alt.ing photography

Engagement: Conrad & Elvinna

2012-01-21T21:05:00.000+08:00

Location: SK Kibabaig, Starbucks Citymall & Tanjung Aru

This post is super-long delayed. And yes, I have been away from postings for a very long time. Been such a busy bee with the full-time job that I had to put a major part of my photography life in the back-burner for a while. Anyways, this set is a couple portraiture of my handsome brother-in-law, Conrad and his fiance, Elvinna. They are both teachers which explains the school location. While the beach location is for that little 'Kuch Kuch Hotta Hey' thingy... LOL! The Starbucks location is actually while we were taking a break but what the heck. It did turn out a couple of nice photos anyway. Enjoy the images folks!

Look out for the next coming posts folks! Stay tuned.

Wedding: Eddy & Salina

2011-08-07T20:25:00.001+08:00

4th June 2011

St Paul Dontozidon Church

Dewan Tun Fuad Stephen

Video: Bryan Kouju Videography by Bernard Kouju Jr

Make-up: Martin Buguk

Wedding: Sheila + Don

2011-06-02T20:58:00.000+08:00

30th April 2011

St Francis Xavier Cathedral

Bride's residence, Keningau

Yes, I should have posted this sometime about 2 weeks ago. But things got kinda hectic during the past couple of weeks and this post got delayed.. despite my promise during my previous post. Yes.. my pants are on fire. Anyways, hope you guys will enjoy this fave photos from the bunch.

Sneak Preview: Sheila + Don

2011-05-01T18:40:00.001+08:00

I don't normally do this but this blog is in dire need of an update. So I guess a sneak preview of the latest wedding shoot will have to do.

Stay tuned for the updates coming up in a couple of weeks... promise.. no, honestly...

Wedding: Ryo+Emmy (Part 2)

2011-03-06T14:22:00.000+08:00

29 January 2011
Kg Buloh Silou, Keningau

Wedding: Ryo + Emmy (Part 1)

2011-03-01T20:56:00.000+08:00

22 January 2011

Kg. Penampang Baru, Kimanis

St Joseph Church, Papar

Engagement: Julian & Fara

2011-02-06T21:05:00.000+08:00

15 January 2011

Putatan

This is the first time I get the opportunity to shoot a Malay engagement ceremony. Fara and Julian got engaged on the 15th January 2011 at Fara's family residence. The ceremony was held in the evening so I arrived at Fara's home shortly before 7.00 pm. The first thing that caught my eyes when I entered the house compound were all the lanterns hanging from the ceiling. All manners of yellow and red colours!! It just lifts the spirit in spite of the heavy rain on that day. All in all the whole ceremony was as lively and colourful as the lanterns. Check-out some of the "hantarans" being exchanged between Fara and Julian. I was very impressed!! Here are some selections of my favourite images of the day.

The hugest thank you to Fara and Julian for inviting me to witness your engagement ceremony. It's definitely a great experience for me to witness the culture and ceremony involved in a Malay engagement. And I definitely enjoyed all the crazy poses.. LOL!!

Wedding: Gerard + Renee

2010-11-22T21:05:00.000+08:00

23rd & 24th October 2010
Sacred Heart Cathedral, Kota Kinabalu
Putera Theatre Ballroom, Bukit Padang
Make-up: Jeffie Humphrey
Video: Bryan Kouju

Gerard and Renee was such a lovely couple. Their wedding was quite a family affair whereby the members of their family all gave a lending hand in one way or another to organise/execute the wedding. Shows how much love is filled in their families. Just by being in their proximity, I could also feel the love flowing through me which is always a good thing cos' love gives me good feelings and good feelings gives me good pictures. Here are some favourites of mine from their wedding.

Gerard and Renee's wedding marks the closing date of my wedding photography for the year 2010. I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of shoot that I've done this year. I feel that I have grown quite a bit as a wedding photographer and the experiences gained also left me with some points to ponder for my shoots in 2011. Overall, I think its quite a successful year for me this year as a part-time wedding photographer. As for the leap to turning full-time, I think it is still quite a way off before I could make that jump.. but who knows right?? I hope every one enjoyed all the photos I've shot this year and here's to another exciting and fruitful year in 2011.

Wedding: Benson + Kellie

2010-10-25T22:16:00.001+08:00

10 October 2010

Brisbane, Australia

Indooroopilly Golf Club

Gown: Vera Wang

This is a milestone in my photographing experience!! The wedding of Benson and Kellie in Brisbane, Australia marks the first wedding I've ever shot outside of Malaysia. And what a wedding it was. The whole experience was so new to me and though I've read about weddings in the Western countries all the time from all my favourite wedding photographer blogs, it just doesn't beat the real thing. To say I was excited about shooting this wedding is a total understatement. I was completely exhilarated and happy-nervous at the same time. Benson and Kellie planned to have a garden wedding by the lake which would have totally rocked. Unfortunately, it was just raining non-stop in Brisbane so they had to use Plan B which was to have the ceremony done indoors. Still, it was a beautiful wedding and the although the weather was rather gloomy, it didn't dampen the spirit nor festivities of the occasion even one bit. My favourite part of the reception will be when they started the entertainment for the night. Benson being a musical performer (singer) had all his equally talented friends perform and they just rocked the house. I mean it was like a concert! I've never shot so furiously at a wedding before and by the end of the night I was just drained... but would be happy to do it all over again if there is ever another opportunity.

Benson and Kellie made for a really beautiful couple and I really thank you both for all your graciousness and hospitality while my being in your care. A special shout-out to Benson's sister, Sharon for being my wingman and Uncle Tony for taking care of me throughout my stay in Brisbane. There are so many photos that I love from this wedding but I've shortlisted them to my most favourite 'favourite photos'. Hope you'll enjoy them as much as I do.

I hope you enjoyed those photos. There are just too many to choose from and I love just about all of them. Come back soon for more photos of beautiful people getting married. See ya!!

Wedding: Yong + Lenore

2010-10-17T23:04:00.000+08:00

18 September 2010

Sacred Heart Cathedral

Sacred Heart Parish Centre

Kg Sugud, Penampang

Beverly Hills, Penampang

I was really honoured when Lenore asked me to be her photographer during her wedding to Yong. Lenore knows and understands photography because she is a photography enthusiast herself. So I do feel that tinge of nervousness as the day approached for her wedding. What I was really glad was that she works as an event organiser and she had her wedding organised to the tee and she constantly communicated with me on the development and changes in the event. In the end, it became a beautiful wedding with so much laughter, it truly reflects weddings to being one of life's joyous occasions. Lenore and Yong were clearly nervous at first but as the ceremony went on, they settled down and soon their most giving and happy personality just burst out of them both. You could feel all the love enveloping over everyone at the small and simple but most lovely reception they held at the Parish Centre. Here are some of our favourite images for the day.

I hope everyone enjoyed the photos as much as we enjoyed creating them. Stay tuned for my next posting. It's my first destination wedding job in Australia and do I have some fabulous images for you to look at. See ya soon..!!

Wedding: Vincent + Darlene

2010-08-29T18:25:00.001+08:00

14 August 2010

Sacred Heart Cathedral

Putera Ballroom Theatre
Make-up: Gideon H.

Video: Bernard of Bryan Kouju Videography

Vincent and Darlene first met while working at a Pizza Hut Restaurant in 2002. Fast forward to 14 August 2010, they finally made their relationship a permanent in their lives together. Exactly eight years after their fateful meeting, they got married. And what a wedding it was! I love the close bond between the family members. Everyone was around to lend a helping hand in making the day as special as it can be. Although, Darlene did mentioned that she was feeling very nervous on that day, to me she was a picture of calmness and happiness. Vincent was handsome and though he stumbled a bit on his vows, he did manage to complete it perfectly afterwards. LOL.. even the priest was smiling throughout the proceedings. The reception was a total blast. Everyones was rocking on the dance floor. In fact, it was the largest group of Poco-poco dancers I've ever photographed. Yeah, they brought the house down that night. Pure enjoyment.

Below are some selections of our favourite moments of the day.

To Vincent + Darlene, thanks very much for letting me join in the celebration and witnessing the commitment to love one another. My heartiest congratulations to the both of you and may you always find happiness and love in each other.

Pre-Wedding: Ivan & Diana

2010-08-15T17:02:00.000+08:00

24 July 2010

Kinarut & Kota Kinabalu

Hair & Make-up: Wedie Aning of DD's Salon

Wardrobe: Couple's own

Okay, this is one of my most exciting shoots so far. The reason for this toe-curling excitement is due to two reasons. One, this client couple of mine flew all the way from KL to KK over a July weekend only for this shoot. Two, they want the whole photo series in black and white! Monotone! No words can express how much I love this client of mine. Sigh...

Ivan & Diana was up for anything. Get them to stand in front of a tamu crowd in Kinarut, get lovey-dovey in a coffeeshop, stand-still even when a cute puppy threatens to ruin a pose... ANYTHING. They are the best. And this made for some really kick-ass photos. Very purrrrdy. Below are some selections of my favourites.

See that logo beside the WhiteRoom signage? That is Ivan and Diana's personalised logo. And no, it was not there when we took this shot. I had to insert the logo during post-processing. And believe me when I say, that is about the most photoshopping I've ever done in my life. My wrist is still straining from trying to manipulate the mouse to place the logo. Glad it turned out ok though. SMILES.

Ok, so I couldn't resist having some colour photos in the mix cause some of the images are just screaming for some colour. How can I resist?

The ring shot for the closing is quite appropriate I reckon. As for Ivan and Diana, hope you guys will have the most wonderful upcoming wedding. Just wish that I could be there to witness the joy and happiness. All the same, I wish the both of you all the joys and happiness in your marriage to each other and my heartiest congratulations to the both of you.

As for you folks, hope you enjoyed the photos and stay tuned for more upcoming wedding photos coming soon. Till then, stay beautiful everyone...

Wedding: Daniel + Emelda (Part 3)

2010-07-04T19:43:00.001+08:00

5th June 2010

Jay's Whitehouse, Petaling Jaya

Hey guys!! Here is the Part 3 of Daniel + Emelda's wedding photos. This time it's the reception that was held in KL - actually in PJ but we're not fussy aren't we?? ;-D

So the venue is at Jay's Whitehouse in PJ and what a venue it was. It's got this beeeautiful garden at the back where the reception was planned and since they gonna make it a dinner reception, they've got the tents, fences, flowers, trees - basically anything within reasonable reach covered with fairy lights. Now this is my first time shooting a wedding reception outside of KK and I must say the experience has been exhilarating.

The reception was ONE BIG PARTY and the guests just rocked it out with the bride and groom. We got disco lights, laser lights, smoke, bubbles and music. Very loud music. Very loud and hip music. And they danced. And danced. And danced the night away. Oh what a night!!

Here are some selection of my faves from the night.

I hope you guys enjoyed this series of photos. If you're looking for Part 1, click here while you can view Part 2 here. Again, special thanks and love to the Wifey for assisting me throughout the shoot, and of course thank you to Daniel + Emelda for inviting us to your partylicious wedding reception. Enjoy!!!!

Wedding: Daniel + Emelda (Part 2)

2010-06-17T19:06:00.000+08:00

22nd May 2010

Beringgis Beach Resort, Kinarut

Make-up: Martin Buguk

Video: Bryan Kouju

Hey guys!! This is the continuation of Daniel & Emelda's wedding post from Part 1. This time the post is on their dinner reception which was held at Beringgis Beach Resort. When the Wifey and I first walked to the dinner venue we were like "Wow!! Cantik nyaa!!" and just went bat-crazy literally flying here and there trying to photo details and admiring the atmosphere. Of course, the highlight of the reception was the bride and groom themselves. It is my first time photographing a couple in their and Indian wedding outfit and once again, the Wifey and I went "Wow!! Cantik nyaa!!" Let's just say after that, we went on a shooting spree.

There was the usual cake-cutting and toasting, then there were the singing performance from the couple and their fantastic dancing nephew. Just when we thought that the night was really happening they brought it one notch higher. Everybody went dancing under the stars and PARR-TAYYY! Again, we went bat-crazy swirling around the couple and the dancing guests, taking shots after shots. At the end of the night, I got lotsa awesome shots coupled with a pair of very tired and sore legs. But it was all worth it. Thanks Daniel & Emelda, it was a great party. Then it got me thinking about the KL reception... (one thing at a time Alvin... one thing at a time)..

Here are some favourites of mine from the night.

Hope you guys enjoyed the photos. Will be posting the Part 3 of this series the soonest possible so just hang on and be patient, ya..

I also wanna give a shout-out to eShark for giving me a hand with the off-camera flash. You rock dude!!

Wedding: Daniel + Emelda (Part 1)

2010-06-15T17:44:00.000+08:00

22 May 2010

Sacred Heart Cathedral, Kota Kinabalu

Pusat Kebudayaan Sabah, Penampang

Make-up: Martin Buguk

Video: Bryan Kouju

After shooting their pre-wedding photos a couple of months back, I just couldn't wait to shoot their wedding day. I know for certain there are gonna be lots of crazy-happy stuffs happening during the wedding and when it finally happened, it was more than I expected. There was just a swirl of emotions happening all around you and most of it centred around Daniel & Emelda as well as their family members. So much to shoot, so much to see and definitely so much to love, cherish and laugh about. It was a truly memorable wedding. Thank you very much Daniel & Emelda for putting your full trust in me to record all the events of your wedding day in KK right up to your Kuala Lumpur reception. It is an experience that I will never forget.

This is Part 1 of a 3-part posting of my shoot on their wedding. Yes, there are 3 parts cos there's so much to love about their wedding :) Below are some selections of their lovely photos.

I hope you guys enjoyed the photos so far. Come back soon for postings Parts 2 & 3 of Daniel & Emelda's wedding celebration.

Wedding: Kris + Nadia (Part 2)

2010-05-07T18:59:00.000+08:00

1st May 2010

Mount Kinabalu Resort and Spa

Make-up: Kary Sia - House Of Hair & Beauty

Video: Chua

Hey folks! Here's the Part 2 posting of Kris and Nadia's wedding. It's a lunch reception held at the Mount Kinabalu Resort and Spa in Kundasang not too far from Ranau town. The Wifey and I woke real early for our trip up to the venue and boy was it worth it. We had this awesome view of Mount Kinabalu in the early dawn but sadly I didn't get to take a photo of it. (Yeah I know what you guys are saying.. A good photographer will always make sure to take the photo... well, boohooo... LOL!!)

Anyway, it was a beautiful day for a wedding reception, the air was cool and refreshing and the sunlight... ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS light!! It made my impromptu portrait session with the bride and groom a delightful experience and I just know I got some really good stuff from the shoot. Happiness is puurrdy light from the sun... Sigh... Go on... Have a look to see what I mean.

I just wished that the Wifey and I could have stayed the night at the resort but it's just not meant to be.. Sad.. But at least we got some really purrddy pictures, yes?? Of course.. *Smiles*

Wedding: Kris + Nadia (Part 1)

2010-05-05T23:20:00.000+08:00

24th April 2010

Sacred Heart Cathedral

Promenade Hotel

Make-up: Jeffie Jeff

Video: David Chg of David Aramaiti Video & Photography

Kris and Nadia first approached me to photograph their engagement ceremony way back in August last year. This year, they got married!! And here I am again shooting the precious moments of their life. I'm telling you guys, sometimes this just gives me a real high when I know I could get some really beautiful photos from a wedding. Nadia was such a beautiful bride.. an understandably nervous but beautiful bride. Really. She just shines and looked saw puuurrrddy... especially in her specially-designed-custom-made-flown-to-and-fro-USA wedding dress. In other words, her dress is ONE OF A KIND!! While Kris is just one cool, calm and collected groom. Like a solid, dependable rock. Together, they make the best combination in a couple and what a wedding it made for.

This posting is gonna be covering only the wedding ceremony and reception in Kota Kinabalu. Here are some photo highlights of the day.

Stay tuned for more photos in the next post featuring Part 2 of Kris and Nadia's wedding reception at Ranau.

Sneak Preview: Kris & Nadia

2010-05-04T11:24:00.000+08:00

Hey folks, so sorry for the long delay in updating the blog. Been quite busy lately. Anyways, here's a little snack to take the edge off from those wanting to see new photos. This is especially for Nadia. I know you're just bursting with anticipation to see the rest of your wedding photos.

Keep checking in cos I will be posting the photos from Kris and Nadia's wedding very soon. Till then. keep on coming back ya?

Wedding: Rozeddie + Sylvia

2010-04-08T01:12:00.002+08:00

27th March 2010

1Borneo Grand Ballroom

Kota Kinabalu

When Mimi (Rozeddie's sister) contacted me asking me to be the photographer for Rozeddie and Sylvia's wedding reception, I got really excited about it. You see, this is my first wedding coverage for the year 2010. There's only one catch, I've never met the couple before and I never got any direct contact with the couple until the day of the reception. Suffice to say that I was pretty nervous about the whole thing. However, once I met the lovely couple all my tension and apprehension just melted away. Rozeddie and Sylvia, both of you make such a wonderful pair and I wish you all the happiness in the world in your marriage. Thank you so much for having the faith and trust in me to record the wonderful moments of your reception even though we never met. And a special thanks to Mimi for your confidence and appreciation of my photowork.

Lots of love and happiness all around.

I always thought the red chandeliers of 1Borneo Grand Ballroom is the funkiest ballroom light in town.

The entertainment for the reception was fabulous! There were cultural dance performances,...

...a live band...

...and special guest singer from Bali (who happens to be the groom's sister's date).

Don't you just love looking at happy laughing brides?

A touch of dramatic flair is always good, yes??

My fave photo of the day.

Check out the cheeky kid!!

Lots of dancing too.. you got the traditional..

... and you got the contemporary dances.

Oh, special thanks and love to the wifey for assisting me during this shoot. Love ya wifey!!

Puppies!!!

2010-03-06T23:11:00.000+08:00

More than a month ago, our dog Tini (a Chihuahua + Miniature Pinscher) delivered her first litter of puppies. There are FIVE puppies altogether (God knows how all of them fitted in her belly). Their daddy is Bam-bam (wifey's Miniature Pinscher). Now that the puppies' eyes have opened and they have started crawling around, I decided it's time for a portrait session with the new additions to the family. So I packed all five of 'em in a wicker basket with blankies and towels, and off we went to the backyard. I was actually hoping for better light from the sun but the light today was still pretty good though. And I shoot, and shoot and shoot the lil' buggers till they are crying for their mama's milk... of which, I quickly packed them up again and got them into the house, safely back with their mama. Of course, the light was also starting to fade already so there's no point in shooting anymore. I've posted some of their photos here. Have a look.. aren't they the cutest bunch of mini-puppies??

Are you talking to me punk?? LOL!!

Wassup ma' man?!

The definition of sad puppy eyes...

All photos shot with:

Nikon D90

Nikkor 35mm 1.8G AF-S

Pre-wedding: Daniel & Emelda

2010-03-05T11:20:00.000+08:00

Location: Beringgis Beach Resort, Kinarut

Wardrobe: Couple's own

Photographer: Alvin Ting

Assistant: Caroline Charles

What can I say about this couple? You just have to love them to bits!! Shooting them was like riding a fun roller-coaster ride for the whole day. Not only are they such a beautiful couple but they can get very zany at times. They want the photos to show off their personality and trust me, their personalities are just shone through. Pure fun, love and happiness. The best thing is that their personalities are so in tune with each other it just gets so easy to shoot them together. In fact, they even contributed their ideas on some of the poses and it really worked!! I had so much fun shooting them that I didn't notice I got wiped out till the shoot was over. All I want to say to them now is thank you for giving me one helluva time guys. Now I can't wait what's in store for me when I shoot their wedding in a couple of months time. Just can't wait!!!

Gong Xi Fatt Choy!!!

2010-02-22T11:36:00.001+08:00

Gong Xi Fatt Choy to all readers of this photoblog. CNY this year was ok... nothing too eventful for me but I really travelled a lot. Abis minyak kereta.. LOL!!

Wifey and I decide to go have a look-see at what is all the fuss about this 1Malaysia CNY at KDCA. It looked interesting enough from outside with all the glowy lit-up dragons near the main gates. We heard that they even had a couple of funfairs going on in there so we decided to check it out. Once inside... let's just say that we were glad that it was free entry.. HA!!

But I did manage to take some photos while we were there so check em' out below.

One of the dragons near the main gate.

The whole place was very well lit with decorations. I had no problem shooting flashless photography here.

There was a children's concert going on while we were there.

A very big glowing statue of the God of Wealth... I wonder if he'll be giving me any extra wealth this year??

I see lots of families with small children enjoying themselves here especially at the game stalls.

Lantern decos.

I'm guessing this is a plum tree... correct me if I'm wrong.
(Ok the wifey just told it's a peach tree... my bad :P)

The wifey certainly loved all the nice decos here.

Meeting my animal year... the Dragon.

The funfair lit the place up quite well and I could take a portrait of my wifey err.. enjoying herself there.

That's all for now folks!! Hope you enjoyed your Chinese New Year 2010 and may the Year of the Tiger brings you roaring success, wealth and prosperity in all your ventures and dealings!!

Engagement: Sharon and Awad

2010-01-08T17:05:00.001+08:00

Date: 12 December 2009

Venue: Kg Sumbing, Penampang

Back in early December 2009, I attended the engagement ceremony between Sharon (who is my luvable cuzzie) and Awad. It was held at Sharon's house and is attended by all relatives near and far. The ceremony is conducted in the traditional way by the usage of the 'daun kirai' that is used by the older generations to roll and smoke their tobaccos. The usage of the 'daun kirai' is by way of putting on the table the agreements in terms of costs and dowry for the girl's hand in marriage. Upon agreement, by representatives from the boy and girl's side, it could be said that they are now engaged. Don't you just love traditional takes on stuffs like engagements and marriages? Here are some photos that I've taken on that day.

Btw, A Happy New Year 2010 to all readers of this blog. May the new year brings you many happiness and prosperity in all your endeavours this year.

My first featuring!!

2009-12-21T09:24:00.000+08:00

Hey guys! Guess what?? Remember my blog entry about the Nite of Souls? Well Joanna Funk, the blogmaster of Sabah Songs thinks that the photos I took of the event are cool and wanted to use them in her blog. How cool is that!! She even wrote an entry to introduce me to her blog readers. Joanna, you're a saint!!

For those of you not familiar with Sabah Songs, this blog is about the music development in Sabah as well as the people who are involved in improving, developing and working with the music scene in Sabah.

Go on guys, click on over to Sabah Songs and have a look at all its interesting contents. Some are real eye-openers! And since the blog entry will not be complete without at least one picture, here is a picture of three guys doing their own rendition of the three monkeys... LOL!!

L - R: Radzie, Joj and the fat monkey

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010 TO ALL BLOGGERS AND READERS!!

Keelea Shaye: The Demon Hairdresser of Penampang

2009-12-20T14:08:00.001+08:00

One day, the wifey decided to add some risk in her life and asked our niece, Keelea Shaye to play hairdresser with her own hair. Keelea squeeled with delight at the prospect actually getting her tiny little devil hands on someone's head full of hair - while still alive.. LOL!! Bad jokes aside, Keelea really had the time of her life playing dressup with her aunty's hair while she actually directs me on how and when to shoot!! Talk about a little primadonna... LOL!!

Hmm... the wifey has a very concerned look on her face...

So who's ~~reckless~~ daring enough to be Keelea's next client?? LOL!!

Portraiture: Models of Photography Workshop

2009-12-17T13:04:00.000+08:00

Hi guys, in my previous entry I talked about the photography workshop that I assisted George Yong of Jofanna Bridal to conduct, "Are you ready, A Photographer's Workshop". Well, I mentioned that I managed to sneak a few shoots of the models for myself. I didn't really have that much flexibility in my angles since I was tasked to holding the monopod flash unit for the participants and George himself during the practical session. So the shots below are mostly shot one-handed with a 50mm prime lens. Did I mention that shooting one-handed with a DSLR while holding a monopod with an attached flash unit is harder than it seems?? LOL...

Talents: Destiny, Veron, Audrey, Lorraine and Bo Tiza

Wardrobe: Jofanna Bridal

Location: Jofanna Bridal, Millenium Commercial Centre - Penampang

Destiny

Veron

Lorraine

Bo Tiza

Audrey

For all my readers, I wish you all Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2010!! Hope you will have a prosperous and productive year in 2010. As for me, I guess I'd better be getting down to sorting my new year's resolution... LOL!!

Workshop: Are you ready, A Photographer's Workshop

2009-12-16T16:11:00.001+08:00

Last Sunday, I once again assisted George Yong of Jofanna Bridal with Radzie to conduct a workshop for avid and budding photographers. This time the workshop is called "Are You Ready, A Photographer's Workshop" and it covers all the basics of using a DSLR camera, basic techniques in executing a shot as well as some advanced techniques in lighting, posing a model and manual exposures. There were 15 participants altogether and all were treated to a whole day of fun and precious info that could help them to be better photographers. As a bonus treat, they get to apply the lessons they've learned on FIVE models during the practical session. Everybody learned a whole lot about photography, laughed, joked and did some awesome photography with the lovely models. Yup... good times...

Since Christmas is coming soon (Yay!!) Jofanna Bridal is decorated with Christmas-y decos. I took sometime to practice some detail shots while ~~lazing~~ having my break. And there is this awesome looking wedding dress on display with a very classic design. Love it!!

I know this is not Christmas-y but they have a whole bunch of these cats on the desk

Learning lighting techniques.

Outdoor practical session

George posing the model

Sharing knowledge on the outcome of his shoot

Radzie who is also assisting for the day

George getting down to dirty business

Group discussion on the session's outcome

George feels that everything has gone perfectly

Yup... we were strobe mad... the SB900 unit got over-heated.. LOL!!

And we are done for the day!!

I'll be posting some shots of the models that I've managed to sneak a shoot. It's not easy trying shoot while holding a monopod attached with a flash unit. I actually had to shoot a lot of this photos with one hand. Luckily, I was only using a 50mm lens with my camera so it was light and easy to handle even with only one hand... LOL! So stay tuned for the images of the models in my next posting.

Event: Nite of Soul

2009-11-18T14:08:00.001+08:00

Event: Nite of Soul

Venue: Airport Steakhouse, Keningau

Date: 14 November 2009

Live Streaming by Sabahan.FM

Performing Artistes:

- Reek-A-Dawn

- Felix Agus

- Jo-Anna Sue Henley Rampas

- Roger Wang

- Moses and friends

- Teddy Chin

- DJ Azlan

- Alvin MY (Emcee)

Wifey bought tickets to Nite of Soul and got me to drag my ass all the way up to Keningau. I must admit, dragging my ass was worth it. The event was like a very close personal jamming session. I love how all the artistes were so relaxed and able to perform with full honesty. Most importantly, the artistes were really having fun doing their thang. I love all the performances. There're no clear favourites here. All of them were exceptionally good!! I guess it was because like I said, they were very relaxed so the artistes themselves were able to enjoy their performance as well. I hope more close and personal mini-concerts are held just like this. I really loved it. It's like a local version of MTV Unplugged or MTV Jam Sessions. Below are some photos of the event's highlights.

Richado of Reek-A-Dawn

Teddy Chin - saxophonist extraordinaire

Felix Agus performing unplugged

Jo-Anna really shined with her rendition of Michael Buble's "Home". Although she told the audience that she was having a little sore throat she really brought that song home (no pun intended - LOL!).

Roger Wang the guitar maestro. He rocked big time with Tommy Emmanuelle's "Initiation". He got all the effects of the piece spot on!!

Alvin MY also belted a few tunes besides being the emcee for the event.

The Official T-shirt of the event: Buli Ba Kalau Kau!!

Alvin MY, wifey and Dazeree

All Souls Day

2009-11-18T12:30:00.001+08:00

The Disimon Family went to the family burial ground on All Souls Day to pay their respects and remember the elders that have long departed from our lives. There were some sombre moments but I think the mood of the day was actually quite a pleasant one. Some photos below.

Kuala Lumpur Weekend: The family affair

2009-11-05T22:13:00.025+08:00

As I mentioned in the previous post, we were in KL early last month for my godson's First Holy COmmunion before we found out that the ceremony had to be postponed. So the whole family decided to make a weekend getaway of it. We went walkabout around Petaling Street, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur and the family even gave me a belated birthday dinner!! Who's the happy boy then... LOL!! Below are some photos of the family mucking about in KL.

Waiting for the luggage at the airport terminal.

Baby sis Amanda met us at the airport.

Next morning, we went for a spot of breakfast at Petaling Street. Congee was the menu of the day.

Keelea looking happy with a full tummy.

Big sis Leanne and her son Sean who is my godson.

Jalan - jalan at Petaling Street.

Buying flowers for mandi bunga.

Mum and I having a break from all the walkabout.

The wifey, big sis and her kids in front of Pavilion KL.

It was around Deepavali and Pavilion KL had a Kolam displayed all over their mall.

Early next morning (8.00am) wifey and I were already at Bukit Bintang. McDonald's practically saved our rumbling tummy since it was the only foodoutlet open that early on a Sunday morning.

We walked around Bintang Walk. Yup we're too early... it's empty.

Yes, the wifey lurves Pavilion KL very much

Daniel 'The Gallivanter' Franklin and Emelda Vincent @ Kadazan Bonita met up with us for lunch and a BIG thank you for 'chaperoning' us to IKEA.

The wifey with Daniel and an egg.

We even met Kenny Sia there!!

Then off for dinner at Marco Polo Restaurant.

Mum and dad deciding on the menu.

We're just happy having everyone is together.

Keelea is also in an especially good mood.

At last, food arrived and everyone dove straight in.

Marmite Prawn. Absolutely yummy. Unfortunately, I can't eat too much prawn.. sigh...

This is the *ahem* highlight of the dinner. MMmmmMMmmm...

Keelea enjoying her prawns. She especially loves to eat the head and she fondly calls them ice-cream. Sot...

The siblings together. Leanne, me and Amanda.

I had a real blast in KL and I spend a bomb on shopping especially on photo frames from IKEA. IKEA really drained me this time.. LOL!

Kuala Lumpur Weekend: Sights, Shapes, Colours

2009-10-30T11:18:00.000+08:00

Hi ya folks!! I have left this blog unattended for so long that it has gathered so much dust!! LOL! Things have been so crazy at work lately that I hardly had time to blog. It was just work all day and by the time I got home I was too exhausted to update this blog. Anyways, earlier this month the Missus and I went to KL for the weekend supposedly to attend my godson's First Holy Communion. As it turned out, at the last minute, the priest decided to postpone it which was pretty disappointing to us. So we just decided to make it as a weekend getaway since the flight tickets have already been bought. We went walkabout in some areas of KL and I took the opportunity to try my hand on some street photography. We started our day at Petaling Street then made our way to the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. I guess the photos turned out alright for a novice street photographer.. LOL!!

I'll be posting photos of the family while in KL in the next post so come back soon, ya hear.

Event: Benson Tan @ The Office Pub

2009-09-29T16:03:00.001+08:00

I had the pleasure of being again invited to watch Benson Tan and his band partner Paul perform, this time at The Office Pub in Api-api Centre, Kota Kinabalu. Although there are only two of them in KK instead of the full band, they still rocked the house. Benson had some minus-one music in his laptop and Paul add the rest of the filler and solo guitars in the music. I absolutely went ape-crazy when they performed one of my most favourite songs, Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynrd. Those guitar riffs of yours really are absolutely amazing Paul!! Below are more photos of them while performing their set. Most of it is in B+W because I just love the feel it gave to the photos.

The tattoo on Paul's arm. I should have asked him what it meant.

I just love that semi-circle of light framing Paul's profile.

Cheers to The Office Pub!!

This is one of my fave from the set.

Even Stephen (owner of The Office Pub) got in on the action.

A shot of the boys. Also another fave simply because of Stephen's expressions in this group photo.

A shot of me and the boys. Yup, I was pretty stoked up.. LOL!!

Event: Benson Tan @ RAWK

2009-09-25T16:31:00.005+08:00

Benson Tan is a Sabahan professional singer/artiste currently residing in Australia. He recently came back to Malaysia for a holiday with the family here in Kota Kinabalu and while here he is also invited to perform at various nitespots around town with his band partner Paul. The wifey and I was lucky to be invited by Sharon, his sister, to come and watch him perform at RAWK in Donggongon, Penampang. I must say I really enjoyed the set that they performed. He did some pretty impressive impressions of various singers like Tom Jones, Elvis Presley and even Micheal Jackson which was added with his own personal twist. I love how the colours from the spotlights came through in these set of photos which you may view below.

Benson's performance was very energetic complete with some really flashy dance moves. That got a good portion of the ladies in the crowd swooning.. LOL!!

Paul is Benson's guitarist and band partner.

Benson doing his impression of 'The Gloved One' a.k.a. Micheal Jackson.

One of my fave shots of the night because it's one of those concert-type shots that I've always wanted to do.

Cowboy boots on Wah-wah.

The performance is so good that you just got to dance and enjoy!

Benson wrapping up his set.

I really enjoyed myself watching and photographing Benson and Paul perform that night. A million thanks to Sharon for inviting me to come to the show!!

Engagement: Kris & Nadia

2009-09-23T12:15:00.001+08:00

21st September 2009

Hotel Shangri-La Bandaran

My second day of Hari Raya was certainly full of fun activities. The highlight of the day was certainly Kris and Nadia's engagement held at Hotel Shangri-La Bandaran. This is my first time shooting an engagement ceremony at a hotel venue and it was certainly a most interesting experience. Although it rained heavily in the morning, it didn't dampen the excitement and happiness of the whole occasion. It was almost like covering a mini wedding reception.. LOL!! Nadia, if this is any indication of how your wedding reception is gonna be, you have got me very excited to shoot your actual wedding when the time comes! Below are some highlights of the day.

Future MIL is a qualified make-up artist. How lucky is that!!

Love the details on her dress.

Wifey and I with the newly engaged couple.

Congratulation on your engagement day Kris and Nadia!! Looking forward to your wedding day soon!!

Godson Joshua's Baptism

2009-09-21T17:54:00.001+08:00

I spent the first day of Hari Raya by presenting my Godson Joshua Ithan Solibun for the Rites of Baptism at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Needless to say, I am more excited about the whole affair than Josh. He is more concerned about his comfort and his 'nenen'.. LOL!! Anyways, below are some photos taken during the Baptism.

New Logo and Watermark

2009-09-15T22:09:00.002+08:00

Hey folks!! Now that I've got a new blog layout that I am very happy with, it's time to add something else that is new which is my new watermark with my self-designed "logo".. LOL!!! Well, I'd like to keep it as simple as possible and I am quite happy with the design. Below is an example of the new watermark with the newly designed "logo"... :D

All future photos posted in this blog will bear the watermark just like the one in the above photograph. BTW, that is Bam-bam, the wifey's Miniature Pinscher. Cute kan dia??

New Look!!

2009-09-08T16:52:00.003+08:00

I guess upon reading this post you would notice that I have changed the blog layout. Yeap!! I felt that the previous layout was too cluttered to serve its purpose as a photoblog so I decided to start afresh with a cleaner and simpler layout with minimal distractions. It will also hopefully allow me to post larger sized images such as the one below for better viewing pleasure. So what do you think? I certainly like it and I hope you do too.. :)

Wedding: Harry + Annie (Day Two)

2009-09-03T17:08:00.013+08:00

*Warning: Too many beautiful photos ahead :D
30th August 2009
Kg Toboh Baru
Kg Pamalan

This is part two of Harry + Annie's wedding which I think was the most beautiful event from the two-day coverage. It was all done in traditional Dusun ceremony and there was so much colours and natural beauty in everything. I love this set so much. I feel so blessed to be invited to witness this happy affair. Annie was absolutely gorgeous in her traditional wear while Harry looked very handsome in his traditional outfit. As usual, there were lots of fun and laughter... and LOTS of drinking.. hahaha..!! The laughter was so infectious that I was also laughing all the time I was photographing the event. I absolutely enjoyed myself the whole time. Below are the highlights of the day.

Waiting for the bride to arrive...

Bride's arrival...

Waiting for groom's arrival...Groom's arrival...Meeting the bride......and the negotiations are commenced with a round of drinks!!We have a deal!!The couple leave together with their entourages...Yes folks, that is how far they had to walk...BERES!!Bridal entourage arriving at Annie's home...The welcoming committee with their toll charges.. hahah..One of the best experiences I've ever had in photographing weddings. My most heartiest congratulations to both Harry + Annie on your wedding. May your happiness last forever and ever. BTW, the content of the bottle in the second last photo is NOT Sun Valley Orange Cordial.. ahahah..!!!

...and my special thanks and love to my wifey Chegu Carol for assisting me during this shoot. Love ya hunny!!

Wedding: Harry & Annie (Day One)

2009-09-02T01:19:00.012+08:00

29th August 2009

St Francis Xavier Cathedral
Perkasa Hotel, Keningau

Harry and Annie contacted me in May to enquire whether I would be willing to be the photographer for their wedding. Of course, I said yes. The wedding was a two-day affair with a beautiful mix of both traditional and modern touches. It was a happy wedding - literally. There was laughter almost all the time throughout both days. Let me just say a big thank you to Harry and Annie for offering me the opportunity to shoot your wedding. It was definitely a blast and I thoroughly had super-fun covering your wedding. Below are highlights from day one. Come back soon for the highlights from day two of the wedding.

Long absence...

2009-08-30T13:37:00.004+08:00

First of all, I would like to apologise for the long absence from my blog. It's been quite a while since I last updated this blog though I have been visiting a lot of my friends' blogs. Things have been a little bit out of sorts for me lately especially at work. Everything has been worked out though and I'm back to me ol' self again. I haven't been doing much shooting in the last month (bad Alvin!! bad! bad bad Alvin!!!) although I did second shoot a wedding with George Yong a couple of weeks ago and I got my own shooting to complete over the long weekend. What photo-shoot did you say?? I'll just leave some photo clues for you (big grin...)

Excited??

Photo Editing: Creative or Cheating?

2009-08-05T12:30:00.007+08:00

A friend photographer once told me,"I don't want to edit my photos. I want it to be perfect straight out of the camera. I think photo-editing is cheating." Sigh...

I respect the opinions of my fellow photographers who agree with the statement above and by no means, I would also like the photos I take to be absolutely perfect straight out of the camera. Who wouldn't?? However, I still do take good photos (well, I'd like to think I do), with good exposures, interesting angles and so on. Yet, I still edit my photos. Why?

I've read about many photographers who are really good at what they do. In fact, they are so good that they do not need to edit their photos... that much. The fact is, almost all commercial/lifestyle photography i.e. portraitures, weddings etc. use some measure of photo editing in the completion of their final product. Some use more and some use less, but, the editing is still there. Is it necessary to edit? Maybe not but being creative individuals, artistic photographers would want to spin their own twist to the photos to achieve their vision of the final product. The touch-ups done on the photos are what makes the photos jump out at you, adds that punch, provides impact, directs your attention and sometimes gives you an emotional stir.

Here is one true fact about photo-editing in my personal opinion. You MUST begin with good photos even if you are editing them in the end. The reason for this is simple; I don't like to waste too much time doing my photo-editing since I do have a day-job and I could mostly only do my editing after working hours or over the weekend. I try to be as simple as possible when it comes to my editing which usually involves colour/tone adjustment, B+W conversion, dodge/burn and some contrast tweaking using non-destructive layering technique which I learnt from reading about them in magazines. That is as far as my knowledge in Photoshop goes. I tried learning photo-manipulation for the heck of it but it gets too complicated so I abandoned the idea. Now, I go with the K.I.S.S. principle in my editing. Below are some examples of edited and unedited photos that I have done.

Top: Original
Bottom: Edited

Top: Original
Bottom: Edited

Left: Original
Right: Edited

Left: Original
Right: Edited

I know that my style will not be able to satisfy everyone's taste in photography but that is life in arts I guess. With that in mind, I always try my best to appreciate what other photographers try to create in the photos that they produce - edited AND non-edited. As for my art,I guess I'll still be shooting first then ask questions later. :D

Seeing things in Black and White

2009-07-29T10:22:00.005+08:00

I am one of those people who just loves B+W photos or even sephia or anything in monotone. There is something classic about the way a photo looks in B+W provided it is shot properly and given proper treatment. In fact, most times, I tend to look at a scene in B+W before I start shooting just in case I want to convert it to B+W later. The monotone gives the photo a timeless feel and it really does help in creating a certain mood to the images. It helps to lessen the distractions of colours and makes our eyes focus on what needs to be observed in the images such forms, shapes, faces, emotions, etc. I wonder is there is anybody out there who would want the photos of their portrait session or even better wedding photos to be fully in B+W? You will be my favourite client!!! ;D

A row of luxury taxi parked at The Gardens Mall.

Self-portrait. Camera triggered by Marcus.

Girlie our dog being given a bath. Look at the face. It's pretty obvious she don't like her baths kan??

Anybody can guess where is this building, I will belanja makan Maggi Kari + telur... heheheheh...

Olie

Joanna

Fharelynne

Ashlin

Sona

Ashlin & Ashvin

CSP Mini Photography Workshop

2009-07-21T19:44:00.005+08:00

About a month ago, my mentor (I say this because he is a mentor to me), George Yong of Jofanna Bridal, asked me to assist him with a mini photography workshop for beginners which was held last Sunday. The venue of the workshop was at Jofanna Bridal, Millennium Plaza just off the Penampang-KK Bypass. The turnout was very good and some of the participants are bloggers that I instantly recognised such as Massy and Edgar!! I just knew that it was gonna be a fun day. Besides assisting George with the workshop, he also tasked me to photographically record the day's progress. I happily agreed (anything that gets me clicking away on a camera makes me happy) :D.

The participants got lots of information about handling and using the functions of their cameras, hot tips from the pro (George), posing techniques, lighting techniques, fun, laughter, etc. In fact, I myself learnt some pretty useful techniques from this workshop and it was also a great refresher course for me. Thanks very much George for asking me to assist you for this workshop. I even got a special prize from him, my "Potret Mistik" which is now my Facebook profile pic!! I super love it!!! Below are some photos from the workshop.

Learning lighting techniques.

Our Nikon group model, Serena.

How to pose a female subject.

Concentration and a tad confusion... hehehehe...

The lovely Jofanna @ Nana

Radzie was assisting as well.

Learning to pose a male subject

Lotsa fun and laughter :D

My super-duper "Potret Mistik"!! Total coolness!! Thanks a million George!!

It was a great workshop!! Had a fun day!!

Family Portraiture: Dr Paream and Family

2009-07-11T12:09:00.007+08:00

What a sweet family!!! I just love them to bits. Dr Paream called me the week before telling me how she loved the family portraiture I did for Deana and her family. She asked whether I would be able to do a portraiture session for her and her family as well. But it had to be done as soon as possible because next week, the whole family would be flying to KL. Usually, I would hesitate shooting on such a short notice especially when I have not had the chance to meet my clients personally and discuss the details with them. On this occasion, I decided 'Oh.. why not, it might be fun'. We made a brief discussion about the details of the shoot over the phone and immediately set a date for the shoot. I must admit I was quite nervous about the shoot but the moment we got together everything just fell into place and the session was such a joy!! I also had the good fortune of having my cuzzie Perry (thanks a million bro!) assisting me on this shoot since the Wifey is off the the World Rainforest Music Festival in Kuching. Below are a selection of our fave images of the day.

Ashlin is such an adorable sweetie!!

Handsome and energetic Ashvin

I just love watching them together. There is always this feelgood feeling...

Check out the Koi fishes in the pond where we were shooting. Isn't it totally awesome!? It was a totally good omen for me. :D

A change of dressing

2009-07-09T21:48:00.004+08:00

**WARNING: Possible gross-out and 'bikin geli' inducing image below. Reader's discretion advised. **

Here's a quick update of my finger injury. Last night, I was looking at my bandaged finger and I felt that the bandage looked pretty roughed up due to the excessive bleeding combined with the iodine solution used to disinfect the wound. So I decided to change the dressing and I got a pair of scissors, some fresh bandage, dressing tape and some antiseptic gel.

The first thing I did was to cut the bandage open using the scissors. As I was peeling, the bandages away, I did feel a little sting from the wound. Other than that, there was virtually no pain. Upon completely removing the bandage, I finally got my first look of the wound with sutures since it was wrapped up by the Doctor. My first thought was, "Wow.. that is definitely gonna leave a nasty scar.." It looked decent enough without looking too gross so I took a photo of it for this blog entry, just in case, there are any of you who are interested enough to see a photo of a mangled finger.

It's not as bad as it looks... really...

I then took the bandage, measured it, wrapped the wound with it and kept the bandage in place securely with the dressing tape. I felt so much better after that. The finger looked 'cleaner'. I popped some prescribed antibiotics and watched MJ's memorial on TV. Lots of touching moments and felt very sad for MJ's children but hey, at least I feel so much better for my finger. :D

Aaaahh.. clean + fresh = happiness

A bloody end to a happy day...

2009-07-07T22:20:00.004+08:00

Today happened to be a very good day for me because I've got a lot of work done and the Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX lens that Wifey ordered has arrived. I was in such a good mood that I have a planned a pretty good dinner for Dad and I this evening.

The new prime lens. I am turning into a prime lens freak.

That's when the bloody end of the day happened. I was closing the jar of cornflour with its airtight lid when suddenly the top of the jar broke (more likely burst) and the outside of my right middle finger got caught on the sharp shards. Blood squirted everywhere as the glass shredded - I repeat - shredded the flesh and blood vessel under my finger. The only thing I could think about was rinsing the wound under running water and getting a kitchen towel to tie tightly around the wound to stem the bleeding. It seemed that the wound is about 1.5 inches long with a pretty good view of the inner workings of my middle finger.

After that, I went to get a mop and cleaned the mess on the floor (cornflour and big drops of blood all over) and wiped the table and sink. I stored whatever raw foodstuff not spattered with any blood and that's when I noticed that the wound is still bleeding very badly. Ok.. so it is worse than I thought. So I went to my room and changed clothes then called my dad from his room to ask him to drive me to the clinic. He was shocked to see the blood-soaked towel around my finger and quickly got me to the nearest clinic in Donggongon.

At the clinic, the Doctor looked at the wound and decided immediately that the wound would need sutures. In fact, it got four stitches. It was still bleeding even after it got sutured and the Doctor confirmed my assumption that a blood vessel was damaged somewhere in the finger. So now, I stuck with a big-ass bandage on my middle finger. This must be my karma for making fun of my bro-in-law in my post about my one day visit to KL.

This shot is taken with my new 35mm f1.8 lens using my left hand. How did I take this shot? With great difficulty... heheheheh...

All is not too bad; my finger could still move though a little uncomfortable because of the bandage, its not as painful as it looks and most importantly, I could still hold a camera!! :D
I got a shoot this Saturday morning and it would be shame if I had to cancel that gig. What a bloody end to a happy day...

p.s. I don't have any photos of the bloody finger before medical treatment because it would seem ridiculous to photograph your own bloody finger while it's bleeding profusely. Besides, I don't want any of my readers to throw up. ;)

Fharelynne: Black Series

2009-07-07T16:31:00.005+08:00

Hi folks, here is that last instalment of the Fharelynne series. As mentioned in the title, this is the Black Series. Thank you very much again to Fharelynne for giving me the opportunity to work with you and helping me create such wonderful portraits. You are such a trooper!!! :D

The photos below are some of my personal favourites and I know for certain that one of them is Fharelynne's fave as well... betul ka Von?? (Click photos for larger view)

A nice candid shot...

Does she look like Jennifer Aniston in this photo?? ;D

One of my top favourite images. The wall textures are incredible (don't ask what wall it is.. LOL) and the soft light just makes her glow

Travel: One Day in KL

2009-07-05T21:00:00.007+08:00

*This is a long post with more photos than usual, so thanks in advance for taking the time to read this posting. :D*

Last Wednesday, the Boss told me we had to go for an overnight trip to KL for a business meeting. Everything was arranged by the company so all I had to do was show up and go with the planned itinerary. If you like picture stories like I do, then I hope you'll like my story here... :)

Arrived at LCCT around 9.30am from KK. Outside the terminal we saw a signboard for free shuttle service. WOW!! FREE!! Hmm... despite the signpost, we decided maybe we should just take the Aerobus/Skybus which cost between RM8-9 per pax one way. Besides, we wanted to go to KL Sentral, not to the Pos Malaysia carpark (...weird place for a shuttle to go).

...or else we could end up like this guy. I think he was waiting for the 'free' shuttle... poor guy. So, I guess it's the 'non-free but low-cost' shuttle bus to KL Sentral.

Talking about 'cheap-ass' shuttle bus, it was creaking all the way to KL Sentral. It sounded like somebody humping on a creaky bed and it was annoying the heck out of me. But my boss, he is the embodiment of Zen. He was not the least bothered about creaky noises, in fact, he even manage to read his book all the way from LCCT to KL Sentral without much trouble.

From KL Sentral, we took the KTM Komuter to MidValley and checked in to Cititel MidValley. The room is okay la I guess. Tempat mau tidur saja mah. So after unpacking, we decided to go jalan-jalan and find something to makan.

Managed to do some 'posing-posing' while waiting for the elevator. Buli tahan bah juga boss sia nih...

While jalan-jalan in MidValley, we saw this Lancome booth. Beauty is big business. Everybody wants to look beautiful whether you're a woman or even a man.

Talking about beauty, here is the plastic model of beauty, Barbie herself. A jewelery booth was doing some sort of promotion on some jewelery pieces and rings. They have this gimmick of using Barbie dolls and have their rings used as necklace for the dolls as a way to promote the pieces. Not bad la juga... it did attract a lot of curious people, including me.

Here is another view of the Lancome booth. Something that the booths in the KK shopping mall haven't emulated, which is, to make their booths look presentable not only at eye level but also when being viewed from the higher floors.

Somebody getting a make-over in the Lancome booth. Hope she'll get the results that she desires.

After makan-makan, we went to IKEA at Ikano. Boss mau beli picture frames, so I followed him there. Turned out, I myself bought some 10R size photo frames as well as two plastic dispensers.

This bathrobe on display freaked the hell out of me when I first saw it. I thought somebody was hanging from the wall like in the horror movies. This was compounded with the dramatic lighting that they used for the display but it really works well for the photo.. LOL..!!

Hmm... wall clocks for RM3.50. Mimi informed me that they used to be priced at RM5.00 each. It was very tempting to 'pajak' everything but susah mau transport bah. We thought of courier or package mail but that would defeat the purpose of the "cheap-ass price for the reason of buying". So, we didn't buy any. Biar la... we'll get them next time... (if still got laa...)

We got back to the hotel, then my sisters and my bro-in-law called to bring me out for supper. So I met them at the hotel lobby and we went to Finnegan's. As usual, when siblings gather, all craziness erupt and we started laughing before even any alcohol was introduced to our bloodstreams. (Pic: Amanda, my younger sister)

Here's Kenneth, my bro-in-law. See that bandaged finger?? Nobody would tell me what happened to that finger. Younger sis told me that his daughter bit the finger but I don't buy it. Hmmm... according to my observation, the affected finger is the middle finger of the right hand. I think he probably showed the finger to the wrong person perhaps?? LOL...!!!

In contrast, Leanne my elder sister's finger is perfectly fine. And I know the ladies are only looking at the absolutely, ridiculously enormous ring she has on her finger... an NO, I don't know where she got it.. heheheh...

Our drinks arrived. The boys had beer while the ladies had their cocktails. The photo is Amanda's drink, the Cosmopolitan. I just like the cherry garnish.

Woke up early the next morning for breakfast before going for our meeting. The photo is a self-portrait with the help of the boss. I adjusted the camera settings and let him shoot. FYI, the photo is actually my image from a mirror near our table. Buli tahan juga bah my boss this.. can pose like model and can take photos also.

After the meeting, we decided to jalan-jalan some more just to kill time. We checked out from our hotel and stashed the luggages with the concierge. We went to The Gardens just so the 'tagas' (me) can see what's all the fuss about. My first impression: empty. I mean, compared to MidValley, The Gardens seemed empty of people/shoppers. I do like the architecture though. Lots of natural lights and I love looking at the walkways criss-crossing across the floors. They look like the swinging staircases in Hogwarts from the Harry Potter story.

Rows of 'teksi mewah'. Apparently too 'mewah' since they don't seem to see much action. They're just parked there looking like pretty ornaments for the building.

This is the last view that I captured before leaving for the airport for our flight home. Photo was taken from the pedestrian walkway linking The Gardens with MidValley. Somehow, I can imagine Spiderman swinging from building to building when I took this photo.

Event: Miss Oriental Pageant 2009

2009-07-03T13:32:00.003+08:00

This pageant was held sometime back in February this year at D'Junction Fun Pub, Lido. It was held over three heats, the third heat being the Finals. I really enjoyed myself covering this event, although, the photos are all for my personal portfolio. I met quite a few photographers that I know during this event such as Benny and Wendell so it was sort of like a get together as well for a lot of the photographers. While enjoying the event and looking at the babes (ehem...), we also took the opportunity to catch up with each other. During the crowning of the winner, the whole place went into a frenzy with everybody shoving and pushing to get a better view. I stopped photographing by this time to get away from the crazed crowd and just chilled with the other photographers who also could not deal with the frenzy. Below are some my favourite photos that I took throughout the three heats. (Click photos for larger view)

Peewwiiitt!! Hehehehe...

Kim was the eventual winner of the pageant.