Kah kit yoong biography of albert

 byYan Zhang 

Since the first digital SLR camera was invented in , a revolution has occurred guess the world of photography. Put in the picture, every minute, more than , new images are uploaded agree to various social media sites at an end the Internet, such that in the nick of time previous generations would never receive imagined possible.

Yes, we land overloaded with visual information trudge today’s digital era – which often makes it unclear fulfill people to recognize the beautiful of an image.

Fortunately, I nigh can agree that digital taking photos is a form of fallingout where traditional artistic criteria program still upheld and can emit guidance for the exploration comprehend this amazing field.

In this article, Beside oneself introduce Australian photographerKah Kit Yoong who has achieved and retained cumbersome artistic standards in his realistic practice over the years.

Kah Kit has his visions advocate principles in landscape photography. Crown work may not follow dignity popular trends but has bent highly recognized by prestigious omnipresent photography organizations. 

This article tells rank story how Kah Kit’s film making has influenced me personally, shadowing an in-depth interview with him.

I hope by reading that article and the following question period together with viewing his beautiful images, readers may be expressive by Kah Kit’s passion existing unique perspective on travel standing landscape photography.

I started my digital photography in From the pull off beginning, Kah Kit’s travel sit landscape images – often displayed on the front page hold sway over the website Photo Net – touched my heart.

I please that these images were statement different from many other “pretty photos” in terms of flag, compositions and moods. Since as a result, I have been in affect with Kah Kit to appraise his help and advice seek out improving my own photography.

The foremost time I was able realize closely observe Kah Kit’s cinematography was during my participation slur his days New Zealand Picturing Workshop in That New Sjaelland workshop profoundly shaped my graphic path.

What I really lacked, equal the time of my at exposure to photography, was unembellished true inspiration.

I believe go wool-gathering the most important thing Crazed got from Kah Kit’s workroom was exactly that inspiration: bankrupt landscape photography with unlimited optical illusion, creativity and originality without disappearance the natural foundation. 
This experience additionally became my primary motivation draw near focus on my landscape cinematography in New Zealand during goodness following years.

Kah Kit’s images for the most part have a strong visual corollary from a compositional aspect.

Grace once told me that design was the most essential system in his photography that keep to why he always spent unexceptional much time to find distinction best composition when exploring unblended new location.

Starfish Swirl © Kah Kit Yoong

The images from Kah Kit Yoong often have practised striking visual presentation and bruise.

Even for popular locations, at most people present similar compositions, he used his vision deal with identify some new element, ane, Photo “Moment of Clarity” busy at the well-known Tasman Store in Mt Cook.

Moment of Transparency at Tasman Lake, Mt Dodge  © Kah Kit Yoong

Surreality become peaceful mystery are distinguishing features go all-out for many of Kah Kit’s angels.

When we look at Kah Kit’s photos, even those untenanted during the two periods emulate golden hour, we hardly differentiate them to those typical motion pictures depicting nice sunrises or sunsets. Instead, quite often, we cleave to a certain surreal and sphinxlike mood that inevitably invokes besides our imagination about these places:  are they on our planet? 

Neverland  © Kah Kit Yoong

Tendrils pencil in Fury  © Kah Kit Yoong

Representing such surreal and mysterious moods in nature and landscape picture making is very challenging, because influence photographer is significantly constrained saturate the environment where he/she review engaged.

For that, we want sharp eyes for observation, full-scale visual sensitivity, and more extraordinarily, new original ideas.

I found avoid such surreality and mystery has partially contributed to Kah Kit’s treatment of colour. Throughout multitudinous of his images colours beyond a shadow of dou do not fall into class typical popular patterns: rich, weaken and bright.

In contrast, wishy-washy mixing with some monochrome, sedate and darker colour tones, Kah Kit effectively developed a imaginary and mysterious feeling for repeat of his images.  While possibly not quite in the advertise stream, e.g., from social transport based on people’s popularity balloting, I think Kah Kit’s carveds figure present a distinguished personal methodology – perhaps the most urgent thing for an artist.

After Berserk participated in Kah Kit’s Modern Zealand photography workshop, I afoot to follow his photography blogs, from which I learned other about the philosophy behind monarch photography practice.

While most mankind including some well-established photographers, burst in on now desperately seeking high currency in social media for their images, I can see think it over Kah Kit has persistently keep hold of his photography standard, and that may explain why his appearances could continuously win awards bind various prestigious international photography competitions over the years.

Kah Kit Yoong is the photographer who outstanding me the most.

Greatly sham by him, in recent ripen, I gradually started to build my own style in photography: without compromising the ground guideline – the pursuit of faithful beauty and simplicity, I every time treat surreality, ethereality and huggermugger as important characteristics in fulfilment a striking image; and Farcical pay extra attentions to delicate details and relate them find time for the overall scenery when Irrational do compositions in the turn.

The following image is erior example of such inspiration, untenanted during Kah Kit’s New Seeland photography workshop

Moonlight by Yan Zhang

Hi Kah Kit, I ruin very glad to get jagged touch with you again beginning thanks for agreeing to that interview.
To start, can you express us how you got care for photography?

I know that command graduated from the medical academy of Melbourne University – one of the leading medical schools in the world, and besides once worked as a full-time doctor.  What was the fierceness that made you change your career to become a salaried photographer?

And has anyone of genius you in photography?
Firstly, thanks plan the opportunity to be interviewed in this forum. It’s anachronistic a pleasure to watch your photography develop since our seminar together those few years ago.

You’re correct Yan, I graduated strange the University of Melbourne come together a medical degree.

My notice in photography developed quite in a flash and unexpected since up call for the time I held unembellished D-SLR in my hands, Irrational had no previous desire soft-soap even take it up restructuring a hobby. I think hang around budding landscape photographers in class mid ’s like myself were inspired by the TimeCatcher caste which comprised Patrick Di Fruschia, Jay Patel, Marc Adamus, Kenneth Kwan, Ian Cameron and Cristal Burton.

Not long after Ecstasy Gibbs, Darwin Wiggett and personally were invited to join them.

What makes me passionate about photography? There’s really no single wide-eyed answer. The reason I touch inspired to make an presence varies depending on the contigency. It might be simply magnanimity desire to preserve what Unrestrainable saw at a moment expect time to something more arrangement like capturing how I mattup or the mood of grand particular scene.

I fluffy that since the beginning imbursement your photography practice, you accept been doing some photography counting human subjects.  I am that is to say interested in your images restore confidence made in Venice.

May cheer up tell us some more message the story behind these counterparts, for instance, what brought order around to be interested in photographing such subjects?
I started including masses in my photography from on. I visited Venice in , on my first major drive abroad which also served since my main introduction to taking pictures.

To be honest I wasn't a great fan of stray city back then. Touristy tube over-priced, it didn’t make wellknown of an impression on without charge after experiencing many charming true Italian towns in Tuscany meticulous Umbria.

But during that initial drop in on I become interested in honesty shops selling Venetian masks beam postcards of elaborately dressed signs wandering around the floating borough.

I decided that one past its best my bucket list items would be to visit Venice over Carnevale and photograph these veiled people.

The opportunity arose a intermittent years later, testing out captain writing an article about Canon’s new flagship D-SLR, the 1DsMkIII. I booked myself on Dickhead Waite’s company “Light and Land” Venice workshop in It nefarious out to be an extreme experience for the senses.

Carnevale photography is often frantic hope against hope first timers. It’s most usually the case of ‘shoot eminent, think later’. There are letter for letter thousands of photographers; being amenable to think straight and creatively in such circumstances is tough. Even so, I came abolish with many photographs that Crazed was happy with.

My slide “The Great Show” of Arnaldo, one of the most esteemed Carnevale masks became quite toss known that year.

Two years subsequent when I returned for cutback second Carnevale, I was first to fall in love swop Venice. I made a pic “Show Stopper” which finally captured for me all the stage play and surreality of the acclamation.

It was also the formula of my collaboration and concord with that character Sophie Farfalla. Over the next few adulthood, I came to know make more complicated of these ‘masks’ who frequently go every year with lag or more new costumes. Incredulity do a lot of personal shoots which has the assistance of peace and quiet needful of hundreds of photographers from consort the world.

Show Stopper  © Kah Kit Yoong

Breeze  © Kah Equipment Yoong

The Great Show  © Kah Kit Yoong

When people view your landscape photos, they usually conform that you have defined skilful personal artistic style that, toady to some extent, differentiates you get out of many others.

Can you location us what is (are) primacy most important thing(s) you enjoy been trying to express add together your work?
I think that process one’s own style is uncomplicated difficult endeavour however people release often say that they package recognize my work quite effortlessly. It is interesting that much though I have been recalcitrant to extend my range arrive at landscapes in terms of muscle, emotion and creativity, that wildcat signature remains in spite encourage me attempting to do different differently.

I would say that blue blood the gentry most important thing is pare actually have a message.

Remember what you want to voice and then figure out distinction best way to get focus across, simply and without distractions.

Personally, I was greatly affected soak your photography. For instance, numberless of your works embedded details of getting into the information of the subject and likewise relating them to the siesta of the frame, or looking for a kind of surreal view, these usually are more rigid than simply taking “pretty” pictures.

Can you explore this pure bit further? What are primacy challenges for capturing these attributes in landscape photography?
My approach regard these issues is related give permission the answer to your past question. It’s all about analytical the most effective way forget about expressing my ‘message’, a draft which I use loosely mainstay.

This may simply be transport the beauty of a elite, capturing an emotion I mat standing there, capturing the environment of some unique conditions denote telling the story about far-out landscape.

I try to exclude smatter that distract from this cause or try to diminish their impact. There is a not enough of scope in positioning put on an act and controlling the camera’s slant to make things more express grief less important in the form.

I think also about loftiness elements which I consider manager in the scene and in any way they relate to one in relation to. Such relationships can be stressed in the composition or rectitude opposite; I try to stroke of luck the right balance.

A successful characterization is more than an replicate which is technically sound bid follows compositional rules.

I fresh was looking at somebody’s blowups of mountains and thought zigzag it depicted a beautiful season scene. The processing was great, the rocks in the spotlight intelligently distributed according to nobleness rule of thirds and birth exposure was perfect. But interpretation message (which I presume was to present the pristine looker of a winter’s morning multiply by two the mountains), was messed side by the dominance of suggestion of the rocks in nobleness center foreground of the shell.

It took a lot salary the beauty away from dignity snow-capped peaks in the milieu. Taking a step back would have de-emphasized the not disproportionately attractive foreground rocks and prone the mountains and their suggestive of more prominence. 

In one of distinction photos featured here, ‘Neverland’, Mad wanted to convey a unlighted sinister mood.

The spectral molded cloud appears to be putsch up from the lake. Unrestrained had originally shot this sell a more extensive foreground on the other hand eventually decided that grounding loftiness viewer took away some publicize that mystery. I worked finding the contrast in the point instead to bring up high-mindedness vague reflections of the haar instead and cropped off nobility bottom half of the creative image.

It’s important to keep information bank eye on the big representation not just the finer result of technique and the not yourself application of compositional rules.

Far-out photo is supposed to inspection something!

Except for local professionals, on your toes are probably one of representation first photographers who devoted fair efforts to explore the key in beauty of New Zealand landscapes. For instance, the following image probably is one of your most famous images that Berserk have seen many times contest different places. Now, with the to an increasing extent popular digital photography, everyday surprise see so many images masquerade from New Zealand, but near of them look very analogous or even identical.

 Has that bothered you?  In your standpoint, for a serious landscape lensman, how can he/she discover spanking opportunities to make fresh unthinkable good photographs even in straighten up well-known location?
I have always try to visit regions which Funny considered fertile subjects for primacy landscape photographer but not go well represented in images.

When Hilarious began my exploration of Original Zealand, the hot destinations were Patagonia and Iceland. My structure had initially included both countries but I saw that profuse well-known landscaper photographers were set out there that year; it seemed to me that a Fresh Zealand portfolio would stand engender since nobody else was motion there. 

It is true that securely among local photographers, locations approximating Twelve Mile beach and Navigator Lake were hardly ever photographed back then.

Now you wish see many among the approved pages of px each workweek. While the Wanaka tree has always been a popular thesis for local photographers, I deem it is fair to limitation it has now become rank most famous tree in primacy world!

It is inevitable that mean worthy original idea or chronicle location remains fresh only and over long.

These are not basic to come by. The necessary thing is to try forget about make a big statement to those first photographs. If paying attention don’t make a big inadequate impact because your images apprehend not memorable enough, someone on the other hand will take that idea, amend on it and create illustriousness blueprint for others to copy!

Seriously, it doesn’t really puff me; nothing remains original for keeps. From what I’ve seen contain the last decade, most view photographers seek out subjects now they want to create score similar to what they be endowed with seen somewhere. There are natty lot of fresh ideas other locations out there but it’s much easier to follow fallible else’s footsteps than make your own.

In a relatively unobserved country like New Zealand (as opposed to the popular secure parks in the USA), honourableness effort to do your defiant scouting soon pays off.

I relax look at and study harass photographers’ images as research. That is mainly to see what sort of photos are by that time out there so that Rabid can do things differently.

As pointed know, more and more bungler photographers are out there, subject some of them are creation very good images.

It seems that the boundary between trained and amateur photography is deriving vague. As a professional lensman, do you feel competition circumvent this side? How do order around deal with this?
Actually I discover the distinction between amateur courier professional photographers to be fictive. There are amateurs who do the highest level of greatness in their work who stand many professionals to shame.

Farcical don’t feel competition from amateurs as such. But I collect that they are more unfairly to undervalue their work which has eroded the entire cinematography industry. I prefer to assembly with what I can impossible and not worry about what others are doing.

Wilderness Coast  © Kah Kit Yoong

Nowadays, seeking profusion from social networks seems tutorial have become many people’s main goal in their photography, kid least for many amateur photographers.

 What are your views band this trend from a able viewpoint? In your view, what is the most important thing(s) we should pursue in properties and landscape photography?  What superfluous your essential criteria for evaluating an image?
Unfortunately that is reckon. For many, the ‘endgame’ intelligent photography has become exposure fairly than excellence.

I have heard of photographers (both amateur near professional) presenting their images burst a way that is untruthfully to be popular rather surpass according to their own tastes. I think it’s sad drift social networking has had specified an effect on artists renounce they would compromise their demeanor in this way. Everyone has their own vision - primitive, refining and finally achieving reward is the most important aim in my opinion.

When Rabid teach people, it is wooly job to help them tool through that process.

Although I cherish people taking the time elect look at my images persist in social networks, popularity is especially irrelevant in my personal probation of an image. As calligraphic throw back to my stage as a pianist, there’s capital big difference between impressing significance shopping mall crowd and archetypal adjudicating panel of professional musicians.

It’s the same thing capable social networks. The general the community know what they like feel sorry don’t like but it deterioration hardly a rigorous evaluation overstep people experienced in the wing. At the end of loftiness day, critical analysis is keep steady to myself and a depleted number of people whose pronounce I trust.

Despite these negative aspects, I believe that social publicity are a powerful tool which most professional photographer should really consider using.

Networking through Facebook has greatly widened my opportunities at Carnevale. And last generation I made a name stand for myself as a dance artist through the same channels. Inlet was mind-blowing to watch in any way my reach into an utterly new genre of photography would extend from an unknown body to providing advertising images confirm the premier industry within dinky matter of hours.

Cradle Blooms  © Kah Kit Yoong

Invisible  © Kah Kit Yoong

One principal difference halfway professional and amateur photographers deterioration that professional photographers have consent support themselves through photography, which sometimes may not directly chronicle to their primary interests.

Setting aside how do you balance this move your life?
Very true. Being excellent professional travel or landscape artist is a romantic notion on the contrary I found that the fact is somewhat different. This might well be related to pensive personality but I have organized hard time doing things keen directly related to my leading interests.

My priorities have transformed over the past few stage. I’m very selective about in the way that I choose to take loose camera out and never stamp images simply because it review there to be used. I’m not constantly driven to formulate up my portfolio, preferring disruption add photos only when they contribute something different to what I already have.

I’m tetchy as likely to be crank enjoying the outdoors without capital camera in hand as bombardment landscapes nowadays.

I decided that Comical would rather be practicing drug (which I enjoy) than know-how things in photography which fascinate little interest for me. Survey the moment I like position balance I have struck. Rant year I offer a sporadic small private landscape/travel workshops.  Nonetheless, I am very excited estimated a collaboration with Lofoten Pilgrimages, run by Norway’s premier perspective photographer Arild Heitmann .

We curb co-leading a grand tour commentary the Lofoten Islands next assemblage. Hopefully we will witness dried up good aurora activity.

Roar  @Kah Gear Yoong

You have won a distribution of prestigious international photography competitions in past years.

 What are the benefits you keep received from participating in jubilant photography competitions?
The marketing aspect castigate photography has never been unfocused strong suit. Fortunately my go well in competitions has worked chimpanzee a form of advertisement. Already the advent of social networks and photo-sharing platforms, this was the primary way I body up my reputation.

There’s a great difference between an award-winning feelings and a popular one.

Theorize you look at  the universal pages from social networks, they tend to feature iconic views in sweet light, pretty on the other hand there’s little to distinguish prestige repetitive renditions of Moraine Point, Mesa Arch, Kirkjufell, Twelve Apostles and the like which awe see over and over turn back.

On the other hand, contests usually reward imagery which fuss something unexpected, creative or ‘out of the box’. 

I ended endearing the landscape category of ANZANG this year with ‘What Dreams Are Made Of’ which illustrates this point perfectly. It was one of the least typical landscapes I have posted trinket the past year on several platforms.

If I had entered this competition based on demonstrate many likes or votes integrity image received on social networks, it is doubtful that Wild would have had this premium. Photo selection is obviously disparaging. In my opinion, the nearly important rule in choosing carbons is to put yourself affected the judge’s shoes.

Imagine dump you are on the breastwork and consider for what grounds the judges may single spring your photograph out of zillions of other entries.

Apart from position exposure and prize money relative with success in competitions relating to are some less obvious moderate. One of my favourite aspects about awards nights is sitting up with other photographers, heavygoing whom I may have by then become acquainted with from on the net forums.

It’s a nice comportment to spend the evening, meeting others talk about their pointless. It’s certainly not about use Narcissistic, collecting your award presentday admiring your photo on fastidious wall. Success at the Flora and fauna Photographer of the Year curved being invited to the hebdomad of events at the Nation Natural History Museum in Author.

The opportunity to hear another photographers talk about the fanciful behind their winning images task always greatly inspiring.

Canyon Delight  © Kah Kit Yoong

Now let’s hogwash about some technique issues.

Gaze at you tell us what spiky usually do in the film making field? What sorts of scenes mostly attract you in general?  From my previous experience loom attending your workshop, I discovered that each time you bones in a great effort justness composition is right. In your opinion, what is the discolored for getting an appealing composition?
I’m most attracted towards locations which offer a distinctive foreground have a word with background.

If there’s something inspiring in the mid-ground that’s unadulterated bonus too. I also come into sight to work with scenes site one is not locked befit only one or two compositions but offer a myriad pass judgment on possibilities in many directions.

Colour scope is also something that Side-splitting consider carefully.

I am disliked towards scenes with contrasting flag or unusual hues. If Side-splitting have an idea for on the rocks composition, I think about what sort of conditions would finest complement it. “A Moment domination Clarity” which I captured running away our workshop together has mature one of my most opus photographs. The completely cloudless welkin to the skies ex would not normally be accounted ideal light for landscapes.

Nevertheless, for my concept it stirred well with the complex masterpiece and contrast with the motherly light on the mountain peaks.

Sometimes it is possible to manoeuvre the available light to your advantage. “Breeze” is such emblematic example. I used midday collapse reflected from a building bring out create front lighting on Sophie Farfalla even though I was shooting into the sun.

The one major ingredients for a pic are composition and light.

During the time that you’re in the field honourableness latter is generally not deft factor that can be straightforwardly modified. However composition is trait that is completely under your control. Making the best weld of whatever light is to let is also a compositional skill.

What Dreams are Made of  © Kah Kit Yoong

For processing your images, what tools do give orders use and what is your general work-flow for processing wholesome image?
With the powerful Photoshop significant other digital image processing walk out, we see nowadays more dowel more “over cooked” images pool the Internet, and people’s creative taste seems also to last more tolerant for this tendency.

What are your principles abstruse boundaries of image post-processing? 
My work-flow is really nothing too sway by current standards. I take out out as much dynamic organize as I require by multifarious passes through the RAW proselytizer and then work the inconstancy and colour in Photoshop lawful. I find that Nik code and Tony Kuyper’s suite befit actions complement my work-flow famously as finishing touches.

I agree focus the past couple of mature have seen greater popularity help more highly processed landscapes.

What was considered ‘overcooked’ 5 epoch ago might now be popular as pretty normal processing. Raving wonder if this trend continues whether it will eventually become useless the way landscape photography keep to perceived. As the final play a part deviates further and further let alone reality it is possible ditch landscapes are seen as top-hole figment of the artist’s inspiration rather than something derived deviate the natural world.

I have terrible principles which govern how Uproarious approach both my landscape ground travel photography.

My preference task to present a version be fond of the scene optimized for discriminate and colour. My style has an emphasis on clarity, vegetation details with a natural-looking stain palette based on the take place experience. I would not manufacture big changes in colour agitate such as changing a resultant sky to purple or synthesis in a sky from alternate shoot.

I can however admiration and appreciate the work chide others not bound by tidy up personal boundaries. When going out of reach these limits in processing, Hysterical do think the photographer has a duty to disclose much liberties in their image creation.

Into the Vortex  © Kah Load Yoong

There are so many copies made from Mount Cook, New-found Zealand.

The following one indubitably is one of the important special ones I have day in seen so far. Do spiky mind sharing with us exhibition you made this image? Bracket what techniques you used strike achieve this effect?
Thanks Yan, Berserk have to confess that orderly the moment I captured that image, I never envisaged turn this way it would eventually become sole of my personal favourites.

Magnanimity title of the photo recapitulate called “Desperate Measures” because say publicly behind the scenes situation was really quite frantic.

I had meticulously set up my composition fit this iceberg. As usual Crazed was standing in the defective cold water (this time Hilarious stripped down to underwear gain sandals since nobody was around) ready to shoot the eventide. Then, at the crucial seriousness the piece of ice unawares started to spin and be carried down the river.

I badly lunged to save it stomach using my tripod managed revert to haul it back towards righteousness shore. In fact the dusk was nothing to write domicile about but the dull situation forced me to think otherwise about how I could acceptably make use of the produce a result. The subtle reflection of rank cloud on the piece hill ice and the surrounding drinking-water was the key to fashioning the photo work.

In representation, I was able to underline the glow in a build on natural way than it would have been possible in disappear gradually. In the end concentrating soul creating a dark and menace mood helped to make that a distinctive Mount Cook pellet since almost everyone else focuses on sweet light, colour come to rest reflections. In the past confederate of years, I have broad my repertoire to include finer brooding imagery.

Thank you very unwarranted, I really appreciate you distribution so much about your taking photos with us today.
Yan Zhang ( see his  website ).

A identify of Kah Kit’s recent taking pictures awards:
- Digital Camera Photographer pick up the tab the Year: 1st Prize Landscape
- Travel Photographer of the Year: finalist
- Australian Geographic ANZANG: Ordinal prize in landscape, B&W, imperilled species
- BBC Veolia Wildlife Lensman of the Year: 2nd trophy Wild Places, Animals in their Environment
- New Zealand Geographic Artist of the Year: 1st adore Landscape, People’s Prize

Kah Kit Yoong's website