MALAYSIA: Kuala Lumpur: Travel Photography Workshop by Saiful Nang at Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

2 weeks before going back to Nigeria, I attended a photography workshop at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia (Muzium Kesenian Islam Malaysia) which my friend was invited to give a talk on a topic which has gained its popularity in recent years.....travel photography.

The museum

Saiful Nang

Syibli Fakih

Opening speech given by Syibli, giving an overview of what the SNAP (Saiful Nang Academy of Photography) is all about. What sort of courses they have and a short presentation of their Zero to Hero Camp (a 3 days, 2 nights course in Malacca where Saiful Nang and his team teaches you to become a good or at least a competent photographer). It's like a photographer's boot camp. Do not participate if you don't have the heart to stomach their comments or follow their regiment. 

Syibli is into landscape and architecture. He also dabbles in night photography, taking picture of the night sky. In Instagram, Matt Glastonbury and Shane Black comes to mind, well, I follow them and half a dozen of these night masters.

Then it was Saiful's turn. We've known each other since 2004. He was my wedding's photographer (refer: MALAYSIA: Throwback 2004: August 21st, The Anniversary) . He spoke about his company's latest attraction, Rarecation. 

the latest trip..

Why rarecation?...Instead of the usual tour, of going to places of interest by tour bus, spending your time just travelling from one shopping centre to another... this time it would be more 'relaxed'..travelling from one places to another using any means possible (public busses, tuk tuk, pick up truck, rick shaw etc). The focus would be to absorb the surrounding, the landscape, the people and their culture...basically observing how they live. Emphasis given on the journey and since this is Saiful Nang we are talking about, a good chance to learn about photography at the same time. Oh ya, we have to cook our meal together and would be waking up very early to catch sunrise and taking night sky photography.

He shared some of his adventures to China and India. How he travels (very light, btw). Just his camera and a prime lens to take portraiture. His favourite setting is A (aperture). 

Among the attendees was Wazari Wazir. In Malaysia, Wazari Wazir is one of the top travelogue photographer, a blogger himself and a full time photographer with the Malaysia Government. He is famous for his Trans-Siberian adventure.  You can follow him at www.wazariwazir.com . Saiful was full of praises to this man.

After lunch, it was time for us to adjourn to the nearby National Mosque (just opposite the museum) and have a short session with Syibli and the rest of the crew. A photography session. We were divided into smaller groups and took pictures of the mosque. We compared, listened to suggestion and even see the work of the pros. Basically it was a short "art of seeing" class. 

giving some instruction

One last instruction before we start.
Syibli gave some pointers to shoot indoors

Some of my the result of the short session:

the prayer hall, just in case you wonder how it looked

Those were some of the pictures I took, the ones that I dare to post. Too trigger happy. Must control myself and that took a lot of training. But, in regards of the art of seeing and being at ease with the camera...Rahim Isam mentioned a quote from a famous French photographer, Henry Cartier-Bresson : 

You first 10,000 pictures you take are your worst 

Saiful Nang and me

his book...Story of a Winner

Met Saiful right after the event. Snap some photos with him and spoke about my uncle's dismissal from the cabinet. It happened when I was at the National Mosque. Went to his residence that night and that was that. Such is life....Aheh...