Ajak anak-anak untuk menata yogurt dengan irisan buah segar untuk mengasah rasa artistik dan apresiatif mereka terhadap keindahan, kelezatan, dan kesehatan makanan. Pasti mereka senang dan lebih bersemangat.

ENGLISH
Which one is more appetizing and healthier, sugar-laden yogurt in a plastic container from the supermarket or natural yogurt sans sugar and fresh fruits prepared at home?

Let your kids participate in decorating the yogurt to sharpen their artistic sense and appreciation for beautiful, delicious, and healthy food.

♥
Natural Greek yogurt without sugar + fresh grapefruit + fresh grapefruit juice + honey = νόστιμο.

Natural Greek yogurt without sugar + pineapple + orange + grapefruit. Basically whatever fresh fruits you have at home.

Natural Greek yogurt without sugar + walnuts + honey. Simple yet divine. My Greek is correct apparently, yogurt (neutral) > νόστιμο. Thank you, Elena

Ideally I should have used Ole Kortzau’s bowl, but cabbage leaves are apparently a good substitute. In the search of the perfect cabbage leaves, see how messy the kitchen is during the food photography session

Ole Kortzau’s bowl, Royal Copenhagen:

Photo © www.alextjoa.com
Location: Friday, December 21, 2012, at 14:55 PM, minus 7 °C, Gotland, Sweden

This image was taken on Friday, December 21, 2012, at 14:55 PM, minus 7 °C. My hands are still cold now. Initially, I only planned to spend a few minutes out there to catch the stunning sunset but then suddenly sweeping fog covered the landscape, and I became mesmerized by its irresistible mystery and intoxicatingly kept taking pictures until my hands screamed that they could not take the biting cold anymore.

“Conversation enriches the understanding, but solitude is the school of genius.”
— Edward Gibbon

Lady Gaga, an American singer famous for her outré fashion statement, and Teresa Teng, a legendary soft-spoken and feminine Chinese singer can teach us a lesson about being ourselves. They two have contrasting styles. Lady Gaga, after a restrictive early life, finally found her own way where she can express her unique visual creativity. Teresa Teng as we know never tried to be a rocker yet thrived in being the soft-spoken singer whose videos are still watched by millions of people on YouTube despite her passing seventeen years ago.

PSY from South Korea and his super popular “Gangnam Style” YouTube video, which has been viewed 1,137,711,761 times, also inspire us to be ourselves and do what we like best.

So does the super-talented Shankar Tucker with his beautiful Indian songs.

Or like Kaavish, a contemporary semi classical band from Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. They all express their own individuality.

There is IKEA from Älmhult, Sweden. There is Baldi from Firenze, Italy. There is H&M. There is NE.TIGER. Just like many other things in life, there are also many styles in photography and ways of taking photos. I was once in a photography workshop with a Pulitzer-nominated photographer who was always ready with his two cameras, shooting constantly even when he was sitting in the bus, while another participant of the workshop preferred to take less photos. There are some who love to do street photography and black and white photography, some who love color photography, some who avoid Photoshop, some who love to use Photoshop, some who love the cities, and some like me who love landscape photography and stand in the cold for hours to find the right moment. There are still many more styles out there.

Some like to carry light cameras, some like to carry DLSR cameras. I have seen some photographers who deliver stunning impressive images with just their Lumix cameras. Camera gears are your tools, your painting brushes, but you are the master, the artist. So use the right gear to deliver the result you want. Camera gears and technical aspects are not always a guarantee that you take a great picture that evokes human emotion. Master the technical aspect but at the same time do not be too bogged down by it.

When you choose to learn from me, you will get a piece of my soul. I am inclined to minimalism, because this is the lifestyle I like best. I prefer to spend time to think and prepare for my photography session in quietness and peace. For me photography is a communion with the divine, and I feel that it is necessary that I have an uncluttered mind. In style, I think I am close to Anne Geddes‘ way of taking photos. Meticulous and calm. I also tend to observe and read the invisible. Some wedding photographers are talkative and lively. Some like Joe Buissink, pensive, but he captures some of the most memorable profound images because he reads the invisible in his quiet observation. I believe that a peaceful mind is more efficient and can accomplish more than a hurried, panicked, stressed, restless busy mind. For me, quality is more important that quantity, and less is more.

If you learn from another person, you may get a different style. I admire people who can combine different props with different patterns harmoniously. I love to observe their works. It takes a special skill and talent to do so, but as I have mentioned above the style that is close to my heart is minimalism.

I like the work of John Pawson. His architectural masterpiece truly shows that less is more. Minimalism must not be less is less. Otherwise you get a dead austere concrete space. Pawson’s minimalist architecture shows rich beautiful natural textures and uses the best materials, fine marble and 45-cm-wide 15-meter-full-length Dinesen wooden planks with unbroken lines instead of laminated parquette. The craftsmanship of the details is high, and the thinking process to produce such outstanding less-is-more design is substantial. Minimalism is indeed a lifestyle, the way you think and live.

So remember the important point: be yourself.

You have your own style and personality. We cannot say that Victoria Beckham who looks polished in every occasion and who owns a luxurious fashion brand is more correct or more precious than the plain-looking Annie Leibovitz who delivers some of the world’s most stunning photos. Each person has his or her own personality and style. The worst is to force Victoria Beckham to look like Annie Leibovitz, and vice versa.

I share you a piece of my soul, but at the end of the day, you will find your own style. I hope with the understanding and acceptance of being yourself, you will get a secure and confident foundation in your photographic adventure and lifelong learning.

This photo of ice bergs from Jökulsárlón floating on the Atlantic Ocean was taken almost close to midnight.

“Jökulsárlón (lit. “Glacier Lagoon”) is a large glacial lagoon in southeast Iceland, on the borders of Vatnajökull National Park. Situated at the head of Breiðamerkurjökull, it evolved into a lagoon after the glacier started receding from the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.”
— Wikipedia

Chinese flower tea and Chinese horoscope hand-painted delicate tiny tea cups on wooden cutting board from Fleringe, Gotland, Sweden.

Food styling and photography © www.alextjoa.com

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK.

FEEL FREE TO SHARE THIS PHOTOGRAPHY LESSON WITH YOUR FACEBOOK FRIENDS.

If you are interested in receiving my photography lesson or have any question regarding this lesson, please write a message on my Facebook page. Thank you.

Pelajaran-pelajaran pertama saya banyak yang menekankan prinsip-prinsip fotografi sehingga peserta pelajaran fotografi online saya dapat mempunyai dasar fotografi yang kuat apapun jenis kamera yang digunakan. Fondasi yang kuat dapat menghasilkan foto yang bagus. Peralatan kamera itu layaknya hanya pakaian luar saja. Bisa diganti-ganti, bisa diupgrade, tapi prinsip fotografi adalah inti dan jiwa dari hasil karya fotografi kita.

DISIPLIN
Usahakan dalam mengambil setiap foto, komposisi foto kita sudah bagus right on the spot, tepat di lokasi. Jadi kita tidak perlu memotong atau meng-crop foto tersebut karena makin dicrop makin kecil ukuran fotonya.

DISCIPLINE
Try your best to compose your picture correctly right on the spot. That way you do not need to crop your image because when you crop your image it becomes smaller.

KOMPOSISI 1/3
Ini adalah komposisi yang paling sering digunakan karena menciptakan suasana dinamis, tidak monoton. Fokus bisa diletakan diberbagai titik perpotongan garis 1/3 ini.

Gelas tinggi yang berisi juice buah naga dari sebuah resort di Sumbawa barat ini menjadi fokus komposisi 1/3 ini. Hasilnya adalah komposisi yang menarik dan tidak membosankan.

Komposisi 1/3 ini juga sangat efektif bagi foto potret.

KOMPOSISI SIMETRIS

Obyek diletakkan di tengah-tengah.

Dalam product photo di bawah ini komposisi simetris memfokuskan mata hanya kepada obyek yang ditaruh di tengah-tengah. Saya menggunakan komposisi sederhana ini karena saya hanya ingin yang melihat memberi perhatian kepada bentuk dan detil perhiasaan berdiameter 1 cm dengan 75 butir berlian yang didesain oleh seorang designer perhiasaan Denmark, Jeanette Munch Thomsen. Sebagai pembanding, saya gabungkan perhiasan berlian ini dengan Danish wild strawberry. Pelajaran tentang skala ini akan saya jelaskan lebih terperinci dalam sebuah artikel khusus.

Dalam wedding photography di bawah ini, komposisi simetris membuat perhatian tertuju kepada pengantin dan memperkuat design simetris serta efek perspektif extreme benteng abad pertengahan di kota Visby, Gotland, Swedia, ini. Saya jarang menggunakan komposisi simetris untuk foto orang. Hanya dalam situasi khusus seperti ini saja.

Komposisi simetris jika diterapkan dalam foto interior bangunan bersejarah akan menguatkan kesan formal dan kemegahan bangunan tersebut. Ini adalah interior Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turki. Bangunan ini adalah sebuah gereja yang kemudian digunakan sebagai mesjid.

KOMPOSISI 1/5
Saya jarang menggunakan komposisi ini, tapi untuk menciptakan efek unik saya menggunakannya dalam foto Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turki, pada waktu senja ini. Dalam foto ini saya ingin menonjolkan suasana penuh mimpi 1001 malam kota Istanbul.

Saya juga menggunakan komposisi ini untuk menonjolkan gerakan dinamis awan kelabu berat yang menaungi taman Almedalen, Visby, Gotland, Swedia, yang merupakan kota kuno abad pertengahan.

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK.

FEEL FREE TO SHARE THIS PHOTOGRAPHY LESSON WITH YOUR FACEBOOK FRIENDS.

If you are interested in receiving my photography lesson or have any question regarding this lesson, please write a message on my Facebook page. Thank you.

Food styling and photography © www.alextjoa.com

Pin It

“Tietgenkollegiet (English: Tietgen Student Hall), named for Danish financier C. F. Tietgen (1829-1891), is a student residence built in new district Ørestad close to the centre of Copenhagen. The building has a conspicuous circular shape, inspired by traditional southern Chinese Hakka architecture,[1] and is designed by Danish architects Lundgaard & Tranberg in 2006. The design has won it a RIBA European Award.”
— Wikipedia

“The Hakka were originally immigrants from northern China who settled in the southern provinces. From the 17th century onwards, population pressures drove them more and more into conflict with their neighbours (called punti in Cantonese). As rivalry for resources turned to armed warfare, the Hakka began building communal living structures designed to be easily defensible. These houses, sometimes called tulou 土楼, were often round in shape and internally divided into many compartments for food storage, living quarters, ancestral temple, armoury etc. The largest houses covered over 40,000 m² and it is not unusual to find surviving houses of over 10,000 m².”
— Wikipedia

Photos © www.alextjoa.com

‎04:20 AM, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

My friend has just told me that now she likes to look up at the sky enjoying the beautiful colors of sunrise and sunset. Living in one of the most crowded metropolitans, she had never done it before, but thanks to my landscape photography, she is inspired to be aware of and enjoy the beautiful divine feast that the Grand Creator presents to us twice a day. I am grateful that my photography has made such a positive contribution no matter how small it is.

It is not hard to see how addictive landscape photography is with all its ethereal offering and grand lessons that teach human beings to be humble and patient.

La pazienza è veramente una virtù.

Enjoy the luxurious views from the most luxurious student apartments in the world, Tietgenkollegiet, Copenhagen, Denmark, at 04:20 AM.

Swedish Hasbeens lace-up boots 455 are very versatile and timeless. The boots suit all kind of outfits, from Viking wedding dress to vintage Chinese jacket.

Emelie Nyberg wearing the Viking Collection wedding dress “Freja” and black leather Swedish Hasbeens lace-up boots 455.

Fashion designer and collection © Berith Sernelius Meier
Model: Emilie Nyberg
Picture stone location: Gotlands Museum, Sweden
Photo © www.alextjoa.com

Dorothea Barre in an elegant Marie Antoinette Street Wear black Nocturne jacket and black Swedish Hasbeens lace-up boots 455.

Fashion designer and collection © Berith Sernelius Meier
Model: Dorothea Barre, Satine the cat
Photo © www.alextjoa.com

Dorothea Barre in an elegant Marie Antoinette Street Wear lavender Versailles jacket and black Swedish Hasbeens lace-up boots 455.

Fashion designer and collection © Berith Sernelius Meier
Model: Dorothea Barre, Satine the cat
Photo © www.alextjoa.com

Dorothea Barre in flowery and elegant Marie Antoinette Street Wear Le Hameau jacket and natural leather Swedish Hasbeens lace-up boots 455.

Fashion designer and collection © Berith Sernelius Meier
Model: Dorothea Barre
Photo © www.alextjoa.com

Dorothea Barre in Marie Antoinette Street Wear lustrous red silk corset and ruffle skirt Amour and black leather Swedish Hasbeens lace-up boots 455.

Fashion designer and collection © Berith Sernelius Meier
Model: Dorothea Barre
Photo © www.alextjoa.com

Elisa in vintage hand-embroidered red Chinese silk jacket and black leather Swedish Hasbeens lace-up boots 455. East meets West. Click here to see the digital exhibition of Marco Polo — China connection in Venice, Italy.

Photo © www.alextjoa.com
Location: Roman Theater, Trieste, Italy, built between the 1st and 2nd centuries AD
No reproduction of this image is allowed without written permission from the Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali del Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italia.

“The Roman theatre lies at the foot of the San Giusto hill, facing the sea [2000 years ago]. The construction partially exploits the gentle slope of the hill, and much of the theatre is made of stone. The topmost portion of the amphitheatre steps and the stage were supposedly made of wood.

The statues that adorned the theatre, brought back to light in the 1930s, are now preserved at the Town Museum. Three inscriptions from the Trajan period mention a certain Q. Petronius Modestus, someone closely connected to the development of the theatre, which was erected during the second half of the 1st century.”
— Wikipedia

VENICE, ITALY

A blue door and yellowish wall in Venice, Italy.

Door bell, Venice, Italy.

SANTORINI, GREECE

I really love the raw unpretentious honest beauty of the creative tephra architecture in Santorini.

Steps, Oia village, Santorini island, Greece.

Steps, Oia village, Santorini island, Greece.

Oia village, Santorini island, Greece.

Fira, Santorini island, Greece

Fence and blue wooden entrance door, Oia village, Santorini island, Greece.

Aqui vive Alex Tjoa, home sweet home, Oia village, Santorini island, Greece.

Aqui vive un arquitecto, Oia village, Santorini island, Greece.

Steep steps and cats, Oia village, Santorini island, Greece.

Blue door, Oia village, Santorini island, Greece.

The detail of Roka restaurant’s wall, Oia village, Santorini island, Greece.

The photos below show the gallery of Dimitris Koliousis, one of the best icon painting artists in the world.
Location: Marble road, Oia village, Santorini island, Greece.

Not all doors are blue in Santorini. Here is a bold red door, Aigialos Hotel, Fira, Santorini.