Only In Kelantan: Borrow A Camera, Shoot A Master, Keep The Photos

“IN BETWEEN” at Gelanggang Seni, Kota Bharu (18–19 June) offers free photography sessions with Nikon, Sony, and Canon gear, cultural subjects ranging from opera performers to shadow puppeteers, and a rare chance to visit the Kelantan Match Factory — Malaysia’s last — on 20 June.

In Brief

Attendees can borrow high-end Nikon, Sony, and Canon cameras for free, with no deposit or purchase required.
Sessions feature rare cultural subjects like traditional opera performers, Wau Bulan kite masters, and shadow puppeteers.
Award-winning photographer Eric Lee provides real-time feedback throughout, offering guidance no online tutorial can replicate.

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For photography enthusiasts, it’s the ultimate proposition: free access to professional camera equipment, rare cultural subjects, and expert guidance — all in one weekend.

The “IN BETWEEN” exhibition by award-winning photographer Eric Lee at Gelanggan Seni in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, isn’t just showcasing photographs.

It’s handing attendees cameras to create their own, with a lineup of subjects most photographers only dream of.

Supported by the Kelantan state government through Datuk Kamarudin Md Nor, who chairs the Tourism, Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee, the exhibition reflects a deliberate push to preserve and spotlight the state’s living cultural traditions through contemporary photography.

Nikon, Sony, and Canon are all providing high-end cameras and lenses for participants to borrow and shoot with during the special sessions — no purchase necessary, no deposit required.

Just show up, sign up, and shoot.

“It’s a try-before-you-buy situation, but really, it’s more about experiencing what professional equipment can do with these incredible subjects,” explained the organisers from Lollipop Productions.

Lollipop Productions partner Jeff Wong handles a Sony A7R VI paired with the 100-400mm GM II lens during the “IN BETWEEN” exhibition at Gelanggang Seni, Kota Bharu — part of the free professional gear available for attendees to borrow and shoot with across the weekend’s cultural sessions.

An exhibitor sets up the telephoto lens attachment on an OPPO Find X9 Ultra during the “IN BETWEEN” exhibition — proof that at “IN BETWEEN,” your camera of choice can be anything from a borrowed Nikon to a flagship in your pocket.

Attendees browse Lee’s prints — a collection spanning continents, from frost-covered domes to the iconic silhouette of Mount Fuji.

Smiles say it all — visitors take in the works of Lee and Lollipop Productions, each frame a quiet invitation to pick up a camera and see the world differently.

Young participants from Chung Hwa Independent High School get hands-on with Nikon Z-series cameras — proof that the best time to start shooting is before you think you’re ready.

From Opera Gold to Shadow and Smoke: A Weekend of Light, Craft, and Living Tradition

Tonight (18 June), from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM, performers in full traditional opera regalia — layers of silk, hand-painted faces, and towering headdresses — offer a masterclass in portrait lighting and fine detail, with Nikon cameras and NIKKOR lenses available.

Tomorrow morning (19 June), from 7:30 AM to 12:30 PM, the focus shifts to the Wau Bulan kite master, where soft natural light and weathered hands tell their own story through Sony cameras and lenses — ideal for documentary and cultural photography.

The afternoon session, from 2:30 PM to 6:30 PM, focuses on shadow puppetry: dim lighting, high contrast, and constant movement, all shot with Canon cameras and lenses.

“If you can nail shadow puppet photography, you can shoot almost anything,” said one participant from a previous workshop.

Lee himself — a Cosmos Awards Top 10 and Asia WPA Top 10 photographer — will be present throughout, offering real-time feedback that no tutorial can replicate.

A special highlight of the exhibition is the Kelantan Match Factory — established in 1933 and Malaysia’s last remaining match factory — whose story of craft and perseverance is documented through Lee’s lens, and whose booth at the venue is the only place to sign up for a factory visit on 20 June (limited to 20 participants, first-come, first-served).

All sessions are free; spots are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Chilly Brand matchboxes from the Kelantan Match Factory — Malaysia’s last remaining match factory, established in 1933, and one of the quiet stories at the heart of the “IN BETWEEN” exhibition.

An N4 Camera Store staff member — Malaysia’s leading photography specialist and official PGYTECH distributor — showcases PGYTECH’s creator-focused camera backpacks at the “IN BETWEEN” exhibition, because great photography starts long before you raise the camera.

Amid the cameras and lenses, a Kelantanese exhibitor in traditional dress holds up a vibrant green songket — a UNESCO-recognised handwoven Malay fabric distinguished by intricate gold or silver metallic threads woven into silk, each piece taking weeks to craft by hand — a quiet reminder that sometimes the most compelling subjects aren’t on a screen; they’re standing right in front of you.

A PhotoJam member proudly shows off the community’s photobook — PhotoJam being one of Malaysia’s most vibrant photography communities, connecting photographers through workshops, photo walks, and events — a fitting reminder that great photography isn’t just about the shot; it’s about the community that grows around it.

A visitor gets hands-on with the Godox iT32 — one of the most impressive mini flashes to hit the market, packing TTL, a ~1.5s recycle time, and up to 510 full-power flashes into a body so compact it genuinely broke the mould of what a speedlite can be — at “IN BETWEEN,” even the gear on the side tables tells a story.

Everything’s Ready, Are You?

Tonight’s session (18 June) and Friday afternoon’s shadow puppet (19 June): KAYZ at 012-409-9632.

Friday morning’s (19 June) Wau Bulan session: Sony Kota Bharu at 012-901-0666 or Lee at 018-900-9228.

The exhibition runs today (18 June) from 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM, and tomorrow (19 June) from 8:00 AM to 6:30 PM.

Bring an SD card for the pro gear, any camera you own, or just a phone — skill level doesn’t matter here.

For photography lovers in the region, the access, equipment, and expertise are already in place.

The only requirement is showing up.

Lee (left) with a guest at the opening of his exhibition in Kota Bharu.

Sony Alpha Specialist Harn Teh — centre, in Sony black — walks participants through the gear against the vivid backdrop of a traditional Kota Bharu shophouse, hands moving as fast as the conversation, because the best camera knowledge is always shared in person.

Framed through the silhouettes of photographers, a young boy in full Chinese opera costume and makeup becomes the quiet centre of the frame — his red-painted face a symbol of loyalty, his ornate blue and gold headdress a centuries-old visual language that has endured from stage to museum to, now, the lenses of first-time shooters at “IN BETWEEN.”

Shot on the Sony A7R VI paired with the 100-400mm GM II — a young attendee locks her gaze on the viewfinder of her smartphone, completely absorbed in the moment, unaware she herself has become the subject — the kind of candid only a long telephoto lens can steal from across a room, rendering her in tack-sharp detail against a beautifully compressed, painterly background.

Three goldfish drift through deep blue water — shot on the Sony A7R VI with the 100-400mm GM II, the same combo that stole a candid portrait moments earlier, now turned on a humble fishbowl at the “IN BETWEEN” exhibition and transforming it into something closer to fine art.

All photographs in this article were taken by the writer on-site using the following equipment: Sony A7R VI + Sony FE 100–400mm f/4.5–5.6 GM OSS II and Sony ZV-E1 + Sony FE 50mm f/1.2 GM

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