Big News! I Am Joining Ming Thein

47 Comments
I have been teasing about a new project I am working on post Olympus departure, and it is finally happening today! I am joining Ming Thein, a fellow photographer who is also based in Malaysia, actively writes about photography, sharing his inspiring photography work and also reviews imaging products. Congratulations to those few who have guessed this right, it is amazing how people can put pieces that were so far apart together!

It all started on the actual day I officially handed my resignation letter to Olympus Malaysia. Ming Thein was visiting on the very same day, and during our coffee session, I instinctively decided to tell him that I have left Olympus though only a very small handful of people knew about that at the time. Ming was shocked by the news of course, then something unexpected happened: he invited me to join him!



Ming Thein was the only one photographer from Malaysia (apart from myself) who genuinely has a strong online presence within the photography crowd. His meticulous approach and expertise when it comes to technical photography execution come almost second to none. In my life, I have not met anyone more knowledgeable, intelligent and passionate about photography than Ming. His imaging product reviews have been used as reference, even against larger photography sites such as DPReview.com. His photography articles resonate with his audience and often many have benefited and learned plenty from his generous sharing of knowledge and experience.

Therefore, when he asked me to join him, my response was an instantaneous, absolute yes.

Both of us love photography, we write articles pertaining to photography regularly, and we produce fresh photographs to share. We both have considerably strong audience base, though we probably speak to different groups and levels of photographers. My target audience has always been newcomers to photography and also entry level photographers who wish to improve themselves. Ming Thein's crowd is generally more advanced, ranging from mid-level photo-enthusiasts to advanced professional photographers, many who live and breathe photography and know what they are doing. It makes sense that we combine our resources, work together and build a platform on a singular page that can speak across to all spectrum of photographers. While Ming Thein elaborates on the real difference that a medium format can make in terms of pure resolution and tonality, I will remind you that it is important to pick up the camera, go out for a satisfying shutter therapy session. I strongly believe our differing perspectives and purpose of photography shall complement each other, wonderfully and further help to create a more interesting and complete photography based website.



Rest assured that I will still be Robin Wong, that will not change. What I have been doing on my blog so far, sharing about shutter therapy sessions and also doing product reviews, I will continue to do so over at Ming Thein's site. I will continue to shoot, explore photography, do more experimentation, share my thoughts and tonnes of new photographs.

So what is happening to the old blog, robinwong.blogspot.com? This site will remain open and available, all my past cameras and lenses reviews will still be online. While I am moving on and update most of my future photography related articles on Ming Thein's site, I will still come back to this old site from time to time. I may want to continue to explore smartphone photography, or write about recommended noodles places in my hometown, that awesome barber shop that is hidden at a corner, and maybe even talk about that new pair of audiophile grade wireless bluetooth earphones I have just bought. I will not update this blog as regularly as before, and after many, many years of photography heavy blogging, I am finally reverting this blog to its original form: a personal online journal.

I am both excited and anxious at the same time, about moving over to Ming's site. To Ming Thein, thank you so much for believing in me and having me on board! This is a challenge to myself to step up my game and continue to push myself to become a better photographer. I am thrilled to see where this collaboration will take us to.

To all my beloved readers from robinwong.blogspot.com, thank you for staying with me all this time, and please to continue to follow me over at blog.mingthein.com! We do have some interesting articles in the pipeline and cannot wait to share them soon.






47 comments:

  1. Congrats on your new endeavor Robin!

    I love Ming's content and since now you've joined, perhaps you could take a look why he never bother to update the theme to cater mobile views (he said majority of readership came from desktop view but this is 2017)

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    1. Thanks Leonarce!
      Hah, I shall question him the next time I meet him for coffee! Having a mobile friendly site surely is important. I totally get you.

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  2. Didn't see this coming; but a great mix of writing put together!


    All the best!

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  3. Congratulations! I have followed the pages of Ming Thein a whole time, only recently, the themes were too special, for me as an amateur photographer. For you it is certain another step forward and I wish you all the best.

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    1. Thanks, and no worries Karl, I shall still continue to do what I normally do, just at a different location. I will still be me!

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  4. Your images are so much better than MT's that I hope you don't fall into the trap of 'learning' from him. ;) Good luck with the venture.

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    1. Oh dear, I beg to differ in opinion. I think Ming Thein's photography is top notch, and he is the expert in what he is doing. however, as you have probably noticed we both use very different styles in shooting. I will still stay true to my own identity, my photography will remain the same!

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    2. Ming' photography is very good. The problem I have is that most of the equipment review images I have seen are over-sharpened and there is an over-abundance of slow-shutter speed images.

      Your images on the other hand are razor sharp but not over-sharpened. I hope I am making some sense.

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  5. Congratulations! I'm also following both of your blogs, and with both of you hinting at "changes" recently, I had sincerely hoped it would come to this. Hope fulfilled :)

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    1. Thanks Andreas, and wow, you are super smart to have figured it out! Thanks for following both of us and I do hope you continue reading my articles at Ming's site.

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  6. I wonder what equipment you will be using though. And Ming can be whatever he is. I clearly see hisown style in his pics but being intelligent meticulous etcetc does not mean you get the most exciting pictures. He reminds me of what I hear in many east Asian classical musicians: they do everything perfect yet when you listen to their music you feel it lacks something. It is strange how that is possible, but I know a professional classical musician who says this is in fact well known. I seem to spot this in Ming Theins photography and it is not to my taste. Your photography is very nice. But I hope you both learn from oneanother because there are things of what Ming does that can help a lot of people and he can learn too. From you. Have fun and good to see you are not lost somewhere but still into this business!

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    1. Hey Govp,
      Everyone has different photography styles, while Ming Thein's photography may not be your cup of tea, I am sure you agree that he shares passionately and writes good articles. And rest assured my style is still the same and I will continue to do what I do best, just in a different location. I cannot wait to share what we have prepared soon, so do stay tuned over at Ming Thein's blog!

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    2. I's say Ming Thein is more like Ansel Adams and Robin is more like Henri Cartier Bresson... Well, not exactly but something along those lines. I like them both!

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  9. I guess one could say Ming had you at "Hello". Hahahaha... Congratulation Robin! Looking forward to more amazing stuff from you and Ming's collaboration.

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  10. Robin, if every picture tells a story, your stories have always expressed a constant theme. Humanity. This, I believe is what you will bring to Ming's table. Whilst I admire Ming's skills, he appears to have moved to an esoteric area above my head, and this is where you will surely create a balance that will bring harmony to yourselves, and to us your loyal readers. Good wishes as you continue this wonderful journey. I love today's pictorial 'story'. Unusually for you, untitled. To me it displays how far you have come with your photography. The texture, tones and expressions are all lovingly portrayed. Keep smiling..!

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    1. Hey Trevor,
      Thanks for the kind words! I just thought the post would look a bit dry, so I added some very random shots. Sunset, means the end of an old era. And a baby was signifying the birth of a new project! Not sure how I would title them.
      But do not worry about us going forward, we shall do our best and my style will remain the same!

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  11. Hey Robin !

    I'm glad I was right :)
    I think your and Ming's step is pretty intuitive and I think it's a great news for all of us.
    I'm really anxious to see new cross brands reviews (Panasonic, Fuji, Olympus).

    Regards

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  12. I've been following three photogs more closely than others during last few years and two of them have been you Robin and Ming (the third is Kirk Tuck). I always thought that it might be extremely interesting to follow a proper dialog with you two and somehow thought that you might have something common coming up but this is even better. Congrats on your common cause and I'll sure be following you two with even greater interest now!

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  13. Robin, your blog convinced me to enter the m43 ecosystem and purchase Olympus gear. Your posts and beautiful pictures have inspired me and I look forward to your future contributions now that you have joined up with Ming Thein.

    Good luck to you!!!

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  14. Congratulations and best wishes on the new venture! Like many others, I love your style of honest photography and look forward to many more "Portraits of a stranger"!

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  15. This makes good sense Robin, I follow Ming's site, and while he did dip his toes into M43 etc. a while back, he's gone back to his more 'core' stuff recently, so it's a great idea to have both of you on one platform covering your respective areas of expertise. Congratulations, and looking forward to your future work.

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  16. Congratulations. I'm extremely happy for you. Ming Thein is extremely talented and with his new role, I'm sure there is no shortage of new things to learn and do.
    Good luck.

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  17. That's what I was hoping for. Good for all of us. Congratulations!

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  18. Malaysia Powerhouse... As I mentioned before :)

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  19. Wow this is great news! I'm excited to see how my two favorite Malaysian photographers will influence the way the world sees photography and our image-making tools! Congratulations to both you, Robin, and to Ming!

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  20. Congrats, Robin!!! I am also very happy for you and the fact that you will continue to write about photography and gear! Wishing you all the best!!!

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  21. hi robin. ive been visitig your blog for the last 5 years, daily (it started with your em5 review)...
    thanks for sharing all your experience! it was a pleasure to read your reviews or enjoy your shutter therapy. for the last 5 months i havent been here so often, and now, what a surprise...
    i wish you and ming all the best for your work together,
    regards from switzerland,
    valentin

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  22. Somehow I am sad that you are toning down this space and going over to a place where the world is... sterile, for lack of better word.
    Please don't fall into the measurbating trap and keep it "Robin" where the blend of technical info is just sufficient to educate but not bore the average photographer to tears while still inspiring accomplished professionals at the same time.
    Your photography is humble, real and human; keep it that way
    Robin, good luck.

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  23. Congratulation!! The combine force from Malaysia is awesome! Looking forward to your post in Ming Thein's web site.

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  24. been quite awhile i surf your site, congratulation to you. Anyway since you join Mingthein i hope you will still continue on using m43 system, or u gonna go into MF territory from now on?

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  25. I agree. We all hope that this is going to be a progression for the both of you. To be honest, I skipped Ming from my bookmarks a long time ago. Like all arts photography should be pure and honest. For me Ming seems to be tangled in his own rules and technique.
    What’s the name going to be? BadMing & Robin?

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  26. I found this blog a few years ago, and I've followed you ever since. Your writings, reviews and photography is refreshingly "real" and down to earth, straight forward, compared to many other sites, incl. Ming Thein's blog, which I totally lost interest in long time ago. As another commenter said, it's cold and sterile, while yours is warm and more "analogue". I really, really hope you'll keep your own style. Anyways, I'd like to say thanks a lot for all your excellent writings, reviews and just great, real photography. It's allways a pleasure reading your site.

    Best regards, Morty

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  27. Superb images.Congrats on your new colaboration.

    Best regards,
    Silviu Radu
    http://www.wonderfulpictures.net

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  28. I follow both of you, congrat! Not sure how it will work out though, since the focuses/styles/audiences are quite different despite some obvious overlap. Best luck &pls continue posting original contents here regularly.

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  29. Both of your websites are next to each other on my most visited websites tab already for few years.
    Very happy that you got together.
    You will complinent each to create something greater then the sum of parts...

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  30. Robin, I've enjoyed your blog immensely over the last year or two. Yes, it's all about photography, that's what got me here. But what made me stay and revisit regularly was your personality which was expressed in your pictures and your writing!
    I know Ming Thein has commented frequently and through that I have become aware of his work, too, and I like it a lot. It will be fun to watch the two of you work together. All the best for the future, I'll be watching with interest!

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  31. Robin, I've got mixed feelings about this. On the one hand I'm very pleased for you, on the other, well, Ming Thein is a very talented photographer, but his view on photography comes across as, "if you don't have the largest sensor, the sharpest lens and the sturdiest tripod, then why bother taking the shot?" Whereas you consistently prove that whilst Ming wouldn't consider using m43 for any type of professional work, you do get perfectly sharp professional images from it. It's going to be an interesting mix. I'll start heading back over to the Ming Thein site and see what happens. Good luck!

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  32. A two-man army... I can't wait to see the results! Congratulations, Robin!

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  33. As two of the most consistently talented and inspirational photographers clicking a shutter these days, this is bound to be a very exciting journey for us all. Please continue to focus (no pun!) on your love of Olympus and your every-man, practical approach to shooting. Despite all the full frame (and even APS) mania, I am resolved (again, no pun!) to keeping my gear bag lean and will stick with my compact and superb µ4/3 Olympus lenses and bodies (new OMD-EM1 II en route as we speak). Keep up the great work, Robin! All the best from sunny California.

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