentul West, I ended up doing a big detour to get onto another part of Jalan Kuching and eventually made it there when I recognised where I was (the HSBC on Jalan Ipoh).

Beautiful place anyway, made from reclaimed bricks by the looks of it.

Reached there about 3:20pm and the show started at 3pm sharp! Thankfully the nice lady let Kimberly and myself in even though we were late, she didn't even make us wait for the interval. Lovely.

We sat in the front row, feet pretty much on the stage, you could see the whites of their eyes, very intimate.

Makes a change from the normal theatre crap where you need a pair of binoculars to make out their facial expressions.

The show was very well done I have to say, the lighting was amazing, setting the mood perfectly and accurately and showing transitions between rooms and the time passing between night and day, plays of colours with blue and red mixed, cold blue for certain scenes, warm orange for others, it really added a lot to the performance.

The acting was good, Ben Tan was excellent as the somewhat confused protaganist Teddy, was he in control? Did he no longer love his wife? Did he have another 'bit on the side' or was he really gay? Did he love 'Uncle Sam' a little more than he should, vice versa seemed rather obvious, him always being the favourite boy, but then again, Sam could well be his father, another subtext, with Sams outburst about Jessie, and the way he looked after the boys..

That's the thing with Pinter, you never really know.

Then Ruth played by Jia-Wei Loo, she played the seductress, was she loopy? Or was she the one really in control, the line between mother and whore is blurred to a point where there is no longer a division, was she being used, or was she using them? 2 hours of 'love-play' with Joey? To me it seems like she's the one in control.

Although she could well be a slut from the comments Teddy made about her being popular and very 'social' back in the US of A.

Jia-Wei played the role very well, Pinter is extremely tough for anyone, especially a first-timer, I applaud her, something must have rubbed off when she was making all the sets She switched between dominant, winning over the Psycho Lenny and submissive, to the point the men could kiss her and touch as a sex object without reprimand.

Then the father Max (Thor Kah Hoong, a veteran), switched between charming and affable and mean, nasty and downright hateful, one minute he could be lauding Ruth, saying how beautiful and serene she is, next he'd be saying she's a dirty slut bag puss filled whore. Quite a contrast indeed.

The play was very British and filled with swearing as usual, perhaps that's why it doesn't shock me so much, I've grown up with Black Comedy and dark humour, you only have to look at our extremely popular 'comedy' series like League of Gentlemen to know what we enjoy, most people don't quite understand it, yet we love it.

Lenny (U-En Ng) was intense with a great pseudo English accent, he played the part to a tee, struggling with himself, falling for Ruth as she was the only woman who could stand up to him, play him and take control. I assume U-En wrote his own biography in the program as it was very funny. He appeared to be some kind of crazy pimp, offering the services of ladies to his high class clientele, with his 'professional opinions' on the whoring of Ruth.

Patrick Teoh didn't have much to do as Sam, the lovable uncle who had to take shit from Max every day, there is some hints that Sam might actually be the father of the 3 boys, which would explain why he still hung around to look after the old bastard Max.

Ian Cheang did well as a new-comer, but to be fair he didn't have to do much apart from stand around looking gormless, staring at Jia-Wei and pulling down his trousers occasionally.

All together a very enjoyable experience, I would recommend you go and see it, but well it's already finished so you can't. Tough luck.

I might take up acting, twisted things like this make me want to be involved.

Had a quick wonder round the Koi Pond KY blogged about, and then buggered off to have some excellent Sushi at Teppan Sushi in Bandar Menjalara!

Saw smashp0p there, he's actually really quite tall, he looks so short in his pictures.

The Others:

The Suan
The Kim
The Paul
The FA

Randoms:

Charley Bean
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AppleGurl
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