I’ve always been interested in exploring Singapore for shoots. While the temptation to go out and shoot in some other exotic locations will always be a draw, I was also interested to see what Singapore had to offer. Most of the shoots that I’ve done are in the usual locations because well, they are pretty iconic to Singapore. Botanical Gardens is a favourite, and the night scene at Marina Bay is also beautiful.

When Andrew and Sherlyn agreed to my suggestion of trying out Hort Park, it was game on!

The awesome thing about Singapore is that beautiful locations are a mere 20-30 minutes away (longer if you are stuck in jam) but most of these places are amazing. Hort Park is one of those amazing places where you are able to get quick shots within walking distance in the park. I am a big fan of green parks when it comes to shooting locations and Hort Park was a perfect fit.

Not only do I get the green, I also get the amazing bridges.

But the location is only 30% of the equation. The other 70% is an awesome couple and thankfully, that’s all I’ve been getting since I started shooting. Andrew and Sherlyn are university sweethearts and this was a couple portrait session just for them to have some images that they can possibly frame up and put up in their future new home (good luck with the bidding!).

This post is just a quick sneak peek and I’ll definitely share more pictures in when I am finally done editing their set. Until then, hope you enjoyed a quick sneak peek of how beautiful Hort Park can be

This is not the first time that a wedding photographer have discussed the popular topic of investment during your wedding. Of course, many have taken the stance that wedding photography is one of the top priority, if not the top priority. Automatically, being a photographer, when I first read those articles, I agreed with their point of view.

The decorations will be gone in a day, the food eaten within hours, the dress worn once (maybe twice), but the photos and videos will last a lifetime. That certainly should propel it to the top spot right?

The truth is that it is not so clear cut. The wedding budget is ultimately in the hands of the couple and well, different people have different priorities. Having gone through a wedding of my own (I had beautiful pictures by the way thanks to awesome friends who happened to be awesome wedding photographers), and being a wedding photographer myself, I find myself torn when it comes to deciding the budget.

The question will always be, do I want to look back in time (with pictures and videos) and say “yeah, that was great!” or do I want to spend more to create an experience on the very day itself? You know, sometimes, the latter may be more important. Sure enough, if you have awesome pictures/videos, you can relive the awesome experience but not everyone can have a budget to accommodate everything.

So of course, people will make the decision to spend more on things that matter on the day itself such as the decor, the food, the gown, the cake, and the booze. Is it wrong? I certainly don’t think so. Did they get their priorities wrong? It certainly didn’t seem like it if everyone enjoyed themselves.

And last but not least, I would also like to debunk the myth that by paying less, you get inferior quality in this industry. There are many talented photographers out there who charge very reasonable rates (relatively low compared to some) but they produce good work. Are they undermining the industry? Potentially.

But then, does it mean that if you can’t afford it, your photos/videos deserve to be crap? I certainly hope not. At the end of the day, there will be couples who will be able to afford a beautiful wedding and they will hire some of the industry’s best photographers/videographers and there will be those that can’t afford the best of both combinations.

And when they need to make a choice on what they need to spend on, all I can say is that whatever choice they make, it would be the right one because it is their special day after all.

Note: Images used in  this post are from various awesome weddings that I have shot and they had awesome decoration, food and ambiance. Was I the most expensive piece in the budget puzzle? I wouldn’t know

Finally, my website is up and running! I would not make the same mistakes again and this time around, hopefully, there would be no more significant downtime for me. The good news is that I’ve got a few blog posts ready to go but first, let’s start off with the return of a promotion that I did before.

It is now coming to 5 years that I have been shooting weddings and preweddings. What better way to celebrate it than to slash my fees! “The return of no frills” promotion is as per the picture above. You get me for a 3-hour session and out of that, you get fully edited images in a DVD in my signature DVD folio. All you need to do is pay 50% of the fee as deposit and one of the 10 slots is yours.

That is right, the promotion is only valid for the first 10 couples or until 15 April 2013 (whichever comes first). At the moment, there are 8 left and 3 very close to completing so the slots are going fast. As usual, if you need to ask more questions, feel free to use the Book A Session tab or just email me directly at nick@nicholasleong.net.

There are always those trips that you remember for a lifetime. And I am lucky to be involved in a passion of mine that has brought me to a few of such trips. Being one of my closest friend, being given the OK to photograph his and May Ling’s pre-wedding pictures in beautiful Sabah was such a trip. We saw the beach, gorgeous sunsets, the mountains and even had Booi climb up a rock.

Although this is not my first trip to Sabah, this was the first time I was shown what a beautiful state Sabah is. For couples looking to spend on destination weddings, sometimes, a trip to one of our localities would probably serve you better. This trip with Booi and May Ling brought us to the beach of Rasa Ria resort, up to Kinabalu mountain and finally back to the city where we saw the semi-legendary sunsets of Kota Kinabalu. It was raining and my friend told me that if it didn’t rain, the sunset would have been better. I seriously can’t imagine it because it was already quite awesome then.

I have no idea why but when I photograph my friends, the rain seems to take a liking towards following me around. It happened when I shot in Phuket and it happened again here! But again, I am ever so lucky to have people that trust what I do, and when I say, “let’s give it a go”, they are willing to do so. It wasn’t raining too heavily in Rasa Ria on our first day but it did rain. And it seem that we won’t be able to enjoy a sunset on the beach.

Nevertheless, we were here only for that day, so it was do-or-die. Armed with umbrellas, we took to the beach and the rain stopped! Not only that, it stopped when the sun was about to set giving us our first taste of the sunsets one can see in Sabah. It was breathtaking

We are talking about a long stretch of beach and the golden light of sun just wrapping you up entirely. It was different from the sunset I saw in Phuket and it gave me the opportunity to photograph something different. I guess I know now why landscape artists chases sunsets and sunrise across the globe because it just looks different depending on where you are.

And the rain itself also gave us the unique opportunity at that time to get something captured that would probably not be seen very often. Just as we were walking back to the hotel, I had to quickly whip out the camera because right in front of us, there were double rainbows!

It was an amazing start to our trip and instead of the rain drowning our hopes for the rest of the shoot, it gave us renewed hope that the rest of the journey would turn out just fine. That is the thing with destination weddings ain’t it? You travel so far, but you would still need to hope and pray that everything else will fall into place.

And of course, having a photographer that makes the best of out of any situation would help I will be posting Part 2 soon where we head up to Kundasang… in full wedding gear!

This is one story where I can tell those who would listen on how awesome it feels to have a couple trust you wholeheartedly. Before Bala and Dhanya’s wedding, my record of Indian weddings stood at 2. One was shot when I first started out as a freelance wedding photographer and the second, assisting Steph Tan. When Dhanya emailed me and subsequently agreed to meet me, needless to say, I was a bit surprised.

But my job is to convince couples that I am the right photographer and off I went. It was a nice meeting as Bala and Dhanya were very nice people. They talked about some of the photographers they were looking at, who they were impressed with (and they were some pretty good names), and what kind of shots they were looking for. I left the meeting hopeful but knowing it might be a mini mountain to climb. Then, another email came not long after (earlier than the agreed deadline they told me to expect a decision), that they have decided to engage me as their photographer. One word – stoked.

They booked me quite early and months passed and it was time for their wedding. I was assisted by Edwin (day and night) and Alan (day) because I thought I would have needed extra help with the day ceremony. Bala and Dhanya explained to me that their wedding tradition is not unlike the usual Indian wedding as they follow the Malayalee tradition. It was shorter than the usual Indian wedding, and they certainly don’t spend the majority of time on stage. There were also fewer “rituals” they had to go through.

Other than that, everything about it was what I expected. Happy faces, lots of tiny details to be captured everywhere, a gorgeous stage and people having lots of fun.

Another good thing about their wedding is that it didn’t start way early in the day. No need for 5am wake up calls and taking pictures without any natural light pouring into the room. Dhanya did her make-up by the window and we had beautiful morning sun pouring into the room where she was seated. I loved it! And of course, there were so many things to capture during that time that I was glad I had an extra pair of hands to help that morning.

On Bala’s side, things got done pretty quickly and Edwin had quite a bit of time to kill as they waited for the time to head off to the wedding venue.

Once we reached the wedding venue, there were even more things to pay attention to. There were beautiful decors, there were the family members and friends, there was the actual ceremony and it was like a flurry of action from the moment the word “go” was mentioned. But Bala and Dhanya must have briefed everyone perfectly as they recognised that we were the photographers and they gave way to us to ensure that we are able to capture most of the action.

I would say the only tough time would be on stage as of course, the family members have to be there so it got a bit crowded. But no worries, there were three of us and we were covering different angles. We were also very careful that we do not continuously obstruct the view of the guests as they were there to enjoy the wedding and not see photographers moving left and right in front of them.

This was a lesson I got from my first Indian wedding where they told us to stay put after a while so that we don’t block the ceremony going on. I guess at that time, I was super excited and well, very raw. And that was a lesson I continue to carry on until today which is to be mindful of the guests.

With my two trusted partners covering the tail end of the ceremony, I left the ceremony slightly earlier to prepare for the reception. There was going to be a same day edit slideshow and I know I needed all the time in the world to prepare for that. After all, there was added pressure as Bala and Dhanya have been so nice and trusting of me that I felt compelled to deliver what they expected, and hopefully more.

The dinner reception was going to be held at the beautiful Ishq Restaurant at Crowne Plaza, Kuala Lumpur. This was a first for me as I have never shot there before but I’ve seen the venue and it was beautiful.

Bala and Dhanya has obviously taken a lot into consideration for choosing this venue and I guess other than looking beautiful, they knew it would resonate well with their guests. They prepared a candy bar for the guests and also a DIY photobooth for them to amuse themselves and take wacky group photos that you would never take outside a wedding event.

Just like the day ceremony, Bala and Dhanya were relaxed before the wedding and did not fuss over things. They were chilling in the hotel room waiting for the signal to make their appearance. More couples should learn from them as I’ve seen many getting flustered and bothered during their wedding and also reception to truly enjoy the day.

Things picked off from where they left off during the day and at night, the same group of people were still as energetic as before. We have dances, funny speeches and even Dhanya joined in one of the dances later in the night. Once the dance floor opened up, people were enjoying themselves and when they adjourned to the bar, it didn’t matter anymore as the Chinese tradition of “yam seng” can be heard even in an Indian wedding. Talk about enjoying the different cultures

But there were tender moments too, quiet moments of close family ties that I really enjoy witnessing during a wedding.

All in all, it was a fantastic experience covering the wedding of Bala and Dhanya. Without their trust, I wouldn’t be a part of this awesome wedding and I wouldn’t have this story to tell.

Would I cover another Indian wedding? Of course!

Photography by: Nicholas Leong Photography

Assisted by: Edwin Tan | Alan Leong

Hair and make-up by: Faces by SudhaG

Note: This wedding was also featured on The Wedding Notebook

When I first started out in wedding photography, I was browsing countless of websites for inspiration and for ideas. I saw a photographer (Gilbert Wong I believe) who shared Scottie and Breanna’s work on Facebook. Needless to say, that day was spent browsing through all the amazing images they have on the blog.

But it wasn’t just the amazing photos that caught my eye. It was the energy and fun that Scottie and Breanna managed to transmit through their blog (and naturally, photos). From their website itself, you know that they are a fun couple and would be extremely easy to work with. You know that you can trust them with the biggest day of your lives and not regret it.

That itself is an something that I strive to achieve everyday and that is something that was inspired by them. I admire their photos from afar now, being less vocal than I was before, but I still absolutely love all their images. I’ve even emailed Breanna a few times and each time she replies me enthusiastically, like we are pals separated only by means of geography.

In a way, they will always be regarded as my first source of inspiration and will continue to be.

For more of their work, you can see it on:

Website: Radiant Photography by the Chansons

Facebook: Radiant Photography by the Chansons

Breanna also sent me some beautiful pictures that she allowed me to share here (without watermark to boot!):

Additional note: Visit their latest blog post on the best of 2012 here. It is full of win and awesomeness!

I’ve seen the emails before, I’ve heard stories and this is one thing that irks me the most – people asking me if I can replicate the style of another well-known photographer. I could deal with people asking for discount (in this day and age, who doesn’t?) and I can deal with questions after questions. After all, I understand, it is your biggest day and you want the best. But why bother considering me if all you want is the work of another photographer?

Most of the time, it is budget issue. The clients love the style of ABC but can’t afford it and so hopes that DEF can replicate the style of ABC without forking out the price. Seriously, I am not a cheap copy and I don’t intend to be one.

One thing that I’ve gotten out of workshops that I’ve attended is to build a style and an approach that is truly me. And I’ve stuck to that. Sure, some of us might be similar but there will always be something different. And honestly, I would never be able to replicate another style as we have a different approach to a shoot, a different view of what composition might work and the final treatment of the photo.

For example, if you are looking for fine art, and you come to me, then you will not be getting fine art. And I would tell you so as well and recommend you to photographers who adopt the fine art style. But I would not edit or shoot in fine art style because that is not who I am.

It is fine if you are up for a particular theme, or setting and you want to discuss it with your photographer. He/she can then make sure that they can build on the idea together with you. If you are going to hire a photographer, then make sure you are absolutely comfortable with the photos he/she delivers. After all, that is what consultation sessions are for. Don’t ask us to copy someone else.

This is going to be a short post as I am now in Sydney enjoying the summer weather and a good holiday with my family. This is the first time I’ve been here so quite excited to explore the place. It was quite sad that I don’t have a couple to photograph here but I’ll take the time to enjoy Sydney and hopefully, I’ll get to come here again in the future for a wedding shoot.

Oh, I am also here as a guest for my wife’s friend’s wedding so that should be fun. I shall resist the urge to be an Uncle Bob. Back to the package, it is pretty simple. Unlike the Actual Day Package, you only get me in this package – no second shooters. And instead of a 10×10″ album, you get a beautiful 16×24″ canvas print.

As usual, if you are interested to find out more, hit the “Book A Session” button to the left or the “Contact” button at the top of this site. Alternatively, you can drop me a mail at nick@nicholasleong.net and I’ll get back to you real soon

After I decided to restart my Tuesday’s Inspiration series, and putting it on this blog, I knew that there the first person to go on it can only be one guy. I have shot more weddings with him in the past two years than anyone else and he has continuously taught me new stuff – be it while shooting or running a business or editing a photo. That person is Edwin Tan - my shooting boss, my shooting partner, my mentor and most importantly, my friend.

It started from admiring his photos online to meeting him face-to-face during a photographers’ outing on Genting Highlands and finally approaching him to help him second shoot; much has changed since I last wrote about him on my Facebook Page. Since then, he has taken the bold (but much awaited) move to be a fulltime photographer and he now manages the popular Armadale Weddings + Edwin Tan Photography.

His move to be a fulltime photographer reinforces why he has been such an inspiration to me. He has this tenacity to pursue his dreams and a clear cut plan on how to make it a reality. The fact that he started roughly about the same time as me in wedding photography and his rise to fame within this short period of time shows not only his skills, his creativity but a constant need to improve.

Even now, after years of winning multiple awards, Edwin continues to innovate himself in terms of style, his editing and his marketing efforts. He is still one that I constantly turn to to ask for advice and I have been grateful that he has passed on his knowledge and know-how without any conditions over to me. While I have taken a break last year and he has since found many others that worked with him and be inspired by him, I am glad that when I announced my return to the scene that he has given me opportunity to shoot with him again.

We have gone through quite an experience in 2011, from travelling in Australia, to Bali and covering back-to-back weddings starting from Penang then to Melaka and finally Singapore. Here is hoping for more (but less tiring) awesome experience to come in 2013.

For more of Edwin’s work, you can visit the following:

Website: Edwin Tan Photography | Armadale Weddings + Edwin Tan Photography

Facebook: Wedding Photographer | Armadale Weddings

I’ve asked Edwin to shortlist some of his fav images to share with all of you and here they are:

Additional note: Some might question the wisdom of featuring other wedding photographers on my blog because they are “competition” but I don’t see it that way. Everyone that will be featured in this column has inspired me in some ways and I hope that others can be inspired by them as well. If couples find that their work is more suitable for them, then so be it. After all, the most important is for them to choose what is best for them.

You bought the latest camera, you have an arsenal of lenses and multiple flash guns waiting to be unleashed. You have decided that this is more than just a hobby and it is time to get serious. You have looked at all genre of photography and decided that there is money to be made being a wedding photographer. After all, a lot of people get married and there is bound to be someone out there who will hire you right?

I thought the same when I first started. I believed I had decent enough skills and people get married every year, and not everyone can possibly afford the award winning photographers. If they are award winning, they surely must be expensive. But little did I know, there were many who thought the same way as me as well. So, this post is not to discourage you from being a wedding photographer but to let you know that being a wedding photographer is more than just taking pictures of people in love.

The first essential thing you need to understand about being a wedding photographer is that it is a business. The moment you decide to start clicking for money, you run a business. That was something I did not realise when I started off. I thought it was just a paid hobby but it is not (unless you don’t mind losing money over it). While you do not need to be a great businessman (being one helps you in the long run), but you need to understand the simple concept of cost and profit.

The balance sheet after all has to be positive after a while, it cannot continue to be negative forever. Hence, the pricing strategy becomes very important. It is not about charging the lowest to get the business or charging the highest to make the most profit. It is about setting a level where you can earn comfortably while maintaining your visibility within the target market that you want. The pricing also has to be seen to be on par with your skills and experience. You will also need to plan for off peak seasons as weddings have a tendency to peak at certain times, and slow down during others.

Secondly, it is about innovation. Not just in how you edit, or how you shoot but in how you market yourself, how you present your products and how you keep yourself relevant in this fast pace industry. And to do that, you need to read, go to workshops and expand those two activities to cover more than just stuff on photography. I started off with workshops on photography, identifying my style, and tagging along with photographers I admired and learn from them. Then I graduated to books on running a photography business and paying attention to what others were offering, locally and overseas.

Last but not least, being a wedding photographer is hard work. But what job doesn’t involve hard work? It is not only about shooting weddings, or flying off to exotic destinations for engagement sessions. A lot of the time is spent doing what many would term as a desk job. This is just a short post on what you can expect but this is pretty much the reality of the situation.

So, you want to be a wedding photographer? Then be prepared to work hard and understand that it is more than just picking up your camera and clicking the shutters.