Product and Manufacturing - Grant Corban Photography Sdn Bhd

17 January 2024

Annual Report Trophy and Award Photography

This is an ongoing project we are working on at present for an upcoming annual report. We are shooting on location and are bringing a full lighting set up and backgrounds on site. Being a photographer for trophies and awards has quite different challenges than photographing people. While there may be a lot more control over lighting, the reflections and transparency of the crystal and glass pose their own challenges. One of these is making sure the lettering is readable. White lettering on a white back ground poses the question of how white should the background be. If it’s too white then the advertising agency will have great difficulty in cutting the images out for later placement. Make it too dark and the clear glass awards will look dirty.

One of the images below, the blue one, took well over an hour to light properly due to its rounded base and sloping top. The writing on this award is immensely more legible in our photo than it is on the actual award!

Camera: Mamiya Phase One P30+. At one stage I was keen on getting a Nikon D800 due to its similar resolution to digital medium format cameras and comparatively affordable pricing, however viewing images side by side of these two cameras I would have to say there is no comparison. If you can go medium format and make money from your images, get one.

10 January 2024

Fujifilm and Astalift show room in Menara Axis

Fujifilm asked us to do a corporate shoot for them at their Menara Axis, Petaling Jaya Office for the launching of their new product Astalift. Astalift is pretty much a house hold brand name in Japan, and ranks in the same stratospheric market of skin products as SK-II. I have personally used their gel and I can tell you it is really good stuff!

Here is an info blurb from their web site:

“Created by FUJIFILM, ASTALIFT is an award-winning brand that offers carefully-researched skincare and supplement products with proven efficacy.

Not many know that oxidation – the leading cause of freckles and skin ageing â€“ is responsible for colour fading in photographs. FUJIFILM has applied its advanced understanding of the process of anti-oxidation technology to create ASTALIFT’s award-winning anti-ageing products.

What’s more, Collagen “an important structural protein in human skin “ is also the key ingredient for photographic film. FUJIFILM, harnessing its nearly 80 years of collagen research, has effectively channeled this area of expertise to ASTALIFT’s products.

FUJIFILM has also applied its proprietary knowledge of nanotechnology for exposing and colour developing in film to allow high concentrations of ultra-fine skin-nourishing ingredients to be delivered effectively and deeply to targeted levels of the skin, while preserving their efficacy.

FUJIFILM’s strengths in image analysing technologies gleaned from our vast experience in the photographic and medical fields have also been used in skin tone reproduction technology to enhance one’s looks in the cosmetics field.

Inspired by skin cell research. Powered by proprietary nano technology.”

So if you are keen on knowing more please visit their web site here or their facebook page here.

Fujifilm show room entrance in Menara Axis

Astalift show room in Menara Axis

Astalift consultation and meeting room in Menara Axis

Astalift entry way in Menara Axis

Another view of the Astalift show room in Menara Axis

Another view of the Astalift meeting room in Menara Axis

Square on view of the Fujifilm show room entrance in Menara Axis

Additional view of the Astalift show room in Menara Axis

Closer cropped view of the Fujifilm/Astalift show room entrance in Menara Axis

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.

6 November 2023

A Medical Drug Rehabiltation Center in Kuala Lumpur

drug rehabiltation center kuala lumpur malaysia medical photography

The University of Florida contacted me to take photos of one of their post-graduate medical students at work in one of the drug rehab centres he has been working with since the middle of last year. It was sobering to meet people with HIV and Hepatitis C. I found my heart going out to them as they struggle, often alone except for the sterling service provided by the medical staff at these centres. I had to be very discreet with shooting due to the sensitivity. I am including on my web site solely to show that I do a wide variety of shoots.

4 November 2023

A Musician Portfolio Shoot

testore violin yuko kawami musician photography philharmonic

Yuko was a violinist with the Malaysian Philharmonic (Dewan Filharmonik) who asked me to take some portfolio photos for her with her beautiful Testore violin as she was transferring over seas. I occasionally ask to do photography for musicians and I love doing them. She also owns a really nice cat!

For those who are interested: Nikon D3 and 85mm f1.4G. Shot on location in her apartment.

Purrrrrrrr-fect