AzFiqs Photography

Happy Weekends!

2012-01-07T01:03:00.001Z

May you have a wonderful weekends with your loved ones!

Quality Time

2012-01-04T12:29:00.002Z

Whenever I have the opportunity to come home early from work and the weather is just lovely like today, I will take the kids to the playground nearby. Even though it is just a very short visit, I feel so happy to see the kids having so much fun running around and playing in the playground with other kids.

I feel so grateful for being given the opportunity today to spend some time with the kids after coming back from work, alhamdulillah.

My Adam Mikhael & Mia Amani

2011-12-30T15:48:00.002Z

It's been a while since my last post. Here are some of the most recent pictures of my loved ones, my Adam and my Mia.

Our Love

2011-10-19T19:06:00.000+01:00

P/s: Apologise for the lack of update in my blog. Been busy since we came back to Malaysia for good.

A Black & White Portrait of My AdaMia

2011-06-22T22:31:00.001+01:00

Fruit Picking in Millet Farm Centre, Oxfordshire

2011-06-06T23:36:00.013+01:00

I think everybody loves spring! The weather is lovely generally (even though it is not always the case here in the UK because it's cloudy and raining most of the time*sigh*), fruits are riping and flowers are blossoming. One of our favourite activities besides having picnic in park around London, we'd also love to go for fruit picking. I think the fruit picking season begins with berries especially strawberry and raspberry and then in July normally the apple are gonna start to ripe.

About a week ago we went for strawberry picking in Millet Farm Centre in Oxfordshire. So that particular weekend I rented a car because that farm is only about 1.5 hours drive from our home, perfect for day trip. We got up early and packed up some food. The kids were excited especially Adam (of course!). We were not that lucky that day because the weather was not that good, cloudy most of the day and raining once in a while. But that did not stop us from enjoying our time there.

Millet Farm Centre is located in a big area in Frilford in Oxfordshire. It has extensive range of facilities such as farm zoo, fishing pond, playground, garden centre, craft gallery and restaurant which make it a perfect family weekend getaway. Oh the car park is also free! =D

This is a gazebo looking over the fishing pond.

The kids having fun in the playground.

This is how the strawberry farm looks like.

Adam knows well which strawberry to be picked out, the "nyummy"licious radiant red berries!

Sharing is caring!

We stopped by at the farm shop to buy some fresh fruits and organic products before going back home.

Alhamdulillah, we had great fun together. At the end of the day, we managed to bring back 2 full boxes of strawberries. Actually there were 3 but it was just so hard for us especially the kids to resist the delicious and fresh strawberries, so we ate 1 box during the picking activities...hehe...We will definitely come back here again for the apple picking season, most probably next month. Weehoo!

5th. Anniversary Vacation in Disneyland, Paris

2011-05-28T00:03:00.008+01:00

Hey peeps! This is another an overdue entry from me. Yeah, I know! I have quite a few overdue posts in my list to be honest. At the end of April, on the 30th. to be exact, me and my wife celebrated our 5th. anniversary. Alhamdulillah, it has been a wonderful journey for the past 5 years for us and we are grateful to be blessed with two lovely kids to complete our life.

We decided that this time for our 5th. anniversary we wanted to celebrate it in Disneyland, Paris. Firstly because the kids are definitely gonna enjoy it and secondly, it reminisces some great memories that me and my wife share together, I'll let you know later =). So for a change, we decided to take train instead of flight, just to experience something new. Adam surely enjoyed it very much because he loves train but not Mia, she just could not stay still even for a while. We had to take turn to entertain her. We started our journey from London St. Pancras in the morning to Lille, France for interchange. The journey took more than an hour and we stopped there for about an hour before we took the train to Marne-La-Vallee, which is the train station for Disneyland. There are actually direct train services to Disneyland from London but only very few trips per day and the cost is more expensive.

We stayed in one of the Disneyland hotels, Dream Castle Hotel, so it didn't took us long to get to the hotel from the train station by taking the free shuttle bus. The hotel is well decorated with Disney characters and the kids loved it so much especially Adam. The first day, we just spent our time at the hotel and went to La Vallee designer outlet, just nearby. Shopping? Nah! We did not get anything for ourselves because it was just too expensive for us. We just had ice cream! The second day was when all the excitement happened, we went to Disneyland Park!

This particular seat is exactly where me and my wife seated together about 8 years ago. Here is where I first said the magic "L" word to her and here is when we decided to begin our journey together. Alhamdulillah (Prais be to God), we make it until this very moment and hopefully for many, many years ahead.

This picture was taken in front of the Adventure Land.

Look at how happy Adam was when he met some of the famous Disney characters. The look on his face and his smile were definitely priceless!

On the third day, our initial plan was to go to the city centre of Paris because I only bought one day ticket for the parks. Paris is approximately an hour journey by train from Disneyland. Unfortunately that day, there was a train strike, so most of the train services almost dead and the taxi services took advantage of it by charging a ridiculously expensive fare to those who want to go to Paris. So we decided to go to Walt Disney Studio which we did not go in the previous day because we did not have enough time. Walt Disney Studio is located just next to Disneyland Park. So I bought another day tickets for both parks (there's no ticket for single park, it has to be both). I thought it's gonna cost me a lot more than the first tickets that I bought online before we came, but surprisingly it's slightly cheaper! Phew! We thought it was actually good that we did not get to go to Paris because we were sure that the kids would not be able to enjoy it as much as in Walt Disney Studio and Disneyland Park. Whenever we plan for any trips, we always have to make sure that the kids will be able to enjoy it, if not they are gonna get cranky and moody and at the end of the day, noone will have a great time. So the rule is simple, if the kids are happy, then everyone will be happy! It's a win-win situation...Hehe...

Here are some pictures in the Walt Disney Studio....

Everyday, both the Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studio, they have a parade before the end of the day. Basically, all the people will fill up the spaces along the main road in the park to watch the parade of all the cartoon characters. We saw that even an hour before the parade people were starting to pack the areas just to get the best viewing position. We didn't come early but we were lucky to be able to find quite a good location for ourselves. Adam also had a great opportunity to join the parade with the other kids.

Glad to see these two kids were happy and had a great time. It's just worth everything, priceless!

Review on Wazari's E-books | The Secret of Texture | Retro Photoshop | Master of Colors |

2011-05-26T21:21:00.035+01:00

This is a very, very long overdue entry. I have been meaning to write this review quite a long time ago but I don't know somehow I got lost half way and totally forgot to do it. Let me just be honest, Wazari is one of my favourite photographers. Some people always adore the work from other international photographers and sometimes they could be quite unappreciative towards our very own local talent. But the truth is that nowadays there are actually so many great local (Malaysian) photographers out there and some of them even already received a lot of international recognitions like Wazari.

By profession, Wazari is a photographer who works for the government of Malaysia. Even though his daily work is mainly involved photojournalism but he has so much passion in photographing his son, Haiqal. You can simply tell from all the great pictures of Haiqal that he has been taking ever since he was born. Once in a while he does conduct photography workshop mainly on photo editing. Another great thing is, he has already produced three e-books as a medium for him to share his knowledge and expertise in photography from his years of experience as photographer. I know, this entry seems quite personal as if I have known him for years, to be honest I have never met him before (I wish I could one day!). I think it is just because I have been following his work that he shares in his blog, flickr and facebook for quite some time, ever since I involved in photography. Once in a while I do contact him through e-mail and facebook asking about photography stuffs and him, being a very down-to-earth and helpful individual, he never reluctant to answer questions and share his knowledge with other people.

I had mentioned earlier that until present time, he has written three e-books on post-processing and I own all of them! So this entry is mainly to review all those e-books and maybe to share with you on the outcomes of my post-processing work based on the tips and techniques that he shares in his e-books. The first e-book is "The Secret of Texture" where he shares his knowledge on how to incorporate texture(s) in a photo, be it a landscape or a portrait, whether it's coloured or just monochrome, it's your personal choice. As for the first example, I chose Adam's picture to experiment with the textures that Wazari provided together with the e-book. Hope it turns out well.

The second example is the picture of my wife with Mia taken at St. John Wood Road playground.

The second e-book is entitled "Retro Photoshop" which is about producing a certain tone for your chosen picture. In the e-book he shares 4 techniques of toning a picture; Old School Effect, Film E.F.X., Warmth and The Lightness. I think amongst all, I prefer and always apply Warmth technique the most, whenever I feel like toning my picture. Sometimes I try to mix and match with other methods to get the tone that pleases my eyes like those pictures that I share below.

This is our family picture that was taken quite recently when we went to Disneyland, Paris.

The second picture is a landscape picture of the view of River Thames from London Eye taken quite a while ago.

The third one, is the picture of Adam and Mia playing together in Kensington Gardens, London taken a couple of months ago.

The third and final e-book by Wazari is "Master of Colors" where he shares quite a number of techniques on colour enhancements such as LAB Color, Color Correction etc. He also gives some tips on how to enhance the "catchlight" which gives a great impact on portraiture photography. I think this e-book about colour enhancement is the most sought after because most people love to have a vibrant colour in their pictures. I think Canon users probably benefit the most because the colour reproduction is a little bit off due to the lack of vivid mode like Nikon...hehe...

The first example is our family picture taken during last autumn in Kensington Gardens, London.

The second one is the picture of a pirate ship taken quite recently in Adventure Land, Disneyland, Paris

The third one is the picture of a water lilly taken at The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew or simply, Kew Gardens in London.

I personally think that all the three e-books are presented in a very well and structured manner. For each technique that he shares, he describes it step by step with the aid of clear screenshots which make it very easy to understand even for a beginner photoshop users. I do agree that there are thousands of ways to do a certain thing in photo editing, but for someone who has lack of knowledge like me, I prefer something that is very straight forward; hence very easy and quick to follow. I think this is the strength and advantage of Wazari's e-book and this is why I personally prefer his techniques over others.

Like what he always shares in his personal blog or facebook, editing techniques or skill or a good camera for that matter is just one small part of it. The one that makes or breaks is the person behind the camera. For example, a particular tone or texture does not always applicable for every picture. Therefore, it is important to get the original picture is right in the first place before a certain editing technique can be applied in order to evoke an emotion or to make sure the viewers manage to grasp the message that the photographer wants to deliver. After all, the years of experience and the knowledge that count the most and would differentiate between great photographers and the ordinary ones. So if you think those pictures that I share in this entry are not successful in conveying any message or emotion to you, please do not have doubts over the techniques that have been shared in the e-books, it's my lack of knowledge/experience in choosing the right picture to apply the editing techniques that makes it look ordinary or less meaningful and I do apologise for it.

Oh another thing, do visit his blog here: www.wazariwazir.com because he always share simple tips and techniques there! You can also view his wonderful photo collections in his flickr here: Wazari Flickr

Kids Fun Time

2011-05-15T16:33:00.003+01:00

Now that it's spring and almost summer time, day time is a lot longer. Sometimes when I come back home early from work, I will bring the kids to Little Venice park or playground while Mommy is busy preparing dinner at home. Both the park & the playground are very near to our house, about 15-20 minutes walk with the kids...heh..

My Surprised Birthday Vacation

2011-05-06T21:29:00.011+01:00

As mentioned in my previous post, it was my birthday last month & my wife surprised me with a lovely vacation which I only knew the destination when we arrived at the airport. Yeah, it was a secret! I was very excited when I knew that it was Majorca, a beautiful island located in Mediterranean sea in Spain. I was also quite lucky because my birthday fell during the long Easter Holiday & my wife planned it perfectly for us to spend a relaxed & enjoying week of vacation in that island.

We took midnight flight & it took just over 2 hours to reach Majorca. Then from the airport, there was a shuttle bus to the hotel waiting for us. The journey on the road took about another hour & the kids slept most of the time through out the whole journey. So we spent the first day pretty much on travelling. The hotel we stayed in was in Alcudia, an old town with some Roman influence which can be seen from the buildings around. The town itself is not that big and you can see a lot of people walking & cycling to move about in the area.

Oh before I forgot, this entry is gonna be loaded with lots of pictures because I took hundreds of pictures during this trip. It's just very hard for me to choose and those in this entry are some of my favourite ones. Another thing, some of these pictures were taken with my new camera, a birthday gift from my wife =) (another present is a gorgeous hand-knitted cardigan!!). She knew that I need a back up camera (just a point & shoot camera) especially when we are travelling with the kids. It is quite an uphill task for me to take pictures by holding my DSLR on one hand while the other holding the kids especially Adam & some other bags, toys etc. She bought me S95 which works like wonders! Very compact, practical (can use with one hand because it's light) & yet produces great quality pictures, almost as good as those produced by DSLR. I bet it might be hard for you to know which pictures are from my S95...heh...I think that's enough of me talking, hope you enjoy the pictures!

The beautiful sunrise at the beach

White sandy beach that stretches for miles

The jetty for boat landing to pick up passengers to go to few other beaches on the island

Our main activity there was just relaxing on the beach & joined the kids playing with the sand.

Just look at how happy that little cheeky girl...

She even slept with her swimming suit because she was just too tired of being cheeky...hehe...

We love the seafood there especially the paella. However it was quite pricey there.

One of the day, Adam wanted to get on a boat, so we took the boat service from the jetty to go to Formentor beach which is approximately more than an hour journey.

This is the Formentor beach, Adam's favourite.

He loved playing in the little pools between the rocks.

On other day, we went to Alcudia Old Town where you can see some of the remaining of ancient Roman building like this fortress that surrounds a church.

Amongst all, I think I like this picture the most. I just feel so happy seeing my family having a great time together while we were there. A great moment that we will cherish.

Finally, thank you so much to my ever so loving wife for the surprised wonderful birthday vacation. It's definitely my best birthday celebration so far & I truly loved it so much. Love you so much!

There's No Better Way To Celebrate My Birthday Than With My Loved Ones

2011-04-25T21:22:00.001+01:00

Alhamdulillah, I'm a year older today. Hope it makes me a better Muslim. Thank you everybody for all the kind wishes and prayers. I really appreciate it a lot.

Kacuk's Photography Workshop

2011-04-22T08:05:00.005+01:00

Last weekend I attended my very first ever photography workshop conducted by Khairul Hazwan aka Kacuk, a well-known photographer who works with Candid Syndrome, a very famous & leading wedding photography house in Malaysia & South East Asia. We started quite early in the morning and there were about 10 participants who came from all over the UK. We gathered at Regent's Park tube station and then walked to Regent's Park for the introduction & quick presentation from Kacuk. Then followed by practical session around Regent's Park where we had the opportunity to get hands-on guidance from him.

I think the workshop was great because it was quite straight forward and held in a very casual manner. Here are some of the pictures that I took during the workshop.

This is Kacuk.

This is Fara, his wife who was also the model during the workshop.

Beautiful tulips blossoming in the park

Yeah, we also asked Kacuk to become the model..heh..

A moment to remember for me with Kacuk before leaving home after we had our lunch in Regent's Mosque.

Thanks Kacuk for sharing your knowledge & expertise!

Russell Square Gardens

2011-04-12T23:03:00.007+01:00

This is the first time we ever came here. We encountered this beautiful garden on our way back from British Museum last weekend. The kids were really excited when we decided to spend some times here and luckily the weather was also really good, bright and sunny!

Russell Square is located in Bloomsbury in the London Borough of Camden. It can be reached easily by public transport. I think the nearest tube station is Russell Square. It's not as big as Regent's Park, Hyde Park or Kensington Gardens but it is just as perfect for a place to hang around and bring your family during the weekend. The kids surely enjoy it where they can run around chasing birds & squirrel and there's also a little water fountain which I think is the favourite spot for every kids who come here especially during the warm and sunny weather of spring.

Hope you enjoy the pictures!

My Two Little Angels

2011-04-02T00:41:00.004+01:00

Nothing makes me happier than seeing my two little angels playing together and enjoying each other's company.

Mia Amani | My Cheeky Girl

2011-03-26T08:55:00.002Z

Sent from my iPad

The Unbreakable Bond

2011-03-23T00:26:00.002Z

Sent from my iPad

It's Spring Time!!!

2011-03-20T23:50:00.003Z

Spring is here! We are really excited! The sun was out today so we took the opportunity to do what we always love to do with the kids, going for a picnic in a park! We are lucky because there are lots of them in London. I remember last time every week we went to a different park and this time we will do the same because it's probably gonna be our last spring here before going back to Malaysia.

Adam Mikhael

2011-03-19T23:48:00.006Z

This is Adam's latest photo which I took today when we went to Kensington Olympia because Mommy wanted to visit an Art Craft Convention which was held there. It's been quite a long time since I had a portraiture session just for Adam & Mia. In fact today wasn't actually mean for that, I just took as many pictures as possible as I was helping him doing his art work while Mommy and Mia were booth-hoping in different floor. The lighting wasn't that good & luckily I brought my 50mm. Even so, I still needed to use much higher ISO to get good & clear shots. I have been missing outdoor photo-shoots for my kids ever since winter started and now it's almost over, spring is just around the corner! Weehoo!

The Apples of My Eyes

2011-03-11T01:57:00.001Z

It's been a while since my last post. I have been busy lately with work, of course. Just want to share some pictures of the kids that I took recently after sooooo long leaving my camera untouched! Hehe...

My Adam Mikhael...He's a very good & loving big bro to Mia. He speaks a lot nowadays. He has a very imaginative mind and very unpredictable. Physically he looks small compare to other kids at his age but man, he's very rough, tough & active. Even so, he has a very soft & kind heart. He hardly cries even when he falls or bumps his head. But he cried when Mia was crying out loud when a doctor was given her injections. Adam kept saying, "Sian (pity) Mia Dad!".

My cute princess Mia Amani...She's growing up soooooo fast! Believe it or not at 1 year old, she's aleady started to talk. She even can understand simple instructions. Day by day she becomes smarter and cheekier. She never lets me go to work! She always welcomes me with her adorable smiles and big hug whenever I come back from work. She's my soft spot because she knows very, very well to melt Daddy's heart...

The kids chasing after birds in St. John Wood park.

A picture that is worth......

2011-02-10T00:19:00.006Z

I have a great story to tell about this photo which has a significant memory that me and my wife will remember it, maybe for the rest of our life...heheh...

We always hear that people say a picture is worth a thousand words but this one, it's quite memorable because it's not just worth a thousand words but it also worth Euro 40...hehe..It's not that I won it in any photography competition, believe it or not I had to pay that amount of money in order to capture this photo.

This photo is a scenery that I photographed during sunset on our way back from the magnificent Alhambra in Granada to our hotel in Torrox Costa, Malaga. I was driving on a long and quite highway at that time and saw this beautiful mountain lighted beautifully by the sunset that gives such a warm tone to the surrounding area. I was attracted to it and pulled over to photograph the scenery. I managed to get 3-4 shots and suddenly I was alerted by a loud honk from across the road and it was 3 policemen riding on their bike asking me to stop taking pictures and continue our journey back.

So I thought that was it. But no, no, no..a few minutes later suddenly I saw the same police riders from the rear view mirror riding so fast and flashing their lights. In a blink of an eye they already overtook us and waved me to stop. I was quite surprised really, firstly I thought when they first honked me from the other side of the highway, it was just a warning with no further consequences. Secondly, man! they were really fast to make a u-turn from the opposite side of the highway in order to "chase" us. If I'm not mistaken the nearest round about was quite a few miles back. I guess they were really, really wanted to catch me then...heheh...

After that, they came over to tell me that it was an offense to stop at the road side to take pictures. So as usual, I just said sorry and admitted my mistake...hehe...Then they issued me a summon that worth Euro 40! So that's the story why this picture is worth that much. Even though I was quite a bit upset that time to lose such amount of money but I think it's a great experience and moment that we will always remember by whenever we see this picture again..hehe..

P/s: Anyone wants to buy this picture? Say, Euro 40? =D

Posted from AidaFiqs iPad

Mia's First Birthday Celebration

2011-02-05T22:26:00.014Z

This is a very long overdue entry. It's been in my draft for quite a long time. Just couldn't find the time to finish due to the never ending workload in office. So I better get it done now, it's better late than never, isn't it?

Like I said in my previous entry, January is a very special month to me because it's the birthday month of my 2 lovely girls, my wife and my princess Mia. My wife's birthday falls on the 17th. and Mia's is a couple days later on the 21st. So for my wife's birthday we went to Andalusia in south of Spain and as for Mia's we had a little birthday celebration just the 4 of us. However we bought some of her presents earlier right before we went to Spain. Erm..actually it's just me because my wife made most of her presents for Mia like dresses and other hand-made stuffs.

This is the cute birthday girl, my princess Mia Amani

Oh this girl, she's really, really special to me. She's cheeky but always knows how to please my heart. Lately, she's become quite attached to me. Whenever I'm at home, she will follow me wherever I go and she wants me to be in front of her eyes most of the time. She will make it very difficult for me to go to work everyday but she will welcome me with her sweetest smile when I come back home.

Here are some of the pictures during Mia's birthday celebration.

Home-made & hand-made stuffs for Mia's birthday celebration

My loved ones

Adam helping Mia to blow the candle..hehe...

Mia tasting her chocolate birthday cake baked by Mommy

This pretty hand-made dress is one of Mia's presents from Mommy

and this cute pair of shoes is one of her presents from Daddy. Oh I didn't make, I just bought it..hehe..

Sleepy birthday girl. Oh, the hair clip is also a present from Daddy...hehe..

Finally, the picture of me with my pretty girl. You have no idea how much I love this girl.

The Special Birthday Celebration in Alhambra, Granada, SPAIN

2011-01-24T00:14:00.001Z

It has been quite sometimes since I last updated this blog of mine. I've actually got quite a few long overdue posts in my list, just don't know when can I find the time to do them. Anyway, let me start with this very special entry first. I think this entry is gonna be quite long and probably a lot of pictures, so please bear with me.

January is always a special month for me because it's the birthday month of my lovely girls, my wife and my princess Mia. So, I planned a surprise birthday vacation for my wife. I think I started the plan about a month or two before her birthday, scouting some perfect locations to celebrate her birthday, searching the best packages and make bookings. Finally I decided to go to Andalusia, a perfect place to go during winter time.

Andalusia is a region in Southern of Spain which consists of a few cities/towns like Seville, Malaga, Cordoba, Granada, Almeria and maybe a few more that I've forgotten. I think it's location is at the bottom tip of Europe before reaching to Africa. Therefore the weather is just perfect, sunny most of the time and moderate temperature, not too cold and not too hot especially during winter. We departed from London to Malaga and the flight took about 2.5 hours. Prior arriving to Malaga, I made an arrangement to book a car which was very convenient for us with 2 kids to move around while we were there. I think it is the best option if you go there with family, less hassle and you have the total freedom to manage your own time. I figured it would be difficult if we joined a tour because the kids won't be able to enjoy themselves due to the fact that normally tours are all prearranged and have schedule to follow. I just don't want us to disturb other people's plan and most importantly I want us especially the kids to have a great and memorable time that we spent together there.

Our hotel is Riu Ferrara Hotel and it's located in Torrox Costa, a seaside. It's about 45 minutes drive from the Malaga Airport. Since we went there right after the long Christmas and New Year holiday, so the place wasn't that busy, not so many tourists, which is great because we can have quite time to enjoy ourselves. We stayed in a 2 bedrooms self-catering apartment which I think is perfect for our family. We love the hotel, everything is just lovely, the facilities, the hospitality, the environment, the location that close to the beach and the quite and beautiful surrounding area. Oh, there are also lots of eating places, souvenir shops and other facilities like supermarkets, banks and petrol stations in that area. I think they are all walking distance. So on first day, we just spent our time in the hotel, the beach and the nearby area. So happy to see the kids having a great time at the beach.

Me and my kids having a wonderful time together at the beach. Yup, I made that sand castle for Adam. It took me ages to do it because because Adam kept crushing it down. My wife had to distract him playing with the water so that I could complete the sand castle. It was totally worth it because Adam loved it!

The second day was the highlight of the trip because it was my wife birthday and it was the day we went to one of our dream places, Alhambra. It's located in Granada and about 1.5 hours drive from our hotel. Alhambra literally means "the red one" if I'm not mistaken. This is because the material that was used to built the palace and the fortress is red. It's one of the major attractions in Spain and famous with its Islamic Architecture that was embedded in the design and decoration of most of the buildings in Alhambra especially the Palace of Nasrids.

This picture was taken inside The Palace of Charles V, The Roman Emperor. It was built and integrated in Alhambra within the Nasrid fortifications after the Christians conquered the Andalusia region.

After that, we went to The Palace of Nasrids which is one of the main attractions in Alhambra. When we bought the entry tickets, we were given the time to enter this palace. This is because only a certain number of visitors can go inside the palace at a time. So you have to come at your given time and if you missed it, you might not be able to go inside which is a really, really big waste because you're gonna regret to miss something historical and so beautiful.

The picture on the left I think is a typical picture that people will take when they come here or search about Alhambra from the internet.

It looks majestic...

Islamic art is beautifully integrated in every design of the building in Alhambra.

The pool in Alhambra complex

The view of Albaycin of Granada from Alhambra.

Visiting Alhambra was a wonderful experience for all of us. Like my wife said, it is a place unlike any others that we have been before, it's unique and truly magnificent. An experience that we never forget. So we went back to hotel with a very satisfied heart and I was glad to see my wife enjoying her time there on her birthday.

Originally the plan was on the next day I wanted to bring my wife to Cordoba, another historical place which famous with its Islamic influence architecture. If I'm not mistaken it has a Cathedral-Mosque which is known as Mezquita. Initially, it was a church, then it became the Great Mosque of Cordoba during Muslim era in Andalusia before it was converted back to a church until now. However, Cordoba is quite far away from our hotel and takes more than 2 hours to drive. The kids were already tired and we thought the long drive to and back is just too much for the kids especially like Adam and Mia who hardly stay still..hehe.. so we decided to just stay and spend our time to relax and rest in the hotel and the beach. After that, we took the opportunity to go to the city centre of Malaga and of course I also brought them to La Rosaleda, the home ground of Malaga Football Club..hehe..

Whenever we have the opportunity to go to a place where we have never been before, we always love to try the local food, just to experience something different and new. We were lucky because there are loads of restaurants near our hotel. I think seafood is quite famous in Spain and they are relatively cheap. Our favourite is the bottom right dish called seafood "paella" and it's Spain's national dish. It's delicious and Mia loved it very much!

So I guess, that's it our memorable family vacation to the world of Andalusia, particularly Alhambra to celebrate my lovely wife's birthday. Hope she had a great time there, I certainly had and hopefully one day we can come back here again.

Finally, the picture of the gorgeous sunset near our hotel.

Our Wonderful Guests During Winter Holiday

2011-01-07T22:07:00.022Z

Last month especially during the Christmas Holiday period we had some lovely guests came to visit us. First my mother in law, who loveeess to cook for us. The next morning after she arrived she cooked laksa Johor, nyummy!

Adam had a great time with his TokMama...

We went to a beautiful cottage in Kent

Second guest was my wife Uncle's family.

Adam walking with his Uncle Akeem while his TokTam was in front ready to take their pics.

Finally, my beloved Cikgu Julie, my ex-teacher when I was in secondary school in STAR, Ipoh. It was her second time but this time she came with her daughter Farah.

Snowy Winter in London

2010-12-18T23:03:00.003Z

The beautiful snowy landscape...

This is probably our last winter here in London because next year we might be going back to Malaysia for good. We are lucky to get snow again this year like when we first came here 2 years ago, it was the first time in a very long time that London had snow. This year, the snow comes again and we are loving it especially Adam. Last few weeks it was snowing but not a lot, it was like flurries, it came down and when it reached the ground, it just melted. But today the temperature is cold enough so when it reaches the ground it stays and accumulates. We got quite a few inches thick of snow around our building. We took the opportunity to go out and have fun playing in the snow.

The moment we went out, Adam already excited!

Our cute little snow angel..

My lovely girls

Adam is trying to make his own snow ball

Then when he got it done, it's time to find his victim..hehe..

This is Mia's first experience with snow even though she was born during winter time last year.

Yeah, we certainly had a "good fun" as Adam always says. It was difficult to ask Adam to go back because he didn't want to, he was crying and insisting to stay and Mia desperately needed to go home because she was freezing..hehe..But we still went up anyway while Adam was still crying. At home, he didn't want to take off his boots and snow suit, so I decided to come down again with him, just the 2 of us while Mommy and Mia stayed back. Glad that we came down because he was soooo happy playing in the snow. It was worth it to see him having such a great time. Anything for you baby =)

Day Trip to Cambridge, UK

2010-11-29T13:23:00.005Z

This is actually a long overdue entry. I have been quite busy lately, yeah who's not right? Hehe.

We went to Cambridge about 2-3 weeks ago to bring my sister in law Aishah for a day trip. It's not that far from London, approximately 1 hour journey by train from King Cross train station. For a day return ticket, it costs GBP 20 which is quite reasonable I guess.

The city centre of Cambridge.

The market right in the city centre.

A lot of handmade stuffs in this market.

A memorable family portrait in front King's College.

Someone was sulking because he didn't get something that he wanted..hehe..

Whenever people hear Cambridge, UK, they will associate it with a highly prestigious academic institution, which is the common perception. Same goes whenever you meet someone and he or she tells you that he/she is a Cambridge University graduate, your first expression is always, "wow!", this person must be really, really smart. Cambridge is actually a university town, which consists of quite a number of colleges, if I'm not mistaken about 33 colleges and the famous and top ranked ones are Trinity College, King's College and St. John College. These colleges are actually self-governing and independent. This means that if you were trying to apply to Cambridge University, you have to decide which college that you are actually interested in and your application will be handled by that particular college including all the entry interviews and examinations. They have quite stringent entry requirements especially for those 3 top colleges like Trinity, King's and St. John. Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin were among the famous students of Cambridge University.

The grand entrance of King's College, University of Cambridge.

This is the inside view of King's College.

A chapel inside King's College.

OK, enough with the history, Cambridge for me is a beautiful place to visit. It also famous with punting. Punt is actually a flat-bottomed wooden boat and designed for use in small and shallow river. Besides Cambridge, punting is also famous in Oxford. I have been to Cambridge 3 times and tried punting once. If I'm not mistaken, for a guided punting tour it costs less than GBP 15 for about 1 hour ride and there's also a student discount. There are quite a number of companies which offer punting service and the price are almost the same. Most of these guys are local people and some of them are the students of Cambridge and they know the local history very well. The whole punting journey is a great experience and very interesting one. The scenery along the river is just gorgeous.

The famous river punting in Cambridge.

On a bridge across the river where a lot of people do punting.

You can also visit the colleges especially King's, Trinity and St. John college with a small amount of fees which vary for each college. I think the experience to visit these famous colleges is totally worth with what you pay especially for those who love architecture and history.

A walk to remember...

Adam's excitement..

I think spring and summer (between April-August) are the best time to come to Cambridge because the flowers, the clear blue sky and the sunshine make it even more beautiful. Plus, day time is longer during this period of time so you will have plenty of time to spend to enjoy the beauty and history of Cambridge.

Hope you enjoy these pictures that I took during my recent visit to Cambridge. I'm afraid that these pictures do not do justice because Cambridge is actually a lot more beautiful than those pictures, you have to go there and experience it yourself =). Now I sound like someone who lives in Cambridge or maybe work for Cambridge tourism agency..hahaha..

Adam Mikhael: My Son, My Bestfriend, My Legacy, My Pride & My Everything

2010-11-19T23:59:00.001Z

London's Attractions | Regent's Park |

2010-11-15T18:32:00.010Z

One of the thing that we love in London is its big and green parks. There are lots of them here and the few famous ones among the tourists and even the Londoners are Hyde Park, Regents Park, Kensington Gardens, St. James Park and Holland Park. We have been to all of it and they are all lovely and have a great playground. Adam loves coming to park, it's a total freedom to him because he can run around, chasing birds and squirrel and meeting new friends in the playground. Our favourites are Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. These parks are where the exciting places like Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, Princess Diana Memorial Playground and the Round Pond located. Oh, all of these parks and playgrounds are free by the way =) except one, Serpentine Lido. Even so, it's not that expensive around GBP 4 for adult if I'm not mistaken and it's quite small and sort of exclusive. So it's perfect for an outdoor birthday party or small family gathering where the kids can enjoy playing in the wet and dry playground. However, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens are quite far from our house, about 20-30 minutes by bus.

There's another park which is relatively closer to our home, Regent's Park. Regent's Park is huge and it's about 20-30 minutes by walking. This is where London Central Mosque or Regent's Mosque located. When I'm at home on Friday, this is where I do my Friday prayers with thousands other Muslim and sometimes I do bring Adam together with me. He also likes to come here because he loves eating at the canteen. The briyanni rice and lamb curry are so delicious and Adam's favourite is the roasted chicken.

Can you spot Adam enjoying his roasted chicken tikka with chips in this picture? hehe..

There's a playground which Adam loves so much. It's always hard for us when we want to go back because Adam refuses to stop playing.

Near to the playground, there's a big lake where you can rent a paddling boat to go around. Unfortunately you have to pay to for a ride, I don't particularly remember how much but I'm sure it won't drain out your pocket just to enjoy yourself paddling in the lake while watching birds and the beautiful surroundings.

In Regent's Park, there are also a huge field which can accommodate for rugby and football fields and even for cricket.

Not that far from the huge field, there's London Zoo. We have been there twice and both we went by taking water bus from Little Venice.

Adam playing football with his MakSu.

When the weather is great, the sunset is just so lovely.

Day Trip to Greenwich

2010-11-11T22:43:00.012Z

I'm sure most people would know that Greenwich is best known for its maritime history because of its location near the Thames River and also the Greenwich Prime Meridian where the zero longitude line is and Greenwich Mean Time (zero time zone). So that's pretty much it that I know of and last weekend we went there for the very first time. We went out quite early in the morning to avoid large crowd and we decided to take river cruise from Westminster to Greenwich instead of tube underground and train. Even though it takes slightly longer travelling time but we really enjoyed the view along the way accompanied by an interesting live commentary by the boat crew.

The return boat ticket is not that expensive, it was about GBP12.5 if I'm not mistaken. There's also a hop on hop off type of ticket where you can actually get down at any stations along the way like at Tower Bridge and then take the next boat to the next destination. Generally, the boat ride was smooth and comfortable, not too fast not too slow. Just nice for you to enjoy the riverside view and to take pictures of the London main attractions that the boat passed by like London Eye, London Bridge, Millenium Bridge, Tower Bridge, Big Ben etc.

When we boarded the boat the weather was quite cloudy and gloomy, a typical English weather. But then when we arrived at Greenwich we were lucky because suddenly the sun came out shinning.

We first visited the Old Royal Naval College. There's a big park right in front of this Naval College and it look so beautiful in Autumn. We spent sometimes there where Adam was busy chasing birds and squirrel.

Then we wanted to go straight to the Royal Observatory Greenwich which located on a hill right in the Greenwich Park. Along the way, we walked pass through quite a lovely scenery, aesthetic building, beautiful park and the Maritime Museum.

Went up the hill was quite a challenge for us because we were carrying 2 kids..hehe..When we were there the view was just absolutely breathtaking! Visitors actually don't have to pay anything to go inside the Royal Observatory Centre. This is where you will find the zero longitude line and there's also a small astronomy museum where you could see various telescope collections.

After spending some times there, we went down to a park at the foot hill before heading to the nearby town to have our late lunch. We went back around 4-ish pm because it's getting dark. Yup, it's dark pretty quick during winter time. The last boat leaves at 5.25 pm and we managed to catch the one before and the night view along the Thames River was just gorgeous.

Beautiful Little Venice in the Autumn

2010-11-08T22:03:00.002Z

This is where we live here in London, small, calm and beautiful; perfect for our little family. We are definitely gonna miss this place when we go back to Malaysia.

The Eye of London | Westminster, London

2010-11-03T10:33:00.000Z

The BW Portraits of My Loved Ones

2010-11-01T22:27:00.003Z

These pictures were taken in St. James Park near the Buckingham Palace. We went here when we were showing my sister-in-law around London's main tourist attractions on the weekend 2 weeks ago. We spent almost the entire day to visit Embankment, The Eye of London, Westminster Abbey, The Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and lastly St. James Park before heading off back home.

The Beautiful Autumn

2010-10-22T23:49:00.003+01:00

Autumn is here and we just love it, even though the weather sometimes can be unbearably windy and cold. My sister-in-law, Aishah is here spending her university break with us. She's my wife's youngest sibling. So last weekend we decided to bring her to our favourite picnic spot, Kensington Garden, plus the weather was also just lovely. Since Aishah is around, so we took the opportunity asking her to take our family pictures because all this while I was always missing in most of our family photos..hehe..

We took quite a lot pictures and these are some of my favourite ones including those in my previous 2 entries.

Our own little family

Having picnic

Adam with his Maksu, Aishah..

Ever since we have our kids, we hardly take pictures together anymore. It's not that we don't want, it's just that we don't have the opportunity. In fact in this photo, Adam was holding us both between our legs..hehe..So I told Aishah to just take the picture halfway up. Sorry Adam..hehe..

Don't you think she looks like my wife a little bit? First few days after she arrived, Mia was confused her with Mommy. But after that, she seems to be able to differentiate them..hehe..

Taking break...

Our Little Happy Family

2010-10-22T00:20:00.000+01:00

AidaFiqs | Just Like The Old Days |

2010-10-20T00:12:00.003+01:00

Mia Amani | BW Portrait

2010-10-14T14:11:00.003+01:00

I love the simplicity of BW photos especially on portraits. It simply takes all the colour distractions away and make the subject more standing out. But it is very difficult to get a very good and strong BW picture because not all pictures fit well in BW.

I'm no expert in photography, still got a lot to learn. Hope this portrait of my lovely daughter, Mia looks good in BW. I think it's suitable for BW because the hood somehow gives good contrast that makes her face stands out and evoke the emotion better. However, the shadow on her face is a little bit distracting but I think it's OK because sometimes imperfections are good to make something look more natural =)

Our Family Fun Time at Butlins Leisure Park

2010-10-07T14:55:00.004+01:00

One very happy fan! Dream comes true to watch Dora & Diego live..heh

Dora The Explorer shows. It started at 7 and ended at 9pm. Adam was enjoying his time throughout the show.

Before the show, during the day time, we went to the indoor theme park

Mia was also had a great fun...

We were very lucky in the second day because it was all bright and sunny. We took the opportunity to bring the kids to the outdoor theme park. Adam might be small physically but he has the biggest will power and desire to challenge himself. Always try to push the limit. He loves obstacles course very much. He loves doing all sort of physical activities like climbing, sliding, jumping, running, balancing etc. I think it's also a way for him to burn all the energy out. I had to accompany him everytime he wanted to do obstacles course, just to make sure his safety because it's not meant for a child at his age. So I also had to go through all the obstacles & seriously it's very tiring I tell you. He was always like, "Come on Daddy! Faster! Faster!". It's very tough for me to catch up with him now..heh..

Wonder why he looked so sad? It was because before taking this kiddy ride, he wanted to take a much more challenging rides but he was denied by the rides controller due to his small physical size. Most of the outdoor rides there have height restrictions. It's ok baby, we will try again next time ok?

We started the day by having a lovely breakfast and the kids enjoying the food very much.

My 3 Years Old Son, Adam Mikhael

2010-10-05T17:37:00.002+01:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ADAM MIKHAEL!

WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

More Pictures on Adam's 3rd. Birthday Celebration in Butlins Leisure Park

2010-10-03T00:58:00.003+01:00

The birthday boy...

We took a train & departed from London Victoria station. The journey took almost 2 hours and it was a very exciting experience for Adam because he loooves train so much!

Since he will be turning 3 years old and becoming a big boy, he got his own bedroom at the hotel. He was loving it and the room is just so cosy!

The garden right in front of the Ocean Hotel

The gorgeous sea view overlooking from our balcony.

"I loooove my little sister so much!". This picture tells it all how much Adam loves Mia.

Adam's 3rd. Birthday Celebration | Butlins Leisure Park, Bognor Regis, UK

2010-10-02T00:03:00.003+01:00

For Adam's 3rd. birthday we decided to celebrate it at Butlins, a leisure park in Bognor Regis, in south cost of England. Actually Adam's birthday is on the 5th. of October but we had to celebrate early because sadly, I would be busy on that day. This picture was taken at the front of Ocean Hotel, the place where we had stayed during our 3 days holiday there.

P/s: More pictures to come in my next entry! =)

Adam Mikhael | Curiosity

2010-09-20T16:09:00.001+01:00

Moment That Will Last Forever

2010-09-17T15:10:00.002+01:00

As a father, nothing makes me happier than seeing my kids having a great time together and loving each other.

The Joy of Childhood

2010-09-17T08:06:00.002+01:00

On the second day raya, we had no special plan and no "open house" invitation either, so we decided to come to this Princess Diana Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park. It's been almost a month I guess, since we started fasting, we hardly bring the kids to park. It was wonderful to see how much Adam and Mia were enjoying it. We had a great time there even though it was just a very short visit.

Our First Day Eid 2010

2010-09-15T00:58:00.003+01:00

First Eid for the 4 of us in London

Adam with his new baju Melayu

Eid would mean nothing without loved ones

My lovely girls

After the Eid prayer, we had a little gathering at our house & invited our closed friends & my office colleagues

Then Adam's bestfriend, Eliza came late in the afternoon

This is Rafael, Eliza's little brother trying to hug Mia

Our little angel was so tired and fell asleep on the couch

Mia Amani | Perutusan Hari Raya

2010-09-07T13:25:00.001+01:00

Saya mewakili Along saya Adam Mikhael, Mommy (Aida Azni) & Daddy (Mohamad Taufik) ingin mengucapkan Selamat Hari Raya AidilFitri & Maaf Zahir dan Batin kepada semua ahli keluarga, sanak saudara dan sahabat handai di mana jua anda berada.

My AdaMia

2010-09-05T11:46:00.001+01:00

Beautiful Moment of My AdaMia

2010-09-04T01:32:00.000+01:00

Adam Mikhael | Irresistible

2010-09-03T01:05:00.006+01:00

Kids give the most adorable, honest and pure expressions when you capture their pictures. That's why I love photographing kids. They hardly stay still and they just be themselves. They cry, they smile, they laugh, they happy, sad, they become cranky, they throw tantrum whenever they feel they want to. They are just so unpredictable. That's the beauty and the challenge of photographing a child. Like this picture, it took me so many shots to get this one. I mean to capture the right moment with a decent quality picture. Adam was actually having his drink while watching his little sister playing with something that amused him. This was taken place only for a couple precious minutes because before that he was running around chasing birds and squirrels. I was like his body guard, following him wherever he went with my camera ready at my hand to make sure that I was at the right place and right time to capture the right moment. Oh boy, it was soooo tiring, running around with him. He just never tired! It's so hard for me to keep up with him nowadays but it's certainly fun! Every seconds spent with him is just so worth it.

Mia Amani | 7 Months Old

2010-08-24T00:47:00.003+01:00

Oh time flies really, really fast. Mia just turned 7 months old on last Saturday, 21st. August. She's growing up really well and now capable of standing on her own for a few seconds. She has the sweetest smile, a bubbly personality and loves wandering in the house. Adam is her bestfriend and she adores him. She's definitely a Mommy's girl. She never lets Mommy out of her sight, if not she's gonna cry out loud until Mommy comes back to her. Oh everytime I come back from work, she welcomes me with her loveliest smile that always melt my heart away and then, she will ask me to pick her up. Even though it only last for few precious minutes before she starts looking for Mommy again, it definitely my favourite moment of the day. Happy 7 months old sweetie and we love you so very much, muahs!

Summer Vacation 2010 | Cornwall's Beaches

2010-08-13T04:02:00.005+01:00

Summer is almost coming to its end. This probably our last summer in the UK before we go back to Malaysia for good. We took the opportunity to go for a summer vacation and we chose the beautiful Cornwall beaches to spend our family holiday. I took few days leaves from work and decided to drive to Cornwall from London. It took about 5 hours drive. But with 1 baby and 1 toddler in the car it's just to long to drive straight to Cornwall and so we decided to stop by in Bristol (halfway of the journey) to take a break and visited our friend, Faz and family there. We continued our journey the next morning. Thanks a lot Faz for the hospitality.

It was raining slightly on the way but the weather turned great in the afternoon when we arrived at our camp site. Yup, we actually camping there. We just wanted to experience something different. Tired of staying at typical holidays accommodation such as hotels or B&Bs in busy and crowded city. This time we opted something which is more nature friendly accomodation, a tipi. A tipi is a conical type of hut which is very famous among the Native Americans. To be honest, it is quite comfy and big actually. We cooked our own food there. They do provide gas stove in the tipi and you also have the option to go all natural by using log to do your cooking. We tried both and it's very exciting especially for Adam..hehe..

So the first day we arrived, we went to a historical fishing village Port Isaac to get some groceries and we spent most of our time having picnic in a beach called Polzeath. Both places are just about 15-30 minutes drive away from our tipi and I think both are the nearest town from where we stayed. The view was spectacular and the beach is just so lovely. Hope you enjoy these pictures of breathtaking scenery of Port Isaac.

The breathtaking view along the way to Port Isaac

Gorgeous small fishing village in Port Isaac

The tipi camp site where we stayed

Weekend Getaway | Picnic in River Test, Houghton, Stockbridge, Southampton

2010-08-09T16:26:00.012+01:00

We had another wonderful weekend getaway for a picnic in River Test, Houghton somewhere in Southampton. It's about 1 hour and half from our house. It's very quite and located in a very green and secluded place. To be honest, it was just us having picnic there for most of the day and late in the afternoon there were 2 families came from London to join us. It was fun and we certainly had a blast!

River Test that runs through the village

A beautiful swan that kept passing by once in a while

The queen of my heart

Obviously Adam had fun the most

He never stopped running around exploring

Yummy wild berries

Me & My Princess Mia

2010-08-09T10:55:00.000+01:00

Emirates Cup 2010

2010-08-02T20:03:00.008+01:00

This is my second time went to see Emirates Cup which was held last weekend. The 2 days tournament involved 4 teams which were my favourite team Arsenal (England), AC Milan (Italy), Celtic (Scotland) & Lyon (France) and each team played twice. A win gives 3 points, a draw carries 1 point and each goal scored gives another 1 point. Arsenal again this year managed to retain the trophy that they won last year. Weehoo!! They drew 1 all against AC Milan and won 3-2 against Celtic.

Last year I went with my family except Mia because she wasn't born yet..hehe.. This year I went with my colleagues Feroz who is a Man Utd fan, Khairul a Liverpool fan and Kevin a Chelsea fan..heh..We watched the first day's matches where Arsenal played against AC Milan and Celtic against Lyon. It was fantastic and there were couple of goals. However the World Cup bound players like Fabregas, V. Persie, Bendtner and few others did not play but we got to see 2 Arsenal's new signings Chamakh who played so fantastic and awarded as the Man of The match and a new centre back who I did not quite remember the name..hehe..All in all, it was a great experience to all of us and we certainly enjoyed it very much.

The home to beautiful football

The inside view of The Emirates Stadium which has more than 60,000 seats capacity

Feroz (Man Utd. fan), me (Arsenal Fan) & Khairul (Liverpool fan)

Me, Khairul and Kevin (Chelsea fan)

The view from our seats

The speedy Theo Walcott

Pato trying to take on Eboue

19 years old Jack Wilshere; a rising football star & the future of England

Samir Nasri

Weekend Getaway in Minster Lovell River

2010-07-28T23:09:00.005+01:00

Last weekend we went to have a picnic in Minster Lovell river in Oxfordshire. It was about 1.5 hours drive from London. So we went there on a day trip. The place was secluded and very peaceful, perfect for a quite picnic while enjoying the beauty of the nature.

Making His Own Footmarks

2010-07-26T03:00:00.003+01:00

Go on son, don't be afraid to explore the world. If you stumble, don't you ever worry, you can always come back because I will always be here for you.

Being a father is absolutely a wonderful thing that ever happen in my life. I wouldn't trade it for anything. The experience is priceless. I learn so much from my kids to become a good person. It's big responsibility, but I do enjoy every second of it. I can never be grateful more than this. Alhamdulillah.

Eternal Love

2010-07-21T13:29:00.001+01:00

My Gorgeous Girls | Beautiful Smiles

2010-07-19T13:19:00.001+01:00

St. John Wood Park | A Lovely Family Hangout Spot

2010-07-17T06:32:00.001+01:00

Adam discovered this place on our way back from Friday prayer in Regent's Mosque. Apparently it is very big park with a fantastic children playground.

The Cute Crawler | Mia Amani

2010-07-16T16:43:00.000+01:00

Adam and His Thomas & Friends

2010-07-16T10:17:00.004+01:00

I always wonder, what's up with this little talking train that Adam and also other kids especially boys are sooooo into it. For Adam, it's not just Thomas, he actually LOVES train so much. Whenever we go to train station we would spend a lot of time there just because Adam wants to see all the train and it's very, very hard to ask him to go back. Doesn't matter, as long as it makes him happy =)

My Adam

2010-07-12T15:03:00.004+01:00

He is very special, everyday with him is a new adventure for me. My life would be meaningless without him. Love you Adam!

Weekend Getaway in Camden Lock

2010-07-11T17:14:00.004+01:00

I'm so glad that I bought my Iphone. It really is very useful for me to take picture under a very difficult circumstances where I have to carry Adam all the time. It's just almost impossible to be able to even hold my camera. Since Iphone is a lot smaller, I can just simply take it out and quickly snap. The quality is of course not as gorgeous as DSLR's camera but good enough to have decent pictures that we can cherish the moment. I guess, after all the moment that matters the most right? =)

We always take boat whenever we go to Camden. It takes longer time but very relaxing while cruising along the river watching wild life and the beautiful scenery.

Happy Adam. He loves watching ducks, goose and swan along the way.

Gorgeous scenery

Camden market. There are lots of things you can find here. Various food (including halal food as well), antiques, continental, handmade stuffs etc with a very affordable prices.

Adam and Mommy having lunch

One of the antique shops.

My wife in front of her favourite shop

Me and Adam, yeah, he was so sleepy towards the end..hehe..

Precious Moment of My AdaMia

2010-07-07T10:58:00.001+01:00

My 5 Months Old Precious Mia

2010-07-06T10:11:00.002+01:00

Royal Albert Hall

2010-07-05T09:41:00.002+01:00

It's been a while since my last post. Pretty busy with work lately. So, here a quick post just to keep the momentum alive..hehe..This picture was taken couple of minutes ago on my way to office using my Iphone4. Yup, it's fresh from my phone, no editing whatsoever. I'm quite impressed with the quality. Royal Albert Hall is not that far from my office, it is just behind my office building. I will walk pass it everyday on my to office and back to home.

Father's Day Celebration in Serpentine Lido, Hyde Park

2010-06-25T15:50:00.003+01:00

Mia Amani | 5 Months Old

2010-06-23T12:36:00.005+01:00

She turned 5 months old on 20th. of June and she grows up really fast. She's happily rolling around everywhere in the house. She is chubbier and cuter! She babbles out loud and Adam is her bestfriend. She smells great! Happy 5 months old baby, love you to bits. Muahs!

A Special Handmade Father's Day Card For Me

2010-06-22T22:16:00.004+01:00

Few days ago on the 20th. of May was a Father's Day and I got this special hand made card by Adam (with Mommy's help of course..hehe). It melts my heart away. I feel so grateful.

The front page

The inside page

Adam' New Haircut

2010-06-08T12:28:00.001+01:00

My Cute Little Angel | Mia Amani

2010-06-07T10:36:00.002+01:00

The Beauty of Simplicity

2010-06-06T01:19:00.003+01:00

Adam Mikhael | My Full Time Model

2010-06-05T14:39:00.003+01:00

This boy, he never fails to pose for me. He's always been my favourite model ever since he was born. Now every time I hold my camera and point it to him he instinctively know what to do. Sometimes he even asks me to take his photo while he's giving his pose like these ones. He's actually my obsession, because of him I'd be able to improve my photography skills. Now, we have Mia and I'm very sure that she will be following Adam's footstep. Both of them together with my wife are always going to be my favourite models. That's why you hardly see the pictures of any other typical models in my photostream. I specifically do not know why, I think it maybe just myself because I'm a little bit introvert type of guy, a man with a few words to be exact..hehe..Ok enough said, hope you will enjoy the picture and have a wonderful weekend!

Adam with New Friend, Boyd

2010-06-04T00:40:00.001+01:00

I just love to see how these 2 boys are enjoying each other company. They just met in the playground and they even could not communicate because Adam is still yet to talk properly but it just wouldn't stop them to have fun playing together. Oh that boy, Adam's new friend, is Boyd and he's 6 years old.

I think this world would be a much better place to live if we all see it through the eyes of our children; pure, sincere and no prejudice.

Every Journey Begins With One Small Step

2010-06-03T15:21:00.001+01:00

Adam Mikhael | Texture

2010-06-02T09:31:00.002+01:00

My very first attempt using texture from Wazari's texture e-book. Hope it turns out well. Oh the e-book is amazing and very easy to follow. Great work by Wazari. Thanks a lot Wazari for sharing your knowledge and experience in your e-book.

Adam Mikhael

2010-05-30T00:25:00.002+01:00

My Loved Ones

2010-05-28T05:14:00.000+01:00

A football genius in the making

2010-05-24T20:56:00.010+01:00

Last weekend it was quite a sunny day almost the whole day, which is not very often to happen here in the UK. So we took the opportunity to go to Kensington Gardens for a relaxing day and picnic. We packed some food and right after Zuhur prayer, off we went. I put him on his favourite football shirt, brought a ball and 2 training cones with the hope that he'd be playing with it rather than chasing birds, squirrel or just running around. The moment we arrived and unbuckled him from his stroller, he jumped out and straight away ran to chase birdies and I was a little bit dissapointed...hehe..So I took out the ball and made a little goal with the cones and started playing alone hoping that it would attract his attention and it WORKED! He saw me and ran fast to join me playing! Yay! Mission accomplished! Then he started kicking about and I quickly took my camera to photograph him. I did not teach him yet how to kick the ball properly and how to run with the ball but he seemed to have the skill and style, I would say. I don't know why but for some reason I was so proud and happy to see him playing football. I told my wife that I could actually see a potential and talent in Adam and she replied, "Great! Nasib baik Adam ada your gene! (Lucky that Adam has your gene)"..hehe..

Some of my close friends know that I am actually a football maniac. Football was my life before I met my wife. It's been in my blood since God knows when. I wasn't particularly a great footballer but good enough to be the captain of my team since I was in primary school until university. I have tasted some victories before especially when I was in Sheffield playing for Malaysian Society. We have won some major trophies like Nottingham Games, Cardiff Games, Sheffield Games & Birmingham Games to name a few. I still remember, wherever I went for a football tournament, my girlfriend (now my wife of course!) was always there to accompany and support me even though she's not really a football fan. So I bet you can imagine how eager I was to win trophies with a hot girl cheering for me from outside..hehehe. When I was in secondary school in STAR, Ipoh, I was awarded a Full Colours Award for my achievement and contribution in football.

I want Adam to play sports and obviously football is my preferred choice and I promise myself that I will never force him if one day he tells me that he doesn't like football. It's absolutely ok because I want him to do whatever he loves to do and make decisions for his life. I will provide him the guidance and he makes the choice and he will have my full support.

I hardly play football nowadays. Yup, it leaves a big massive empty void in my life to be honest but I know that the sacrifice that I have to make. As I go along in my life (work, married and become a father of 2 as of now), there are other important things that I have to give priorities. My fitness and speed are not like before but I am pretty sure that I still have the skills and techniques..hehehe..

I can actually go on and on babbling about football non-stop. I always tell people that football is not just a game. It is a lot more than that and I am pretty sure that my wife understand this well after so many years with me because I remember that she gave me this one birthday card when we were in Sheffield where the front page is saying "Football Maniac" and the inside page saying something like or sort of,"I can assure you it is a matter of life and death." hehehe..

Mia Amani | 4 Months Old | Expression

2010-05-22T12:56:00.006+01:00

One of my favourite things in taking pictures of kids is their pure expressions, it's just so precious. Oh by the way, Mia just turned 4 months old yesterday. She's just growing up so fast and getting cuter and cuter! She loves it when people are talking or singing to her and she will definitely response to it. Making bubbles with her saliva is her favourite thing now..hehe..

My AdaMia

2010-05-20T22:54:00.002+01:00

My Precious | My AdaMia

2010-05-19T06:28:00.001+01:00

Trip to Camden Lock

2010-05-17T22:37:00.003+01:00

Welcome to Camden!

One of the shop, it's very colourful in there

Haha..this is so cool, having your meal on a scooter!

I wuz here! hehe..

One of the landmarks in Camden

The Colours of Portobello Market

2010-05-16T07:37:00.004+01:00

Ever since we arrived here in London, we've never been to the famous Portobello Market, not even once. So yesterday, we decided to go and check out the place. Some people say that it's actually a place which sells a lot of junkie stuffs which I personally thinks is so underrated. It's not junk, it's actually valuable antique stuffs and it's a really happening and colourful place too but sooooo jam packed with people especially on Saturday. Oh forgot to mention that it's located in Notting Hill which became so much more popular after the "Notting Hill" movie. Want to know more about Portobello Market?, just visit its website here.

Oh, I also found a booth where it sells a lot of antique cameras which are still in good condition and working properly. I wanted to buy an old and antique Canon camera, unfortunately I didn't bring enough cash! Takpela, takde rezeki, maybe next time and hopefully it will be there..hehe..

I think Portobello Market is definitely a great location for photo outing especially those who like street candid.

I like this picture so much taken by my wife. Me and Adam got a hat for both of us.

My sweet girls

Among the big crowd in Portobello Market

Old style cool sign boards

Colourful building

Beautiful collections of English mugs, pots and tea set

Great collections of valuable antique cameras

Adam Mikhael | My Little Mischievous

2010-05-15T19:58:00.002+01:00

He's 2 years and 7 months old and getting cheekier and smarter day by day. Every moment with him is a new challenge and a wonderful fatherhood experience to me. Love you so much baby and don't be naughty OK! =)

Mia Amani | 3 Months Old

2010-05-15T09:18:00.008+01:00

Time flies really fast. Mia is 3 months old plus and she's really, really adorable and chubby. She's already recognised everybody in the house. She's definitely a Mommy's girl. I have a feeling that she actually recognises me as a stranger; someone who is only in the house during the evening time and disappear through out the day and when this guy is around, he likes to take her away from her Mommy. When she looks at me, as if she is thinking, "Who is this guy?"..heheh..That's why when I hold her, normally it will only last for a couple of precious minutes, then her eyes will start watery and if I still keep holding her, she will start crying out cloud calling her Mommy to save her from this big, fat and dark guy. When I pass her to my wife, she suddenly just stops crying as if nothing has happened...hahaha..Mia, Mia, you are so smart, girl. Oh another thing, she also smiles a lot and it's gorgeous! She has beautiful smiles like Adam. I'm so grateful to be blessed with 2 wonderful babies. Love you guys so much!

Family Vacation in Beautiful Bath

2010-05-13T23:57:00.007+01:00

Last few weeks my parents came to visit us. Besides typical tourist attractions in London, we decided to take the opportunity to bring them to visit the beautiful Bath, a world heritage city. I have been there years ago when I was doing my undergraduate study in Sheffield but my wife hasn't been there herself. So, we rented a self-catering farm house just outside the city centre in Somerset. The house is just big and comfy enough to accommodate all of us. It was really gorgeous and quite a different experience for all of us. We loved every single moment there! Oh coincidently it was also our 4th. wedding anniversary..hehe..

Right at the front of The Royal Crescent

Adam was actually trying to read the sign..hehe..

Blossom spring

My wife actually got no idea why I suddenly asked her to pose there, I just like the setting because it gives some sort of classical feeling. I know, it would be perfect if it was an old or antique bicycle instead of that mountain bike..hehehe..

Moment that will last forever

Weekend Getaway to Canterbury & Oxford

2010-05-13T08:32:00.002+01:00

This is also another looong overdue entry. I think it was last month when we decided to take time off and go for a quick weekend vacation , just to get away from the busy life in London. We went to Canterbury and Oxford which are not that far from London, about 1-2 hours drive.

Me and my wife love travelling and we like to go to country side areas, islands, beaches, basically any places that can take us away from the hectic and fast-paced big city or urban life. We spent a night in Canterbury where we stayed in a lovely farm lodge. It was wonderful and we love the hospitality there. The surrounding is very scenic, calm and peaceful, just perfect for relaxation. Then, we went for a day trip to Oxford. It's like any other typical European historical city, surrounded by beautiful landscape and aesthetic buildings. Hope you enjoy the pictures..

Canterbury, Kent, UK

The lodge, where we stayed in Greatfield Farm, Canterbury, Kent

My lovely wife and Mia

A proud father of 2 wonderful babies

Forever Together

Oxford, UK

In front of a museum in Oxford

Beautiful architecture

Trip Back to Malaysia - Part 3 (Abah's Birthday Celebration)

2010-05-12T23:20:00.003+01:00

The third major occasion that happened coincidently while we were back in Malaysia was my father's birthday which was on the 7th. of April 2010. It was a small and simple celebration just among our own family. The next day, we decided to bring my mom and my dad to Teluk Batik, Lumut; a beach not that far from our home. We certainly had great family time together.

My lovely parents

My adorable Adam

My very own little family

Adam certainly had blast! Running along the beach chasing birds and playing with the sand

Adam with his favourite guy, the birthday boy..heh

Mia with her Auntie Nurul

Trip Back to Malaysia - Part 2 (Kenduri Cukur Rambut Mia)

2010-05-12T14:08:00.005+01:00

"Cukur rambut" is a Malay traditional custom where we celebrate and welcome the newborn baby into the family. It is also a wonderful way to share the bundle of joy of the family with other people. So we decided to hold the occasion when we were back in Malaysia. It was held beautifully in my parents' house in Perak and these lovely pictures were taken by Darklightsphotography. They are actually great friends of mine who also attended secondary school together with me in STAR, Ipoh. Thanks a lot guys, appreciate it a lot!

Trip Back to Malaysia - Part 1 (Wedding Aie)

2010-04-23T22:54:00.004+01:00

It's been quite a long time since I last posted any entry in this blog of mine. Been busy with so many things. Last month on the 20th of March 2010 to be exact, we went back to Malaysia for about 3 weeks to attend my brother in law, Aie wedding. Also, every family members back in Malaysia were really eager to meet Adam and our newborn baby girl, Mia Amani. So, we went back a week early before the wedding just to help my brother in law with all the preparation. Alhamdulillah the wedding reception went beautifully well. Ok, enough babling, I'm just gonna let the pictures do the talking. Enjoy...

This is Aie, my brother in law, during the solemnisation ceremony at the bride's house in Sg. Ramal Dalam, Bangi, Selangor.

Liyana, the bride..

Our family picture during the wedding reception in our house in Kajang which was held on Sunday, the next day after the wedding reception on the bride's side. The theme was brown and look at Adam with his big sunglass, he's definitely the centre of attention of everybody and he's loving it very much.

This is the picture of our big/extended family, in fact this is actually incomplete because there are still a lot more other missing. Love the precious moment..

Mia Amani

2010-02-14T14:44:00.003Z

It's been quite sometimes since the last time I posted anything in this blog. I was and still am really busy as a working from home house husband. Doing house chores, cooking, bathing my kids and taking care of my wife who is still in her confinement period. It's very tiring and I am pretty worn out but I really enjoy every second of it. Oh these are another compilation of Mia's pictures that I took a week or 2 ago. Not many new pictures at the moment because I don't even got the chance to hold my camera..heheh..

MIA AMANI | BW Portraiture Collections

2010-01-29T15:32:00.002Z

MIA AMANI | 2 Days Old Pictures

2010-01-25T02:09:00.001Z

The Birth of Princess MIA AMANI

2010-01-23T16:31:00.007Z

I just feel so thankful for being granted such a beautiful baby girl MIA AMANI. She was born on 21st. January 2010 at 4.43PM (UK Time) in St. Mary's Hospital LONDON. We are so lucky to have a couple of baby boy and girl now. Mia's presence certainly has completed our little family.

You might wonder how it all happened. Maybe I can write up about it a little bit. This way, it could be a good way for me to later on reminisce the memory or maybe to tell MIA her birth story later in the future. So here it goes, it all started when the day before my wife had a checked up and did membrane sweep procedure which I don't actually know how to describe it here in detail. It is a procedure that is carried out to trigger out the contraction process and it's being done in all natural way, no medication or chemical involved. After that procedure, eventually my wife started to feel the painful contraction and it got stronger and stronger as day passed by.

The next morning, the contractions were getting much more painful and we somehow could feel that that was it, the this-is-the-moment feeling. It was around 10.30am in the morning and we went to the hospital. Cut the story short, after few hours of battling with the contractions and tiredness in the labor room, at 4.30pm the midwife said that my wife was already fully dilated and ready to start pushing the baby out. Then the real battle started but surprisingly it was a really controlled and calm situation. It was not really chaotic as I expected. After about 15 precious minutes with few big pushes from my wife, the baby finally came out. I was so proud of my wife. I know it was really painful but I think it's actually a lot more that I could imagine. I wish I could take my wife's place but I don't think I can actually handle the pain because I am sure the pain is just so overwhelming. I do not know how women do it especially those who give birth naturally without any painkiller like what my wife experienced for this second baby. Never ever take for granted women especially our mom and wife. They have to go through the unbearable pain to give birth. They are very special because God knows that they can take the pressure, stress and pain during the pregnancy and also during the give birth process.

Thank you so much Sayang for this beautiful gift, MIA is just so precious and beautiful baby girl. It was a totally different and yet wonderful experience for me. It was different with Adam before. I think, every child is born with his/her own special birth story. If later on, God grant us with few more babies, I will definitely want to be with my wife to support her through and through because that's the least thing that I can do and or course to witness the birth of all of my kids. Insyaallah. Thank you again Sayang and I sooooo proud of you. Love you so much.

Now I can start a new photo journal of MIA like I did and still doing it for ADAM. I think this is the best thing that I can do to watch the growth and development of my kids from the moment they are born. Insyaallah (with God's will) I will definitely keep doing this as long as I alive because this is my passion. My wife and my kids are my obsessions.

These are some of the pictures that I managed to capture during the birth process of my little princess, MIA AMANI. Enjoyce!!

Our little princess, MIA AMANI

She weighs slightly bigger than her big bro Adam when he was born, 2.74kg.

Pure relief and happiness. The wait definitely worth!

This is how it all began..

Mommy's Birthday Celebration

2010-01-19T00:46:00.003Z

On the eve of my wife's birthday we celebrated at home with a small birthday cake for her and a special present from me and Adam. The next day on her birthday we all went to my wife's favourite Chinese restaurant in Bayswater for lunch. We were lucky because the weather was just lovely, clear blue sky and bright sunshine. After lunch, we went to a nearby park, Kensington Gardens. Adam was really excited because it's been a while since we last brought him there. He was running around chasing birds and squirrel. To my lovely wife, Happy Birthday again Baby. Hope you had a wonderful birthday. Love you so much.

The birthday girl

My loved ones

Mommy's love

Adam was excited running around in the park

In front of my wife's favourite Chinese Restaurant, Noodle Oodle

Happy Birthday Sayang

2010-01-16T17:17:00.003Z

Today, 17 January is the birthday of somebody who is really, really special in my life. I don't know what I have actually done to deserve her. I guess, I am just very lucky and so grateful to have her as my wife. She's my better half and she completes me. I can not imagine how my life would be without her. I love you so much Yang!

My Little Copycat

2010-01-15T21:05:00.006Z

Kids especially at age of Adam, 2 years plus love to copy whatever they see and hear. So, it is very important to the parents to make sure that they watch out their actions and words. Now Adam he is absorbing really, really fast on what we do and speak. Normally he will just watch and listen and in no time he can already do or speak like what he has seen/heard before. Sometimes, it is just so funny to see him copying things that we do. These pictures are taken when he was trying to perform prayer like what I normally do. Sometimes ago, I bought him a sejadah (prayer mat) and whenever he feels like praying he will use it.

Adam Mikhael - The Apple of My Eyes

2010-01-05T12:38:00.003Z

He never fails to lighten up our life. He completes us and a bless to our little family.

Photographing A Child

2010-01-02T18:47:00.005Z

For me, to photograph a child is the most challenging thing in photography because it takes great patience but it really gives the most satisfaction feeling. Children are so unpredictable, spontaneous and full of emotions. To be able to capture those special moments are just really precious experience. I have been taking photos of my son, Adam Mikhael since he was born. It is such a wonderful experience to see him grow up through the pictures that I have taken. Soon, there will be a new addition in my little family. My baby girl is due anytime now and we are so excited to meet her. I can't wait to photograph her for the first time and share it with you. Please pray for my wife. Hopefully everything will be going well.

Last Pictures of 2009

2010-01-02T14:35:00.001Z

These are some of the pictures that I managed to capture on the last day of 2009. Luckily the weather was lovely. I hope it's still not too late to wish all of you Happy New Year. May the new year brings more happiness, prosperity and success in whatever you are doing. Me and my family we are very excited to welcome 2010 because soon our baby girl will be born.

My Landscape/Scenery Photography

2010-01-01T15:01:00.004Z

London is where me and my family reside at the moment. We came here in January 2009 when I got posted by my company to undertake a project. Me and my wife are quite already familiar with the British surrounding because we spent 4 years when we did our undergraduate studies in Sheffield. London is not much different but more hectic I would say. Previously, I did not like London simply because I do not fancy living in a big metropolitan city. But after a year living here, I start to love it.

These are some of my favourite landscape photos that I captured on some of London famous tourist attractions.

Westminster

The London Eye

The Capsule of London Eye

The Big Ben

The Thames River