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I remember blogging about helping out a friend to photograph some of her amazing floral art work for submission to the International Floral Art 2010-2011 call for entries. Honestly … I don’t know crap about floral stuffs and I didn’t know such publication exists … until Noreen showed it to me (the previous editions). Online sources says that “the aim of this biannual publication is to document the world’s most original and innovative floral art.”

It was not until I flipped through the previous editions that I began to worry. Worry big time! Not because of her amazing designs of course! It was because those entries I saw in the book … were also amazing … BUT … the photos were superb! Lighting etc were great and … I just can’t find the words to describe it. LOL! I told Noreen I was worried I’ll let her down. Her works might be great but the photos I take might not make it … and might cause her ‘downfall’. Oh bloody hell … she didn’t tell me the photos has to be professionally taken! Oh shit!

Anyway … since I promised to help out … I had to do it. For 2 different days … I waltzed into the locations she arranged … with just a DSLR, a cheapo macro lens and a wide lens … a couple bottles of orange juice … and a ciggie dangling from my lips. Panic! Panic! A reflector and some extra lighting will definitely be great but I don’t own them (coz I usually don’t give a damn). Hahaha!

Some of the locations she wanted to do her floral arrangements … were a little too difficult for my fat ass. Toilets! Not big ones! Those were pretty small and stuffy and within minutes I was drenched in sweat. It was fun, funny, scary and quite a rush because she usually get to ‘loan’ the toilets for just a short while. I was darn amazed to see the stuffs she used for her arrangements especially the one which was selected for publication. It had stuffs like bitter gourd! Wonder if she took them home to cook soup for her boyfriend after that. Muwahahaha! Urinal flavoured bitter gourd soup.

Oh … anyway … the results were delayed and it was few months ago she got some info that her work was selected. Excited! Excited! Too bad no info about which design was selected but we were jumping with joy. Her talent proves that she can be in there (the book … not the toilet) with the top people in the industry! It was a big ‘phew!’ for me because I knew she won’t kill me for taking lousy photos that caused her designs to be rejected. Oh well … maybe if she got some pro to do it … all the 4 designs could be in the book or even win one of the top 3 awards.

I’ve yet to see the book (which just arrived and she’s probably hugging it to bed) but this is the design that got selected ….

I remember that lighting was pretty hell in that little toilet. To make things worse … there was a little window on top of that urinal and after few initial shots … I was longing to run down for a ciggie break. Panic! Panic! Then I suddenly had an idea to use a black umbrella (which I saw placed nearby) to cover up the window. I told Noreen to fetch (Noreeeen!! Fetch!!!) the brolly and shove it at the window to cover the bright sunlight. She initially gave me the ‘WTF?’ look but soon knew what my desperate stunt was for. Now that this floral design made it … she’s gonna go find the brolly and beg the person to sell it to her. Muwahahaha!

Here are the other 3 designs (and a portrait of her) …

I actually prefer the cactus one and the other one with the red potty but maybe I’m attracted to bright colors (especially red!). Look hard at the photos (although small) … and you’ll find some very amazing stuffs she used for these art pieces. Look at the yellow flowers in the bottom right corner. Can you guess what ‘flowers’ are those? 😀 I’ll let her come and tell you guys ok? 😀

Noreen … let’s have a celebration over beer! Yay! A BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG CONGRATS to you!