Happy New Year 2014
Wishing everyone a happy new year! May the year 2014 fill your life with serenity, peace and happiness!
May all beings bEE happy.
inspired by the love of Cindy & Chee Seong
Time to start a write out and post some engagement shots including this of my good friends, Cindy and Chee Seong early this year in a few places in Malaysia. Both of them are very supportive and encouraging to me since the day I started photography. To me, they are friends, they are family, and they are always there for me when help is needed.
One of the many reasons I admire Cindy and Chee Seong is they are one of the sweetest couples I know. They have known each other for 7 years. When Cindy was doing her tertiary study in Johor and she was doing part time work, then she met the man of her life.
Cindy is from Melaka and Chee Seong was born in Seremban, a small town shares some similar characteristic of Melaka. But distance was never a problem to them. Cindy once told me one of the many things Chee Seong did which touched her heart was Chee Seong once rode an old motorbike from Seremban to Johor and just to see her. It took him at least 4 hours and full of risk which then won her heart even more.
Even for their marriage proposal, Chee Seong did something sweet really. He gave her a surprise proposal on the stage of Dataran Pahlawan shopping mall. With their special love song sung on the stage in front of public to drew her attention when she was shopping in the concourse where the stage is with her friends. Kenn and I did the The Proposal – Chee-Seong and Cindy. That was how she said ‘I do” and became Mrs. Lew. Who could resist such a sweet and courageous proposal by their loved one?
They tied the knot in mid of this year and I was invited to do a prewedding shoot for them. We had an early arrangement and discussion prior to the shooting. Things like gowns and dresses, props, make up, location, outstation arrangement were mostly done and arranged by Cindy and Chee Seong, which was not an easy thing for most couples.
We did a few shootings for a few day in a few places. We had fun, traveled together and took photos whenever there were spontaneous loving experiences happened between them. When we did a shooting in Port Dickson, there was a pour. They showed the passion for another, held and kissed regardless of the rain.
Many little things that tell how they have come together so far and so loving. As a friend, I always enjoy the time hanging out with them and listen to their stories. I feel grateful for them trusting in me and being so supportive in my passion and career, and appreciate our friendship.
A big thanks and congratulation to Cindy and Chee Seong. Happy marriage and may your life be fulfilled with each other’s company and that you may grow old and happy together. Enjoy your time together, and bring on the babies!
May all beings bEE happy.
premium leather series lay-flat photo album with embossing
Good day! Time flies and it’s the last month of 2013. In coming year, we are upgrading most of our products and services. One of the many changes is the photo album we are offering.
Album is great way to tell your story and share with family and friends, especially for portraits and weddings. We love designing album and turn the series of photos into a story, have it unfolded with each page flipped.
We are now offering premium quality album and working very closely with our album vendor, Edward whom we met early this year. The album provided by Edward is superb in quality which will meet both photographers and clients’ high-end photography album needs.
Each of the album is designed professionally by us, printed with high definition and top-notched quality printing, and hand-crafted beautifully with premium materials into top quality product. It’s sure to be an impeccable way of storing your memories.
Here are some shots of the leather series photo album we made it for Ai Vee and Roy’s prewedding in Melboune. Glad to know that they just love it!
The new album is included as an option into our latest pricing guide. For any photography products and services, kindly contact CJ (www.cjfen.com).
Have a good evening and may all beings bEE happy.
one of the performances by TonyYap & Brendan O’Connor took place at St Paul Church Melaka last year
Do you still remember the amazing performances, visual art and etc. on the Melaka Art & Performance Festival last year 2012 which posted in this blog? It’s back again this year from 22nd to 24th November 2013.
Received an invitation however I currently out of town and will not be able to join this largest and only art festival in Melaka. It will be a loss for me unable to photograph the event.
So to others please don’t miss it! Malaccans or visitors to or in Melaka, mark the dates on your calender and enjoy this coming contemporary performing arts extravaganza features more than 50 local and international artistes from 10 countries in a variety of dance, visual art, film and music performances.
Here’s the press release:
THE FIFTH MELAKA ART & PERFORMANCE FESTIVAL PROMISES MORE EXCITING LINE-UPS
Over 50 artistes from 10 countries to participate in the
largest festival at a UNESCO World Heritage Site
visit http://www.melakafestival.com/ for more information
MELAKA, 6 NOVEMBER 2013– The Melaka Art & Performance Festival (MAPFest), the largest and only festival at a UNESCO World Heritage site, returns to Melaka for its fifth instalment from 22- 24 November 2013.
The site-specific festival has put Melaka on the world map since its inception, as it brings dazzling performances from across the globe. The festival attracts tens of thousands of international and local festival-goers to the historical site for three days of international quality performances.
Held from 10am to 10pm daily in the vicinity of St. Paul’s Hill, the contemporary performing arts extravaganza features more than 50 local and international artistes from 10 countries in a variety of dance, visual art, film and music performances.
Andrew Ching, founder and producer of MAPFest said, “The sucess and recognition of MAPFest is further strengthened as we have been requested to recreate the Mapping segment of MAPFest in Indonesia and Australia. This clearly shows that MAPFest is widely accepted internationally and is now seen as one of the foremost performing arts festival in the world, and I expect it to grow bigger.”
For the first time, MAPFest will also be kicking off a new Australian sister festival, Mapping Melbourne – Asian Contemporary Arts Festival (Australia), produced by Multicultural Arts Victoria (MAV) which will run from 5-8 December 2013. MAV has been working with Tony Yap Company (TYC) as a partner of MAPFest for the last four years, along with their sister festival, In The Arts Island Festival (Java/Bali/Indonesia), in June 2013. Mapping Melbourne creates new links and pathways into Australia for artistes involved in MAPFest and In The Arts Island Festival.
“MAPFest is a meeting point for local and international artistes to showcase their love for the arts. I think with the differences comes a celebration of what unites us as people. MAPFest 2013 is a not-to-be-missed festival that guarantees a smashing time in the heart of Melaka,” added Andrew.
One of the many highlights for this year is the opening performance named Naik Naik. It is a moving tribute where 10 talented Malaysian and Australian artistes will be performing from the A Famosa Fort to the top of St Paul’s Hill. Created over a two week intensive collaboration, Naik Naik aims to showcase Melaka’s unique multicultural heritage and contemporary identity.
MAPFest 2013 includes an extensive MAPPING program which features site-specific perfomances at six historical sites on 23-24 November from 2pm to 6pm. This platform will see local and international artistes to perform from site to site, while audiences join them by exploring the notion of ascent. The performances showcase traditional arts alongside contemporary expressions with innovative uses of new technology.
The Cerita Pendek (Short Works) section features a variety of performances from international artistes including cross-cultural pieces of performance theatre. One of the many inspiring Cerita Pendek is Ikoto – Place To Be, a mix of traditional Japanese dance, hip hop dance, contemporary dance and theatre. Featuring Tho Anothai, a French/Laotian hip hop artist and Ikko Suzuki, a contemporary Japanese dancer who met during an improvised duet performance in MAPFest 2010. This year, both talented dancers will collaborate and present an exciting duet performance together.
The festival also features a line-up of feature-length films from Australia on 22-23 November. Australian filmmaker Genevieve Bailey’s I am Eleven video documents the lives and thoughts of eleven-year-old children from 15 countries. A workshop conducted by WeiZen Ho, explores voices in diverse ways of departure into the world of vocal expressions, will be held on 22 November. An artiste forum that explores the multi-facetted notion of “ascent”, facilitated by Cheryl Stock, Director of Postgraduate Studies, Creative Industries Faculty from the Queensland University of Technology, will be held on 24 November.
The festival will culminate on 24 November with the finale performance, Eulogy for the Living, directed and choreographed by Tony Yap. It is a haunting piece of performance art which allows us to delve deep into our bodies and souls as we celebrate what it is to be alive. All MAPFest artistes will be performing in this finale. This will also be a tribute in memory of the late I Nyoman Sura, a talented Indonesian choreographer and fine dancer who had performed in previous editions of MAPFest.
MAPFest 2013 is directed by Tony Yap in his capacity as Festival Creative Director. He was one of the principle performers with IRAA Theatre from 1989 to 1996, and has worked extensively in Australia and internationally, including the Agamemnon Festival Colline Torinese in Italy, and The Trojan Woman at the Vienna International Art Festival. As the founding Artistic Director of Mixed Company (now the Tony Yap Company) in 1993, he has made a commitment to the exploration and creation of an individual dance theatre language that is informed by psycho-physical research, Asian Shamanistic Trance Dance, Butoh, Voice and Visual Design.
MAPFest 2013 is produced by Arts & Performance Festival Melaka Sdn Bhd together with the efforts of E-Plus Entertainment, the Australian Government, the Australian High Commission, Australia Malaysia Institute, Multicultural Arts Victoria, the Embassies of France, the Tony Yap Company, Mercatus+ Malaysia, Asialink, the Thai Embassy, Kedutaan Besar Republik Indonesia, the Ireland High Commission and Kakiseni.
MAPFest remains free and accessible for all. For more information, visit www.melakafestival.com.
Kombi on the street of Melaka town
While assisting my friend Kenn for a product shooting yesterday in the busy town of Melaka, I couldn’t resist capturing the beauty of the street of my own hometown even though I had only my iPad.
Kenn was shooting from morning with our clients Lily and Eunice. We started at the area close to the stage of Jonker Street, then headed to Jonker Street World Heritage Park, the place which has a huge copper-made statue of formal body builder from Melaka, Datuk Wira Gan Boon Leong. There are also a couple of statues of dragon, buffalo, and elephant. Kenn joked that these creatures represents Gan Boon Leong’s pets at his house.
We got a couple of product shots over here, and moved on to Voyage Travellers Lounge. We a break, enjoyed the cozy atmosphere of the cafe and had some refreshing fruit juice.
Kenn then continued his shooting around Lorong Hang Jebat. While taking care of our gears at the cafe for Kenn, I too walked around there and snap some street shots with iPad. I always love this part of the the town which covers Jalan Tukang Besi and Jalan Tukang Emas which we can find many nice guesthouses, cafes and pubs such as Voyage Travellers Lounge and Shantaram Bar, and souvenir shops like the unique Orangutan House. The streets never fail to surprise me for everytime I visit.
Since I came back from Vietnam in early August, I didn’t have time to do street photography. Hopefully after these few months of busy and peak weddings period, I can equip myself with DSLR and return to the street and capture my beautiful town and friendly people on the street.
Please do not forget to help the super Typhoon Haiyan’s victims in Philippines by supporting with some donation to UNICEF, Red Crescent, or Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation. Details of donation to UNICEF can be found on my previous post. Please pray for the victims in Philippines and may the departed souls rest in peace.
Hope you like the shots of Melaka town taken with my iPad and have a good weekend. May all beings bEE happy.
a hot noon after a rainy morning
stranger in town, at Lorong Hang Jebat
Caring Pharmacy of heritage building
fierce regardless of size
unique lamps inside Voyage Travellers Lounge
Orangutan house in fisheyes view
hangover outside Shantaram Bar
a beautiful piece of artwork in Voyage Travellers Lounge
celebrating Joern & Wilking, and cute little Xerxes
Right, more than a year since I last blogged about weddings. It’s time to catch up with some writings and really get some stories going now!
Great love story starting with Joern and Wilking’s, who got married few months back. Both Brendon and I were glad to photograph their wedding held in Melaka.
Both of them have a special and beautiful names. When I met Joern and Wilking before their wedding, I was introduced to their cute little one year-old son, Xerxes. First thing which came into my mind of the name Xerces was the Persian King from the film ‘300’, and I was right. Wilking named his name after the great king of Persian and hoping his son to be someone great and mighty.
In the morning of their big day, I photographed at Joern’s place during her make-up while Brendon covering groom’s preparation. There were many vintage Oriental prints on Joern’s wall, that tells why Joern was wearing traditional Chinese gown instead of white gown. Qiao-Yi from M Nicole Make Up did a great job making the bride just looked gorgeous.
When Wilking arrived at the bride’s place, gate crush game commenced with yoga on foot massage stones, team-walking on chairs, treasure hunt in flour, and the most disgusting one, biting the ice-cream made of wasabi, insect herbs, vinegar and many secret ingredients in order to get the right key hid in the ice-cream for opening the house door.
After vowing and pleasing the beautiful bride, Wilking finally got to take his wife and offered tea to their parents and elders from the family.
Joern and Wilking’s evening reception at Lu Yeh Yen Restaurant was one of the largest receptions we photographed. Over 800 of guests attended the evening reception.
It was also our first time working with JC Studio videography team from KL and it was so great working with them, such a professional and humble videography team, and I would recommend them for wedding videography. Feel free to drop by their FB page (https://www.facebook.com/jcstudio.my).
Thanks again to Joern and Wilking for trusting in us, and congratulation! Wishing them lots of wonderful moments of togetherness now and always, and a lifetime of happiness.
May all beings bEE happy.
About CJ
Hi! I am CJ, blogger of Juesatta and photographer of CJ Photography.
I love and enjoy photography, thus make me a lifestyle wedding photojournalist and portrait photographer based in Melaka, a lovely town full of history and characters in Malaysia.
Wedding is the sweetest thing of one’s life because it celebrates love, therefore I have always been passionate for capturing beautiful, natural and romantic wedding day images of moments for couples to be cherished a lifetime.
Drop me an email cj@cjfen.com and will be great to hear from you!