Hear a piece of information, three days later you’ll only remember 10% of it. If you look at a picture, it stays with you.

I only photograph what I love and curious about. As a street photographer, I photograph people, environment and scenes which touch my soul.

Serendipity is simply unsheltered intention, sometimes we stumble upon an inconvenient truth and the universe looks suspicious as if it’s a fix. Serendipitous photos to me, sometimes poetic and at times mythical. It consists of various factors such as proximity, similarity, intuition, direction, and closure.

I always ask myself “Why do I want to make this picture?". It's important to ask "WHY” rather than "HOW".

“Why” is the reason behind why I started photography as it is all about reflecting and expressing myself to discover who I am. I try to be intuitive, make photographs which are spontaneous, transitory and instinctual. Sometimes you make photograph in a fraction of a second. Sometimes you blink and you miss it. This is what I tried to emulate in my book, SERENDIPITY.

Born in New Delhi, Vineet graduated with a first class degree in fine arts from the prestigious College of Arts. A self-taught photographer who started shooting wild life for two years before finding passion in street photography, Vineet finds photographing in the street a journey he learns about life in general; about human elements and the environment; about making ordinary moments look extraordinary ….. all these were presented through his lens, in a genuine and honest manner.

Vineet is proud to be the first ever Indian, in the history of Leica, to be appointed as a Leica Ambassador. Before this appointment,
Vineet was an official Fuji X photographer. As a Leica Ambassador in Leica Akademie, Vineet has been conducting workshops and contribute publications on Leica blogs. He has also been conducting workshops in leading colleges in India for the past 15 years. He is a member of APF collective & thestreetcollective and author of the successful book “the serendipity”. Vineet has been invited to conduct workshops globally, including at the Miami Street Photography Festival, Italian street photography festival, San Francisco Street Photography Festival, London Street Photography Festival, Xposure Photography Festival Sharjah, SIPA and India Photo Festival. He sits on the judging panel of all these festivals. Vineet has been awarded thrice consecutively at the Xposure photo festival by His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed Al Qasimi for excellence. His works and stories have been published on various prestigious magazines, newspapers & blogs all over the world including National Geographic, NYT, The Guardian U.K.

Vineet strongly believes that everyone of us should get involved with photography, because photography unveils more than one can ever see and imagine. With this aspiration, APF (artphotofeature.com) magazine was formed in 2011, with the objective to provide a platform for emerging photographers, artists and designers to showcase their works, in broad concepts, styles and techniques which are of no limits and endless possibilities.

Taoists perform fire-walking rituals during Nine Emperor Gods Festival at Kau Ong Yah Temple in Kuala Lumpur, October 4, 2022. The Nine Emperor Gods Festival is a nine-day Taoist celebration beginning on the eve of the ninth lunar month of the Chinese Calendar. On the final day of the festival, devotees who don white clothes will walk across hot coals as a rite of cosmic renewal, rebirth and cleansing processions.

Sadiq Asyraf, based in Kuala Lumpur, is an expert on photojournalism and visual communications. He has worked as a visual director and photojournalist for media and corporate clients globally and locally. Sadiq is currently the photographer to the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Sadiq has been commissioned by several international newswire agencies such as Associated Press (AP), Agence France-Presse (AFP), and Reuters. His photos have been published in various news outlets such as TIME, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, National Geographic, CNN, BBC, ESPN, and Sky Sports, to name a few.

Sadiq emphasises on storytelling and emotion in every visual he produces. He believes that photography and visual literacy are one of the most important references for future generations to understand history, culture, and identity of this country. He started his Leica journey in 2019 with M240 and Leica Q. In 2022, he transitioned to the Leica SL2-S which has since become his main gear for projects and assignments. Sadiq feels that Leica cameras suit his photography style as the colours captured bring out a sense of vibrancy and vitality, creating emotive and engaging images.

“In photography, skills and creativity are the key components. However, having the right tools is also essential. I can't think of a more iconic and greater brand than Leica” by Sadiq Asyraf

There is the extraordinary in ordinary, everyday occurrences. There are real-life stories waiting to be revealed and told to the world.

Kieron’s preference is to capture these stories using Leica monochrome. Two fundamental colours - black and white, the very essence of photography - tell the stories in their simplest, purest form.

Using the polar opposites of dark and light, the extremes of shades on the spectrum, conveys the narrative in powerful, dramatic images without the distraction of clashing colours.

Kieron’s photos usually show a lone protagonist, or small groups of people of great character in their natural setting — be it their home, going about their business, in their place of play, or following their time-honoured traditions — living their lives as best they can.

Kieron Long, based in Kuching, captures real-life scenes, usually as part of long-term projects, shooting in black and white with a Leica Q2 Monochrom to convey a powerful visual narrative without the distraction of clashing colours. He held his first solo exhibition, Borneo in Monochrome, in 2019 in Kuala Lumpur, and has been a Leica Ambassador | Malaysia since 2021. Kieron has an amazing record of having over 400 images featured in Leica Fotografie International’s Gallery, where photographs are curated by professional editors and presented to the public.

Explaining why he prefers monochrome photography, Kieron says:

“Among the shadows, or in the light, there are real-life stories waiting to be told to the world. Even ordinary, everyday scenes can be shown in extraordinary ways."

“I capture unique stories using Leica monochrome. Two fundamental colours — black and white, the very essence of photography — tell the stories in their simplest, purest form."

“The Q2 Monochrom is the perfect camera for me."

“It is lightweight, compact and versatile."

“I take it with me everywhere I go, and I can use it for a wide range of genres and subjects. From my hometown or on my travels, along city streets, to the most remote locations."

“I can shoot everything, from fine art photography to more abstract work, documentary reportage to sports and action, and portraits."

“The Q2 Monochrom can handle it all, delivering outstanding image quality with impressive tonal contrasts."

“The Q2 Monochrom never lets me down.”

It is generally accepted that abstract art refers to works which are the artist’s inspiration and imagination.

In photography, an optical image is an abstraction from the natural world, a selected and isolated fragment which is captured by the lens.

My series, “Illuminating the indistinct” captures the beauty in detail, which is otherwise easily missed in the everyday life. These abstract images imply a world outside the limits encompassed by my lens.

Lydia is a passionate photographer who enjoys creating art and develops her creativity with her camera. As a musician and lover of harmonic composition, Lydia’s artistic awareness and inquisitiveness often trigger her creative impulse which are noticeably displayed in her body of work, especially in street, portraiture and abstract photography. 

Lydia’s photography approach in photography is rather unique. She dares to be different. Innovative and creative with her own ideas and perspectives, she creates images often beyond imagination. Her work was recognised by Prix De La Photographie Paris (PX3), International Photography Award (IPA) and National Geographic, amongst others. Her images have been featured in three solo exhibitions organised by Leica Camera Malaysia. Her journey with Leica began in 2016 with a Leica Q, soon upgraded to Leica M (Type 262), M10 and M10-R and has good experience using SL2 to discover new inspiration creating exhibits for the series, “Illuminating the Indistinct”.

I love film. The truth is shooting travel photography on analog, unlike digital, I will not realise my photos didn’t come out as expected until I get home.  

I started photography at a very young age, shooting film. In these digital days, I’m still convinced that  film gives me its unique, organic look. I won’t want to miss this for the world I’m seeing.

MunKeat, a renowned wedding photographer who has been nominated thrice as the “Top 10 Best Wedding Photographers in Malaysia” from 2016 to 2020, specialises in destination wedding, wedding event, fine art portraiture, street and travel photography. MunKeat started off with a Leica IIIc, a vintage rangefinder introduced by Leica in 1940. Being an avid camera collector owning more than 40 over sets, he is now a proud owner of Leica M2, M3, M5, M6, CL, R8, M (Type 240) and M10 Monochrom. Munkeat utilises both digital and film to achieve perfection in his images. Most of his photography styles are influenced by classic cinematic films, which are timeless.

“The combination of viewfinder and rangefinder in the M displays not only the subject, but also what is going on around it. This allows me, as a photographer to observe how a scene develops, compose the shot and at the same time interact directly with the subject. It simply inspires me to shoot more” - Mun Keat

Vincent, a trained visual and interior designer, is the founder of his own bridal studio. He has been photographing beautiful images since 2008. He combines a behind-the-scenes approach with fine art and fashion photography to capture once-in-a-lifetime moments. Describing his style, Vincent says: “I see photography as an art form. I try to capture everyday life in a unique, creative way, but still featuring individuals and families in a candid, authentic manner. That helps me to express people’s genuine emotions as they experience life’s great occasions.

Vincent shared his experience with Leica SL2, a premium camera with exceptional build quality and unique shooting experience.

The outstanding performance in great colour science, accurate focusing and great dynamic range are what he enjoys in using SL2.

Photography is all about the moment of life captured with one click.

Most photographers, including me, started with photography so that we can capture everyday life.  We probably started by clicking the shutter aimlessly, not wanting to miss a single moment around us.  

As years went by, I learnt that photography is more than documenting a moment in time. Besides taking photos to keep memory, I share with my friends and social media network, life I’m experiencing. It is therefore important for me to capture images with details that support a visual story for my audience. I let happen what’s going to happen, no posing. I embrace everyday life with the beauty that it has. 

My exhibits “Life Captured” are images more than just to document a moment in time. I’m a storyteller capturing life around me.

Hayashi started his photography journey in 2006. What was once a hobby, became a passion — a love affair that lasted till today.

Over the years working as an international wedding photographer, Hayashi captured the laughter, tears of joy and candid moments of marriage ceremonies. He then ventured into new genres, focusing on lifestyle photography. With his SL2-S, which he proudly called his partner in crime, he photographs food and beverages in true-to-life colour with stunning details. When on the streets, Hayashi shoots real-life situations in an original style to share people’s stories through unscripted scenes.

Of his choice of Leica camera, Hayashi says: “I love the design and build of the SL2-S. In terms of performance, it produces incredible images and outstanding colours. With the sharpness and bokeh of Leica lenses, the end result is simply phenomenal.”

An arrangement of light, shadow, tone and contrast in photography.

Upon returning from studying photography @ Brooks Institute of photography, Santa Barbara, California & Bob's Werling Zone System Photography, Adam Seow started his commercial graphic design studio servicing international & local advertising agency.

Adam has been photographing for 30 over years, started with film to digital photography and has taught part-time at One Academy on Black and White Zone system workshops. His commercial works exposed him to the use of strobe & continuous lighting. Adam occasionally runs studio still life, Hollywood portraits & fashion photography. With Leica digital monochrome available it has rekindle the art of monochrome photography.

"I rarely set out and shoot my images with a theme beforehand, and to be honest, I’m not very good at that. I, however prefer that each of my images has its own unique story to tell, just like our lives, everyone has his/her experience to share. Therefore, while these images show a wide variety of my past work, each image was shot as how I perceived it to be. I hope you will be able to enjoy and appreciate the images along with any hidden messages within them."

Avi Yap, currently based in Tokyo, Japan, was a commercial photographer, Leica Guild Member and Leica Akademie Instructor. While Avi used to shoot commercials and celebrities for a living, his true passion lies within documenting the lives of people on the streets.

His photography has gained international recognition after winning awards at the prestigious Lucie Foundation’s IPA awards, as well as having a number of his works tagged as Leica Master Shots by the Leica Fotografie International Gallery.

Avi religiously believes the phrase “Wear a camera”. Over the past 5 years, Avi has always wore his Leica M everyday, wherever he went, ever ready to immortalise moments when they present themselves before him.

“Soul on the Streets” presents visual artist, Betty Goh’s abstract expressions of her street photography. 

The same streets which she walks everyday may look ordinary, but it was the different feelings each time her soul connects with the people and environment that allow her to view the mundane from different perspectives.  

Betty enjoys capturing street in an abstract form, conveying her feelings through the unnoticeable inner beauty she sees in the passers-by and the surroundings. She hopes to share and connect the same feelings she experienced through her unique photography style.

There is a sense of mystery and imagination in her unconventional urban street images. Born and based in Singapore, Betty Goh is passionate about abstract street photography. With her keen observation and creativity, she captures the daily streets in her own distinctive style through the surrounding lights, colours, spaces, reflections, shadows and silhouettes. Betty is the only Singaporean artist included in the first “Women Street Photographers” book curated by Gulnara Samoilova in New York and internationally published by Prestel Publishing in 2021. This celebrated book features 100 contemporary female street photographers around the world.

Betty bought her Leica Q2 in 2021. It’s simple to use and lightweight. The Q2 silent design puts her mind at ease when photographing unposed situations on the streets. She feels very comfortable using it, and this is very important for an artist because she can focus more on creativity and composition. Moreover, the soulful colours produced by the camera match her photography style. This is one critical factor that would make her want to continue using a Leica camera. All her images were taken within one single exposure on the Leica Q2.

“Vivid Celebrations” takes you through Laxmi’s journey to the spiritual epicenter of Holi festivities in North India and depicts the raw celebration and revelry. These images captured the very essence of Holi, the festival of colours, which marks the time when man and nature discard the darkness and cold of winter with the warmth and colour of spring manifested through an atmosphere of social merriment.

Laxmi Kaul is a professional photographer specialising in portraiture, humanitarian, slow documentary and fine art photography. She loves shooting visual stories that satisfy her inner voices. She captures moments of incredible beauty. In her artistic work, she uses her unmistakeable textures to create great portraits. Her travel photography depicts movingly beautiful landscapes setting and proves how versatile her photographic oeuvre is. Laxmi Kaul’s body of work is showcased in various publications, NGO’s and camera manufacturers. Her work has constantly found its way in various exhibitions in Singapore and leading photography online platforms.

I don’t shoot what it looks like, I shoot what it feels like. The earth is art, the photographer is only a witness.  Every scene in nature is an unborn painting, timeless, impressive and spontaneous.

"Tranquility, serenity, and beauty of nature taught me how to find happiness in life and in the silence of eternity." - Rosalynn Tay

For a span of six years, Rosalynn Tay travelled around the world to capture mesmerising images of people, cultures, and landscapes. In the interim, she spent a year at Spéos-International Photography School in Paris specialising in fashion photography under the tutelage of Dominique Issermann. Of late, inspired by the painterly presented in nature, she turns her unique blend of intuition, observation and curiosity towards Photo Art: Nature is the palette from which she draws her colours.

Akin to the stroke of a brush, she paints with the Leica camera. They are expensive but they are very good. The build quality is one thing but the image quality and unique look is the real reason. That Leica magic that these lenses can capture coupled with the ability to allow one to capture them is amazing. There is just a feel to a Leica shot that you can't replicate. The way it renders the background and the creamy sharpness are simply beautiful. Over the years, Rosalynn has used Leica cameras from the M, SL and Q series, and have thoroughly enjoyed using them.

A photo-journalist captures current events for news organizations, while documentary photographers document social and cultural issues to present a realistic representation of reality. Both aim to shed light on important events and issues through their images.

“I think photography always has to have a purpose. It must mean something. At some point, it must help with a vision. You have to tell a story with it, otherwise it becomes just empty, pretty pictures at most. But when you are able to impact another person with the images you take, then I think you are getting somewhere”.

Educated in Malaysia and Australia and trained as a lawyer, SC Shekar began his career as a photojournalist in the late 1970s, working for newspapers in Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Philippines, and with a news agency in New York. 

In 1989 he established Reds Studios, which specialised in editorial, architectural and food photography. His trend setting work for the Shangri-la hotels, Hilton, The Four Seasons hotels & resorts, The Ritz Carlton Reserve and the Marriott group has won him much acclaim.

Over the past three decades, Shekar has concentrated on documentary photography. He has been commissioned to do major documentary assignments in India, Sri Lanka and Papua New Guinea, and spent more than a dozen years photographing Myanmar (Burma) during a period of political upheaval beginning in the late 80’s. He has been working with Malaysia’s indigenous communities for more than thirty years, creating an unparalleled portfolio of pictures of daily life as well as their struggles over access to natural resources.  

Shekar’s work has appeared in many solo exhibitions, notably at Malaysia’s National Art Gallery. He has published more than 27 books covering themes as diverse as architecture, food culture, portraiture, indigenous people’s lives and crafts. His most recent major project was Grit & Grace: The Grandeur of Monochrome Malaysia, a stunning collection of photos of Malaysia’s topography and communities within, making extensive use of helicopters to photograph the country. The images were published in 2017 in a large-format handmade book of the same name. 

Shekar is currently working on a project documenting Southeast Asia from the air.

Exploring and documenting the daily life in Dhaka.

Amrul Azuar Mokhtar, presently working with financial institutions, is a freelance photographer and has travelled throughout Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam to photograph human elements in local culture and environment. Amrul believes that “The world is a book, those who do not travel read only one page”. He often travels round the world with a backpack and camera. His approach to capture his travelling adventures is unique and cinematic, documenting the ordinary people and daily events in a narrative form. Amrul appreciates the freedom he has in photography to explore and create. He enjoys trying new things and develops creativity in what he wants to achieve.

Most of his images are captured with Leica Q2 and Leica SL.