What started out as a passion for photography became more than a serious hobby for Alvin Leong. 9 years ago, Alvin first approached landscape and nature photography with great penchant and enthusiasm. However, when he found himself spending more weekends capturing wedding shots than lying in wait for the perfect sunlit sky, he knew he had found his calling.

Alvin firmly believes in approaching wedding photography in the fashion of an unobtrusive, but keen observer. Often fading into the background, he sets out to capture not so much the event itself, but the emotions of the day. "It is about preserving each poignant or joyful moment. A wedding album should read like a book. It tells a story, each page a wonderful drama unfolding," he enthuses. "No one really wants to look at ten pages of posed portraiture. It gets a bit boring!" By moving away from traditional portraiture of creating and arranging photographic opportunities, to Alvin there are no second chances in snapping up a great shot. "A photographer has to anticipate the moment coming and place him or herself at the right spot to capture the perfect shot. It is never about random positioning and blind luck!"

A Certified Professional Photographer with the Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP) and a member of the World Institute of Photographic Masters (WTPM), Alvin is constantly on the lookout for new techniques and inspiration from a myriad of sources. "Photography is a living art. It is a continuous learning journey with the goal to capture pictures more beautiful than before." Working mostly with digital imagery, he incorporates his images into DVD and CD Rom at the request of individual couples. "Some couples like to have a collection of their photos as well as the video shooting of their wedding day in one CD."

Although a great advocator of natural, candid shots, Alvin has also done numerous posed formal shots. He believes in achieving an overall balance for the wedding album, acknowledging that most couples would like some formal individual and group shots to be included.

With his relaxed manner and easy ways, Alvin stresses the importance of sitting down with every couple to discuss in detail their needs and to put any anxieties about the wedding shoot to rest. "They need to be comfortable with it, be it with their budget or the shots they want taken. It's part of what makes a couple look good for the shoot!"

In his keenness to share the art of photography, Alvin has given talks on photography and techniques at various educational institutions and has provided practical training for students pursuing photography courses. He is currently involved in a mentoring project with the Photography Club of a local high school.

The studio, Alvin Leong Photography, is located in the leafy suburb of Tabuan Jaya. Just 15 minutes away from the city Kuching, the studio is within easy access from all around. A single-storey bungalow along Jalan Wan Alwi, opposite RHB Bank, it also houses a gallery of his works and a collection of beautiful wedding gowns, imported from Australia, the UK and the U.S.A.