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

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!

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

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.

Jin Keat + Sher Li – Shot by Chew Kar Heng, edited by Nicholas Leong

I get asked by a few couples as to why I need two photographers. I know weddings are expensive and when they look at hiring photographers, some will believe that they can rely only on the photographer they have chosen to hire. But the simple truth is that great photos are produced when photographers work with others. There is always another angle to look at, and sometimes in a flurry of activities, something else to focus on.

I have had the honour that some of the best have assisted me in the past. These fine bunch of people include:

1. Alan Leong
2. Brendon Liew
3. Chew Kar Heng
4. David Cheong
5. Edwin Tan
6. Jason Beyond

Bala + Dhanya – Shot by Alan Leong, edited by Nicholas Leong

Other than angles and covering different moments during a wedding, they have also helped me get great shots of wedding details. With so many things to cover, so many things to shoot, being able to work with someone I can trust, gives me that little bit more time for me to cover a lot more during the wedding. When I am shooting alone, I will then have a full checklist of what needs to be shot (the essentials) and may miss out on the other moments that may not be essential but will help paint a better story when you look back at your wedding photos years later.

Zach + Alice – Shot by Jason Beyond, edited by Nicholas Leong

A typical wedding will see many friends and family members join in the big day and sometimes, it can get crowded. If I was shooting alone, it would have been difficult to move around in such a crowded place. And if I position myself in one spot, I might not get the best shot. Working with others allow us to have different positions and when we compare shots of the same moment, we are able to draw on a pool of images and find the best angle to define that moment.

Bala + Dhanya – Shot by Edwin Tan, edited by Nicholas Leong

While the shots I edit reflects my style, I get different composition and angles depending on the style of the photographer I am working with. This gives couples more options, a bit of a variety and different perspectives of their wedding. And why would any couple say no to more awesome photos?

Edgar + Fatima – Shot by David Cheong, edited by Nicholas Leong

Some might feel that an assistant might not be as dedicated as the main photographer. The best thing with these people I work with is that they will treat the wedding as if it was their very own. The dedication, the effort and the photos they produce are nothing short of amazing. And that is why I work with them. I trust them entirely that they will be able to produce work that the couple would be happy with.

Kar Hing + Yin Ying – Shot by Brendon Liew, edited by Nicholas Leong

I hope that I have convinced you on the need of a second photographer and why it is essential that I have it in my package especially for actual day weddings. And to those listed in this post, I thank you a million times for the effort and dedication that you have put in for me.

I was also beginning to miss the flurry of activities and emotions of an actual day wedding. It was then that I decided to set my plans into motion. If I wanted to do this, I wanted to do it right. I wanted to make sure that what I offered was what I wanted and the assignments are from couples who truly believed in what I can deliver.

I started by sourcing for inspiration. While I was a member of WPPI before, I felt that it wasn’t really suitable for me. The photographers there continue to produce amazing images but it didn’t really gel with my style. A mentor of mine, Wiki Lee, recommended me to Fearless Photographers a long time ago and I visited that option again.

It was exactly what I wanted. I joined, got hugely inspired, and even submitted some shots when they called for Fearless Awards submission Round 13. I wasn’t expecting anything but it was nice to score one award out of the five submissions I put in. There were about 200+ awards dished out and I believe there was a total of over 8,000 images submitted. So getting one out of five didn’t seem too bad.

The above photo taken two years back and remains one of my fav photos of all time. Thanks to Chew Kar Heng for allowing me the opportunity to shoot then (I was just getting back into the groove after a self-imposed break).

A second investment in learning was made soon after as I subscribed to ICE Society for a year to learn from one of the best in the industry, Jerry Ghionis. I do not shoot like him, and I probably wouldn’t but inspiration can come into many different forms.

After all that, I decided to revamp my logo, and my website. The search for a logo was not going to be easy but I knew what I wanted. It was just finding the design with the right balance. And I am glad I did. I used Design Crowd to source for the design and it was quite an amazing experience. The winning design above pretty embodies the message I want t convey.

It is less serious, and a lot more playful which is what I like and look for in a wedding. Weddings should be fun, and couples should enjoy their big day. And that goes for my engagement sessions as well. I tend to like bright, happy photos and I wanted that to be conveyed.

Many have asked why a ninja? And the answer is pretty simple. I am quite a quiet guy and I tend to stay that way when I shoot. I like the fact that stories are unfolding before me and my job is to capture that without being obtrusive or grabbing the attention away from the people that matters most on the day – which is definitely not me.

Finally, I recognise that I need to spend more time to blog. Not just about my shoots but on topics that I feel strongly about. And so I am now going to put up a schedule and I want to follow it beginning week of January 21st:

• Being Frank Monday – We all get a bit of Monday blues so here I hope to engage in a little discussion about topics that are of interest focused on weddings
• Tuesday’s Inspiration – Inspired by the book Tuesdays with Morrie, I am going to dedicate a post on this blog for the people that have inspired me
• Thursday Tip – I am not qualified to hold a workshop but I have certainly have gathered quite a bit of experience over the years that I hope to share in this blog

I’ll keep the other days for random sharing of photos that I have taken. And that was pretty much how the year got off to a start here at Nicholas Leong Photography.

Looking forward to an amazing 2013!