This is a Fun Blog about Our New Journey Ahead for the New Year!
A New Yearn – may you achieve what you long for. A man without yearning is a spent man.
Since this is my websight centering on photography, I am pleased to start 2025 by photographing two epic celebrations (12.11am and 2.54pm) on the first day of the new year.
Both shot with my iPhone!
Both celebrations had to do with Nourishment. One was Spiritual and the other was Ambrosial.
Perhaps these are Signs! I always tell my friends that my Camera is my Ministry of Photography – blessing people by taking nice pictures of them.
My Camera also accords me privileged invited entries into green rooms and dressing rooms at concert venues.
They say the Best Camera is the one in your Pocket at that time of need!
Every year on new year’s eve, me and my family would celebrate the new year with our friends in church. We reminisce about the year gone by and anticipate eagerly the new one that’s about to commence. My favourite part of the church’s annual New Year’s Eve Watchnight service happens just about 20 minutes before midnight, and then the church lights are dimmed to give a sombre and reflective mood. The pastor delivers her sermon. Then at the stroke of midnight, the lights come on again. There is jubilation around as everyone gives each other hugs and well-wishes.
BUT this year (2025) turned out to be very different as I was about to find out. I was, as everyone else, minding my own business, busy checking out the well-wishes on my iPhone when my church pastor requested my presence On Stage (12.11am) as well as my photography expertise to photograph a congregation pix. Lucky for me being on stage is my second home. Haha.
I believe it is important to Believe in Something. Some believe in higher powers, some in money, some in trophy wives, some in spiritual uplifting (alcohols and smokes), some in analog (others in digital), some in Canon (others in Nikon), some in Coca Cola (others in Pepsi), some in Rolex (others in Pateks), some believe in part-taking of ambrosia (the finest food) and some believe they’ll have another beer. Different strokes for different blokes.
My First Epic Portrait – New Year’s Eve Night Watch Church Service Congregation Portrait at 12.11am (above image). I anchored the portrait by featuring the Cross and twin candles at the bottom of the picture.
My Second Epic Portrait – Alan Lee’s Greenwood Fish Market Seafood Restaurant Staff Portrait (above image). As you can see from the heavy clouds, it’s been a rainy day. Kudos to Alan Lee and his merrymakers for going up the wet container and posing amidst the wet weather (liquid assets). I call this triumphant portrait – “A New Dawn”. I shot this wet portrait (very appropriate for a seafood restaurant) at 2.54pm, clamping an umbrella (with my neck and shoulder) so as not to get my camera lens wet.
Fun Pastor Portrait (1) – I told the pastors to look busy, doing something (above image).
Pastor Portrait (2) – then I told the cooperative and fun pastors to smile and look into my lens (above image).
Thanks Pastors Wendy, Gilbert, Kai Meng, Benjamin and Joshua.
My New Year’s Eve Night Watch Church Service Congregation Portrait – in glorious colour (above image). This is the actual iPhone shot – no leveling, no colour enhancement, no cropping as I didn’t want to crop out anybody.
Although not nervous throughout the photo session, I kept wondering, “Did the Pastor just called me Uncle Eddie in front of the whole congregation?” My church buddies later confirmed she did. Pastor Wendy calls everyone (younger or older than her) by their first names.
For the church archives, I also took a portrait of the seated congregation featuring the Communion table (above image).
Alan Lee and his merrymakers at Greenwood Fish Market with the “top of the world” pose (above image).
I Wish You Readers A Happy, Safe and Awesome 2025! (above image).
