Captain Isz Tai

This is my second time shooting Isz Tai. She is one of the great model to work with. She is very talented to pose and also to show her body. And I do not have to worry on her make up as she is a professional make up artist as well. The idea came from the Sulu army attack in Sabah and I was thinking to get a captain hat for the shooting. It was coincident that She has the outfit that suitable for the captain hat. I just love it. Malacca is a historical city whereby there are lots of antique equipment stay behind such as the Portuguese Canon that they used during the war as well as the castle built. There are some still left in Malacca. The location best suit the shooting theme. (this is my first off cam flash portrait) Enjoy...

Michael Greenberg Workshop in Penang 2013

Photo capture by Yeinnee Phang (Participant from the workshop)

It was my tough decision to bring Michael Greenberg to Penang. He is one of the best photographers on earth. It is never easy to win 12 Awards and over 80 AOE from the WPPI. He is someone who loves to share his experience and his career secret. His artwork caught my attention to learn from him. As I had miss both of his workshop since the last 2 years (the Creative Asia and the other one organized by Louis Pang), thus if I do not bring him to Malaysia at this time, I might have to attend this workshop at other country. Thus leave me no choice; I have to bring him into Penang for me to attend the workshop.

Workshop organizing is not hard, but to have participants to register for the class is not easy. Although Michael is a WPPI awards winner but he is not well known to Malaysian. Marketing is important and has to be done to acknowledge the photographers that Michael is coming. The response was moderate in the beginning and this makes me miserable. To give up, I felt sorry to the participants who had booked up the workshop earlier; to continue, there isn't enough participants to start up the workshop. As the time passed, I have to make a very difficult decision, “should I give up or carry on”? End I chose to carry on and gave myself a full force to make this workshop happen. Finally, there were several participants turn up for the workshop last minute. Sponsors came in as well….. I must have done something good that the God gave the golden hand to me at last minute.

Michael was happy to touch down in Penang on 24 January 2013. We surprised Michael with the appearance of Siewkay (his former student) to warm welcome him with his artwork. He is a very nice and friendly person. After bringing him to the Chulia Street for dinner and we put him into hotel for rest.

On 25 January 2013, Michael surprised me with 2 boxes of his education card when I picked him up at the 1926 Heritage Hotel. We had a day tour, but too bad that Michael still has yet to recover from his jetlag and he could not really enjoy the tour. Thankfully he found his new shoe for the workshop. As I said, Michael is a very friendly person, from our conversation, he had known that 25 Jan is my wife’s birthday and he celebrated my wife’s birthday together with her. And we have a very nice group photo at the pool side together with my family, Siewkay, Diane and Michael. Love this photo very much. My honor to have him celebrate birthday with my wife.


Enjoying his lunch with us in New World Park.


I like this picture of him, it was a candid shot and he looks so handsome.


While visiting, Michael was demonstrating a portrait session showing us how he capture a nice portrait photo and how he communicate with the model. He is pro! This was another unforgettable experience for me and I will never forget every single words on this session.


Michael enjoying Char Koay Tiao at New Lane.


Last photo before leaving the hotel, my wife birthday celebration with Michael Greenberg.

26 January 2013 the workshop day, I was glad that all of the 13 participants turned up on time for the workshop. Michael was casual with his hot pants to start up the workshop. It was nice to be casual. It was nice to have the workshop at the hotel too, where it was very convenient for the participants to stay a night there and also convenient for the instructor to pick up his accessories from his room.



Michael’s workshop was very special compare to others. Usually photographers start up the workshop with their artwork and instruct the student to learn their photo shooting skill or the photoshop skill but not for the Canadian Michael Greenberg. He start up his workshop by showing few of the classic art (drawing), some of the art were appear in several museum in the world. He inspired us with the story behind the art, and followed by his artwork. From the artwork, we were not only learn the shooting skill behind the scene but something more than that. Type of customer to focus and pattern to shoot is one of the tool for him to be successful. Michael is kind enough to share the tips to compete in a contest.


Ice breaking session








Can I have a portrait of you?

After the workshop on 26 January, 6 of us on our way to Thaipusam to do the off cam flash shooting. The participants directly learn to shoot with the off cam flash with Michael guidance. I was there to be “Alex” (Michael’s flash assistant). This was my first experience being lighting assistant. Michael has a very good experience from Batu Caves Thaipusam, but this is his first time to experience the Thaipusam event in Penang. He was amazed with the coconut smashed. The followers smashed the coconut to clean the road before the God passes by. This is the first time for him to experience. But too bad, it was too late, and we were not able to witness the event until late night because we have workshop on the next day.


Good morning guys

27 January 2013 workshop second day, early Q&A session was conducted by Michael while the models were getting ready for the photo shoot. Michael explained how powerful with a flash gun on hand even during the hot sunny day. Michael organized a mini contest for all the participants, the winner for the best photo for today’s practical shooting will win a box of his education card that consist of all his winning shot. During the practical session, Michael Greenberg demonstrating some photo shooting technique. He planned his practical session very well. He demonstrated 4 assignments (4 style of shooting) before the participants started their practical portrait shooting, then Michael was walking around to check the participants’ artwork, giving some suggestion for improvement and also perform some additional demonstration whenever he saw there is a needs. Thus the whole practical session will be under his control and organize. The very important points were the participants did not feel left out, all of them has the chance to see his demonstration, all the participants has his guidance and all of them learn well.


Demonstration in progress










Participants were having fun over the shoot out.


Model was having fun too.


Behind the scene

After lunch, Michael kept his promised and did a demonstration on a groom and bride walk in shoot out. At first he was capturing the moment of the bride and groom outside the room, he mentioned to us, it is very important to have some time chatting with the bride and groom before the walk in, that will be the extra time for the photographer to communicate with the bride and groom. While for the walk in, Michael hold his camera with his right hand and flash with extended monopod on his left hand. While for the champagne pouring session, he requested a participant to hold the flash and he snap from the other side. I purposely setup a cheap wedding function, where there is no decoration, no single dim light and when the bride and groom walk in, all the lights in the room were switched off and the only available light source was from the window above the 5 doors in the class room and Michael’s photo really amazing and make me zip my mouth for giving excuses for not taking a good photograph.


The wedding couple

Next, it was the best photo selection from the practical morning shooting session. What I like the most on Michael’s photo selection and photo critique session whereby he really point out the mistakes from the photo and he really critique badly for us to fall to the floor and stand up again. This is the best motivation method for all photographers. The only way to make someone to accept new things is to throw away their ego. Anyway, the photo mini contest session was won by Kwok Wai Yee, thank you for participating in the competition.


The winning shot


The winner

Last session before we end the workshop was the “photography and business”. It is very interesting and new for the participants. It was inspiring and making them to think. It is not easy to become a full time photographer and manage the business at the same time. Many of the photographers in Malaysia have to have part time job to sustain their photography career, but Michael was sharing his secret and success path to the participants to be a successful photographer. I am really impressed with his sharing. End, everyone takes pictures with Michael Greenberg before the class ended.

At the end of the workshop, that was the beginning of another event, the Thaipusam shot again. I was there again to be “Alex”. This time was not really fun as there were nothing much compare to yesterday. I was play hard together with Win Win when being the flash assistant.


She was enjoying her coffee :D



28 Jan 2013, a day tour with Michael in Penang. Out of sudden, Michael requested for nature landscaping. I seldom do landscaping in Penang, more over, landscaping best for Penang nature scenery is in the morning where the sunrise. I did a very lousy job bringing Michael to the wrong place at the wrong time. It was a very hot day and journey to Titi Kerawan waterfall is way too far, I only manage to bring him to Batu Feringhi beach. Michael wish to try out more local hawker stall, thus we brought Michael to Gurney Drive to try new place. Michael started enjoy being local. He tried to order the food by himself. He was asking us how do we pronouns “Char Koay Teow, mai luak, mai ham”. Before sending Siewkay and Diane home, Michael gave a very big hug to them and took a very meaningful photo together.







29 Jan 2013, it’s the day that Michael will be flying off to Koh Samui. I fetched him to the Penang International Airport in the morning. After confirmed that all his belongings had been checked in, we spend about an hour time in the airport at McDonald chatting and flash back our memories that I learned from the workshop. End, the saddest moment will always come, its time for Michael to head into the boarding room and leaving Penang. We took a few pictures together before Michael entering into the boarding room. Hope to meet him up for outing again in Penang for the next 2 years when he is here for his assignment. And hopefully I will be his qualify “Alex” in Penang. I will sure to organize a better tour for him in Penang on 2015.

I am very happy and very grateful that I made this workshop happening and of course I must thank all the helpers, volunteers, sponsors and the participants to make this workshop happening. Without their support, without their participation, the workshop will not be fun and memorable. Special thanks to the participants that came all the way from overseas and outstation. Sanjeev and Ajun flew all the way from Singapore. Diane Chan from United Kingdom, Kenneth Leong and Josh Ling from Sarawak, Kwok Peng Tuck, Kwok Wai Yee, Yeinnee Phang and Raymond Lee from Kuala Lumpur. Timmy Khong from Taiping. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the model as well. Elise Choo, Laureen Quah and Zazx Chin, you guys did a great job. Never forget to thank Michael Greenberg and Phototera for his effort making this workshop a success. Everything happens magical for me. My first time organizing the workshop and this is my second time attending a workshop. I start organizing this workshop before I even went to any of the photography workshop.

Special thank to:
Raymond Lee – workshop T-shirt sponsor
Siewkay – workshop note pad and name tag sponsor
3Q studio – facilitate the workshop
Laymern Lim – cinematic video sponsor
Josh Ling – facilitate the workshop
Danny Sim – Wedding gown
1926 Heritage Hotel.

The Cinematic video:

Michael Greenberg workshop in Penang from yesidomoment on Vimeo.