18.02.2010

Wet is Hot!

Location: Kuala Lumpur

When: During Yiannis & Alison portrait session

Note: This couple just rocked my day by playing along with this concept!

19.02.2010

Sun-Shiny Couple!

Location: Lake Gardens

When: During Darragh & Kim portrait session

Note: We had such a beautiful sun-shiny morning that day! I was like “woo hoo!” all the way!

20.02.2010

Por-Por and Grand Kids!

Location: Bukit Jelutong

When: During the Sheh’s family portrait session

Note: This photo makes me all warm & fuzzy inside!

21.02.2010

Little Ryleigh

Location: Penang Island

When: Little Ryleigh just woke up & was waiting for my arrival from Kuala Lumpur.

Note: Her baby cot was next to a huge window that lets in such beautiful morning sunray!

22.02.2010

Chris!

Location: Layang-Layang Island, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

When: During a honeymoon dive trip.

Note: This is Chris Tan, a dear friend who’s working for ScubaZoo.

23.02.2010

Bubbles Time!

Location: Kota Damansara, Selangor

When: During Little Alexis’ portrait session

Note: Little Alexis & Mommy J enjoying some bubble time!

24.02.2010

Floria

Location: At home

When: Just another day.

Note: Bought a new bunch of flowers for the house.

25.02.2010

Hand Bouquet & Bridal Shoes

Location: Thien Hou Temple

When: During Jordan & Sharon’s registration of marriage (R.O.M) ceremony day.

Note: I love detail shots during R.O.M or weddings.

Wokay! Come tomorrow, I’ll be announcing a birthday specials for you, dearest friends, fans of ALP and readers of this blog. So do come back sometime after dinner time for the special news. (Cos I’ve got shoots both in the morning & late afternoon, hence, will only be posting the announcement after am home.)

Remember to subscribe to our RSS feed. TQ!

"Spiky!"

Location: Home

When: After her dinner.

Note: My Little Mouse sweats so much these days, especially during meal times. This was taken after I tried to wipe off the sweat from her head and the result was too cute not to be captured by my camera! She showed me her cheeky face while I was photographing her.

14.02.2010

"Look!"

Location: Home

When: During a chill time at home.

Note: Little Mouse loves to play with my laptop and here’s her announcing to us she found a “mouse”! Hahaha…

15.02.2010

"Rings"

Location: Thien Hou Temple, Kuala Lumpur

When: During Sharon & Jordan’s registration of marriage (ROM) ceremony.

Note: I unofficially started work today by starting on my editing frenzy again since my mum’s back in KL with us to help with Haley. Edited this ring shot and I think it’s my best ring shot to date! Starting work tomorrow with a newborn photo session!

Remember to subscribe to our RSS feed. TQ!

She has always been a good listener to my various rantings & what-nots. I’ve shared with her intimately on my dreams and my worries, my crazy ideas and my daily goings. Needless to say, she’s always there, accepting me for who I am and never even once judge me for my foolishness & silliness on certain events in my life.

The best memory I had was during our photography rendezvous around Kuala Lumpur; Putrajaya, The Butterfly Park, etc. I just picked up land-photography (previously I was only into underwater photography) and I always admire Alison’s arty-fartsy work on her paintings and photographs taken from her P&S. She’s been such an inspiration to me! Hahaha… Check out her work here:

Pics @ Deviant Art

Paintings @ Deviant Art

Blog @ Blogspot

She finally got swept off her feet by a Greek guy & moved to Greece few years back. I miss her a lot since she left. Where else can I find a crazy female buddy like her who is always open for crazy ideas & impromptu decisions to go for something on that very second?! Sigh…

This Chinese New Year holiday, Al finally found a chance to return to Malaysia and along with her is Yiannis, her long time sweetheart. They had their marriage solemnized in church, infront of God & her beloved family members on a ridiculously hot & humid evening. Her poor beau was literally melting while waiting for his bride to arrive! Hehehe… But he told us this,

“… if this is what I gotta do, I WILL do it for her!”

and he said it with a big warm smile.

I attended the wedding as a guest and my heart was filled with such warmth & happiness for my best pal. I managed to snap a few during the ceremony, followed by the dinner reception at the church’s common hall. Albeit simple & small, her wedding was planned out with such warmth & love from her family members and the little details made the wedding  just as beautiful as a big wedding would!

Here’s a few I managed to capture that evening.

The beautiful church of St. Francis Xavier.

A Chinese (Lunar) New Year decor in the church.

Beautiful flower arrangement decorating the aisle.

Yiannis trying to act cool although he's literally melting under the tropical heat!

And here comes the bride!

Look how beautiful the church altar!

Being blessed by the priest.

Al putting on the wedding band for hubby.

Mr & Mrs Hadjirallis!

Here's the wedding car. Love those flowers!

Bridal bouquet. *heart*

Beautiful tropical orchids decorating the tables at dinner reception

Cutting the cake

Sparkly sprinklers!

And this one will a part of my Project 365 photo of the day.

The First Dance. Awww...

Here’s wishing you two a blessed & endless love for each other, a life filled with continuous happiness and may you travel this journey hand-in-hand till eternity!

With lots of love, Asther. xoxo

Remember to subscribe to our RSS feed. TQ!

It’s been a CRAZYYYYY week for me, trying to rush a deadline, editing & shooting amidst taking care of my Little Mouse. Hence, I didn’t get the chance to post up my Project 365 pics past few days. So here they are:

31.01.2010

"New Floatie"

Location: Condo’s swimming pool

When: During a Sunday swim.

Note: We bought Little Mouse her first floatie in the form of a colorful airplane. LOL!

01.02.2010

"Green Theme"

Location: Home

When: Just another day

Note: Bought this bunch after a meeting with a potential client at Bangsar Shopping Complex. Decided to go for a green theme.

02.02.2010

"Nen-Nen"

Location: Home

When: Little Mouse’s “nen-nen” time

Note: Trying to teach her to hold her own bottle while feeding.

03.02.2010

"Valentine's Near"

Location: The Royale Chulan, Kuala Lumpur

When: During a wedding shoot for Mark & Azwin

Note: While I was in an editing frenzy for this series, this photo reminds me that Valentine’s Day is very near, and coincidentally, Chinese New Year Celebration also falls on the same date this year! Haiks… How to celebrate, ar? I’m sooo confused! (and thinking of it makes me tired, so what I really need is a quiet holiday.)

Remember to subscribe to our RSS feed. TQ!

"Ang-Pow Time"

Location: Kuala Lumpur

When: During Mark & Azwin’s wedding day

Note: This photo reminds me that Chinese New Year is just round the corner and it’s a Chinese tradition for married couples to give out “ang-pows” to children & those young singles. Hmmm… need to sort out budget for this year!

Now talking about budget, here’s another funny comic strip from What The Duck.

Remember to subscribe to our RSS feed. TQ!

2. Maybe I should…
… stop worrying. Que sera sera?

3. I love…
… scuba diving and definitely photography! Books, movies & music too. Not forgetting good & considerate people.

4. People would say that I am…
… bubbly & helpful but can be a control freak at times.

5. I don’t understand…
… why people like to demand inconsiderately.

6. When I wake up in the morning…
… I look for my Little Haley.

7. I trust…
… but carefully.

8. Life is…
… full of cross-roads and we must choose always to go forward & face what’s beyond.

9. My past has taught me…
… to be a better person.

10. I get annoyed when…
… I’m being pushed even though I’m trying my very best.

11. Parties are…
… for kids, young people and those young at-hearts.

12. I wish…
… miracles happen to us everyday!

13. Dogs…
… are fun & bouncy.

14. Cats…
… are soft and cuddly.

15. Tomorrow is…
… another day and praying it’s gona be a beautiful one!

16. If I had a million dollars…
… I will buy a bigger house & have another baby. Build a home studio & maybe then darling Francis can work for me!

17. I’m totally terrified of…
… failure but I’m learning to embrace it & learn from it. See it as an opportunity.

18. When I look at the night sky, I think…
… there is too much light pollution here in Petaling Jaya. I wish I’m back on an island where I can see the stars vivid & clear!

That’s all for now… Have a good week ahead, everyone!

Remember to subscribe to our RSS feed. TQ!

"I'm Cool!"

Location: Kuala Lumpur

When: Mark & Azwin’s wedding day

Note: This is Azwin’s family pet. Beautiful, isn’t he?

Remember to subscribe to our RSS feed. TQ!

I’ve come up with a New Year Specials for YOU this 2010! Check it out!

Having a baby this 2010? These are for YOU!

♥

The First Year
[Portraiture Package for Infants below 1-yr old] = RM800

• Capturing baby’s growing moments from birth to first birthday
• FOUR (4) x 2-hrs portraiture sessions in an interval of 3 months each
• 1 location (within Klang Valley) for each session

♣

Bump to Pop!
[Portraiture Package for Pregnant Family] = RM888

• Capturing your beautiful glowing moments and your newborn’s new moments*
• 1 x 2-hr portraiture session for pregnancy moments and 1 x 2-hr portraiture session for newborn moments
• 1 location (within Klang Valley) for each session

* Newborn has to be within 2-week old from birth date.

Looking for something different or getting married this 2010?

♦

Underwater Dream
[Portraiture Package for Casual/Engagement/Pre-Wedding] = RM2010

• Capturing your underwater portraits the ALP style!
• 3-hr session
• Location: Petaling Jaya, Selangor or recommended island retreat *
• Make-up service inclusive
• Support divers inclusive (for safety purposes)

* island retreat logistic cost is not inclusive

STANDARD DELIVERABLES = High resolution digital files [post-processed with a mixture of special treatments (whenever I see fit) on DVD] at least 1 month after shoot date.

So what are you waiting for?!?!?! Go ahead and Contact Me NOW!

Remember to subscribe to our RSS feed. TQ!

… 2009…

This is the year I became a mother. And my life started to change beyond what I could have imagined or anticipated. It was God’s grace for giving us our little girl. She’s such a joy to me when I’m down, albeit sometimes a little annoying when she throws her tantrum. Our Little Haley has been a handful and I’m really thankful that my own mother is still young & capable enough to help care for my little girl when I had to return to work. Darling Francis has been a wonderful daddy and husband, ever supportive & patience when it comes to dealing with the various situations in our little chaotic life. I am ever so thankful cos I just wouldn’t know how I’d manage without him!

These are just a few of the changes (ones I’ve felt the impact most) since Haley’s arrival into our life.

• The house is a lot merrier (and did I mention chaotic too? ) with her coos & aahs, her laughter & screams, and very recently her endless baby chatters.
• In contrast, our social life has gotten a lot quieter. Darling & I are very sociable people, especially amongst our scuba diving society. Not that we do not like to socialize anymore. It’s just that our priorities have changed. We used to host various get-together with our friends and family but not anymore. We also seem to turn down friends’ invitations to hang-out pretty often nowadays.
  • First is SLEEP. As most parents will agree with me, having a new baby in the house means less sleep for everyone else. So, we find ourselves pretty tired by midnight and the bed seems all too inviting all the time!
  • Second is WORK. Family time is really rare considering that darling leaves the house early in the morning & only comes back after 8pm generally 5 days a week, where as my working schedule often falls on weekends and public holidays.
  • Third is FAMILY. We try to spend as much time together as a family when we’re not working. Which means, the whole evening will be spent in the bedroom with Haley for her bedtime. We also try to have at least 3 to 4 times family holiday a year, away from home.
• Darling & I go on a date (mostly on movie dates) a lot more often nowadays. Once again, we’re lucky to have my mum around to babysit at nites when we are going on a date. Initially, it was hard for me to concentrate during our dates as my mind & heart will be back at home with Haley, but eventually I got used to it. I now look forward to our future dates all the time!
• We’ve been getting home-cooked meals almost everyday. Bless my mother for that! She’s been staying with us more often nowadays (due to me having more photography bookings lately) to help out with Haley, hence, she also does the cooking and laundry for us! Yes! I am indeed lucky!

I started losing weight immediately after delivery and an annual full-body check-up revealed a hyperthyroidism in me. I find myself having  rapid heart palpitation constantly, resulting in insomnia & a constant rise in body temperature. I also had a massive increase of appetite  altho I kept losing weight. Due to the possible unwanted effect on my heart, I was put on a series of medications which resulted in a sudden (unwanted) weight gain! Oh those terrible fats!!! It is sooo demoralizing so I gotta do something bout that soon!

This is also the year when I decided to re-brand my photography business. I would like to thank my friend & mentor, Jenny Sun, for opening my mind & heart when it comes to building my new photography business. I was struggling really hard to find my own identity and to gain clientele but she was always there (albeit her super busy schedule), always willing to share her thoughts and advice, always lending an ear to my never ending rantings. Thank you, girl, for your friendship & trust in me! I owe you one! And I’m looking forward to more shooting & sharing moments with you.

Here are some of the photos I shot when I was assisting Jenny during her wedding assignments. Thank you for the opportunities, Jen!

Ju Liang & Mui Kit's Wedding Day

Ju Liang & his mother

The pretty Mui Kit

Ju Liang & Mui Kit

Tjin & Christine's Wedding Day

Tjin & buddies with their cars

Christine's wedding dress

Tjin & Christine, the happy newlyweds

Hanther & Christine Wedding Day

Hanther & Christine - Blissfully married

… 2010…

So another new year is coming! Only God knows what is planned out for me and all I can do is plan, execute, hope and pray for a smooth sailing journey throughout this new year.

Here’s a list of my new year resolution:

1. Lose 8kg by May 2010 by eating healthier (less carbo, less ice cream, less cakes), plan & follow an exercise regime and drink more water daily!
2. Be a better mother, wife & daughter. Being more patience with Haley & teach her new things as day passes by, spend more time listening & doing things for darling, and give my mother more time of her own.
3. Be a better photographer. Continue learning to improve my skills, as well as increase my editing capabilities in order to deliver my clients’ photos as early possible!
4. Keep in touch more with our dearest friends whom we’ve somehow been neglecting lately.
5. Go to church more often with Haley & mum (and hopefully darling will join us one day ). I’m not too sure how I can do this as most of my weekends have been booked up by clients unless I make it a point to not accept too many bookings on Sundays. God will somehow show me the way soon.
6. Travel and/or dive more. Well… if $ and time permits, of course!
7. Attend a photography workshop or two locally. Definitely looking forward to ShootFest (if any for 2010).
8. Contribute more towards environment conservation. Plant more greens, promote underwater awareness through my underwater photos, etc.

Alrite… that’s all that I can think of at the moment. Let’s see how much of my new year resolution comes true but I hope majority will. Here’s wishing you, my clients, my friends and family a promising New Year 2010! My heartfelt gratitude for the wonderful journey we’ve done together this 2009!

Little Aidan & Family

Little Tiffany & Family

Little Kiera & Family

Little Ethan & Family

Little Aden & Family

Little Gabrielle & Family

Little Shuen & Family

Little Mikhail & Family

Little Hayden & Family

Little Tanveer & Family

Little Venus & Family

Little Sophia & Family

Sherlyn Koh & her dance academy

Jeremy & Jane

Albert & Faye

Amin & Shareen + Family

Pauline & Furry Friends

Mark + Azween

The Nichols

Little Azura & Family

“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.”  ~ Hal Borland

Remember to subscribe to our RSS feed. TQ!

]]> http://astherlau.com/2009/12/31/one-for-the-road-before-2010/feed/ 0 http://astherlau.com/2009/12/08/same-day-edit-slideshow-mark-azwin-l-kuala-lumpur-l-malaysia/ http://astherlau.com/2009/12/08/same-day-edit-slideshow-mark-azwin-l-kuala-lumpur-l-malaysia/#comments Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:19:56 +0000 Asther http://astherlau.com/?p=1602 Hello again!

Just wana share a slideshow which I’ve done for a wedding recently. It was done on the same day of shoot, so it’s going to be a simple display.  Most of the photos are not touched up except for minimal color & exposure correction done during conversion from RAW to JPEG. Note: Click on the middle part of the slideshow window & wait for it to load.

Remember to subscribe to our RSS feed. TQ!