Young shutterbugs get a fresh take on Kuching
KUCHING: Four young shutterbugs have captured Kuching with a fresh perspective in a series of photos as part of the ‘Hari Kebangsaan 2018: See Malaysia Anew’ commercial by PETRONAS, which will be launched and aired today (Aug 15).
During the filming early this month, each of the four children was given a digital camera and taken around to explore various parts of the city to capture what they felt best about.
As children tend to do, they did this with fresh eyes, free of adult judgement and scepticism, capturing scenes of Malaysian life and sharing what it means to them.
These scenes were assembled into themes of Hope, Love, Heroes, and Family, as the core essentials which have kept Malaysia moving forward for all people.
“My favourite shot is the one of a family photo, which depicts a grandmother’s love for her grandchildren after a meal,” said Rose, 9, from Kuala Lumpur when met after their photoshoot.
As it was her first time in Kuching, Rose’s perspectives were clearly portrayed in her photos of the Kuching Waterfront, which showed the lives of locals and their trades.
“I started taking photos when I was about four years old. I find it to be fun as I get to explore a lot,” she said, adding the interest was mainly spurred by her parents, who are also into photography.
On whether she has technical knowledge on photography, she admitted having none, but shared that she presses the shutter button once a “golden moment” unfolds before her eyes.
On National Day, Rose said she looks forward to the celebration as it is a melting pot of colour with the various costumes of Malaysia’s different ethnic groups.
Elizaverth Tinny, 9, from Sibu, is passionate about photographing flowers and other living creatures.
As such, her favourite photo is of a turkey kept in a cage.
“This photo is my favourite among the hundreds that I have taken,” said Elizaverth, whose best photos were printed and displayed on a table in front of her.
Upon closer inspection of the 15 photos, each shot tells its own story through her eyes.
She said her interest in photography started a year ago and that she has been heavily influenced by her elder sister of two years.
Two 12-year-olds – Myra from Sabah and Hakimi from Kuala Lumpur – both shared their experiences here and explained their love for photography as well as the background and reasons behind their photos.
“I love this photo when a grandmother is feeding her grandson. It shows the connection and the love that they have for each other,” said Myra.
PETRONAS has a long history of making commercials for festivals and National Day.
Every year, PETRONAS seeks to shine light on the feelings, intentions, and thoughts that are part of growing and encouraging a Malaysian identity and creating progress for the nation.
This year, PETRONAS has asked young Malaysian children to share their stories so that their innocence and pureness of perspective inspire other Malaysians to have a sense of joy as part of a new Malaysia.
It is a drive to reawaken and bring attention to the good things that are Malaysian and to remind everyone to make the choice to celebrate, preserve, and spread these simple joys.
To see Malaysia anew, 10 children, ranging in age from five to 12, travelled with a team of filmmakers and acted as photographer-storytellers.
Every piece of content concludes with a simple request – to cherish, share, and uphold these values as our responsibility and contribution to the new generation, who will inherit this blessed nation.
Besides Kuching, the children also went to Kemaman, Klang Valley, Cherating, and Bentong.