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Couldn’t have done it without teamwork

The past few weeks have been hectic, to say the least. On the 9th of October, I delivered a beautiful baby boy, whom we named Kyle Ezra Lam. My birth story is really a huge testimony unto God but I’ll save that for another blog post! And just last week, my dad fell ill, was hospitalised and passed away at the age of 81. I have been emotionally and physically drained from all that running around AND recovering from a c-sec operation. Before going on maternity leave, I hardly had time to rest because September was a busy month with 10 wedding shoots, lots of lifestyle shoots, a photography exhibition at Art Square in Bangsar, and an Ibu Tots fair at Publika.

It’s times like these that make me even more thankful for a wonderful team of people who have walked alongside me. Without them, everything wouldn’t have been possible.

Diane – For holding the fort when it comes to enquiries, communication with so many different clients and all with their own different needs, and for making time despite all of my demands to even do family shoots. Juggling this role is a really difficult and extremely time consuming one, but you never complained and you give 110% all the time. Thanks also for coming to take photos of my dad’s funeral last week.

Weiming, Nigel & Jamie – My core photography team! For tirelessly working on wedding shoots especially, editing till your eyes go a little blurry from seeing thousands of photos and creating albums and slideshows diligently. You guys (and gal!) are the backbone to Stories. People usually only see what happens in the forefront during a shoot, but they don’t see the hours of dedication that you guys put into every single image that comes back after that. I am so proud of all of you and how well you’ve done. I am especially pleased whenever I see beautiful images coming back after every single wedding.

Weiming, you are juggling many roles as well, but what I admire most is your sense of excellence that you place on everything you do. You always want to give your best, not just to the work that you do, but to the things you hold dear to your heart. Nigel, I love your can-do attitude, and really easy-going nature that makes you such a joy to work with! Jamie… you add fun and laughter to the team and always welcome a challenge, even though I sometimes place you in difficult situations! 

Chi Yin – Though you are new to the team, but your dedication, hard work and efficiency can be seen clearly! Keep up the good work in shooting videos and editing them!

Johan & Ben – Your support through the years has really humbled me. I appreciate everything you have done for the team and for your ideas, energy and always giving your all! You are like family, no matter how far we go, the bond is always there.

Delvin, Nick, Felicia, Wee Liem, Joshua, King, Lester and many more – An amazing video team that always strives for excellence. A special mention to Delvin, Nick and Felicia especially as they have been really hardworking the past few weeks. Thank you for your contribution! Love all of your work!

Sara, our intern – Every little thing you do is a big contribution to us. Hope you are learning heaps and enjoy working with us!

And finally, my husband Alex – you are my everything. Enough said!

I look forward to more years of shooting together, and creating magic behind the camera!

If you’d like to read more about the team, please check out everyone’s profiles and work here.

Stories_teamoct2014A few of the team members here – (Left to right): Sara, Jamie, Nigel, Grace, Weiming, Chi Yin & Diane

ArtSquareExhibition01Art Square Exhibition of my images

20140920_IBU_TOTS_FAIR_004Ibu Tots Fair at Publika. 

20140920_IBU_TOTS_FAIR_09120140920_IBU_TOTS_FAIR_00920141009_KYLE_BIRTH_02The arrival of my 2nd child, Kyle Ezra Lam.  

 

Introducing… The Stories Gift Pack!

2014_STORIES_GIFTPACK_23 I am really excited to be able to share with you a recent development that we’ve been working on the past few months. In the past, we’ve had requests to purchase our photography service as a gift for friends or family members. We’ve printed personalised vouchers and sent it out to the lucky recipients, but all these were done on an ad hoc basis.

So now, we’ve officially launched the Stories Gift Pack! Currently, the gift pack is only available for our Lifestyle Photography packages (Studio or Outdoor shoots for family portraiture, maternity, newborn or anytime portraits). Each gift pack is valued differently to suit various budgets. You can purchase the Stories Gift Pack at our online store where we will courier to any location within Malaysia at no extra cost, or you can walk into participating stores and buy it off the shelf at a discounted rate.

At the moment, the only physical store you can purchase these gift packs is from Blue Dot Baby in Bangsar Village. The gift pack is valid for a year from the date of purchase.

2014_STORIES_GIFTPACK_25So how do you redeem a session? It’s really easy. Head on over to our store page and fill up the form with your details, preferred shoot dates and voucher code that is unique to each gift pack.

If you’d like to enquire about our lifestyle photography services for yourself, do keep in mind that we do have other options listed in terms of packages and pricing, so head on over to our usual contact us form to get our rate card.

Thank you for your support, especially to all our returning clients who have entrusted us to capture your family history… from your wedding to your maternity photos and family portraits. Some of you have recommended friends our way, and for that, we’re truly grateful.

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What Motivates Us

If I could sum up everything in one word, it would be LEGACY. What connects us and brings us together as visual storytellers? It is the idea that we are creating something that will far outlast ourselves. The love that you share as a couple, the memories of your parents, your child as she takes her first step… we want to record these precious moments and build a family legacy that you can look back on, years from now… and remember.

I hope this video will give you a glimpse into our thoughts and motivations and why we keep on doing what we do.

Lots of love,
The Stories Team

Credits:
Filmed by: The Stories Team, Edited by Felicia.

Stories Family Feature: Johan Sopiee

It’s time for another feature on one of our longest serving Stories family member… Johan Sopiee! Years ago, I got to know Johan through a photography workshop. We didn’t know each other very well, so it surprised me one day when he emailed me to ask if he could shoot with me. Honestly, I had just started out in the wedding photography business, and wondered why would anyone want to shoot with an unknown photographer like me who was still trying to define her style? (also, we didn’t have too many confirmed bookings at that time).

So for reasons unknown to me then, Johan and I started photographing weddings together. We had to adjust to each other’s shooting style and colours (I was with Canon and he was with Nikon, until one day, he said, I will switch to Canon if it made your job easier! Hurray!). Eventually, an unlikely partnership turned out really well.

Johan is one of the most humble persons I know. He always says that he is learning, but he has more experience in photography than anyone else in my team. I really admire that spirit of his, always desiring to do better, and always wanting to learn from others, even if the person he is learning from is the most junior in the team.

He always contributes ideas to make things better, which I appreciate a lot. Johan has shot so many weddings, so he is well versed with all sorts of cultural traditions from many different wedding ceremonies. Initially when you meet him, he seems like a really serious person, but he does have a wacky side to him (which usually surfaces during shoots!).

Johan, I am really happy to have you as part of the Stories team. You are indeed such a blessing to us, and we really love you very much.

Read more about Johan’s background here.

1. Describe what you do at Stories and what you love about your role as a photographer

I’m a Stories photographer and I enjoy photographing couples in love and loving family moments with flare, bokeh and reflections.

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View more images from Chris & Anusha’s Hindu wedding and garden wedding.

2. Why do you like shooting weddings?

I like shooting weddings because every event is a new experience, with unique challenges and filled with joyous moments to capture. And they’re such fun too!

3. What was your most exciting / memorable experience with Stories

Photographically, the most exciting time for me was when I discovered how nicely flare can engulf and yet gently caress the loving couple in the photos I capture. The best weddings are when the newlyweds and their family are so happy with their photos that they are lost for words. Sometimes we can even see them “say” it with their smiles and it shows in their eyes.

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Stories Family Feature: Nigel Lim

I am really excited to announce our latest addition to the Stories family – Nigel Lim! As our family grows bigger, we hope to be able to cater to everyone’s needs in a better and even more efficient way. I believe that we have a strong team of people who are dedicated, passionate and able to deliver good work to all our clients. Nigel, we’re excited to have you join us, and we are definitely looking forward to seeing amazing work coming from you in the near future. Below are some of Nigel’s images that were created in the recent past.

Nigel found his love for photography and videography at a very young age. When he was 10, he held a camera and started taking photos/videos whenever he was on a family vacation. It was just a hobby for him at that time. Since then, he never stopped doing what he loves most.

In 2008, Nigel got himself a DSLR. It was still quite a new thing back then. Without any help, he explored the camera all by himself and that’s when he realized he had an eye for photography.

After finishing high school and college, he decided to study photography more in depth. Nigel took up a degree in RMIT Melbourne and he studied Bachelor of Arts (Photography). While he was there, he covered some weddings and events part time. It was also as an avenue for him to improve his skills. This was when he decided to make photography his career.

After graduation, Nigel flew back to Malaysia and continues to pursue his dream here.

Nigel’s ability in wedding photography is to capture split-second precious “aww” moments. He loves paying attention to details. Building a good relationship with his clients are important to him because it will ensure that he and his clients will have a stress-free, fun, and happy day on their special occasion.

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