Fiers A Cheval, Enlightened Canberra

March 12, 2014 by [ayu]

It’s mid March now, which means we were just celebrating another year of Canberra’s birthday at the Nation’s Capital. From end of February to the first weeks of March (which ended last weekend), Canberra was ‘bustling’ with activities and festivities. I always welcome the annual Enlighten weeks, and furthermore, every year there’s always something different that’s being featured all over town. We had Sienta la Cabeza and acrobatics at the Aero Dome last year, this year we had a whole lot […]

Categories: telling stories • Tags: Canberra, Enlighten, Enlighten 2014, Fiers a Cheval

52 Portrait Project – 5/52

February 2, 2014 by [ayu]

This father & daughter moment was captured from far away, using a 80-200mm lens lent to me by a dear friend. I’ve been watching my family playing with some cheap toys we just bought at the local bazaar at the outside lawn of the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar. The sun was almost setting, though it still shone very brightly. These two weren’t even aware that I was following them with my lens. I love how the essence of […]

Categories: 52 Portrait Project 2014, telling stories • Tags: 52 Portrait Project, 52 Project 2014, family, father daughter, Lifestyle photography, playful

The Nutcracker’s Soldier

December 15, 2013 by [ayu]

Million things are happening days before Christmas Day. There are all the shopping, the baking and entertaining, singing concerts, and for us this year, we have also Ms 5’s first ballet concert put in the mix. Her preparatory class was performing parts of Nutcracker a week ago, and she’s one of the soldiers. The way it was set up was very casual, considering the young age of the dancers. We parents were allowed to approach the stage after each class […]

Categories: telling stories • Tags: ballet performance, christmas, dance, first ballet concert, little kids ballet, nutcracker, portrait

the wild west

December 14, 2013 by [ayu]

My children are at the enjoyable age to hang around with. Yes they fight sometimes, but they also love to play together. When they play, it’s so much fun to watch, or listen to. They are not always welcome spectators, let alone a spectator with a lens, but this one day, they didn’t mind me hovering around. The scene was the Wild West. We just got back from a local fair where my son bought a Cowboys showbag. As soon […]

Categories: telling stories • Tags: child play, childhood, children photography, cowboy play, Lifestyle photography, portrait

the party gig

November 2, 2013 by [ayu]

Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to do another gig, which was to document a special birthday party. I was excited for this gig, because this type of photography, lifestyle photography, is exactly what I aim to specialise on, in my photography services. I love this type of people photography because I love taking portraits of people. Period. And this type of people photography, it’s all about documenting real-life events, which tend to have more emotional value to those […]

Categories: telling stories • Tags: birthday party, bungendore, event portraiture, Lifestyle photography, party gig, photography, photography services, the scented rose garden and tea house

tiny models – my first photography gig

October 17, 2013 by [ayu]

A few months ago, I saw an article in Nikon magazine (April 2013 issue) about taking pin-sharp macro shots. The subject was a tiny car model. The idea was to take a very sharp photo of a tiny car model using macro lens. I remember how I glanced at it and quickly shrugged it off thinking what’s so special about it? Well, this blatant ignorance to this possible new knowledge was due to 1) my lack of lens; yes, I […]

Categories: telling stories • Tags: learning photography, macro lens, macro shots, new business, photography job

water play

September 30, 2013 by [ayu]

Who doesn’t love a holiday. No one, that’s who. Even a simple play and swim at the pool, somehow, felt different when you are on your holiday. We are taking a couple of weeks off of our ‘normal life’ and have been spending our days in Singapore. Leaving windy and cold Canberra, I welcome the change of temperature with a happy heart. For my kids, though, the hot and humid temperature was quite a shock. Haven’t been used to sweat […]

Categories: telling stories • Tags: holiday, singapore, swimming pool, water splash

the colors of ASEAN

August 21, 2013 by [ayu]

On one Saturday, about two weeks ago, an event was held in ANU to celebrate ASEAN day (known to be observed on the 8th of August). As it always happens when people from many countries and cultures gather together, there was a lot of food, drink and loads of merry-making. From behind the lens, it was the splash of colours from various traditional costumes worn by most of the performers that really brightened the day in the most spectacular way. […]

Categories: telling stories • Tags: ASEAN day, Canberra Day, colours, Indonesian dancers, traditional costumes

frisbee fun

June 21, 2013 by [ayu]

Throwing and catching frisbee is always so much fun. And catching funny expressions when my kids were playing frisbee, apparently, was also a lot of fun. I wish I had a big zoom lens so I could stand at a safe place and worried only about how fast my shutter speed needed to be and played with the zoom. No. That’d be too easy. Packing light, with only my 50mm in tow, I had to stand very close to get […]

Categories: telling stories

the perfect dusk

May 13, 2013 by [ayu]

What I feel when standing in a beautiful place that is gleaming with golden hour light can be likened to a kid who stands in the middle of a candy shop. Wide eyed and excited, we like everything we see and we want to take it home. And there is A LOT of things we like. However, unlike the colourful candies that a kid can buy and take home, I can only take the beautiful view I see and capture it […]

Categories: going places, telling stories • Tags: autumn, dusk, friendship, Golden Hour, Lanyon Homestead

best friends

April 30, 2013 by [ayu]

Here is my Ms. 5 with her best friend Caspar. They started school when they were 3, and  they have been friends ever since. They rarely see each other now because they don’t go to the same school anymore. To organise a playdate on the weekend is a pain, and our weekdays are packed with schools and after-school activities. So you can imagine her excitement on the day when I took these photos. It was Caspar’s little brother’s birthday, and […]

Categories: telling stories • Tags: birthday party, friendship, fun, laughter, magician

curls

April 12, 2013 by [ayu]

Weddings are special. Everybody involved feels the buzz. The vibe. The happy wedding joy. Everybody dresses in a special -even prettier than your usual Sunday’s best- way. Looking at the top of this beautiful mass of curls we know that this little flower girl is ready to roll. Let’s get the party started… Hair by Suzi Owusu

Categories: telling stories • Tags: curly hair, flower girl, wedding