SHOTS BY ASHLEY™ | Sabah Wedding Photographer

Weddings + Bridals ~ Best of 2010

2011-01-29T18:14:00.015+08:00

I know... it's been a while :p So let me just compile all of the best moments in wedding & bridal photos I've come up with in 2010. I'll be updating this blog consistently now. So please bear with me if the images that you are about to see in this post are more than you expected ;)

A Pre-wedding of Mark & Emily

2010-05-18T12:38:00.002+08:00

I just love shooting pre-weds. I'm glad Mark & Emily gave this opportunity to me to shoot them along side my mates, KC and Manch who invited me for this shoot. Here's a peek of some of the shots I captured for Mark & Emily.

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Wedding Preparation: Penky - September

2009-10-21T17:09:00.013+08:00

These photos were taken when I was assigned by a friend of mine who required my help to cover the preparation session of the bride. I was more than happy to be of help to my fellow photographer friend. This shoot was done quite in an a rush as I was supposed to cover a Hari Raya event at Kawang few hours after. Penky's the wife to my friend Chris Pereira. Chris, I hope you like these photos as much as I enjoyed taking them. :)

(Click on the images to enlarge them)

Sunday Outing with Fellow Photographers

2009-09-29T12:17:00.010+08:00

Took these photos while I was in my 11-day "holiday". I enjoyed every minute of the outing. It has been a while since I shoot these kinds of shots. Got up early in the morning and followed Fred, Dhillon and Jolene to this place as early as 6am on a very sunny Sunday. These shots were taken at Mengkabong and around the City of Kota Kinabalu. 70-200mm and 17-50mm (personal favourite) lenses were used.

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Wedding: Kurt & Sylvia - May 30th, 2009

2009-07-17T13:44:00.006+08:00

*Phew*... Finally, I managed to finish half of work from my KIV tray (At least, for now). After all that, I finally got the time to post up something at my semi-neglected blog :P. So here goes...

This is a wonderful wedding between Kurt & Sylvia and these two love birds were fun work to with. They told me they were quite of a camera shy kind of person. But that proved wrong when I covered their wedding. In fact, they looked great in every each of their photos with their flattering characters. Though it's hard to get Kurt smile all the time, but eventually, he did - and he got a great smile! The day started off at 7am to 11pm. It was tiring, but it was worth it. Here are some of the photos that I really like.

(Click on the images to enlarge them)

Another Addition to my Gears

2009-07-16T13:14:00.011+08:00

I got myself the Canon BG-E2N Battery Grip and my Canon 50D looks even bulkier now! In truth, the weight really put some strain to my neck when it's clipped on, but it had to be there for some reasons. I love to take portraits and with this grip I can do so with ease. Not that I can't take any portrait shots without it, but by having it make my portrait shots more stable and vertically aligned. This is due to the positioning of my hands when shooting that way. I've tried shooting vertically when I first bought the 50D and I feel kind of awkward by doing so without the grip (It seems I'm too used to battery grips ever since I used one with my previous 450D and 1000D). So this grip solves that problem.

The extra battery compartment helps alot! There are slots for 2 batteries, although I only managed to use only one at the moment. This will be crucial when it comes to shooting a one-whole-day weddings or events as the extra power proves to be useful. It even has a weather seal foam that helps to prevent water or dust from entering the compartment and disrupt the electrical parts of the grip. I guess this thing is really engineered for harsh environments. Very useful if you're a nature photographer.

The battery grip is just one of the things that are in my gear list in preparation for my next wedding assignments. I'm also considering the Canon 580 EX II Speedlight, but at the moment, my Nissin Di622 would do just fine.

There's a NEW Toy in Town!

2009-07-13T08:52:00.023+08:00

Images courtesy of KenRockwell.com

Got the Canon EOS 50D SLR that I've been craving for after I sold my ever-so-reliable 450D to a friend of mine :). The 450D's got its new owner now and I know it will be well taken cared of.

Bought the 50D for a "reasonable" price at one of the local shops here and it's been with me for the past 10 days now. The reason I'm buying it is due to the experience I had over the last few wedding shoots I've been doing. I really admire the 2 customizable settings of the 50D which the 450D was lack of. It's very useful when I want to switch from shooting with flash to not using one. One flick and you get the right settings in an instant. Apart from that, I really like the magnesium alloy body which is very durable, yet light (lighter than 40D, i think). Bigger body means more space for my big hands to hold on. No battery grip is needed to fit your hands unless, of course, you want that extra battery clipped and hand grip for vertical shootings.

I don't really mind the 15.1MP and the DIGIC 4 processor that are being offered, though. For me, they're just added bonuses. Was thinking of getting the 40D with its 10.1MP at first. But what turned me away from it was the lack of the 920,000 dots LCD screen with 3 anti-reflecting layers, which the 50D is offering. Viewing my photos under direct sunlight has never been better!

The 50D's ultra-sonic shutter sound really comes in handy when shooting in quiet areas such as churches. I remembered the time when I was shooting extensively during the priest's reading in the church and he was staring at me as if i was bugging him. That's because the 450D's shutter sound is quite noisy. Try shooting a 450D continuously at 3.5 fps in a church while he's giving his speech. That would totally pissed him off! :P

All in all, I'm glad I have this baby. I can't wait to shoot with it. But for now, I have to rush on some unfinished matters. Till then, guys!

Oh, will post some photos with my new baby soon. So stay tuned. ;D

Pre-Wedding: Farruq & Maria - June 14th, 2009

2009-06-16T15:53:00.010+08:00

Hi Guys! I don't know where to start because I'm quite in a hurry. So, I just make this post short and simple. Went to a pre-wed photography session with Tnuz, KC and ManCh last Sunday and here are my favourites from this beautiful couple's photo shoot. (P/S - Will post up some more photos in this coming week. In the mean time, have to finish off all those KIVs :p)

(Click on the images to enlarge them)

Wedding: Richard Gower & Nora Tangau - April 25th, 2009

2009-05-06T10:06:00.015+08:00

Hey guys! It's been a busy week for me lately as I was packed and loaded with office work.

So anyway, I was covering a wedding last Saturday for Richard Gower & Nora Tangau and, my, it was a tiring one since it started off at 7am till 6pm. I was at Palace Hotel for the preparation of the bride, church matrimony at Sacred Heart Cathedral and finally to the wedding reception at Putera Ballroom, Bukit Padang. It was a beautiful wedding indeed and I was glad to be their official photographer for the day. Here are some of the photos that I managed to get from the wedding.

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I even managed to create a slide show of their wonderful wedding.

Project : Sunday Stroll Along The Beach

2009-04-16T14:36:00.012+08:00

Time to head out to the beach! This time, with FOP (Fellowship of Photographers) and Calista Liew. It was Sunday morning and it's indeed a very nice day to shoot outdoor. Calista was nervous when I told her that there are going to be 8 of us shooting on that day. But eventually, we all got along well after first few shots. Here are some of the shots that I managed to come up with. Special thanks to Calista Liew for being the model for the day, Chroe Cham for the makeup and to all my fellow friends - Arthur, Tnuz, Sidney, Fred, ManChew, Yazid and AhPhin for the support and ideas during the day.

(Click on the images to enlarge them)
** Sunday Stroll Along The Beach **

Concept & Art Direction : Ashley Daniel Koh
Photography & Post-Processing : Ashley Daniel Koh
Model : Calista Liew
With the assistance of : FOP Photography
Hair & Makeup : Chroe Cham
Styling : Calista Liew
Wardrobe : Calista's Own

Continuation of Project : METROPOLITAN - The City's Found Its Attitude

2009-04-09T14:59:00.009+08:00

Project: "METROPOLITAN - The City's Found Its Attitude" continues again with the inclusion of yet another style - this time, blond fringe. Jeffie Jeff transformed Kelly into a blond from out of nowhere. Again, Jeffie Jeff's make up and concept really stands out among the bustling metropolis as the background. Credit goes to Kelly Joeman and Keddy Mahdfuz for being very professional during the shoot.

(Click on the images to enlarge them)

** METROPOLITAN : The City's Found Its Attitude **

Concept & Art Direction : Jeffie Jeff
Photography & Post-Processing : Ashley Daniel Koh
Assistant Photographer : Yazid Yuzairie Yunos
Model: Kelly Joeman & Keddy Mahdfuz
Hair & Makeup : Jeffie Jeff (www.makeupbyjeff.blogspot.com )
Styling : Nicky Sano Geo
Wardrobe : J's Collection ( Email : jeffray_rulez@yahoo.com )

The Beginning of a Fellowship

2009-04-08T13:41:00.011+08:00

I finally came up with a banner design for our group, FOP (Fellowship of Photographers). These photos were taken by Arthur "The StiXX" Lee using Tnuz's Canon 1000D during our photo shoot with Calista Liew the other day. Why I said "These" instead of "this" is because these are actually a compilation of 9 photos of each individuals. So, I thought why don't I give it a go and come up with a group photo instead. I've also enhanced the photos in Photoshop to make it more stand out and Voila!

Basically, FOP is just a group of photography enthusiasts which consists of 9 (thus far) photographers - Arthur, Ah Phin, Yours Truly, ManChew, Sidney, Tnuz, Fred, YaZid and Casey. We've just started this group about few months ago.

By the way, I will be posting the shots of Calista Liew soon enough. So stay tuned!

Project : METROPOLITAN - The City's Found Its Attitude

2009-03-23T14:47:00.021+08:00

Here are the complete photo shoot of Project: "METROPOLITAN - The City's Found Its Attitude". It's a collaboration between me and Jeffie Jeff. As usual, Jeffie Jeff's make up is a work of art. Special thanks goes to Kelly Joeman who had been brilliant during the day as our main model.

(Click on the images to enlarge them)
** METROPOLITAN : The City's Found Its Attitude **

Concept & Art Direction : Jeffie Jeff
Photography & Post-Processing : Ashley Daniel Koh
Assistant Photographer : Yazid Yuzairie Yunos
Model: Kelly Joeman
Hair & Makeup : Jeffie Jeff (www.makeupbyjeff.blogspot.com )
Styling : Nicky Sano Geo
Wardrobe : J's Collection ( Email : jeffray_rulez@yahoo.com )

Gettin' Crazy with ma' Flash!

2009-03-20T14:17:00.012+08:00

About a week ago, my relatives organized a barbecue at my uncle's house. So I figured it was the right time to get few shots of each of my family members. At first, I was planning to hone my skills in black & white photo shooting, but then I was distracted by my fellow cousins (mostly half a younger than my age) at the backyard. Seeing them jumping and playing around makes me wonder if I can take photos of them to make them quiet a little bit (at least before my intimidating uncle started to scold them for being too noisy :P).

It was fairly dark at the backyard. So I have to rely on my flash together with the right exposure to get some good shots. Even managing them to pose was a challenge! Kids running around without listening to your instructions can sometimes lead to a certain "disturbia" in your head. Fortunately, I happened to be quite a convincing type of person - told them that if they don't stop running, I won't allow them to be in the photos. It worked well ;). Check out the photos of these little rascals.

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EDGAR'S Miss Borneo 2009 : Heat 1

2009-03-14T18:41:00.024+08:00

After settling in well with my newly purchased flash gun, I finally have a reason to shoot in the dark (missing out the Miss D'junction event was due to the excuse of not having an external flash :P). I was informed by Arthur "The StiXX" Lee and Man Chew about it. So i figured that will be the right place to flag off my flash capability. Here are some of the shots that I managed to get with my new toy.

Advertise! Advertise! Advertise!

2009-02-20T10:56:00.003+08:00

Just come up with an advertisement of my own. Just a simple one for the time being will do.

(Click on the Advertisement above to see in full size)

A wedding around the corner? An engagement in mind?

How about birthday parties? Official functions to be held?

Looking for a photographer for an event at a reasonable price?

Look no further! Currently catering clients from around Kota Kinabalu, "Shots by Ashley" will be the right choice to cater your photography needs! Price from as low as RM500* per event, it won't get any better than this! Have a look at my portfolio for photo samples at http://ShotsByAshley.blogspot.com

What you can expect:
- Each shots will be unique and memorable!
- Quality in every shot! Each photo will be enhanced as I am also a Graphic Designer!
- Finished photos will be provided in a special DVD in its own case, which will also include a specially printed DVD cover courtesy of Shots by Ashley!

So what are you waiting for? Contact me now for more info!

*Price will vary according to the events in terms of the amount of days an event will be held as well as the amount of people that will be attending the event.

Candids All The Way

2009-02-13T13:02:00.000+08:00

I have always been a fan of candid photography. Having the right shot at the right moment can produce a phenomenal meaning towards the composition of the shot taken. Not only it is challenging (since I need to wait for the right moment before I can shoot it, apart from adjusting the right settings for each shot) but it also helps me to understand what the situation is like or likely to happen. Observation is the key for candid photography, where you need to keep on the lookout for some unique action that most people would usually miss out through naked eye. Think out of the box at all times can help too. By expecting the unexpected, you'd be able to achieve great shots that would leave you in awe along the way.

Candid photography can be described as a street photography as well. You need to be well prepared, well equipped and most of all, well aware of the situation. Clothing, for example, can play a major role as a candid photographer. Always wear comfortable clothing and footwear. You'll never know what you might bump in your pursuit - rain, hot weather, slippery floor, uneven landscapes or even insects distraction (ants, mosquitoes and leeches to name a few). I normally wear a simple, light-weighted cotton or nylon t-shirt and a bermuda with loads of pockets as my attire. For footwear, I would recommend getting those that are comfortable and light. This is useful if you are going to travel long distance where weight and comfort is an issue. You would also need to consider getting a backpack or a sling pouch/bag to carry your camera(s) or/and lens(es). It's better to keep your balance right and your hands for more important things, such as handling the camera and manouvering through walls, holes or rocks without worrying about getting your expensive equipment wet. Keep in mind that weight, flexibility and balance plays a major role in dressing up as candid or street photographer.

Enough about that, here are some of the candid shots that I managed to take thus far.

I have some interest in landscape photography as well but I don't always take photos of scenery as often as candids. But anyways, here are some of it.

Landscape Photoshoot, Kionsom Falls - Feb 8th, 2009

2009-02-12T16:33:00.000+08:00

Right after the model photo shoot with Edward and the gang, Fred and I headed for our next photo shooting destination - the Kionsom Falls. Fellow photographers, Tnuz and KC was already in Inanam waiting for us for the meet up. We reached the place at about 10:15am, bought the tickets and go straight in to do our stuff. It was kind of slippery especially on those moss-damped rocks. I almost lose my balance and fall at one time (if it's not for KC, I would have already gone swimming with my camera).

After snapping few shots here and there, Tnuz finally came and told us that it's better for us to head for the taller ones up ahead. We're confused of the route to the falls at first, but with the help from the old guy at the ticket counter to guide us there, we managed to find it. The guide was with us all along. We crossed the river, trekked the jungle, jumped from stones to stones and even walking against the mighty current of the falls to reach our main destination. After 20 minutes of dwelling against mother nature, we finally saw it - the 30-foot (or is it?) water fall right in front of us. Here are some of the the photos that I managed to snapped.

The DSLR Commandos - Yours Truly, KC, Fred & Tnuz

The Tallest of all the falls in Kionsom

Reminiscing The Good Ol' EOS 1000D Moments

2009-02-11T19:24:00.000+08:00

Canon EOS 1000D - My very first DSLR camera - will be forever remembered as it has been of great contribution to my techniques and skills on handling a Digital SLR. Bought for about RM1,999 in the early days of December 2008, it has been with me for almost everyday of my life ever since. With its 10.1MP and Liveview capabilities together with its kit lens of EF-S 18-55mm, it was a great and useful instrument indeed.

I've once started of with compact cameras. But ever since my friends urge me to get an SLR instead, I've no regrets at all. I started taking photos of a lot of things - animals, abstracts, people, landscapes.

It was until January 2009 (a month later) when I decided to switch to the EOS 450D when my uncle decided to buy it from me. After sold it for a somewhat "reasonable" price to my uncle, I finally got my EOS 450D.

Here are some of the photos that I managed to shoot using my first DSLR.

Model Photoshoot, Evelyn Kong - Feb 8th, 2009

2009-02-11T19:04:00.000+08:00

Joining this model photo shoot session was actually Fred's idea. Fred, who is a fellow photographer asked me whether I can wake up by 5:30am, on a Sunday morning for it. At first, I didn't know we would be going to a model photo shoot. I thought it was going to be a sunrise photography session since the time that he come up with was the right time to shoot one. So I just prepared myself that morning without knowing what will I be in.

We arrived at Marina Court at about 6am. Then I saw few photographers (about 8 of them) and a lady who is standing in the middle of the group. No doubt it's a model photo shoot session. Thanks to Fred, I managed to make friends with other photographers, namely Ah Yap, Edward, Lenard, Eddie, Victor, Yong and the Model, Evelyn. Most of them are Nikon users and I can see that they have been in photography for quite some time. Me, I'm just a newbie. But that doesn't stop me from doing my stuff at all. In fact, their presence makes me feel comfortable during the photo shoot. They taught me a lot and shared some tips to me to improve my photography ability. To top it all, here are some of the photos that I managed to come up with.

Wedding: Dos & May - Jan 29th, 2009

2009-02-11T17:30:00.004+08:00

It was a fairly relaxing Friday at the time. I was still in my long Chinese New Year holidays and I was about to get into something interesting - Arthur (The StiXX) and I were planning to shoot wedding photography. The church reception was in Stella Maris Church, Tanjung Aru. Met up with Arthur at about 10:30am, discussing about our gear arrangements & settings, and a few minutes later, we're already all set for the event. Here are the results of what would be a lovely wedding between Dos & May.

A high tea reception in Pan-Pacific Sutera was held shortly after the church reception was over.

Just Started My New Blog! hurrah!

2009-02-06T13:59:00.000+08:00

After further discussion with my own self, and of course, recommendations from few friends, I finally come up with my very own blog.

I really don't know where to start in this newly established blog of mine. But perhaps I can start of by introducing myself to whoever is currently reading this. Here goes...

The name's Ashley Daniel Koh. I'm a 1-quartered Chinese, 3-quartered Kadazan type of human being. So Chinese language is totally out of my dictionary.... well, make that Kadazan language as well. I normally converse mainly in English and Malay together with, for some strange reason, a simple added mixture of different kinds of dialects - Bajau, Bugis, Dusun - into the languages I normally used (Perhaps, it's because of the range of friends I have and by that I learned their "slangs"). But... preferrably, English.

I was schooled in SRK Sacred Heart and later Sabah College..... enough about that. If you want to know, just add me in Facebook and read all the infos there. Don't get me start of with my IC Number, my hobbies, or even the amount of SEX I had in a week... :P

But what I DO want you guys to know is that I'm a Graphic Designer. A simple, dedicated and talented Graphic Designer. Apart from that, I've just upgraded myself into a Semi-Professional Photographer.

So, this blog will be mainly about my works in Graphic Design and Photography. Probably, a few snippets about my activities. Hope you guys will have the benefit of reading my blog as well as being entertained by it.

Til then, Cheers!

Ashley Koh