Since last year, I’ve been thinking about going up Mount Kinabalu in 2010 to celebrate my 30th birthday. But I got so immersed in work that April came and left without a trip booked. So when one of my good friends Chai Yen called me up and asked whether or not I was keen on taking up a last minute opening for Mount Kinabalu, without thinking, I just said yes.

Even though I only had three weeks notice, even though my fitness level was at its lowest point as I hadn’t been working out regularly, even though I was bogged down with a backlog of work, I said yes.

And when I said ok, I realised that it was all in place.

This was gonna be my third time up Mount Kinabalu, on the month of my third anniversary as a full-time photographer, on the year I turned thirty – it was a multitude of threes ;) Coincidentally, after I was done with preparing the layout for the below pictures, I realised that most of the below formation was in three’s. Funny how the subconscious mind works!

How was the hike third time round? Honestly? I was bloody knackered BUT I absolutely loved every bit of it! As we hiked up the mountain, it was a great time for reflection – on my family, friends, career and just how lucky and humbled I am to be able to make this journey again up the mountain, to revel in the beauty of the surroundings, to realise that at that point in time, I felt like the most blessed person on the face of this planet. Yes, I think the high altitude got to my head.

Before I end up emo-ing even further about how I felt throughout the entire trip, I best shut up and let the pictures do the talking. Without further ado, here are some of my favourite images from the trip :)

Mesilau trail is so much more scenic compared to Timpohon *heart*

Hi there, lil buddy!


Some parts of the trail was like a scene out of Lord of the Rings. I was expecting a hobbit to hop out at any point in time :p


We were blessed with absolutely gorgeous weather!

Hello love :) We meet again!


You wouldn’t even be able to tell whether or not I had snot up my nose in this get up :p

Back in April, I headed down to Malacca to get some updated images for Soon Wei’s family’s printing business. Mind you, this was no ordinary printing business as they’ve been in the industry for 70 years and one of the original printing outfit is still running in the historical city.

The Royal Press which is near Jonker Street was the main subject for the shoot and we also took the opportunity to get some profile shots for Soon Wei.

I must say, I was impressed by the fact that almost everything at The Royal Press still remains as it was 70 years ago – the letterpress, the machines even the supervisor there ;) a lady who has been working there for, if I recall correctly, 40 odd years. We started off with capturing details around The Royal Press and the second half of the shoot were profile shots of Soon Wei.

Soon Wei, thanks for sharing your family’s history with us. Sure hope that the plans of preserving The Royal Press and sharing it as a museum with the public goes through. It was definitely an eye opener to see how much effort was put into printing in the olden days!

Sharmilla and I have been corresponding since January this year, when she wrote to me to enquire about a portrait session with her fiance Ram, something that they wanted done a month before their wedding day in October. As she shared bits and pieces of her life with me via her emails, she also mentioned that she and Ram were somewhat camera shy. I thought to myself “Bring on the challenge!”.

The day came and I was pleasantly surprised as to how their ‘camera shy-ness’ translated into images that celebrated love. Well, for me anyway. Camera shy? That was absolute BS actually. Sharmilla and Ram were a breeze to shoot!

The fact that they’ve been friends for aaaaaaaaa…aaaaages could be seen through their comfortable body language, the bashful looks that Ram gave Sharmilla whenever she teased him, the radiance of both their smiles (which actually made me feel a bit self conscious about my crooked teeth :p), their infectious laughter, all that and more blew me away. Not literally of course ;)

I had so much fun shooting these images that while editing them, I thought to myself how blessed I am to be able to meet couples like Sharmilla and Ram, couples who shared a part of their day and reminded me what it is like to be in love.

Yes, I am cheesy. But come on, admit it people, we all like a lil bit of cheese in our lives once in awhile :D

Sharmilla and Ram, I had fuuuuuun hanging out with you two that day! You were both so so natural in front of the lens, it seemed that you do photoshoots regularly ;p Hope you had heaps of fun during your wedding day recently. Here’s to a marriage filled with mutual understanding, shared goals, laughter and much love!