The year is 2012. We’re not dead yet. So carrying on.

It’s almost the culmination of 2 years of shooting weddings. And I am completely and utterly exhausted. Life really shouldn’t be like this, although you could call me greedy for holding on to a full-time pharmacist position and a part-time wedding photographer. I hate it so much yet I enjoy it so much.

But before you know it, a year has already passed. Here’s a summary of what I think I’ve matured/realised in over the past year shooting so many weddings:

1) My navigational skills are exceptional now – from Albany to Busselton to Joondalup to the Swan Valley. I’ve pretty much have been everywhere, man.

Lawrence Estate, Margaret River.

Nanarup Beach, Albany.

2) My time management skills have dramatically improved – a lot of my friends ask me “How do you manage a full time pharmacist position and then have time to shoot weddings on weekends?” Its not uncommon for me to work 80 to 100+ hour weeks during September to December (aka now). Uploading photos to Facebook while I type my blogpost, editing new photos while burning a DVD for my next client…the list goes on. My multitasking skills have boosted – I now do A LOT OF MULTITASKING TO SAVE ME TIME!

3) I’ve strengthened my confidence to meet-and-greet strangers at the snap of fingers – talking to them comfortably, and make them feel comfortable talking to me (I used to be a very shy guy in 1st Year uni!)

Jeremy’s Toga 21st – 14 September 2008. A land before before the Black Label Series.

4) I’ve spent ridiculous amount of my time driving – clocking up twice the number of KMs on the car and quadrupling my fuel consumption – sorry Greenies out there. Good thing I own a 6L/100km car

Good ol’ Colt.

5) Being hardworking and prepared to work long hours, carrying at least 8kg constantly, and work weekends, public holidays like Christmas, Boxing Day and New Years Eve when everyones partying I come home with constant backache sometimes, my eyes suffocated via my contact lenses, bloodshot, hungry. My health has deteriorated significantly this year. Everyone reaction goes – “whoa Keegan you look tired”. No. Shit.

6) Dealing with photographer competitors – I’ve met some nice ones, I’ve met some ridiculous ones…

Some of the nicer ones!

7) My creativity is stagnant. I’ve read many top photographer blogs and they all tell me the same thing. Once passion becomes work, it becomes dull and you start to take it all for granted. I have to keep telling myself to realise my role right now and to do it to the best of my ability. I may need a 3 month break from shooting or something…

Many of my colleagues say I should start employing second photographers and editors now. Visioning the White Label Series as a team rather than a one-man-show. I used to think this was a silly idea, but I start to think now that it may be viable. I also plan to recruit a wedding videographer into my package. I’ll let you on a little secret though…I have plans for that in 2012, so stay tuned

Lets tally a wrap-up of all Weddings and Events covered by KWP over this year:

- 22 full day weddings photojournalised, average 14 hour days coverage.
- 17814 wedding images clocked.
- 22 Black Label Series 21st, events and birthday photocoverage.
- 7513 BLS images clocked.
- Total KMs travelled for shoots last 2011 year: 5012kms
- Total financial reward this year: $35,026 gross

A friend once showed me a pie-chart which will stick with me forever:

Source: ispwp.com

Well, this is the reality of it:

Source: ispwp.com

Well, when someone calls themselves a photographer just because they own a dSLR, they don’t know what they’re talking about. After wielding my first dSLR 5 years ago and now starting to make money out of my hobby, I’ve learnt that your success as a photographer is determined by many dynamic attributes that you have in your ownself. Attributes like your creativity, technical knowledge, personality, marketing and sound business mind, but most importantly passion that follows what you do.

2012 will be a big year for the White Label Series. I’d hope to release something very special for you come March, the month where we turn 2 years old! Wow. Thank you for being part of it and ‘stalking’ my progression from a meagre 18-year-old kid with a camera to a 23-year-old tired kid with a camera. It would not be this far without you guys. I just cannot thank you all enough. <3

Sending the love to you all,
K.

Love, passion and life defined using the one colour – Red. The White Label Series presents Kirsty and Matthew’s wedding. 28th November 2011.

Kirsty and Matthew are the most laidback yet lovable couples. He even proposed 6months after they met because they knew they were meant for each other! Now that’s love.

They were even so understanding to even let me go catch my flight to Melbourne at the end of day, so it was a ‘drop and go without a second to spare’ moment.

Thank you for letting me be part of it all. It’s so great to see such success in relationships and I know that this one will no doubt be the same

Thank you for choosing Keegan Wong Photography ♥

From your photographer and friend,
K.

The 2011 year has been an enormous year for the White Label Series. Enormous both in hard-work and in reward. I’ve crawled in weeds, zapped by electric fences, starved shooting a night without eating dinner and coming home with sore arms, sleepless nights, backaches, bloodshot eyes and broken lips, scratches and bruises…EVERYTHING. Who says wedding photography wasn’t dangerous haha My health has deteriorated so much this year because I have been managing the White Label Series with a full-time job as a pharmacist. To be honest, I bit off way too much than I could chew. But I’ve learnt so much over the past 12 months, not just being more confident as a wedding photojournalist, but as my photographer colleague Samuel Goh says, also learning more about myself.

From the 5am preparation starts, the vineyards of the Swan Valley, the cliffs off Nanarup Beach in Albany, the Grand opening of a rooftop bar, to the pre-wedding at the Royal Show, Indian bollywood dances, the lush canola fields of New Norcia, and to the amazing sights and sounds of the Formula 1 Grand Prix. I’ve made so many friends along the way!

I remember celebrating the one year of the White Label Series back in March. I had absolutely NO IDEA what was in store for me this year.

Let me take you on a journey through the 2011 year with me.

Starting off the January 2011 year was Kah Yen’s 21st, my first Black Label Series (BLS) during the day time. It was a hot day but we cooled at the beach very well.

Then it was Thien, Kim and Duong who got me to cover their 21st as part of the BLS again. Met many familiar faces

On the 10 February, I embarked to Thailand and did a small movie project and a conceptual art, using a $100 lens and my 5d Mark 2 and spent 3 hours roaming the dark streets of Bangkok. The Faces of Bangkok.

Anna and Kean were adorable couples which booked me in 2010, but little did they know…they were in fact the first couples to be recorded after a year of shooting weddings (aka. White Label Series). A new style is gradually getting mastered at this stage – shooting against the sun.

I was super-excited to drive down to Denmark, Western Australia to shoot Kaitlin and Jay’s wedding. Something totally different. I left my 70-200mm f2.8L IS at home, but that didn’t matter anyway

My good friends at the Asian Students in Australia university clubs (ASIA) got me to cover their annual Fresher function, titled Decadence for 2011. I felt old doing this, but mingling with so many familiar faces made the process so much easier.

Arnina then got me to cover AIESEC’s committee photos which I did to support them.

Zhi needed a photographer for his LLB (Law) graduation and it was surprisingly fun shooting with Valerie and his family!

Cassie and Andrew were next in line to get married and they had a beautiful wedding and a lovely location shoot at Dalkeith where Andrew proposed

Giselle celebrated her 21st with style at Tiger Lils in Perth. I started to realise now that my WLS is overtaking priority over my BLS shoots.

Bo and David had their wedding in Guildford and then at the Vines Resort. Had a great time shooting at the Vines, and little to my knowledge down the track the marketing manager would publish my work in their brochure and call me to shoot the opening of a new bar in Perth called the Aviary (more on that later, scroll down!)

Su Jing and Marcus are camera-shy couples which boasted so much love, and it was my mission to show that on ‘film’. It worked out SPECTACULARLY.

The most amazingly loved couples Chelsea and Vinh wanted me to do their pre-wedding and wedding too! We had fun at Hyde Park doing their pre-wedding with colourful balloons and bubble blowers. This was the start of using props at shoots.

Shalayne and Zyrus booked me almost a year ago (earlybird catches the worm!) and we had Bollywood spectacular! My second Indian/Persian wedding and it was amazing.

Lynn’s surprise Alice and Wonderland 18th turned out to be one of the best albums this year in 2011. I just bought a new 50mm f1.4 lens and it was the best decision I’ve ever made. Have a look!

Black is back with ASIA’s inaugural function called ASIA Afterparty in May. We had the best light and best sweaty fun.

It was 2 days prior to Shirley’s 21st that I got a phone call to ask if I was free. Luckily for her, I was. And luckily for me, I made new and great friends

Michelle’s 40th birthday preceeded that at the Windsor Hotel in South Perth.

Ashleigh’s 21st was a bit of a drive up at night but all paid off when I met Nicola, Abi and Ashleigh on her amazing 21st. We celebrated it under <10C temperatures.

It was time for good mates to trial their cars out on track. Skidpan day was a nice break from shooting people. We even made a small video short.

Chung Wah had their Battle of the Bands for 2011, and I decidedly volunteered to help them out. Seeing that Chung Wah did help us when we immigrated over here, it’s the least that I could do.

Jessica had her 21st North of the River, rain and hail pelted us eventhough we were undercovers but it turned out to be one of the best home parties ever.

The Malaysian Students Union wanted me to cover their special Future is Now university event. Too bad I had to leave early because of work the next day

Aaran Mohann’s 21st was absolutely hillarious. Had to be one of the best 21st speeches I’ve heard in a while. Definitely alot to do with his own personality.

Doris and Jeremy also wanted a pre-wedding done before their wedding coverage in September. Luckily we did it because we hadn’t had much time during their wedding to do a location shoot.

Jeffrey’s home 21st was a very unique experience but definitely shows how closest friends stick together.

Yuki’s JapanNIGHT 21st was an amazing blend of costumes cosplay and Japanese cuisine at her massive home. The piano teacher was no less so happy to have her friends around her with her 21st. We even did a preshoot a few days prior to the Friday shoot.

Then came the Singapore Formula 1 experience. One word, amazing night photography coupled with blisteringly fast cars. My favourite Too bad I couldn’t cover the ASIA Cocktail 2011.

Tic Tic II tour came along afterwards with the collaboration of upcoming photographers in Perth. We all had an amazing time!


The annual MSU ball codenamed Temptation was documented and turned out to be the most far reaching hit on Facebook. Thank you to the team at MSU.



Joyce and Wui Hua are pharmacist colleagues of mine who got me to cover their Australian wedding and to prepare an SDE (same-day-edit) slideshow for their Malaysian reception. Araluen was beautiful <3

It was Jun and Victor’s turn to shoot their pre-wedding. It was a last minute decision to drive 2 hours north east to the wildflowers and we came across this beautiful patch of yellow canola fields, along with fellow photographer colleagure Geoffrey Liau. It turned out to be one of the best location shoots I’ve done.

Candice contacted me via Jun to cover her all-white 21st, she and her mum created one of the most beautiful candlelight venue. It even got published in a blog website.

Chelsea and Vinh’s long-awaited wedding day came along, and I was there to celebrate it with them more as a friend than a photographer. The special mention at the Reception and to be allocated a seat next to the bride and groom was an amazing feeling <3

The next day, Doris and Jeremy’s wedding day came and went so quickly on the Sunday. I remembered being knackered but still pushing on to shoot their wedding but everything turned out beautifully.

Jenny’s 50th birthday was also documented at the beautiful AQWA reception centre. I love that place! Special thanks to Tara who got me to cover it for mum

As mentioned before, the marketing manager Carly from the Vines contacted me to photograph Perth’s newest rooftop bar. I even got invited to attend their VIP opening launch which saw Zhenya Tsvetnenko (Russian millionaire), Basil Zempilas from 929 and so many football players on one roof.

Snehil’s Bollywood 21st was an awesome Indian experience this year once again, great food and great atmosphere. Snehil has been a long time friend and it was a privilege to be part of his 21st celebration.

The surprise 21st for Johnny was a very unique one, when it wasn’t a ‘surprise’ at all haha. We dined at the Tuck Shop, best lamb chops using only amazingly fresh produce in Northbridge.

I was SO excited to shoot for Miek and Lyall’s pre-wedding, simply because it was at the Royal Show. It was definitely challenging with the difficult lighting, but we had the best fun and some of the best images I’ve ever created

Hieu and Wei Liang was a creative boost (not sure how I got it) but definitely a groundbreaking shoot trying to utilise only what I have with me. Wedding was perfect.

The WAMSS (Medical student society) wanted me to cover their graduation dinner. Seeing that I knew half of the crew already being close allied health professionals, I JUST HAD to shoot this one

I had a second privilege to drive down to Albany again to celebrate Teniel and Darryl’s wedding. It was an amazing experience staying at one of the most exclusive retreats on Earth, off a cliff overlooking the Great Australian Bight. Also had a 5 course dinner with the family too. I have so much to thank for them giving me this awesome privilege.

Vivienne’s 21st came along right after at the lovely Ellington’s Jazz Bar. I love that place!

Su Jing and Marcus were back in front of the camera again in their amazingly Vintage wedding.

I was off to Tiger Lil’s once again for Celine’s 21st.

Jun and Victor became stars again after their pre-wedding for their official Wedding day. This was arguably the most relaxed wedding I’ve ever covered haha

Liz had her Hen’s Day instead of the normal stripper night, which was so much more fun and enjoyable <3 We cruised in the Diamond Lounge Limocoach with pretty girls in them - an awesome experience

In what was one of the most pretty couples of the White Label Series, Karen and Sebastien celebrated their marriage on a Wednesday at Caversham and Breakwater. Just perfect <3

Kirsty and Matthew celebrated their wedding all at Fremantle. I had to fly off to Melbourne off that same night, so it was shoot till 8pm, grab my luggage, and fly off.

Julie and Khim had a 24th December Christmas Eve wedding, which all went so perfectly in the festive mood.
image+link to album coming soon
Lorna and Mark booked me from the UK 1.5 years ago, crowning the earliest booking couple of the White Label Series. We had an amazingly casual wedding with perfect weather, and of course, perfect photos
image+link to album coming soon
Finally, Natalie and Manuel signed off the WLS2011 with a half-day wedding to bang the WLS into 2012. It never stops until the last second for 2011
image+link to album coming soon

So there we have it. A 2011 in a nutshell. Looking back now and to say the least…

IT WAS ABSOLUTELY CRAZY THAT HANDLED ALL THIS IN 12 MONTHS.

I’ve also been promoted to a full time pharmacist manager for 2012, so boy it’s gonna be one exciting and tiring year. But I have good news. The 2012 White Label Series is gonna be a very different one. It will no longer be a one-man-show. There are plenty of changes in store, such as a videographer as part of wedding packages, second shooters, new wedding website and a new White Label Series logo. And also when Keegan Wong Photography with the White Label Series goes International.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you who has ‘liked’, commented, saved, display-pic’d and referred on my images. You may not know this, but I sit in front of my computer here everyday to see all the interactions on my images…and I know who EACH AND EVERYONE of you are.

They mean THE WORLD to me.

From the bottom of my heart, I’d just like to thank you. If you ever see me on the streets of Perth, just make sure you say “Hi” and ask me to buy you a coffee…it’s on me for being so awesome And it’s also because I love coffee. Cappucino, one sugar.

I hope everyone has a fantastic new 2012 Dragon year. Chinese astrology loves dragons on the Dragon year, and I can feel that it’s gonna be a year of change for everybody, so brace yourselves for what’s gonna be action-packed and hopefully more amazing images to share from the White Label Series.

From your photographer and friend,
K.