PhotoAsia Blog

PhotoAsia would be interested to hear from photographers who have stock images covering the following topics:

Kuala Ibai Mosque at sunset, Terengganu, Malaysia. Photo Credits: Arthur Teng

The Terengganu Goverment has declared 2013 as “Visit Terengganu Year (VTY)“, aimed at increasing tourist arrivals in the state by 20% from the previous VTY 2008 campaign.

1. Tourist attractions – Tasik Kenyir, Gunung Berembun, Chemerong Waterfalls, Hulu Dungun and Mt Berembun Green Challenge, an annual event
2. Turtles in Rantau Abang
3. Famous islands – Pulau Redang, Pulau Perhentian
4. Fishing villages in Marang
5. Landmarks of Terengganu, like Kuala Ibai Mosque

If interested, please contact Christopher Tvärne at chris@photoasia.com.my.

Close-up of a young couple celebrating Deepavali. Photo Credits: PhotosIndia

When it comes to shooting stock, it’s important to plan for the upcoming holidays, festivals and events at least 3-4 months in advance. Art buyers and creative directors will generally start selecting their images at least three months ahead. So if you’re submitting your latest Deepavali images in late October, it’s unlikely we’re going to make any sales the same year. To get the most of your stock photos, you would have to submit them to us in June. This would greatly increases your chances of a client selecting your pictures for the said festival.

To kick start your stock photo sessions, we have prepared a list of photo opportunities for you to plan ahead based on the events that will be happening in year 2011.

NOVEMBER (Chinese New Year)

Decorating homes and making traditional Chinese new year cakes, performers doing lion dances, family eating together for reunion dinner, holding oranges, parents giving ang pow to young children, red lanterns, fire crackers, red Chinese New Year banners with Chinese calligraphy, children holding red packets, portraits of Chinese families or children, welcoming/entertaining non-Chinese guests in their homes.

DECEMBER (Islamic Lifestyle)

Photos of Muslim men and women in shopping malls, working at the checkout counter, customers paying with credit cards, Muslim family picnic, relaxing in the sun, kids playing in the park etc. For more details on what to shoot, check out our blog post on Islamic Lifestyle images.

JANUARY (Mother’s Day)

Affectionate moments between mothers or grandmothers and children, spending time together, such as crafts, playing, outdoor activities like gardening, picking flowers, cooking etc., portraits of young, mature or senior women bonding.

FEBRUARY (Father’s Day)

Same as Mother’s Day, but for fathers and grandfathers, portraits of young, mature or senior men bonding with their children, playing games, working together on hobbies, sharing some quality time together.

MARCH (Mid-Autumn Festival)

Photos of children playing with lanterns, eating mooncakes, shopping for colourful lanterns, portraits of Chinese families or children, still life of lanterns together with mooncakes, teapot and cups.

APRIL (Ramadan and Hari Raya)

Photos of oil lamps, ketupat, lemang, variety of Malay cakes displayed Malaysian style, Ramadhan food, such as curries, rendang, etc, in endless varieties, multi-racial people celebrating together, Malay families with children visiting grandparents in kampung setting, children asking for forgiveness, lighting oil lamps with kampung house in background.

Mooncakes for the Lantern Festival. Photo Credits: Discpicture/PhotoAsia

MAY (Hari Merdeka and Malaysia Day)

Photos of Malaysian flags, theme of 1Malaysia, multi-racial Malaysians waving flags together, working together in office, in discussion, meetings, National Day Celebrations, portraits of multi-racial groups in traditional costumes (Malay, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Iban) interacting.

JUNE (Deepavali)

Photos of couple and family working on kolam design, still life and close-up of oil lamps, praying and offerings flowers, family in traditional costumes celebrating deepavali, couple exchanging gifts, family holding deepavali gifts, family arranging deepavali lamps, lighting deepavali lamps together, close-up on deepavali decorations, close-up of row of burning lamps, portraits of Indian families or children.

JULY (Education)

Photos of multiracial students studying together, in discussion, attending college, walking outside and in campus, in classroom, writing, studying in library orinteracting with students & lecturers, multi-racial group of graduates in their robes, students using laptops indoors or outside, portraits of multi-racial students working together.

AUGUST (Christmas)

Family decorating a Christmas tree, excited adults and children opening gifts, family having Christmas dinner, father carving turkey, family singing carols together around the piano, in the living room, children on the lap of Santa Claus.

SEPTEMBER (Food and Drinks)

Photos of popular Malaysian food, such as Nasi lemak, Satay, Char kway teow, Nasi kandar, Asam laksa, Cendol, Ice kacang etc.

OCTOBER (Valentine’s)

Photos of couples holding hands, hugging, exchanging gifts, man giving flowers/chocolates to lady, romantic dinner, dancing

PhotoAsia would be interested to hear from photographers who have stock images covering the following topics:

Hari Raya is the main festival for Muslims in Malaysia, marking the culmination of Ramadhan. For a sample of what we are looking for, take a look at our special Hari Raya Gallery. With Ramadhan just around the corner, we’re looking for the following images:

1. Practising silat – demonstrating moves, group or single person
2. Lifestyle – family celebrating Ramadhan, breaking fast, preparing traditional cakes like ketupat, visiting parents in kampung setting, lighting oil lamps
3. Still life – close-up of oil lamps, ketupat, etc.
4. Entertaining non-Muslim guests, serving traditional cakes/food

If interested, please contact Christopher Tvärne for more details at chris@photoasia.com.my.

PhotoAsia would be interested to hear from photographers who have stock images covering the following topics:

The current market trend is targeting the modern Muslim consumers. Agencies are now working towards Islamic branding for their clients. In view of this PhotoAsia is looking for images related to Muslim lifestyle big time. These images do not necessarily have to be taken in Malaysia. They can be from any Muslim countries worldwide particularly from Indonesia, Turkey, Middle East, Pakistan even in Europe and the United Kingdom.

1. Shopping – interior shots of Muslim men and women shopping in luxurious shopping malls, supermarket (inspecting packaging/product, at checkout counter, paying with credit card)
2. Business meetings/discussion in office or conference room, presentation, at the computer, using modern technology gadgets, etc.
3. Dining in restaurants, relaxing with friends in cafe
4. Muslim praying – group or single person
5. Leisure – vacation/holiday destinations, kids playing the park, relaxing in the sun, family picnic, etc.
6. Watching TV with family, working at home with PC & mobile phone
7. Muslim housewives doing laundry, in a modern kitchen, feeding baby, family meal time.

Images with identifiable people needs signed model releases. The client is going to use the images for commercial purposes.

If interested, please contact Christopher Tvärne at chris@photoasia.com.my.

PhotoAsia successfully recovered damages for copyright infringement from a client who sheepishly confessed that they have used our images for commerical use without authorisation. After five weeks of negotiations the client finally agreed to pay RM127,790 ($38,438.83) in damages for the use of 30 images from 18 different photographers represented by PhotoAsia. The 18 photographers have not been contacted yet but they should be getting their share of the damages by the first week of April 2010.

What caused the client to confess this infringement? We found out later that another library has sent them a lawyer’s letter for copyright infringement for an image. This started a chain reaction and the client decided to do some housekeeping, digging out all their projects that used images to see whether they have all been paid. To their horror they discovered that the staff in charge of these projects have not paid for the reuse of many images or renewed the licence to continue using some of the images. According to the client the staff has already resigned sometime ago and her inefficiency has only now been uncovered.

This particular client has been a regular and loyal client and we have no reason to doubt that this was an oversight on the part of one individual staff and not a deliberate desire of the company to infringe our copyright. In view of the fact that they themselves came forward to make retribution, we were happy to reduce the penalty and charged the client only three times the normal rate. They even came to hand us the cheque personally and I have to say that this is the easiet settlement that we have experienced and without the aid of a legal counsel too!

View of a young woman exercising in a forest. Photo Credits: ImageDJ

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Can’t find what you are looking for? Call us at +6(03) 7955 3237 or email us at info@photoasia.com.my.

This promotion applies to all ImageJD collections and single images.

Offer valid to March 15, 2010.

Doreen Lau (left) presenting cheque to Pastor Johnson (right)

PhotoAsia organized a charity calender project in partnership with photographers and photo libraries who generously donated their images for use in the 2010 desktop calendar. Four thousand copies of the calendars were sold and and MYR10,000 were raised from the sales.

PhotoAsia hopes to continue to use its images to make a difference in the lives of the underprivileged and like to thank all the libraries and photographers who have willingly agreed to allow their images to be used for free in the charity calendar. It was through their support and the assistance of many people who have helped in every which way they could that PhotoAsia had succeeded in raising MYR10,000 for Stepping Stones Home. We hope with their continued support this will be the first of many such projects initiated by PhotoAsia.

The cheque was presented to Pastor Johnson, founder of the Stepping Stones Home which is located in Taman Seputeh, Kuala Lumpur. The Home provides a safe haven for children from needy and broken homes regardless of background or belief.

About Stepping Stones Home

Stepping Stones Home is located in Taman Seputeh, Kuala Lumpur. It was started in November 1998 by Pastor Johnson to provide a safe haven for children from needy and broken homes. Currently, children and single mothers are welcome into the Home regardless of background or belief, and are taught to live in, by and for God.

The Home in Taman Seputeh is the first. There are four others which make it possible for older boys and girls to be housed separately. The Home, which has 110 children, 12 mothers and 10 elderly persons is totally dependent on contributions from well wishers and friends.

Please support the Stepping Stones Home to enable the Home to answer every child’s cry for help, every single mothers plea for financial aid and every elderly person’s need for shelter.

PhotoAsia will be continuing organising such projects to raise funds for a needy home annually. Should you wish to support this project in any small way do contact us at 03-7955 3237 or email us at info@photoasia.com.my.

Join to support the children on the Stepping Stones Homes Facebook page.

Image Gallery

Young family with one child in traditional clothes smiling at the camera with hands clasped. Photo Credits: IMAGEMORE

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Can’t find what you are looking for? Call us at +6(03) 7955 3237 or email us at info@photoasia.com.my.

Offer ends on December 31, 2009.