Commercial Photography 3 - Grant Corban Photography Sdn Bhd

4 December 2023

Top Gear Magazine reviews the Bufori LaJoya

Shoot for Top Gear Magazine of the Bufori Latoya in Kuala Lumpur

Top Gear and another auto magazine sent journalists to Kuala Lumpur to do write ups and a review the Bufori’s flagship La Joya. We took the team out to a kampung and let them loose so they could put the car through its paces and have some fun. Getting it’s tail to let go so it would drift the corners was made all the more exciting due to the narrowness of the road.

Inspecting the car before heading off

The Production line. Everything handmade.

Typical Malaysian street scene

Out in the kampong

A view of the rear of the Bufori Latoya

Square on hind quarters

Interior in sporty red. Interesting layout.

And through the kampung we go

Some serenity while we had a drink

Trying desperately to get the rear end to let go

I think we are just about done for the day.

Bufori in the back roads

2 December 2023

Behind the scenes at Martin Yans Asian Favorites on the Asian Food Channel

chef martin yan in malaysia on TV set for the asia food channel

Chef Martin Yan was in Malaysia to shoot a series of shows for the Asian Food Channel called Asian Favorites. The link to the show can be found here and you will see a lot more photos I took for them. I wanted to put up some of the behind the scenes photos on my web site as it goes to show all the behind people and work that goes into a TV show like this. Guest chefs on the show included Chef Datuk Fazley Yaakob and Vietnamese Chef Hoang Minh Nhat.

On TV and movie sets anyone using a camera MUST be silent otherwise the sound of the camera will be picked up on the microphones. There are two ways of doing this. The traditional method was to use a large and unwieldy sound proof casing known as a blimp. The second method is to use a mirrorless camera like Fujifilms excellent X-Series cameras. These are small, silent, and very easy to handle. Image quality is also superb. The Fujifilm X-T2 as my camera of choice on set.

28 November 2023

Corporate Shoot at ISTHMUS restaurant

Robert Khaw, owner of the Isthmus Restaurant, corporate, photography — Robert Khaw, owner of the Isthmus Restaurant

This shoot was done for an Australian magazine called “In the Black”. They wanted a shoot of Mr Robert Khaw the owner of ISTHMUS restaurant for one of their stories.

14 November 2023

Best Photographer I’ve Ever Known! – that’s what she said!

“Thank you for the photos. You are the best photographer I’ve ever known! You captured the joy and inner strength of everyone! Thanks again, Jackie”

So read the email I just received. What a wonderful way to start my morning. An overjoyed client, happy with the photos just sent half way around the world to the them.

To set the record straight, I am not the best photographer in the world. I can only wish! Every photographer can, and will receive many emails or SMS messages similar to this over the course of their career. I have had many myself, but I never let it go to my head. Sometimes a clients expectations and the deliverables match perfectly, other times they don’t. For me they were pretty much my “bread and butter” normal photography, however for the client the exceeded expectations.

The photo shoot concerned was for the University of New Haven’s Alumni event at the Mandarin Oriental. The President Dr. Steven H. Kaplan of the university, along with the current Minister of Higher Education, Yang Berhormat Menteri Dato’ Seri Haji Idris bin Jusoh both graced the event.

My tips for this kind of shoot:

Be communicative. Enter the spirit of the day. People are there to have fun so enhance it. Talk to people.
Control the light. Most venues have strong down lighting so panda eyes are unavoidable unless you control it. I use remote control strobes at nearly every shoot I do.
Bring the right gear. A good 70-200mm F2.8 it is every professionals go to lens.
Over deliver.

President of the University of New Haven Steven H. Kaplan

12 November 2023

Prince Andrew the Duke of York at the Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur

His Royal Highness Prince Andrew the Duke of York is visiting Malaysia currently and carrying out many of the diplomatic functions he does on a regular basis. This visit to Malaysia has a very heavy schedule and included visiting the war graves of troops who fought and died in the defense of Malaya. Monday evening he was scheduled to be the at the Mandarin Oriental hotel, in the heart of Kuala Lumpur to address the Alumni of the University of Huddersfield. The event was hosted by the British Malaysian Chamber of Commerce and I was asked to be the photographer to cover the event. Below are some of the images from the event.

Prince Andrew going through the University of Huddersfield promotional material

The Brexit vote happened only last week so people were very keen to hear what the Prince had to say.

Prince Andrew talking about the needs for closer ties with Malaysia

Prince Andrew gave a good case for Malaysian students to study in the University of Huddersfield.

Prince Andrew also encouraged the Alumni to keep their ties with the University of Huddersfield active.

Alumni were very keen to meet the Prince after the meeting

Prince Andrew sharing thoughts with one of the attendees