KLPF 2021

Azul giving his talk

It used to be one of the main events in the local photography scene. Over the years, through a combination of poor logistics and poor publicity, the festival was something festive only by name. There was no support from big names - not even Canon or Sony - let alone any big reveals or launches.

Azul by describing his work to the audience after his talk

With the man himself!

Then the pandemic hit, and it had undoubtedly suffered.

The main gripe I had was inclusivity. It was dominated by Chinese groups, and even some of the posters and talks were held in Mandarin. I’m not saying they should all be in Bahasa, but an English translation would have been good. This would further alienate a big market for these photography products. A lose-lose situation.

But I digress. I remember having the first look at the Ricoh GR II at a similar show when it was held at Mid Valley. I straight away purchased it. Those were the kind of hands-on experiences that I liked, rather than having to show up at the shop and being intimidated into buying it.

I used to bring along with my own SD card and try out the cameras and lenses there before opening the shots back at home to see how they looked like. Quite fun. But none of them now. No new cameras to try. A few stalls selling accessories and a collection of used lens and cameras.

I went there mainly to look at the gallery and listen to the talks. Most of them were experience sharing. Maybe my timing was wrong. I actually wanted to listen to Azul’s talk, and he shared his experience shooting a themed collage which was interesting.

Truth be told, I will definitely attend the next KLPF, wherever it may be. We have to support the local scene and see what we can learn. It was just fun catching up with old friends if I bumped into them.