If you are looking for a new place with nice background with leading lines for a portrait photoshoot in KL, Lalaport is one of the places you must go.
Lalaport KL, is one of the latest Japanese shopping malls in Bukit Bintang, right in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Lalaport is located opposite Berjaya Times Square, where the previous demolished Pudu Jail was located.
I find out the Rooftop Garden is one of the best places for photoshoots because there is a nice background for your portraits. Taking photos at the Rooftop Garden at Mitsui Shopping Park Lalaport Bukit Bintang is one of the latest trends for your Instagram content.
Previously, I was shooting street fashion portraits in Bukit Bintang near Pavilion, I find the light condition is really nice for portrait photoshoots.
After the opening of Lalaport Bukit Bintang, I decided to give it a try, the surrounding will give a different mood to your photos.
I was experimenting with one of my Fujifilm X-Trans IV film simulation recipes, the True Chroma, the Downtown Bloom and Kodachrome 64 recipes and the photoshoot results turn out amazing. Meanwhile, practising some advanced photography techniques for portraits during the photoshoot!
I was shooting analogue with my Yashica rangefinder film camera and also shooting digital with my Fujifilm X-T4 with the Fujinon XF35mm F2 and with the Moment CineBloom diffusion filter attached.
The Rooftop Garden @ Lalaport KL
As a first-timer, you might get lost in the area. Feel free to ask the security guards around the area as they are quite friendly and helpful.
For your information, the Rooftop Garden is only open to the public at 10 am sharp. If you are a morning person, I would suggest you hang out around the area until it’s open. The staircase will be lit with LED lights, and you’ll know the park is open.
You have to go up the staircase which leads to the Rooftop Garden, and you come to a spacious garden area with some nice modern structures around.
The Casual Portrait Photoshoot at Lalaport
I was shooting with Abigail, one of the talents I found on Facebook. My 3-hour photoshoot session started at 9 am so I had to shoot near the staircase while waiting for the garden to open for the public.
It was my first time having a photoshoot in the area, I find out about the scenery and building structures were actually quite nice. The best time to shoot here is around the morning and evening.
A few weeks later, I returned for a shoot with Steven, one of my customers who hired me as his personal photographer to shoot some portraits for him.
As the garden only opens at 10 am, I only have an hour or more to shoot for the best lighting before the sun rises up high.
The selection of outfits when shooting at the Lalaport Rooftop Garden is also very important as you don’t want the subjects to blend with the background.
Mixed Feeling
The shopping mall is located on the land of the demolished Pudu Jail which was built 130 years ago. How do I feel when I was there during my photoshoot?
Well, there were some mixed feelings when I was there at the new shopping mall, feeling curious yet a little creepy to nothing. But right after the photo shoot, my talent told me that she got in a car accident.
In my mind was like “Oh no!”. Anyway, nothing to worry about, hope she is doing well, she might be unlucky during that time.
