22.09.2018 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Close to 80 of the best and up-and-coming street, urban and commercial photographers descended into the heart of the city to share in the passion for the visual, interact, meet their heroes and take part in a photo walk along the bustling streets of KL.
This was an event by PIXERF to get on the ground and meet the community of photographers in one of the most iconic cities in the world. And they all showed up – from Instagrammers who cut their teeth on the urban walkways and streets, to conceptual artists who express themselves via photography and commercial photographers who have worked with some of the top brands in the world.
The energy was unmistakable and the buzz, undeniable. While they came to find out how PIXERF provides a platform for them to transform their passions into an alternative source of income, they were also keen to hear about the collaboration between 17-year commercial veteran Kenny P and Hasselblad finalist Mike Ahmad – both PIXERF Ambassadors. Together with Ariva Trillion Residences, they conducted a commercial photo shoot to showcase the demands of the hospitality sector and trending shots that are popular with such clients.
Mike Ahmad – “Commercial shoots don’t have to be expensive. Our collaboration was done at minimal cost. You just need to find partnerships, offer your services and sell the images on platforms like PIXERF.”
The icing on the cake, and the headline act of the event was the collaboration between two Instagram giants and PIXERF Ambassadors – Singapore’s Yik Keat Lee and Malaysia’s Shafiq Saleh. This was only the second time they had ever collaborated and it was a first of this scale. Together with the PiXERF team, they traversed the streets and skies of Kuala Lumpur over two days to produce their perspectives and explain their approach to urban photography. Watch a preview of their collaboration below. We will post the full reveal on PIXERF TV soon!
The show and tell was followed by a quick Q&A, where photographers interacted with the panelists, moderated by PIXERF’s Founder and CEO Sa’at Ismail. It was a lively session, and questions ranged from their inspirations, what advice they would give photographers starting out on their journey, to photography trends.
One photographer asked veteran Kenny P – “What would you tell your younger self?”, to which he replied, “I would tell him to learn new things all the time, whether it be what’s happening online or in the world of photography. That’s the best way to keep ahead of trends and in some cases, carve your own.”
Shafiq spoke to the crowd on his start as a budding photographer in Kuala Lumpur and touched briefly on the importance of getting out there – beyond social media, and how platforms like PIXERF can help them get more exposure, learn the trends and most importantly, earn supplementary income.
Shafiq – “Instagram is great, but we have to stop chasing just likes and comments. They don’t put money in our pockets and food on our table. It’s great for exposure but social media is very competitive and it can be hard for brands to find you.”
The event ended with a mingling session which was followed by the “Streets of Kuala Lumpur” photo walk led by Yik Keat and Shafiq. Over 50 photographers thronged the lanes and cul-de-sacs of the city, to learn the best ways to “hunt” for the moment and get that perfect street shot.
PIXERF also launched a Mission in tandem with the photo walk, with over RM 1,300 in cash prizes to be won. Didn’t manage to join the photo walk but have amazing street images of the city? Fret not, you can still join the 30-day Mission.
Stay tuned to XERFIE as we will be revealing the final images from both collaborations (Kenny P and Mike Ahmad; Yik Keat Lee and Shafiq Saleh) in our next blog post as well as video highlights from our time in KL on PIXERF TV!
December 6, 2018
[…] Amazed by his work? Visit his profile on PIXERF to view the rest of his works, as well as the shots from his recent collaboration with Yik Keat Lee in Kuala Lumpur. […]