ROBIN WONG

What Made People Think I Stopped Using Olympus System?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 09:03:56 +0000

There is a weird mystery going on for a while now, every now and then I'd receive emails or comments on my YouTube videos with random people welcoming me back to Olympus and saying how they got heartbroken when I stopped using Olympus and glad that I have returned. It got me completely dumbfounded, because the truth is I never stopped using Olympus! I seriously wonder where this confusion came from, because I take a lot of pride in not being the photographer/content creator/influencer that changes his cameras as frequently as they change his underwear!

Image taken by Van Ligutom, used with permission.

I have been using Olympus as my main camera from day 1. My first DSLR was Olympus E-520 in 2008 (well, technically E-410 which got stolen 3 months after purchase, but that's a story for another day). I then upgraded to Olympus E-5 in 2011, and subsequently migrated to mirrorless in 2014, with Olympus OM-D E-M1 original as my main camera replacing the E-5. In 2017, I upgraded to Olympus E-M1 Mark II, which I have used ever since as my main workhorse. I still use the E-M1 Mark II today for my professional shoots. I have remained consistent over the years, I never pursued other systems. Not only have I used Olympus cameras for my jobs, I also produced tonnes of content over the years on my blog here, as well as on my YouTube channel. I'd like to think that people would know me as a faithful Micro Four Thirds fan. I don't mind to be called an Olympus, or Micro Four Thirds fanboy, that is just a fact.

Some events that happened involving Olympus directly. I worked for Olympus Malaysia as a product specialist from 2013-2017. I left to pursue a full time career as a photographer. In 2018 I was invited by Olympus Malaysia to join the Olympus Visionary program. It was just a fancy name for being a brand ambassador, we did not have that before 2018, I was the first in Malaysia to join the program so I said yes, since their interests aligned with mine and I still do genuinely believe in their camera system. After Olympus Malaysia got shut down in 2020, and the global Olympus Imaging got carved out and bought over by JIP, the local distributor of Olympus/OM system products in Malaysia, OMD World Imaging engaged me as their ambassador for a year, from 2021-2022. I left the ambassador program in 2022, because of zero communication and support from OM Digital Solutions global office. I still remain in good relationship from the local distributor here in Malaysia.

Throughout all the events that I have listed, I have never switched systems, I have always used my Olympus gear and nothing changed. I quit my work in Olympus Malaysia, I still continued using Olympus system for my professional shoots. I stopped being OM System Ambassador, I did not "jump ship". I still continued on with my existing gear and I'd like to think that counts for something. I never made any videos or blog articles saying "I have given up or stopped using Olympus", or "used another system to replace Olympus".

The only explanation that I can think of is this - every time a brand ambassador quits, automatically that photographer would give up on the existing brand immediately, and switches over to another brand or system. That is the stupidest thing anyone could ever do. If I believed in the brand when I was an ambassador, I still believe in it even after I have left. Whatever I have said, whatever content I have made, all my reviews, my claims about the good qualities of the system I helped to promote, still are true even when I have left. Just because I am not an official ambassador it does not invalidate all my hard work I have done in the past. I am consistent, I don't change my mind that often. Apparently that is not a common trait among a lot of other photographers.

Photographers, like artists, are emotional creatures. Maybe overly emotional. When something bad happens between them and the brand they work with, that bad blood translates to their real life decisions. It is not difficult to predict that once the contract is over, they would dump the system which they have worked so hard in the past year or more to promote. Suddenly, what was the best thing ever became yesterday's news, and another new camera from another camp replaced the slot of the best of the best. All the good things that were mentioned were forgotten and became untrue overnight. Emotions drive their goals and ambitions, and there is zero regard for credibility and integrity.

I chose another path. I chose not to suddenly change my opinion because I no longer was an ambassador. If I said this lens was amazing when I was an ambassador, I still say it is an amazing lens even when I have left the program. My opinion cannot be easily bought or swayed. Especially now in the age of internet where everything is online and people can easily search back your old articles or what you said back in the day, and if you are not consistent, people can easily call you out.

Yes, I admit I have flirted with a lot of different cameras and brands, but isn't that just a general curiosity of being a photographer? If you truly are a photographer, you should love all cameras regardless of format and brand. There are no bad cameras, only bad photographers. If I have all the money in the world I would spend every day trying out different cameras and that would be a dream! Just because I tested other cameras that did not mean I abandoned my main Olympus system! Also, being a camera reviewer, someone in my position with a sizeable audience, I need to constantly educate myself and keep up with what is available out there, new releases from any brand. How can I be objective and create meaningful content if I just use one system and never had any experience trying anything else? How can you trust what I have to say in my review if I had nothing to compare to, or am totally unaware of competing products? I'd say it is not a crime to explore different formats and systems, your knowledge base expands and you learn more, that is a necessity being a photographer in the creator space.

Let's come back to the opening question - why do people think I have given up on Olympus and then come back? Honestly I don't know. Maybe it is a mystery best left unsolved. It is just strange being questioned this way, because I cannot think of another person, at least not in the YouTube/Blogging community that have stayed on with one system for as long as I have. That is something worth celebrating, don't you think?

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Panasonic Used To Make Awesome Compact Cameras

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0000

One of the cameras that I wish I have purchased many years ago was the Panasonic Lumix LX5. It came out in 2008, I just graduated and started working on a lousy engineer's salary in Malaysia and I could not afford one. I have always been curious about what the LX5 can do, I have heard so many positive things about the camera. Now in 2026, I found a used unit in the marketplace at such a cheap price, though in quite a banged up condition. It is still fully functional so I brought it out for some shutter therapy. It was so fun shooting with something truly compact in form factor, yet the camera was capable of delivering great results. Panasonic used to make such amazing little compact cameras. It is too bad that they have discontinued the LX series, but I think it is the right time to revive it, Panasonic should definitely bring compact cameras back! There is a huge demand for it, why not? I made a video to talk about the Panasonic LX5 here (click).

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Why Do I Use LCD Screen?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 06:45:10 +0000

I have gotten this question more and more recently - Robin, why do you shoot with the LCD screen of your camera instead of the viewfinder? It was directed to me at the POV street shooting video on YouTube, with the purpose of the video showing how I composed my images before I clicked the shutter button. For sure, you would know that it is impossible for me to record the viewfinder if my eye was pressed on it while I was framing my shots, right? I thought it would be fun to record the moments before each photography was taken, with the action camera showing wide view of my surrounding as well as the LCD screen itself. Needless to say, this has nothing to do with my preference to shoot with LCD or EVF, the only way for this format to work was to shoot with LCD screen!

It becomes increasingly alarming to see how people need others to agree with what they do, or the way they do things. If I use the viewfinder, others must use it too. If you don't use the viewfinder, if you shoot with LCD screen instead, you are branded unusual and something must be wrong with you. I must then question your unorthodox decisions of using LCD screen which will be life-threatening. I mean, does it really matter whether I used the LCD screen at the back of the camera or the electronic viewfinder to get my shots? A photograph is a photograph, good or bad, that has nothing to do with how I shot it.

For my paid jobs, depending on situations, I'd say the ratio of EVF to LCD screen use is about 50/50. For my street photography and macro work (which I mostly do on non paid sessions), the ratio changed to about 80% LCD screen, 20% EVF. Sometimes I use the EVF more, sometimes I use it less, and the thought of using which never came to mind when I was actively shooting. I simply used LCD screen more for my street and macro because I tend to shoot at really awkward angles, for example, as shown on the image on this blog, the cat was on the ground. Do you honestly expect me to lie down flat on the floor with my eye pressed on the EVF? Not only will that quickly scare the cat off, I will dirty my shirt and pants rolling on the dusty pavement. The sensible choice here, without even the need to think which to choose - LCD, with the tilt screen I can angle my shot comfortably without contorting my body in impossible yoga positions to get my shots.

I don't know why many photographers are so against the use of LCD screen. You tell them you use LCD screen and they give you that stare like you are the unwanted deformed kitten with 6 legs. I love the freedom to move the camera round, without it being stuck on my face. I am free to lower the camera to interesting perspectives, or raise it above my head - these can create more dramatic framing that the normal standing position of human eyes do not see. Yes, shooting through viewfinder will produce very boring shots. That is what they call the "Leica Syndrome", you have no choice but to force yourself to use the rangefinder type viewfinder and spend too much time getting your subject in focus, hence being restricted to a certain type of composition that can look overly repetitive and somewhat bland. Composing with LCD screen mitigates that and will drastically improve your framing, I promise you.

Look, I don't care if you prefer shooting with the viewfinder, or LCD screen, or shooting blind without looking at any visual aids. I don't think we should be that invested in what others are doing. Just focus on your own shooting. I use whatever tool that is available to me, I use both the electronic viewfinder and LCD screen interchangeably. In harsh sunny conditions in Malaysia, of course the electronic viewfinder helps a lot. On the other hand, I also have not come across a situation where the LCD screen is impossible so see under the open sky, yes visibly is impacted but I can still comfortably compose my shots. Yes, at the end of the day it is your own preference, and that is OK.

I love doing the POV shooting videos. There is a thrill in recording the before clicking the shutter button moment and being able to share that is quite exciting especially I do have a lot to talk about and share when it comes to my shooting. I hope you see that the only way to truly show you how I get my shots, is through the LCD screen. Sometimes, there is nothing more than just using the screen as it is, there is no deeper meaning, no philosophical debate, no justification of why I don't use EVF, just plain necessity to show you how I grab my shots on the street.

We have not even wandered into the topic of cameras with no viewfinders. That is another can of worms which we shall open for another day.

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Some Of My Images Featured In Ricoh GR Gallery At The Starhill, Bukit Bintang!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:52:54 +0000

I have several photographs printed and exhibited at Ricoh Malaysia's GR Gallery at Eslite Bookstore in The Starhill, Bukit Bintang. It came as a surprise when I was invited so submit some images for this exhibition, because I was only briefly involved with Ricoh Malaysia for the launch of their GR IV last year. It was humbling to be featured and having my images displayed among many other talented Malaysian GR photographers. If you happen to be in downtown Kuala Lumpur, do drop by The Starhill (previously known as Starhill Gallery) and see if you can spot my images there! Exhibition is open to public on shopping mall hours from 1-30 June 2026.

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Using Olympus MC-20 Teleconverter On Olympus 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 (Old Four Thirds DSLR Lens)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0000

I did a fun experiment recently - I attached the Olympus MC-20 2X teleconverter on the old Four Thirds DSLR lens, Olympus 50-200mm F2.8-3.5. This combination officially is not compatible, but I managed to make it work. In order to attach the MC-20 Teleconverter, a compatible lens requires a receiving in to slot in a protruding part. The workaround was the Four Thirds to Micro Four Thirds adapter that has a hollow gap in it which allows the protruding part of MC-20 to fit in nicely. I technically had a 100-400mm F5.6-7 lens to work with, so I participated in a birding outing to Fraser's Hill organized by OM System Malaysia and YL Camera! The performance of this combo was a mixed bag, I did get some decent output which I am showing in this blog entry, but if you are serious about birding and wildlife photography, I'd say the glaring compromises are enough to point you to the other direction. I shared everything in my latest video here (click).

Chestnut Caped Laughing Trush

Olympus MC-20 on Olympus 50-200mm F2.8-3.5

Technically, 100-400mm F5.6-7 after using the teleconverter

Grey Throated Babbler

Rufous Browed Flycatcher

White Tailed Robin

Juvenile White Tailed Robin

Partridge

Juvenile White Tailed Robin

Oriental Magpie Robin

Lesser Shortwing

Juvenile White Tailed Robin

Rufous Browed Flycatcher

Grey Throated Babbler

Mountain Fulvetta

Juvenile White Tailed Robin

White Tailed Robin

Little Pied Flycatcher

Juvenile White Tailed Robin

Grilled Cheese With Flat Bread

Acai Bowl

Thai Iced Milk Coffee

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I Eat Bangkok Part 3 - LonLon Local Diner, Bangkok

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 12 May 2026 06:30:00 +0000

I found this amazing place near the hotel that I was staying at, LonLon Local Diner, or sometimes it is called The Local Canteen depending on where you found it on the web. They serve fusion Thai and Western food, but many of their menu items are based on Thai cuisines. I went in wanting to have some typical Thai dishes, namely Tom Yum soup, fried rice and grilled pork, then maybe a Mango Sticky Rice for dessert. That place did not disappoint, they had everything I have hoped for and more, and boy oh boy, the food was amazing! Though on the spicier and definitely pricier side of things, the food was so worth it.

Creamy Tom Yum Soup

Pineapple Fried Rice

Deep Fried Pork Belly

Iced Thai Coffee & Milk Tea

Chilli & Garlic Fried Rice With Pork Crackling

Mango Sticky Rice

My Eating Partner

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Monochrome Profile On Any Olympus & OM System Cameras

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 11 May 2026 13:00:00 +0000

The Monochrome Profile was introduced in Olympus PEN-F, and subsequently made available in the E-P7 and OM System OM-3 cameras. It allows control over various color filters options that can dramatically improve black and white images. This exact same Monochrome Profile can be applied to almost any Olympus and OM System cameras (has to be newer than the PEN-F) by shooting in RAW and applying the Monochrome Profile using OM System Workspace software. If you have not tried this, do give it a go, it is not only so powerful, but fun to play with too! I made a video to demonstrate how this works (click here), and also did some POV shooting, of course, this time all in black and white!

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Reliving The Nostalgia of Olympus DSLR System

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 May 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Recently I have been shooting more and more with the Olympus E-620, which I bought just to relive the nostalgia of my early day photography adventures with my first DSLR Olympus E-520. The handling the camera, the turn of the dials, the button presses, the click of the shutter button, the sound of the mirror-slapping and shutter clacking, all brought back sweet memories of me fumbling around my way learning the basics of photography so many years ago. Yet the Olympus E-620 is still a capable shooting machine, while being outdate now in terms of tech and imaging capabilities, it still can deliver great results. There is just something satisfying looking through an optical viewfinder (though I would rather have the safety and assurance of electronic viewfinder for serious work these days), and loud shutter sounds reaffirming that the shots have been taken. These portraits were taken on the same day as the previous blog entry, all on Olympus 50mm F2 Macro lens. These older cameras and lenses sure have some charm to them!

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I Eat Bangkok Part 2 - Street Food

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 05 May 2026 10:57:00 +0000

I was truly fortunate to have Jojo as my friend and guide in Bangkok, Thailand. Not only he brought me around the streets of Bangkok and showed me his favourite street hunting grounds, he also brought me to some of the best locations for food! Oh how we feasted. In the few days I had in Bangkok I must have gained so much weight, but all was good. I live to eat, food is one way to enjoy life, I don't care if you disagree with me. Glorious food is meant to be consumed and enjoyed! Bangkok indeed is food paradise, every corner you turn to, there is some amazing street food!

Jumbo Tom Yum Noodles, Kuey Teow Khae at Convent Road

Basil Minced Pork With Rice and Fried Egg, Dibdee, Si Lom

Pad Thai, Dibdee, Si Lom

Random Pork Leg Rice encounter on the streets

Mini Crispy Spring Rolls

Deep Fried Pork

Pork Leg Rice

Homemade Ice Cream with Traditional Jelly

50 years old Roast Duck Noodles

Thai Iced Milk Tea any time of the day!

Egg Pancake

Mini Dumplings

Mango Sticky Rice

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Shooting Portraits With Olympus E-620

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 04 May 2026 13:00:00 +0000

I recently brought the old Olympus E-620 out to do some portraits shooting. Many of you who have followed me from the beginning would know that I started exploring photography more seriously with my first DSLR, the Olympus E-520. Obviously the E-520 has died many years ago after enduring my abuse, well, that only shows I really did use the camera extensively. A few years ago I found the E-620 and I just could not resist the low price in the used marketplace, so I bought it just to relive the nostalgia of my early days of photography journey. The E-620 is still going strong, I paired it with the Olympus 50mm F2 Macro and shot some portraits of my beautiful friend Ivani (IG @ivani_leang). I also made a video to talk about why I prefer to shoot with an older camera like the dinosaur DSLR Olympus E-620 over any modern smartphones, you can check out the video here (click).

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I Eat Bangkok Part 1 - BIB (Break In Bangkok) Thai Contemporary Cafe

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 02 May 2026 09:57:00 +0000

I recently travelled to Bangkok, Thailand for a short holiday. It was a much needed break after the Kuala Lumpur Photography Workshop which I conducted with Peter Forsgard and Matti Sulanto about 2-3 weeks ago. I only have 3 things in mind for this trip to Bangkok - rest, a bit of street shooting and EAT. Yes, food was at the top of my priority. I went with my travel partner, Spencer and we attacked whatever food that came across our paths. We started with something easy and nearby our hotel, BIB which stood for Break in Bangkok, a Thai Contemporary Cafe restaurant. The food there is a fusion of traditional Thai dishes mixed with modern, western influences, and the food there was so good, we had to return for more!

Khao Soi with Grilled Thai Wagyu
Khao Soi originated from Northern territories of Thailand, I first had it in Chiang Mai. Serving it with medium rare Wagyu steak thick slices was genius!

Khao Soi with Grilled Thai Wagyu

Iced Thai Milk Tea
No matter how many times I had these, it was never enough. So, so good, even with zero sugar, the tea and milk were such a great mix!

Hang Le Curry Croquette Balls

Grilled Stuffed Pepper Stuffed With Pork
Looks like Yong Tofu eh? But this is soooooo good

Beef fat Chilli Garlic Fried Rice With Wagyu Beef
The fried rice is orgasmic! Explodes in your mouth, and the accompanying Wagyu Beef was just excellent

Beef fat Chilli Garlic Fried Rice With Wagyu Beef
Those beef cubes just demanded some close up attention! And I gave them all.

Thai Grilled Pork Neck With Jaew Jelly

Thai Grilled Pork Neck With Jaew Jelly
This thing is the bomb! We loved it so much, we returned on the last day before flying off just to have this ONE dish only! The jelly is something else entirely, some flavours I have not even tasted before in my life.

BIB Fried Rice
Fried rice with BIB sauce, served with frankfurter, smoked bacon, pork crackling, fried chicken and scrambled eggs.

Iced Thai Jasmine Tea

Pad Thai

Homemade Thai Iced Tea Ice-cream with Salted Egg Yolk

Me and Spencer

It is interesting for me to blog about food again, this brings me back to my earlier days of blogging. There was nothing to do with photography back then, the reason I started this blog was to document and remember - the places that I go to, the people that I hang out with and the food that I eat! And I do eat a lot of food, though it was never my intention to make this a food blog. Nevertheless, a few more posts about Bangkok food to follow, so ready your stomachs, Bangkok is indeed a food paradise!

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Experimenting With Cheap Macro Setup - They Work Really Well!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:00:00 +0000

I always say that you don't have to break the bank to enjoy photography, and that applies to insect macro photography too. Assuming you already have a basic setup, even an entry level camera with a kit lens, any brand will do, you just need to spend an additional USD100 to start enjoying macro shooting. The trick is to get extension tubes and a cheap flash. The extension tubes allows any lens, even the kit lens to go extremely close to the subject creating massive magnification, almost macro like. The flash helps light the subject, there are many cheap, powerful flash available now, though for cheaper options you may need to control the power manually, which honestly is not a bad thing - you get to pick up a new skill along the way. If you don't want to spend more for a dedicated ready made flash diffuser, go make yourself one, there are many DIY options available, a simple Google search will give you some ideas and directions. I made my first DIY diffuser long time ago from a shoebox! Stop making excuses, and start shooting! I made a video to talk about this topic here (click).

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Trying Out Taylor Swift's Favourite Vintage Art Filter on Olympus Cameras

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Taylor Swift has been spotted using Olympus cameras over the years. In her Instagram posts, she specifically uses Olympus Vintage Art Filter I for her personal images. I thought it would be super fun to try out Taylor's favourite Art Filter doing a full street shooting session with it. I brought my Olympus E-M1 Mark II together with Olympus 25mm F1.8 and did a full shutter therapy session around Kuala Lumpur, shooting only with Vintage Art Filter, and the images shown in this blog entry were all straight out of camera. I also did a POV shooting sharing some tips on using Olympus Art Filter in my latest video here (click).

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This OneMoreShot SD Card Holder Is Awesome!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 13:00:00 +0000

My friend Jon Low made a new SD Card holder, he named it OneMoreShot. I think the simple idea and design work so well as an always ready carry solution. He gave me two units to play around with, and I have been using them for more than 3 weeks now. I got to say, I love how well it works, and I think photographers should consider this as a wearable solution to ensure you have a back up at all times! I made a video to talk about OneMoreShot, you can find it here (click). To purchase OneMoreShot, you can go to the official product's TikTok Shop here (click).

The OneMoreShot is a small sized SD card holder that is designed to hold just one SD Card, and is made to be wearable. It comes with a clip, which you can attach at various locations that are easily reachable, either on your camera bag, your strap, or even on the camera itself. The idea is to have one spare SD Card readily available at all times, reachable in an instant without fumbling around looking for the storage in your pocket or the camera's 500 hidden compartments. In an emergency situation, when you unwittingly ran into "SD card full" scenario, yet you are in the midst of an important shoot and you do not have time to waste, having a card that is easily swappable can save your life there and then.

I have used the OneMoreShot SD Card holder for more then 3 weeks now. I must say, I quite like it, and I have not come across any issues whatsoever. I like that is is truly small & light, I can attach it to anywhere I like, I just carry it on my camera bag, clipping it on one of the front pocket zippers. I love the bright orange color, it makes perfect sense so the card holder can be visibly spotted from a mile away. In case of urgency, I won't have to fumble around looking for it, even in the dark. I like now simple the design is, how easy it is to use, and the function just works as intended.

The SD card sits inside the holder securely, as you insert it into the slot, you get the "click" feedback, which is exactly the same spring loaded mechanism feedback that you get when you slot the SD card into your camera. The click is not only reassuring, you know the card is inserted properly, but also very satisfying to hear and feel. After shooting for so many years as a photographer, I am sure you can relate, hearing that click invokes certain emotion - it is a part of a real camera, hence making the experience of using OneMoreShot even more fun.

Some may worry about the bottom exposed part of the card when it is slotted into OneMoreShot. Will it fall out during rigorous activities? Will dirt and moisture get into the electronic contacts and destroy the card? I have tried to shake the card as hard as I can, and it still stays perfectly put, securely inside the holder. About dirt and moisture, that can happen, but the chances of them causing any harm or damage to the card are quite low. I demonstrated pouring water onto the card holder with an SD card inside on my YouTube video, no problem! The SD Card is a lot more durable than you think.

I highly recommend this "wearable" SD Card holder, OneMoreShot to any photographers out there. You never know, when you need it, it can save your life. It is not expensive either, the first batch is selling now for RM59.90/USD15 for a pack of 3 units. If you are a Malaysian, please do support a fellow Malaysian, I think Jon is doing amazing things! I am so proud of you Jon, and I can see everyone, everywhere in the world using OneMoreShot!

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Watch Out, Here Comes A Street Photographer in Malaysia!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:19:00 +0000

I find it amusing that people think those photo touts (as I have mentioned in my previous blog entry) are anything new. They have been around for so long, and the authorities have been battling them, you can easily find news coverage on this topic by Googling "photo touts Malaysia", you can find hundreds of matches dating years back. It is just strange that suddenly this made headlines in news portals outside of Malaysia, suddenly claiming that these are "street photographers" that the government has deemed illegal and tried to crack down in recent times. No, these photo touts are nasty, they deserved the harshest punishment possible and I am glad the authorities are stepping up their enforcement. However, myself and many street photographers out there, we still love to do what we do, and this news causing so much confusion had nothing to do with street photography!

I still do regular street shooting sessions, not as frequently as I'd like, but I do as much as I can. Typically I would go out on the weekends, since most of my friends have Monday to Friday day jobs. We usually go out in a small group, around 4-5 people the most, and we roam around the streets of Kuala Lumpur, aiming our cameras at whatever interesting subjects we can find. If I do intend to shoot people close up, I will approach and ask for permission. Most of the time it is an easy yes, people in Malaysia are mostly friendly, but sometimes we do get a little rejection there and here and that is perfectly fine too. No means no, and we do not cause trouble. Some people are just shy to have their photos to be taken.

The street shooting session normally lasts around 2-3 hours, sometimes shorter, depending on the weather, there are days it is just too hot to stay out being exposed by the cruel sun for too long. Most of these excursions are also a form of social activity, we get together with like-minded people and bounce ideas around, forming ideas for the next project shoot, or exchange thoughts on the latest cameras and lens releases in the market. The aim is to have fun - fun shooting around the streets, getting some nice street shots, and fun hanging out with friends. Seriously, what harm can street photography do? As photographers we are taught to observe, and not cause a scene. We capture the story, not make the story!

Following up the photo touts story, it seems like the local city council has also wrongly labelled these touts and street photographers. I have seen posters and online announcements made in their official social media platforms, addressing concerning issues about "street photographers" around KLCC areas. Maybe the overseas news portals just copied directly what was announced in these pages and made into the headlines - street photographers are now being banned in Malaysia. It is strange to observe this happening, because these photo touts have been operating for years, the local news have reported them as photo touts, why sudden change of terminology and call them street photographers?

This simple miss-step can cause massive confusion - is street photography being disallowed in Malaysia? Can tourists come in and take photographs on the street while visiting in Malaysia? Will they get into trouble if they take out their cameras and shoot some nice shots of the KLCC Twin Towers? Now that it is deemed "illegal" and government is "cracking down street photographers"? All this makes zero sense, I expect the local authorities to do better in properly describing the photo touts and not misrepresent the street photographers, who are totally innocent here!

The confusion can happen when the security guards at certain locations were briefed by certain management that took the announcement at face value - all photographers found on the street are illegal and need to face the law. Yes, things can quickly spiral out of control if the government themselves are not clear of what they are doing, or asking people to do. Someone up there needs to be responsible in cleaning all this mess up.

As for me, there is little effect or consequence here for us, we continue to shoot on the streets, life goes on. Thankfully my street photography grounds rarely intersect with the popular tourist hotspots. I stay off areas with a lot of tourists, and focus on locations where the locals go to. I am not doing any projects that require the presence of tourists or foreigners, my street photography revolves around ordinary lives of local Malaysian folks going through their daily routines - capturing a slice of reality I observe on the streets.

Shutter therapy goes on, and hopefully, the drama does not get worse than this!

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Photo Touts Mislabelled As Street Photographers in Malaysia

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 13:00:00 +0000

In recent news, it is reported that the authorities are clamping down hard on street photographers in Malaysia. At a glance, it seems like street photography is now banned in the country. However, that is not true, what the news reports were referring to were not street photographers, but photo touts. It is quite sad to watch how poor journalism and classic misreporting has caused so much confusion and misinformed the public about what street photographers actually do. No, it is still perfectly legal and safe to practice street photography in Malaysia. I have also made a video to talk about this topic, you can see it here (click).

I have received a few comments on my YouTube channel and some emails from very concerned subscribers and readers about the street photography situation in Malaysia. From the news, it was quite obvious that the government is cracking down on street photography, and somehow it has become illegal to do street shooting here. As a street photographer myself, I too, got shocked when I heard about what these people told me. Thankfully I am physically here in Malaysia, and I know where the confusion comes from. They were obviously referring to photo touts, not street photographers.

What are photo touts? They are a group of people, sometimes very large group (30-40 at a time) roaming around KLCC Twin Towers area, targeting tourists, offering their photo services. They would push their services and harass the passerbys, following them and threatening them with very unkind words, becoming aggressive and intimidating. The photo touts have existed for a long time, since more than 10 years ago as I can remember. Not only causing nuisance to the public, they also disrupt traffic flow on the roads, as they would walk dangerously around the places just to get the shots they want.

Basically, these photo touts operate with a proper licence or permit, and the issue is not so much of their illegal business that the government was trying to eradicate, but it was the public annoyance. I am pretty sure the city council and KLCC management both have received thousands of complaints from tourists and locals alike, all pointing to the trashy behaviours of these photo touts that just plagued the whole area, causing so much public disturbance. When they were blindly walking around the roads, that was when safety becomes an issue. Enough is enough, and the authorities have been trying several methods to eliminate these photo touts.

For whatever strange reasons, the larger news sites (from outside of Malaysia) now picked up these stories and republish them recently. Instead of calling these people photo touts, they were labelled as street photographers, which was a massive miscalculation. Honestly, such a mistake can get some heads rolling.

Street photography is nothing like what the photo touts are doing. We street photographers roam the streets for all the different reasons. We are not doing street photography to earn money, we shoot for the fun of it, it is a hobby and we shoot the photographs for ourselves, not for others. It is a completely harmless activity. Furthermore, we do not harass the people in the public spaces, we have always been cordial and respectful and try to blend in, being discrete without causing a scene. Good street photographers move around undetected, and get the best natural shots as seen in real life. Street photography can be both journalistic or artistic, something which photo touts do not even care about. We try to find the perfect moment, the beautiful lighting, the dramatic action, all coming together to make the "wow" shot. It does not intrude, it does not cause nuisance, it is perfectly safe and peaceful.

I just don't see how some writers fail to do their due diligence and proper research before throwing the street photographers under the bus with their erroneous stories. Come on, we live in the age of Ai and Internet, just a few clicks away, you can save yourself from such an unnecessary mistake.

I hope this article has successfully debunked the false news - no, street photography is not banned in Malaysia, and it is safe to roam around the public spaces with your camera and do some street shooting. Let's hope the news sites exercise more caution and proper reviews before publishing their future articles.

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