Tun Jeanne Abdullah officiates the Paralympic Park @ Taman Bukit Jalil

Posted on July 27, 2009 by Steven Leong

27 July 209, Bukit Jalil : Y.A.BHG. Tun Jean Abdullah, the wife of Malaysian’s ex-Prime Minister Y.A.BHG. Tun Abdullah Badawi AND patron of the Malaysian Paralympic Council, was at Taman Bukit Jalil (Bukit Jalil Park) this morning to officially open the Paralympic Park @ Taman Bukit Jalil as part of the first official event leading up to the Kuala Lumpur 2009 5th ASEAN Para Games (or KL09 as it is affectionately known to the athletes and organizers).

The ASEAN Para Games is held biennially and it is at the same level of competition as the well-known ASEAN games or South-East Asia Games; the ASEAN Para Games is organized by the ASEAN Para Sports Federation, APSF and the Malaysian Paralympic Council (or Majlis Paralimpik Malaysia, MPM).

The 12-acre Paralympic Park @ Taman Bukit Jalil is meant to be a legacy of KL09; will be developed as an “Outdoor Paralympic Gallery” that who showcases all different sporting events of the paralympics in a natural outdoor environment.

The main intention of creating this park-within-a-park is to show Malaysia’s support and commitment to the paralympics while showing the appreciation of the contributions of all paralympians as well as the under-privileged in general.

Main KL09 5th ASEAN Paragames Page

Bookings and Assignments increase in 2009

Posted on July 22, 2009 by Steven Leong

Well… to most businessman, end of 2008 is the beginning of the end and 2009 IS a bad year whatever way you look at it. In September 2008, stock markets crashed and a number of huge banks, mortage lenders and insurance companies in the United States and in other countries were on the verge of collapse; so how could 2009, the year that follows that be a good year?

I guess it is perseverance and my confidence that wedding photography or photography in general is still a viable business if it is done right; of course, lots of repeat customers or customer recommendations from previous years did not hurt either.

All in all, recorded business in 2009 is now running at 190% of that of the entire 2008 and there are still 4 months plus or a quarter to go.

Now… I shall leave you guys with some of my favorite shots that I have done to date in 2009…

A special thank you to all my customers that made 2009 such a good year for me and yes, I do make you look good ALWAYS.

Kevin & Lorna – Romance from Johor Bahru

Posted on July 20, 2009 by Steven Leong

It was a real pleasure for me to shoot Lorna and Kevin’s wedding recently. Both bride and groom were not from Kuala Lumpur but they decided to have their entire ceremony in the capital of the country.

The ceremony for Lorna and Kevin was a simple, elegant affair. Bride and groom both started at The Nomad Sucasa at Jalan Ampang and continued to the Tien Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur for their solemnization. This was then followed by a warm and touching tea ceremony back at The Nomad Sucasa.

Did I just use “warm and touching” to describe a chinese tea ceremony? Haha… Chinese tea ceremonies are among the most repetitive and longest of ceremonies for weddings and since they are so repetitive, photographers are often hard-pressed to find good and original shots there. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case for Lorna’s wedding, it was neither repetitive nor long; it was laughter all around with everyone enjoying themselves. The highlight which was Kevin attempting his best to speak in the bride’s family dialect, Hokkien.

Following the tea ceremony, the bride & groom held a small but well-planned dinner-reception at the Li Jin Restaurant at Pavillion Kuala Lumpur, the premier shopping complex in Kuala Lumpur.

Anyway, I think I have written too much as it is.

Now… onto the photos and I do hope you like them as much as I do.

Mobile Content Challenge 2009 Launch coverage

Posted on July 6, 2009 by Steven Leong

The first time ever did I shoot a commercial launch by a large corporation out of some huge 5-star hotel or resort. It is indeed a very welcome change to the standard KL city hotel setting of nasty, twisty and dark carparks and the by now, boring looking ballrooms whether they be the ones having a 30 foot ceiling or a 100 foot high dome.

Maxis, the annual host of the Mobile Content Challenge (MCC) 2009, decided to hold it a Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC) at Sentul West. I guess it is rather fitting as the MCC is open to any college and university student; in addition to that Maxis and other sponsors will provide mentorship to all participants in terms assigning industry experts to advice as well as to provide workshops to guide all participants to the right direction.

Well… I will not bore you with too many shots from this shoot as it is a typical launch event but if you would like to read more about MCC 2009 or would like to see more of my photos on this event, do check out Adoimagazine.com’s coverage on the same event HERE.

Fashion Shoot for Bridal Magazine at Avillion Port Dickson

Posted on July 1, 2009 by Steven Leong

Avillion Port Dickson stands for the calming wonders of water. It is a place that brings forth an invitation to reawaken the senses as it endlessly draws the splendor of the sea…

…it was really a location I have been dreaming about to do a photoshoot and as such, as soon as I got the confirmation for an editorial shoot for a leading Bridal Magazine in Malaysia, Bridal Guide, I really nearly fell off my chair.

The assignment this time was to shoot 8-10 bridal gowns and with a elegant and classy look. Due to some unforseen circumstance, we had to work twice as fast as normal as we had only 3hrs plus before sundown to complete the shoot.

Why complete the shoot before sundown? If you shoot in Avillion and you miss the sunset, you might consider yourself having NOT shot at Avillion at all… the sunsets there are gorgeous and our luck did hold out… I got a gorgoeous sunset and got all the shots that me and my client wanted.

Did I succeed or did I fail? Take a look at these photos and tell me what you think.