Joan Leong Photography

19/12/2023

15/12/2023

Pre-wedding photos of my littlest sister and her fiancé.

29/10/2023

I met Mandy and Aidan two years ago when I was called to photograph their stillborn twins, Abigail and Lara, as part of my service work in rememberance photography.

It is amazing that they have added another avenue to acknowledge and honour the memory of these babies who did not have the opportunity to make memories with their families.

The photos I take give families something tangible to remember the babies by.

These commemorative birth certificates give these babies dignity by acknowledging their identity.

Mandy, Aidan, I am in awe of you both for what you did.

All Ms Mandy Too and Mr Aidan Hoy wanted was a document acknowledging their stillborn twins' names. They tell CNA about their two-year journey to get Abigail and Lara officially named.

31/07/2023

https://www.nytimes.com/paidpost/dignity-memorial/protecting-your-loved-ones-even-after-youre-gone.html

As an extension to the volunteer work I do in rememberance photography, one of the key things I personally set out to do more is to normalise conversations around death.

In this piece produced by T Brand Studio in partnership with Dignity Memorial, it highlights the importance and benefits around memorial planning. While the content is U.S.-focussed, the key point is universal — protecting your loved ones, even after you're gone.

Meet three women – all very much alive – who’ve pre-planned their funerals to insulate their families from financial hardship.

14/06/2023

One of the charities I’ve supported for years is Children's Wishing Well, an organisation that supports the educational and daily living needs of disadvantaged students. I value the work that they do in terms of equipping the children with the tools they need to navigate life.

What started out as a monthly food delivery volunteer programme turned into a great opportunity for me to conduct holiday photography workshops for the students.

Combining my years of experience in teaching, programme development and photography knowledge, I designed an accessible workshop for the children to understand basic concepts in composition techniques and basic photo editing skills. The activities were scalable by age group and adjusted during the workshop progression to match the pace of learning.

The workshop sessions have been fulfilling as I was able to witness the growth and confidence of returning participants; while also being able to get the children to be engaged in the process and realise how they can apply these new skills in their daily lives where sharing photos is a norm.

https://joanleong.com/portfolio/photography-workshop-with-childrens-wishing-well/

11/06/2023

“In another lifetime, I’d do it all again 1000x!” says the beautiful quote written on the bedroom wall.

Darren and Jia Min, the dynamic duo behind Olsen Bakehouse, invited me into their lives when I did a rememberance photoshoot for their first child, Christopher. They taught me a big lesson faith and resilience, and how to journey alongside in silent support without imposing one’s emotions on those who are grieving.

When the birth of Lily came along, I was honoured to be able to capture these precious memories with them once again. (This is an old photo set, and they are now going to welcome baby #3!)

The rest of the set can be viewed at: https://joanleong.com/portfolio/celebrating-lily/

29/05/2023

Spending the day at Higher Performance SG to photograph their Strength Games 2023 was an eye-opening experience in what we define as being fit and strong. I used to think that being fit means encapsulating all aspects of fitness. Words like power, endurance and strength meant that one would be an all round fitness guru. I learnt that one’s fitness training does not take a ‘one size fits all’ approach, and we may be strong in something but need work in another area. It does not mean we are lacking, we just need to train differently.

21/08/2022

Conducted a photography workshop during the June school holidays at Children's Wishing Well. Had a really fun time!

19/02/2022

One of my favourite things about being a photographer is charting through the special milestones of the people I photograph. From Lindsey's wedding to the pending arrival of her little one. This was a really lovely morning spent with dear friends.

12/12/2021

Did this photoshoot early last year and because I have been so late at putting them up, the family already has expanded since! Was such a lovely day, easy shoot with them. Loved taking a walk down this memory lane, reminding me why I love capturing special moments like these from time to time.

Family photoshoot from the archives.