Tag: inspirational

The Perfect Shot – DarylAiden’s Photography Journey & DreaChong

With his boyish good looks and impeccable style, it’s relatively easy for one to mistake Daryl Yow for a member of the latest K-Pop boy band. Just take a look at that beach-tousled hair and perfect everything. Sigh.

For the social media savvy, the 25-year-old photographer hardly needs an introduction. Better known as @darylaiden, Daryl is the man behind some of @dreachong’s most stunning shots. With 24k followers on Instagram, we’re really not sure if we should be more jealous of his incredible works or the fact that he’s Drea’s photographer (and one of her best friends). Oh, did we mention that Daryl is also the co-founder of One of Daryl’s many stunning works[/caption]

We managed to grab the talented man for a quick chat, to find out how it all started, his tips for taking the perfect photo and most importantly, how he became the goddess’ personal photographer and one of her best friends.

So Daryl, tell us how you got into professional photography!

Oh, it started with praises from others when I first started out. Okay, this is a funny story really. I’d wanted to save on the photography costs when I started Everyday People so I decided to shoot the photos instead. I got a little more creative and people started praising my works on social media! I currently do portraits, interiors and food photography for my clients.

What do you think are the main challenges in pursuing this profession?

People tend to underestimate the amount of work in editing and shooting the photos. Clients can sometimes try to undercut the budget and get you to do a lot more for a lot less. Plus, you need to spend on lenses, camera bodies so it can get pretty hard to survive.

In that case, how does one build his portfolio?

You need to have quite a bit of savings. Some of my friends didn’t know about this at first, but you need a good camera and lens in order to capture details and colours for that perfect photo. If you’re intending to go into fashion photography, you’ll have to pay for your models and makeup artist. Plus, you’ll want your photos to stand out so you may want to conduct an overseas shoot or you’ll end up shooting at botanic gardens like everybody else. Essentially, you cannot really progress as a photographer if you don’t have the budget.

Woah, so what’s the most expensive gear you currently own?

That has to be my Canon 5DS – the body alone is around $6000. Cue gasps. Its lenses are pegged at around $3k-$4k.

What’s your favourite subject matter so far?

I like shooting human portraits! I used to underestimate the power of the models, but the difference between having an average and high-end model can be quite drastic. Their expressions and movements are what make the photo. Every model needs a direction, but some less-experienced models will try overly hard and become stiff. That’s when I’ll get a little frustrated.

In that case, which is your favourite portrait shot?

The shot of Andrea in Maldives where she was flipping her hair! Okay here’s the backstory, she was very doubtful of this photo and saying that it’ll end up looking messy and crazy. The water level was up to our waist and the waves were so strong they almost got to my then-new Canon 5DS. She’d flipped her hair about thirty times and was getting a headache. But I told her to trust me and we got a good shot in the end!

Okay, we have to ask, how did you and Andrea meet?

Oh, Andrea followed me on Instagram first (though she will most likely deny this). I approached her at an event and we talked about photography. After which she said she was wearing clothes from my online boutique and asked if I can photograph her. After a series of omg why you take so long to edit and I really love your photos, we began to speak more on a daily basis. I then shot most of her photos and our Hong Kong trip last year late November was our first trip.

How long does it take you to get the perfect shot?

The timing ranges from 3mins-30mins (especially when the location gets too crazy). Many people ask what camera I’m using, thinking that they’ll achieve photos if they get the same one. But honestly, when it comes to photography, it’s 25% photo-taking and 75% editing. I take roughly two hours to edit a photo and will do up three editions before deciding on the best!

What is your ultimate tip to getting that perfect photo?

Framing, framing, framing. People usually focus on taking a photo from just one angle. What I usually do is to take a photo from a certain angle before moving closer to the subject or shooting it from the floor before deciding on the best.

Which camera would you recommend a budding photographer start out with?

 The Cannon 6D is the basic and takes pretty decent softer images. It’s priced at around $1k-$2k so it’s not too bad. For richer colours, one can try Nikon!

Despite his gorgeous works, we’re glad to say that Daryl is one humble photographer. Pursuing the art of photography may not be easy, but after browsing through the stunning, we reckon the effort  be worth it. Nobody starts out a professional, where it takes months if not years for one to build a reputation. So if you’re a budding photographer anxious about rising to fame, fret not. If it took Daryl two years and a hell lot of work to be where he is now, it’ll be your turn to come.

Also, photos are courtesy of Daryl unless otherwise stated.

Also, read These S’porean Youths Are Realising Their Dreams, What About You?

How A Poor Boy Became #2 Richest Man In S’pore – Goh Cheng Liang

We all aspire to greatness in our lives. Here’s a story of how a poor boy, with only primary school education, made it in life. He is now Singapore’s #2 richest man, with an estimated A young Goh. Credit: Image Credit: Image Credit: Forbes[/caption]

It just comes to show that Goh’s rag-to-riches story abolishes the common belief that you need to be rich or educated to be successful in life. It took only selfless dedication and the refusal to accept defeat for the paint tycoon to achieve his goals.

Ben Franklin once said that anyone can do anything once they set their minds to. Should we adopt even a small portion of Goh’s resolute mindset, our own goals and dreams might not seem that impossible to achieve.

Do you know of any other inspiring stories from Singaporeans? We would love to hear from you!

(Header image credit: Photo by ST, Zaobao, Overcoming Your Own Imperfections – Story Of Chong Phit Lian

Overcoming Your Own Imperfections – Story Of Chong Phit Lian

Theodore Roosevelt once said that nothing worth having comes easy. This is exactly the case for Chong Phit Lian, ex-CEO of Jetstar and current CEO of Singbridge Corporate. In fact, it was this same resolve that saw her through troubled times since she was a young village girl.

Her childhood

Born into a family with seven siblings, Chong spent most of her youth in a small village in Kulai, Johor. During the wee hours of the morning, a young Chong would accompany her father to work in a rubber plantation, where she would keep an eye on the rubber tappers under the blazing sun and fend off pests with a machete. Unfortunately, Chong’s father, the sole breadwinner of the family, passed away shortly before her O-level examinations. This did not dampen her resolve to succeed in life.

Her education

Undaunted, she decided to make her way across the border to further her studies in a polytechnic. Determined to complete her studies, Chong had, besides relying on grants and giving tuition, also resorted to borrowing money from her relatives.

Despite being accepted to an engineering course at a university in Birmingham, Chong’s fight for a better life continued. Throughout her tertiary education, she had to juggle various part-time jobs to see her through graduation.

Tragedy in the family

She also had to endure the loss of two of her siblings to tragic accidents.

She recalls during an interview by Peak Magazine in 2015: “It was terrible for my mum. I told myself, ‘Now I have even more to make up and I need to do my very best’.

It doesn’t matter what you’ve gone through. Even if you fail in one aspect, it doesn’t mean you will fail in another. Every adversity can be an opportunity.”

Her career

Back in Singapore, she took several jobs in the engineering and business sector. Her hard work and determination eventually saw her become chief executive of Singapore Precision Industries and the Singapore Mint for 16 years. She eventually entered the airline industry after being appointed as CEO of Jetstar Asia Airways in 2006. The airline was then in dire financial straits.

[caption id="attachment_6092" align="alignnone" width="700"] Image Credit: It was a risky venture for Chong, to be taking up a heavy responsibility especially without any experience in the sector. Her “never say die” attitude, however, proved instrumental in turning the business away from the red zone. Under her leadership, Jetstar Asia made S$6 million in revenue in 2010, bringing them back into profitable territory.

(Header image by Also read: Meet Caryn Lim – Rising Entrepreneur In The Beauty Industry