Blog - FIRE, WOOD & EARTH

New Zealand (Part One)

March 9, 2017

New Zealand is number 2 in our travel bucket list, and we were so glad that last year we made that dream come true!

We did 10 days amazing road trip in the South Island at the end of winter, and obviously it was nowhere near enough. The landscapes in the Kiwi country are so jaw dropping and they are so diverse, that’s what we love about it! No matter where you look, in every turns and corners, the views are postcard worthy.

The most exciting part of our trip was that we did the whole journey by driving a huge campervan. It was our first time ever and it was a lot of fun! All the thrills when looking for camping sites in the middle of nowhere, sharing a bowl of warm pasta to a fellow camper in a stormy night, until freezing our butts off sleeping inside the campervan during the cold nights…it’s irreplaceable memories.

It’s great to know that our campervan journey inspired many of our friends to do the same too! And we would recommend it to anyone really because in our opinion, camping is the best way to experience New Zealand.

There were still so many places we didn’t get to visit, and we can’t wait until the next time we come back there again!

This is the slideshow we made:

Here are the summary of thousands of photos we took during our trip..

Pham Family

February 28, 2017

From flatmates we became bestfriends. From bestfriends we became family. That’s what Quinn and Bao to us.

Although now distance separates us physically, we somehow become closer and our friendship amazingly growing stronger. The fact that we live in two different countries makes every time we meet again become that much more meaningful.

Especially in August last year, when we finally got to meet their little boy, Minh Dan. We couldn’t contain our excitement to meet him in person. He just turned one that time. He looked so cute with his tiny body and his serious-looking face.

It was a rare sunny day in winter, Bao had a day off so they decided to have a nice day out with Dan. We did a casual session at home before we went out for brunch at one of their favorite cafes in Brighton. After that we naturally paid a visit to Brighton beach to show Dan the colorful beach houses.

It’s amazing to witness their blissful life, in their beautiful home, with an adorable boy who melts our hearts. And there’s no better way than to freeze all of those wonderful things into a set of photographs so one day they all can look back and see how much they have grown as a family.

Su Lynne + Grant

January 14, 2017

My wife and I are always excited when exploring new places. Especially when people take us to beautiful places we’ve not known about or never been to before.

When deciding the location for the shoot, we asked Su Lynne and Grant to bring us around their neighborhood in Mornington Peninsula. During the drive, Su Lynne would also tell us stories about her childhood memories there. She showed us some places like where she used to walk few kms everyday to school and the area where her parents live. Grant who is a local there as well, took us to 2 different beaches to see. They were beautiful, but as soon as Grant showed me some pictures of this other place called The Pillars, I knew that we had to go do the shoot there.

We had a quick drive and reached the place just in time before the sunset. I told them to be as comfortable as they like and they decided to change their shoes to flip flops so it’s easier to walk on the rocks. The place looks amazing! Grant told us that in the early years he used to go there with friends to spend summer break. They would have fun doing cliff jump and stuff. We saw some people fishing or just chilling with beers there to enjoy sunset. People also camp there sometimes.

The sunset that day was perfect, and thanks to Grant’s warm and humorous personality he made the shoot so fun. He would tease Sushi (that’s what he called Su Lynne) and made her laugh with his witty comments. More than anything, we’re really thankful to this adorable couple for bringing us to see such wonderful place. Victoria is indeed the place to be.

Isabel + Meng Tat

December 20, 2016

As a wedding photographer, I had always wanted to document a wedding that is different.
Not just different in terms of the look, but one with a distinct story and vibe that can give me memorable experience which I can remember for a long time.
My wish came true when I got introduced to Isabel & Meng Tat.

Meng Tat is a pilot. Isabel is a designer. She loves his loving, chivalrous and cheesy nature. And he loves her for her quirkiness.

They both love travelling! Meng Tat would take Isabel to go on holiday trips and enjoy good food. They had many amazing and memorable adventures together, such as when they took a trip to Bali together and officially started their relationship. Isabel would always remember the special moment when Meng Tat stole a kiss from her cheek. Or when they did cycling and exploring around in Taiwan on their 1st year anniversary. Another one would be when they survived a trip to Mount Everest base camp, battered by weather and altitude sickness, it was indeed exceptional.

The most special one would be during their trip in India, where they stayed at a desert camp in Rajashtan. Meng Tat who likes astronomy often tells Isabel about planets and stars. That night, after a private dinner on top of the sand dunes, they were stargazing and he pointed out ‘Sirius’ the brightest star. He pretended to ‘pluck’ the star from the sky and suddenly popped up a ring which he was hiding in his hand..and that was when he asked Isabel to marry him.

Their wedding took place at Pine Hill camp in Bandung. A place that was perfect for Isabel and Meng Tat who wanted to do a destination wedding, with cool weather and high elevation as the criteria.

This wedding was so extraordinary because it was full of their personal touches and really described their unique personalities. From the custom-made wooden rings, the bridesmaids dresses and boho dress which Isabel made herself, to Isabel’s pompom sandals which was also a DIY. Their wedding was heavily inspired by Wes Anderson movies (their favorites), and also Isabel’s love of all things colorful. Every details were elaborated beautifully to fit the quirky Wes Anderson & boho chic theme.

Their closest families, relatives and friends flew from Malaysia and other countries to join their meaningful celebration. Yenny, Isabel’s closest friend, officiated the ceremony. It brought lots of happy tears and laughter among the good friends. Although it rained for some time, it seemed like it didn’t take out the joy of the day at all! The wedding ended with a fun dance where everyone joined in. It was hands down the most unique and fun wedding I’ve documented so far!

// This wedding was also FEATURED on The Wedding Notebook Magazine Issue #17 //

Cheong Family

December 14, 2016

My last trip to Melbourne was full of spending time with kids and babies, and I couldn’t be happier!

Cheong family was the third family who booked a photo session with me in Melbourne. This time I got to meet Peggy, Tim, Jasmine and Bobo; a lovely family of 4 which would’ve already become 5 by now. Peggy was pregnant with the second child that time. Jasmine, the first daughter of Peggy and Tim, would soon become a big sis.

Jasmine is a lively little girl who spreads cuteness and happiness all around the house. On top of that, there is Bobo, furry little friend who never stopped showing its love for this family. There was never a dull moment when those two being put together in the same room.

On the first hour we did the shoot at the neighborhood family park which was in walking distance from their house. Despite the chilly and gloomy weather that day, Jasmine would still energetically play with the swings and slides with her mom and dad. She also had fun blowing bubbles and picking flowers. Her laughter can cheer up anyone’s mood!

After that we walked back to their house. Being more comfortable at home, Jasmine played around a little bit more with Tim and Bobo, before eventually she became quite tired. Her active personality really made the shoot happy and easy. I can imagine she would be a fun and playful big sister for the new family member for sure!

Erin + Dean

November 26, 2016

Soul Mates

Sentences completed;
two minds, a simple thought.
Tender hands to ease the pain,
the other’s toil has brought.
Laughter, tears, and silence,
shared by the loving two.
Precious time together made,
once all their work is through.
Differences between them,
loom large to those outside.
Common are the hidden bonds,
of honor, hope and pride.
Their love is in the open,
for all the world to see.
For God has blessed this couple’s love,
for all eternity.

– P.J. Randolph –

Ng Family

November 8, 2016

Many times in my life I am really thankful for my job because it brings me to see more of good and genuine people just like Pak and Melinda. It was a beautiful afternoon in the end of winter when my wife and I visited their home in Doncaster, Victoria. A lovely place in a pretty neighborhood.

Pak and Mel warmly welcomed us and introduced us to their adorable girl Charlotte who is also a friend of Isaac..the cute boy from Wang family. While they were getting ready, I took time to get to know Charlie (how they call Charlotte) who was still being shy as that was the first time we met. After packing some of Charlie’s favorite stuff, we decided to go to a park nearby where they usually spend quality time together.

Charlotte got so happy and excited when we reached the park…a place she’s so familiar with. She also didn’t forget to bring Baby Ooo-Ooo, her bff monkey plush toy. She knew they would have some fun together doing one of her favorite things there; feeding the ducks at the pond! After she made sure the ducks were properly fed, we walked a bit to the further side and wandered more.

Charlotte was such in a good mood that day, thanks to the afternoon nap which got her fully energized throughout the shoot! We ended our session before the sunset and happily headed back home.

It was such a lovely session.. Running around in the open field, explored into bushes, sharing laughter while enjoying the beautiful light…we sure had good time!

Wang Family (2 years later)

November 7, 2016

Jack, Jen and Isaac are no strangers to me. We did a family shoot more than 2 years ago around their neighborhood when Isaac was still so little, you can see the photos here. I was so grateful when Jen said she was so happy with the photos, and she wanted to do another session when I’m back to Melbourne. So, 2 years later on last August, we did another session. This time they chose Melbourne CBD as the location. Nothing much different except the city which got much busier, and Isaac who got so much bigger and cheekier!

We explored the busy city and took some shots in front of Melbourne famous landmark the Flinders Station. Then we went to one of the artsy symbols in Melbourne; Hosier Lane. An alley full of graffiti created by the street artists of Melbourne. It was definitely a different experience to do a family shoot there. Isaac became all hyped and curious with the colorful things he saw in the lane.

After that we ended the session by taking a walk along the bridge above the Yarra River, a spot that I personally love. I really want to do more shoots in this beautiful city again in the future, whether it’s family session or engagement session. This city has so many nice places we can explore.. How I can’t wait to go back!

Rachael + Joseph (The Wedding)

October 31, 2016

Rachael was my colleague in Melbourne. I’ve always known her as a bright girl who brings her smile wherever she goes.

In August 14th 2015, I was contacted by her on Facebook. Turned out it was literally the day after she just got proposed by Joseph, her soulmate since high school, on a helicopter ride in New Zealand when they were on a holiday.
She told me she wanted me to be her wedding photographer and I couldn’t be more excited. The wedding date was exactly one year after the proposal, August 13th 2016, in Melbourne.
In April, we even managed to do a short adventure session at a waterfall site when they came visiting Bali. You can see their engagement photos here.

I feel very honored and blessed that I got the opportunity to document the wedding of such good friends and kind people like Rachael & Joseph.

// This wedding was also FEATURED on The Bridestory Blog. Click here to see the featured post. //

Marsha + Paul

October 28, 2016

Paul and Marsha are young souls whose hearts are filled with love and laughter. They’re the type of people who seem to never have worries in their lives. They love to tease each other just like bestfriends do. They have no boundaries when it comes to joking. I can’t remember how many times I laughed my ass off when I did the shoot with them. Their blunt personalities are simply very refreshing!

For such a carefree couple like them, I could only think of a shoot that has ‘easy like a Sunday morning’ vibe…and they were all in for that. Their naturally cheerful attitude really lightened up the gloomy weather of Bali that day.

paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-1 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-2 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-3 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-6 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-8 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-11 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-13 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-15 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-16 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-19 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-20 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-22 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-23 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-24 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-25 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-26 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-27 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-29 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-30 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-31 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-33 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-34 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-35 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-38 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-39 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-41 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-46 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-48 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-49 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-52 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-53 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-54 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-55 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-56 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-57 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-58 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-59 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-60 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-62 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-63 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-66 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-67 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-68 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-69 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-71 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-72 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-73 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-74 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-75 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-79 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-80 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-81 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-83 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-85 paulmarsha_bali_prewedding-87