PhotoAsia Blog

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival 2012 (KLPF) – Malaysia’s biggest and hottest imaging event with a combination of photography and travel elements. This annual festival is recognised as ‘the’ event that promotes the art in photography, encourages interaction and sharing of experiences amongst photography enthusiasts and travellers. It is an interactive, discovery and business-boosting event. Get in touch with the latest innovations in technology and designs of photographic equipment.  Explore the choice destinations for photography. 

Fireworks at Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia © Wong Sze Fei

In KLPF 2012, the travel sector is getting a bigger exposure with the setting up of one hall specially dedicated to the FITE (Free Independent Travel Exchange) where opportunities are open to travel business operators and travel organisations to offer their products directly to free independent travellers. Amongst the highlights of KLPF 2012 are:-

• Photo-creator of the Year 2012 where Malaysian photographers are set to vie for the award. This award recognises the creativity and potentials of emerging photographers in Malaysia. Participants are required to submit their work based on the theme “Seni & the City” where “seni” means art in the Malay language.

• “City” a photography exhibition through which we hope to encourage people to observe the surroundings of a city or to savour the process that is transforming our city. This exhibition is a collection of photo images submitted by members of the public.

• A special photo exhibition “Brushed by the Wind” takes on a pictorial travel to the southern part of the African continent spanning across countries like Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa. Also not to be missed are our regular interactive sessions like forums and seminars (Photomania and Travelmania) that are the all-time favourites of visitors every year. 

KLPF is open to the public and admission is free of charge.

Please get more updates in www.klpf.com.my. For enquiries, please contact us by email: klpf@pcp2u.my or tel: +603-9281 8039

Sultan Abdul Samad building in Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia © age fotostock

Date: 5th – 7th October 2012

Time: 11:00 a.m. – 09:00 pm

Venue: Mid Valley Exhibition Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Deepavali, popularly known as the “Festival of Lights”, is celebrated in Malaysia on 13 November this year. Also known as Diwali, the celebration involves the lighting of small clay lamps filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. These lamps are kept on during the night and the Hindu community clean their houses before the festival, both done in order to welcome the goddess, Lakshimi.

Family decorating house with garland of flowers © Pixtal	Rows of lighted oil lamps © Dinodia	Couple holding oil lamps infront of their lighted up home © PhotosIndia
Diwali colors to decorate homes © EasyFotostock	Diyas & flower arrangement for Diwali © Pixtal	Girl holding Arati plate for the festival © age fotostock
Family sitting infront of their completed kolam/rangoli © PhotosIndia	Woman lighting lamp for the festival © age fotostock	Family lighting oil lamp for Diwali © age fotostock
Variety of cakes for Diwali © age fotostock	Indian delicacies & offerings for Diwali © age fotostock	Mother dressing up daughter for Deepavali © Discpicture

In anticipation of the festival, Hindu homes are cleaned and decorated with kolam placed on floors and walls, traditional oil lamps or colorful electric bulbs to brighten up their abodes to signal the coming festival.

Beside cleaning their homes, the Hindus also prepare themselves by cleansing their bodies and minds. Many devout Hindus fast or observe a strict vegetarian diet, spending many hours during the preceding weeks in prayer and meditation. This is also the time when past quarrels are forgotten and forgiveness extended and granted.

On Deepavali morning, many Hindu devotees awaken before sunrise for the ritual oil bath. For some it is a symbolic affair (to signify purity) while others take full oil baths to remove impurities externally to receive positive energies. Then wearing their new clothes, it is straight to the temples where prayers are held in accordance with the ceremonial rites. The rest of the day is taken up by entertaining their non-Hindu guests, as is customary in Malaysia, by sharing their many delicious Indian delicacies such as sweet meats, rice pudding and the popular murukku.

Photo Credits: Song Jin Tek

PhotoAsia is collaborating with Media Storehouse to launch our first online print store featuring 500 stunning pictures of spectacular landscapes of rivers, beaches and waterfalls, colourful cultural dances and exotic butterflies, flowers and wildlife.

PhotoAsia’s print store is now open for you to select the perfect photo gift, framed or without, in canvas, jigsaws or a mouse mat. At the featured galleries in our print store, the pictures do all the talking because we believe that powerful pictures speak more than a thousand words.

So drop by the Store and check us out at http://prints.photoasia.com.my.

Use the tools available on the website to view your framed prints in different settings before you buy them!

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 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!

Red Chinese lanterns display at Thean Hou Temple, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia during Chinese New Year celebrations. Photo Credits: Wong Sze Fei

The Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year is the most important annual festival for the Chinese community and is celebrated all over Malaysia. The first day of spring in the Lunar Calendar this year falls on the 14th of February 2010.

Marking the first day of the first new moon, Chinese New Year is traditionally an occasion to settle old debts and begin the year with a clean slate. Prayers and offerings are made. New clothes are bought and plenty of food are prepared. Although the festivities continues for fifteen days, the main festival is celebrated on the first three days. On the eve of the Chinese New Year, the family have a joint family dinner to welcome the New Year. Younger ones of the family visit their relatives and get red packets of lucky money known as ang pow as gifts.

PhotoAsia would like to take this opportunity to wish all our friends, good fortune, good health and a prosperous new year!