Ming Thein | Photographer

Cuba – in the bag assessment

May 16, 2014 by Ming Thein

Me getting down in Havana. Photo courtesy KH Yeo

If you’re going on a trip that’s probably never going to be repeated (let’s assume it isn’t for a job where you’d have to bring everything you could possibly need and spares) – what do you bring? The tried and true, or the new gear you think might work? And more importantly, how does one balance it out against the current draconian carry on limits, and one’s endurance in the field? After all, there’s no point in bringing the best camera only to leave it in the hotel…read on and see how my bag did in Havana. I made a very conscious choice to travel as light as possible and leave behind the tripod; it was a last minute change mainly due to luggage space challenges and a lack of foreseeable night/ long exposure photography.

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Filed Under: Gearhead: Reviews Tagged With: bag, cuba, gear assessment, havana, ming, ming thein, mingthein.com, review, thein

Announcing H2 2014 Workshops and masterclasses – now open for booking!

May 14, 2014 by Ming Thein

It’s time to announce the results from the workshop poll a few weeks ago. I won’t be precisely following the city rankings because of some other considerations – logistics mainly – but I will be offering workshops and masterclasses in three locations for the second half of 2014: San Francisco, Chicago, USA and Venice, Italy. The dates were chosen based on a couple of criteria: firstly, interesting weather – fall in the USA, and atmospheric winter in Venice – and participant preferences.

Read on for more details, and to reserve a place.

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Filed Under: Teaching Tagged With: 2014, ming, ming thein, mingthein.com, thein, workshops

Art, celebrity and fame

May 12, 2014 by Ming Thein

A form of exit.
Would it be any different/ more or less valid if it had somebody else’s name on it?

The perpetually asked question of ‘but is it art?’ is one that’s impossible to answer. I’ve tried, I know I’ve been found to fall short, and won’t event attempt to define it. But today I’d like to approach this topic from a slightly different angle: how are the three things in the title related?

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Filed Under: On Photography Tagged With: art, article, celebrity, essay, fame, ming, ming thein, mingthein.com, opinion, philosophy, photography, thein

Illusion vs delusion vs reality: commercial photography today

May 10, 2014 by Ming Thein

Perhaps one of the most difficult objects I’ve ever had to light – directionality is needed to show finishing textures, but at the same time, diffusion for the polished surfaces. Reflections are controlled by carefully constructing the ambient environment and positioning of the lights and watch. This is a single image, not a composite.

This article is almost certainly going to not just going to make me unpopular with other photographers, but my clients, too. But it has to be said: I’m crying myself hoarse but nobody seems to be listening. There is a growing disconnect between physical reality and commercial ‘reality’. And if those people bridging the gap don’t say or do something about it – where does it end? As they say, the truth hurts. Read on if you’re masochist.

Beyond the numbers: what’s next?

May 8, 2014 by Ming Thein

An illogical, whimsical image shot with an enjoyable camera to use. There is a reason why I chose this image as the header for the article – read on and all shall be revealed…

Since the beginning of the medium – supposedly the view from Niepce’s window in 1826 or thereabouts – we have been chasing more. More is supposedly better. More of what? More of everything: resolution, clarity, size, maximum aperture, focal length, width…anything that can be quantised. It is arguable that the sufficiency was achieved for the capable photographer quite some time ago; what’s more interesting is that sufficiency has also been met and far exceeded within the reach of the typical consumer, too. And I think finally, several years afterwards, people are beginning to realise it, too. So: where does photography go from here?

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Filed Under: Articles, On Photography Tagged With: article, camera evolution, essay, ming, ming thein, mingthein.com, numbers, opinion, thein, what's next

Quality control, sample variation and what it means for photographers

May 6, 2014 by Ming Thein

Perhaps the most problematic series of lenses I’ve ever owned. Like the fable, when they’re good – they’re really good; when they’re bad, they’re horrible.

An increasingly heard phrase amongst photographers and gear collectors is “it’s a good copy” or “it’s a bad copy”: today’s article explores what this actually means, as well as how it is relevant in real terms.

Photoessay: Tokyo architecture

May 4, 2014 by Ming Thein

Buildings, architecture and abstract geometry are amongst my favourite subjects. Actually, I got that back to front: the idea of abstraction and deconstruction of composition into considerations of pure colour and form is probably the underlying linkage between all of my images. As a result, buildings and architecture rank high on my list of preferred subjects because they are very conducive for doing just that: they’re static, so you can take your time with the composition; they reflect their environments – or not – and change in personality as changing light plays off different surfaces and textures in different ways; finally, there are always interesting details incorporate into the structures which are a reflection of their architects; much as a photograph is a reflection of the photographer.

Thoughts on stock photography

May 2, 2014 by Ming Thein

This is obviously not the kind of thing I usually shoot. But it does have stock value, so I go out of my way: why?

I’ve long been in two minds about the whole stock photography business, for many reasons. Today I’d like to explore some thoughts around the whole ecosystem. One thing’s for sure, though: the market for photographers is getting worse.

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Filed Under: Articles, On Photography Tagged With: article, essay, ming, ming thein, mingthein.com, opinion, stock, stock photography, thein

Experimenting with stacked polarisers

April 30, 2014 by Ming Thein

A rather interesting effect, for daylight. Note texture of water.

Some time ago, I went out hunting for a variable ND filter in anticipation of a beach trip. (I know, most people buy a swimsuit or sunglasses, but I’m a photographer; sue me.) What I found was a little troubling. Not only were the locally available options hideously expensive, but they also weren’t multicoated – this brings about an obvious set of flare related problems given the environments (sunny) under which they’d be used. I thought I’d get creative instead.

Photoessay: Tokyo street monochromes, part II

April 28, 2014 by Ming Thein

This is part two of this mini-series. It’s simply impossible to go to Tokyo and not do any street photography; between the overall camera-friendliness of the people, the unusualness of the settings and the quality of light…