Firstly, a huge thank you to everybody who’s purchased the two new workshop videos:
Ming Thein on Photography: The Fundamentals and
Making Outstanding Images, Episode One
I’m pleased to announce that we will definitely be continuing the series. Episodes two and three are in production now, along with ‘Learning to See: visualizing Kuala Lumpur’.
But, before we get that far – please note that today will be the last day for the introductory $100 offer for both videos (instead of $120) – after today, prices will return to normal. The offer ends once all the time zones clear midnight on the 1st of September. More details on the videos, including testimonials, are here.
UPDATE: It’s now 1 September everywhere, so the offer has now ended. Thank you for the support, and enjoy your videos! MT
Please note that due to special requests and PayPal/ correspondence email addresses differing, the download links are sent manually. I make every effort to send out your download link as soon as possible, but due to time differences there may be a delay of a few hours. Thanks for understanding!
Ming Thein | Photographer 
Ming
I don’t know if this is the best place for a review/testimonial, but feel free to put it where it belongs if you feel you can use it. I just finished my first viewing of the two above videos (Fundamentals and Outstanding Images 1), and initial impressions are as follows:
1) The first video (Fundamentals) is like a mini-encyclopedia. I thought I knew a bit about photography, but the first video has put into words things that I’ve only up until now grasped in an intuitive manner, as well as things I just didn’t know at all (DOF scales generally not updated for digital cameras? Interesting in its own right, and something of a commentary on how digital manufacturers see the average photographer as not interested in manual shooting…or maybe it’s just laziness!). Some of it can be applied practically, some of it is “just for knowledge”, but the whole thing is a fascinating look at what photography is and where it came from. I can see myself going back to this one time and time again.
2) It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who reads the site, but Ming is a highly articulate and enthusiastic guide. It’s clear that he lives and breathes photography, and this comes over in his presentation style. He paces the material well: not too fast, not too slow.
3) The second video (Outstanding Images 1) is also very good. Possibly because I’m basically self-taught, I shoot in a very instinctive manner – I see something and say “yes, that!” – and it’s served me quite well. However, I can’t always tell WHY I like a picture that I’ve taken, or HOW I can take more like it. This video’s breakdown of a photo into light, subject, idea, frame, etc, has already given me the impetus to look at things in a more analytical way. It might be difficult at first because I’m not a very analytical person, but I have no doubt that it will add a new dimension to how I approach photography.
Watching Ming himself shoot and explain why and how he does what he does is a very valuable experience, and the resulting pictures strengthen his already good verbal explanations of the concepts. The analyses of his pictures are also useful. I was especially pleased to see an analysis of the “Yin Yang light” picture (with the woman’s shadow), because I’ve always really liked that one.
4) Only one very minor nitpick: when showing and analysing images, there are one or two times when Ming refers to “this part” or “that part” of the photo, and it’s not entirely clear which part is being referred to. On most pictures an effect is applied to highlight the part in question, but on one or two pictures it seems to be missing. A very minor gripe though.
Like Ming says on the video, it’s a little overwhelming at first, but slowly and surely you’ll start seeing things in a different way. Again, this video will require multiple viewings to get everything from it.
Overall, no regrets whatsoever about paying the (very reasonable) asking price for these videos. I will be giving very strong consideration to the upcoming volumes as well…once I’ve absorbed everything on the first two!
Thanks for the very detailed feedback, Mark! Noted on the highlighting of images, I thought they were obvious enough in the non-highlighted items, but we’ll improve it for the next round – which will be in about 10 days 🙂
As a current student of Ming’s, and owner of one of these videos, and of many from his MT Compendium iPad app, I can’t more highly recommend his training products. I have grown so much from both his products, and freely available blog. I can say that if personal satisfaction is an acceptable metric, I am more satisfied in my own work. His approach is systematic, his ability to communicate top notch, and end product- images- so pure. To many professionals depend upon heavy post-processing (IMHO) these days. I follow and recommend Ming because he pushes me (us) to create amazing images that do not look like they’ve been digitally altered. Thanks Ming for your guidance, expertise, and honesty!
Thanks for the support and wonderful testimonial, Gary!
i just made the purchase~ looking forward to your link~ hopefully thro’ your hardworks i can make myself a piece of better “equipment”, instead of solely rely on shinny gears~
Thanks for your support!
After finding your site and reading your articles I think I can learn a lot from your video’s. Just sent my order via Paypal and can’t wait for the links to arrive… Let the journey begin!
Thanks for your support, Marc! All orders filled/ links delivered as of this morning…
Links received in good order! Watching the first one while typing this message.
Enjoy!
OK, I’m convinced. Just sent my order via Paypal. I trust Paypal about as much as you do, but hope it will come through OK!
Looking forward to seeing the videos. I have little doubt that I will learn a lot from them.
Haha, thanks for the support 🙂 I’ve sent out your links, please check spam or let me know if you didn’t get them.
Awesome Videos Ming! Well worth it!