Katie Holmes...

It is common practice during a photo shoot for the photographer, stylist, art director and writer to bring magazines and pictures of images that are inspirations for the shoot of the day. In my most recent photo shoot there was one table in the photo studio full of pictures that were assembled to give everyone who was working on the shoot an idea of the mood, feel and look for the shoot. It could be anything. A painting, a cartoon, a drawing, a fashion spread.... It is my responsibility as well to look at these photos so I know what the stylist, photographer and art director would like me to do in front of the camera.

There were over 30 pictures on this table. I looked at all of them. But the pictures which I just fell in love with were the ones of Katie Holmes in her recent In Style photo shoot.

I just stared and stared at these photos of her for ages.


There is something so elegant and timeless about these photos. And I prefer her hair more natural like this. Her body looks so toned as well. Makes me wonder how has she been working out.

At the gym I go to, there are several health and fitness magazines which the trainer Abang Man and myself fondly refer to as 'the body catalogues'. We have spent so much time looking at the various men and women in these magazines with their unbelievably fit, strong and firm bodies. I don't really like the look of those extreme body builders, but I have the greatest respect and admiration for them because I can only imagine the pain, sweat, dieting, sacrifice and the way they have obsessed themselves into achieving their bodies.

Me - "Wah! Abang Man! Tengok kaki perempuan ni! Macam mana dia dapat toning macam ni? I boleh order tak? I nak bicep dengan shoulder macam dia ni pula. Boleh?! Bila dah tempah, berapa lama I kena tunggu sampai I dapat?"

Abang Man-"tempahlah apa-apa you nak dari "catalogue' tu! You rajin datang gym, you boleh tahan diet, you pun boleh dapat macam tu! Rajin ke tak rajin eje...Untuk dia orang dapat badan macam tu, dia orang pun suffer tau. You ingat you seorang eje ke? Bila you buat, you konsisten, dapatlah result. You yang untung, bukan orang lain. Jangan risau. Buat eje..."

That's what I like about Abang Man. He makes you feel like you can achieve anything. The only thing you need is your own will power. And the best thing about working out, is that when you put in all the hard work, you are the one who receives the benefits. Not anyone else. In many ways, it is very fair.

I think I'll print these pictures out and show them to Abang Man at the gym today....