Riz Crescini » China

China 2009 – Scott Robert Next Level Workshop 2009

Riz Crescini — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:41:45 +0000

Well, I have finally gotten around to posting the second part of my China trip. After an excellent time in Hong Kong, our group flew to Beijing and had a once-in-a-lifetime shooting session on the Great Wall. It was cold but experiencing firsthand one of the great wonders of the world was quite exhilarating! Our original plan was to shoot for a couple hours but we easily went over that time. What made this trip to the Great Wall special was that our group had this portion of the Wall all to ourselves. There were no tourists or gimmicky shops. Heck, there weren’t even any locals. We had private access to a portion of the Wall that is unrestored. How awesome is that?!?

I was amazed at this feat of engineering. The Great Wall just seems to go on forever, its walls disappearing into the horizon. The Wall was built by the vision of its engineers along with the right tools. And I think this sums up what it’s like to attend one of Scott’s workshops. He gives you a vision and the tools needed to prosper in the photography business. Just as the Wall seems to go on and on, Scott mentors and challenges us to see the potential and limitless possibilities before us as we build a career in photography. I am looking forward to some more mentoring in 2010!

And I must be out of my mind for not saying this earlier. Big, big, big props go to Jeremy Chan and his wife Zabrina Deng for organizing everything. They worked so hard to give us a wonderful experience. Thanks, Jeremy and Zabrina! We are so thankful for you! Check out their work on flickr. I also want to thank the models (Yu-Cheng and Mei-Qian). They braved the cold weather and worked hard to give us fantastic images.

Here’s Anwar helping me with my set up. I learned a lot from him.

Enjoying a nice, relaxing dinner.

Tauran took this shot of me. Thanks for the profile pic, T! I appreciated Tauran sharing his insights.

And Chantal was very generous. She gave me plenty of advice/coaching on setting up my images.

Chantal wondering if we will ever get to our destination. It was a long trip from Badaling to central Beijing.

Paramilitary officers on duty inside the Forbidden City.

The walls just outside the Forbidden City.

Local Beijing resident. I was happy to capture this image. I realize that China is changing with the times but this image seems, to me, to symbolize China.

Hong Kong Portraits – Scott Robert Next Level Workshop.

Riz Crescini — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:10:42 +0000

My blog is long overdue for a post and what better way to break out of that slump by sharing with you images from a recent workshop I went to a couple weeks ago. I attended the Scott Robert Next Level Workshop and IT…WAS…INCREDIBLE! Okay, sorry for the superlatives but Scott Robert Lim is an amazing photographer, mentor and friend. Scott not only helps you improve your craft but his style of teaching is holistic so you learn so much more than just the technical aspects of photography. He really will take you to the next level. What made the workshop unforgettable were the new friends made and the location…China!! It was an unforgettable experience learning and shooting in a totally different culture. And let me just say that, training and friendships aside, I could go back to China just for the food alone!! Special thanks to the Hong Kong models (Juju Chan, Angelica Hung, Carmen Chan and Amisa Meow) and Hong Kong photographers Kelvin Lau and Mina Yuen. This post is the first of a 2-part series. The images below are from our time in Hong Kong. Let me know what you think. Beijing images coming soon…

This image was my first lesson in off-camera lighting. The vision for this image was created and inspired by Scott Robert Lim.

This image was also created and inspired by Scott Robert Lim. It was a photoshoot on a double decker bus of all places!

The master at work.

This vintage Hong Kong diner was great! So many shooting possibilities but the owner was a bit of a grump. LOL!

The background for our last shooting session. To my Japanese friends, notice the Yoshinoya; it’s taking over the world! Ha ha ha!

This image was actually a test shot but I kinda like its moodiness and how it turned out. What do you think?

And the best shot of the night goes to my roommate: The amazing and situational vegetarian….drumroll please…Anwar Torres!!!

China Workshop Teaser Image

Riz Crescini — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 03:07:04 +0000

Hey guys,
I’ll be sharing more shortly but here’s a teaser pic from the Scott Robert Lim workshop that I attended from October 12-18th. Enjoy!

Texture Tomfoolery

Riz Crescini — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 23:19:59 +0000

Okay, it’s not exactly tomfoolery but I have been experimenting with some textures I purchased from Scott Robert Lim. I warn you, though. You’re gonna need a small towel because you will be drooling after looking through his images. I’m attending his China Next Level Workshop in October. Wanna come with me? Click here if you are interested.

These sweet ladies are former students of mine. Some of you will remember my photo session with them last fall. Here are some more from that shoot. I don’t want to give it all away so there will be another post with these awesome models. And this summer I will have another photo session with them. It’ll be off the hook! Good times!