Bin Bin Tan

Bin Bin Tan In At Home, Beautiful Everyday, Family + Children Portraits, Newborn, Portraits

What is a Newborn Photoshoot and What Do To If You Miss The Shoot Window

A newborn photoshoot is a specialised photography session that focuses on capturing images of your brand new baby in the early days of their life. A newborn photoshoot often features babies in sleepy, curled-up poses. While babies are generally considered newborns for the first few months, to a photographer, that window closes much sooner, after about 3 weeks. This is because babies above this age tend to be awake and less likely to spend time in the curled-up pose that makes newborn photography so special.

Most people don’t realise how small this window actually is, which is why it’s so important to plan your newborn photoshoot well in advance, ideally during your second or third trimester!

Posed Newborn Photography vs Lifestyle Newborn Photography

Posed Newborn Photography

When most people think about newborn photography, posed newborn photography is probably what comes to mind. This is the more classic approach, with the baby being placed in specific poses to show off their tiny features. Babies are often swaddled during the shoot and a variety of props (think wraps, knitted hats, and baskets) are used. You can also choose to do the session with your baby unclothed for a more minimalist look.

Traditionally, a posed newborn photoshoot works best within the first few weeks after birth, when baby is sleepier and therefore more malleable to posing. Babies at this age also tend to enjoy being swaddled and in the curled-up position. This is why a posed newborn photoshoot is time-sensitive and best done before the 3-week mark.

Lifestyle Newborn Photography

Lifestyle newborn photography, on the other hand, is a more relaxed and informal approach, focused on the natural expressions and interactions between you and your baby. The outcome is a more candid photoshoot that aims to preserve the natural essence of the moment. We usually recommend this style be done at your home, as it adds a personal and meaningful layer to your story.

Because lifestyle photography relies less on posing, there is no strict age limit. But we still recommend taking the photos in the first month, especially if you wish to document those tiny, teeny features of your newborn that change so quickly.

For an in-home session, you don’t need a Pinterest-perfect home, just a couple of softly lit spaces to work with. The nursery, living room, and parents’ bedroom are usually the best spots. A quick tidy of surfaces and some natural light goes a long way.

At Stories, our newborn photoshoot is a combination of the posed and lifestyle newborn photoshoots for the best of both worlds.

How to Prepare for Your Newborn Photoshoot

A little preparation goes a long way in helping the session run smoothly and stress-free. A Stories newborn photography session lasts approximately 1.5 hours in duration. You could do the shoot at our studio, your home, or your confinement centre. You can let us know if you prefer a more posed or lifestyle approach, and we will adapt accordingly. We will bring all the swaddles and some props for the session. Here are a few other things to keep in mind:

Before the session: Try to keep your baby awake in the hours leading up to the shoot. A well-fed, sleepy baby makes for peaceful pictures and a much calmer session for everyone. Feed and burp your baby right before the session begins, and avoid a full feed one to two hours beforehand so they’re ready for a proper meal just before you start.

What to bring: Pack at least one change of clothing in case of any accidents, as well as everything you’d normally need for feeding and changing. If there’s a special item you’d like included in the photos, a family heirloom, a handmade blanket, or a meaningful keepsake, let us know in advance.

For parents: Wear neutral colours like creams and soft tones for the family shots, and avoid chunky jewellery or accessories that might distract from the main subject, your baby! We always take variations during the shoot, so you’ll definitely be included in the session. These moments pass faster than you think, and you’ll treasure them.

During the session: Try to stay calm and relaxed. Babies can sense tension, so the calmer you are, the more settled your baby is likely to be. Fussing and crying is completely normal, so don’t panic if your baby does that! We have seen it all and will work patiently with you.

What If You Missed The Newborn Photoshoot Window?

We get it; the first month of being a new mum is exhausting. Between all the crying, endless feeding and diaper changing (not to mention recovering from delivery), a photoshoot may be the last thing on your mind.

If having a photoshoot in the first three weeks is not an option, don’t worry about it! Just because your baby isn’t a newborn anymore doesn’t mean you can’t still have a beautiful photoshoot. After all, babies don’t stop being cute, and any age is a good time to capture these precious memories.

If you do plan to take the photoshoot after the one-month-old mark, there are just a few things to take note of.

Since babies are more awake and active by then, we recommend a lifestyle photography session rather than a posed newborn shoot. Rather than sleepy, curled up poses, the focus will be on alert expressions, eye contact and perhaps even a smile.

If you need more time for rest and the photoshoot gets pushed back even further, the sessions can always be customised to focus on baby milestones, such as tummy time, crawling, etc. You can see this article for some milestones worth capturing.

Having a baby is one of the most extraordinary phases of life. Regardless of when you choose to do your photoshoot, you will always cherish the photos and the memories of the session.

Bin Bin Tan In Misc

Booking Your Stories’ Wedding Photography and Video Team: What You Need To Know

Getting married is such a momentous occasion – life-changing and exciting at the same time. There are so many aspects to the planning, and wedding photography and videography are one of the main considerations for most couples. After all, after the high of the wedding, your photos and videos will be the one thing that remains as memories from the big day.

Selecting your creative team may first involve researching styles to find one whose vision matches your preferences. At Stories, our focus is on natural, authentic moments that capture the essence, emotions and relationships behind your special day.

If this aligns with your needs, check out our process, from enquiry to the actual day, below!

Enquiry

To begin, just drop us an enquiry! You can do this on our website or through WhatsApp, and we will be in touch to discuss your needs.

Some information that would be useful to us at this stage would be:

Type of ceremony that you will be having
Dates (if you already have them, so we can check our availability)
Location
Number of expected guests

We will then share the relevant package. We understand that booking a wedding photographer and videographer isn’t a one-day decision, and we are happy to meet in person for you to get to know us better before making the decision. Feel free to also browse our website to learn more about our creative style.

Booking

If you’ve decided to confirm us – firstly, thank you so much for putting the trust in us to capture your big day! We will send over our booking documents, which consist of an invoice and a contract. To lock in the date, we require the signing of our contract and a 50% retainer fee. The balance is due a week before the wedding.

Getting To Know You Better

As part of our booking process, we will send you a questionnaire to get to know you and your needs better. This is usually sent about 6 weeks prior to the wedding day.

The questionnaire will involve understanding the important people attending (having a family photo list is always helpful), your schedules, any cultural elements that we need to be aware of, etc. Feel free to also put together a vision board and share it with us. We will go through and assist with our input. Do remember to carve out some time for couple portraits!

We will then schedule a meetup (in person is best, but online works too) to have a chat and iron out all the details for a smooth-flowing event. This will also help you know the team better and be more comfortable in their presence on the actual day.

A group chat will be created to coordinate the events better. We’re always available to answer any questions you may have.

Final Check-in

A few days before the wedding, we will drop you a message to reconfirm all details (starting time, location) and to find out if there are any last-minute details or changes we need to be aware of.

THE BIG DAY

All the work now shifts to us. Let go and enjoy your wedding!

Our wedding photography and videography team will be on-site slightly before the allocated time for setup. Since you shouldn’t be worried about all the minor on-the-day details, assigning a coordinator from your end to assist the team in managing the schedule helps.

Please note that we do require meals for our photographers. Nothing major, but a quick bite is sufficient. Hotels and restaurants are familiar with the vendors’ meal and can help you prepare it.

Same Day Slideshows

If you have booked a full-day package with us, we do offer Same Day Photo Slideshows as part of our package. However, if you have requested videography services and would like to have a Same Day Video shown at your wedding dinner, an additional fee is required.

We have a range of royalty-free music that we use for slideshows and videos. These are non-mainstream songs, and we’ll choose a song for you according to our creative discretion. If you do have a particular music genre preference, just let us know so we understand your music style and can take that into consideration. We don’t usually ask for specific songs from our clients, as the song may not necessarily work well with the images or video clips that have been shot. However, if you still prefer to use your own selection, please email us at least 3 options for us to choose the best song that suits the video or photos.

Post-production and Delivery

You can expect some teaser images within a week of the big day. The full set of edited images is delivered 1-2 months after the wedding. For videos, the timeline is 2-3 months. We will send you a download link, and a USB will also be couriered to you.

Albums are currently not included in our package but can be added on. Do have a look at our range of albums available here.

That’s it!

We hope the above is helpful and sheds some light on our processes for capturing your wedding day. Feel free to come say hi to us in our studio at Oval Damansara if you would like to know more, or drop us an enquiry (link to form) and we will be in touch to chat more.

Congratulations once again!

Bin Bin Tan In At Home, Family + Children Portraits, Maternity, Portraits

Introducing Family Films

At Stories, we work to create timeless images that will help you immortalize the best times of your life. As the world evolves in the way we tell stories through visuals, we have decided to evolve with it. For this reason, we have expanded our services to offer videography services in addition to family photography packages.

Introducing Family Films, where you can now tell capture your family’s important moments with a video session instead of just a traditional photoshoot.

Moments Package

The Moments Package is a behind-the-scenes coverage as an add on to a family portrait session. This is for clients who have already booked a family photoshoot and would now also like a video. The videos filmed in this package would revolve mostly around the scenes being setup for the photoshoot, which we will then edit with music to tell a little story. Other than showing up, there isn’t any additional work required from the family members.

For the end result, you will receive a 1 to 2 minute edited video of your family in addition to the photos from the photoshoot booked.

Unscripted Package

The Unscripted Package is a standalone video production that can be shot as a mini documentary of your family, whether it’s to showcase your family’s history, a day in the life or to celebrate a family member. As these videos will be more detailed, audio interviews may be used to help tell the story.

Therefore, this package requires more thought and planning. Some things you may consider before deciding to proceed are:

(i) What narrative do you wish to convey?

(ii) Who is going to participate in the shoot?

(iii) Are interviews planned? What are the questions you would like to be asked? What would you like to say in reply?

(iv) What type of scenes would you like to film your family doing?

Under this package, you will receive a 2 to 4 minute edited video. As this package does not include photos, you may like to add on a photoshoot if you would like to receive some photos as well.

The next time you decide to book a professional family photoshoot, why not consider a video as well?

Bin Bin Tan In Family + Children Portraits, Portraits, Studio

What To Wear For Your Family Photoshoot – A Step by Step Guide

“What Should My Family Wear?” We’re asked this so frequently that we’ve written several articles about it (Click on the thumbnails to read more!):

However, if you’re still having trouble after reading the articles above, here is a simple step-by-step guideline that will hopefully help you get your family photo ready.

Step 1: Decide if you’re going formal or casual

To ensure that everyone in the family is on the same page, decide the level of formality of your photoshoot. Are you planning a casual shoot or would you like everyone to be more dressed up? Dressing up doesn’t have to mean wearing something extremely formal; it can just mean going a little further than normal, like wearing a nice dress for the ladies or a fitted shirt instead of a t-shirt for men.

When deciding the style, do consider the location of your shoot as well. For example, a grand hotel lobby could be an ideal backdrop for a formal photoshoot, but if you’re doing your shoot at home or in a park, a more relaxed style might be preferable.

If you’re planning to shoot in our studio, we will be able to set up according to either style.

Step 2: Decide your base colour

In your next step, choose two to three colours for everyone to select from and request the family to stick to the same range of colours. To achieve this, decide on the primary colour you want for your photo session. This may be based on the outfit you wish to wear or just the colour that the majority of your family members may likely already have.

Step 3: Coordinate colours

After selecting the main colour, use the colour wheel to select complementary colours. Complementary colours are hues that are directly opposite each other on the colour wheel, such as yellow and purple. You can also select colours next to each other such as blue and purple as adjacent colours on the wheel also blend well together.

Should the above prove too challenging to coordinate, you can opt for colour shading, which involves selecting lighter or darker shades of your chosen colour. Therefore, if your primary colour is blue, your family members can then choose a variety of blue outfits that may range from navy to pastel.

If all else fails, neutrals such as blue, cream, khaki, or white are popular choices and you can’t go wrong with these.

Step 4: Ensure there is variety

Having a variety of outfits such as blouses, shirts, jeans, skirts and long dresses will create more dimension to your photos. Encourage your family members to wear clothing that expresses their individuality and sense of style. Use different textiles, such knits or lace, to provide texture. You can also incorporate texture by layering – such as throwing on a shirt over a plain tee, a cardigan over a dress or a shawl over your blouse.

If you’re not sure about your selections, feel free to bring an extra outfit to switch up on the day of the shoot.

Some final tips!

Avoid clothing with large graphics, brand logos or too many patterns.
Ensure your clothes fit properly. Do try on your outfit before the shoot to check that it fits well and that you can not only move around comfortably but sit comfortably as well.
Steer clear of clingy fabrics that may highlight unflattering areas.
Make sure to iron out the wrinkles in your outfit prior to the shoot.
Don’t forget to think about your footwear.
Comfort is a must!

If you need more help in this area, feel free to drop us a message and we can discuss more!

Bin Bin Tan In Musings, Portraits, Pre-Wedding & Engagement Portraits, Tips + Ideas, Wedding Films & Videos

Why You Should Have a Pre-wedding Photoshoot

It’s a bit ironic that I’m writing this article because I didn’t have a pre-wedding shoot. With the benefit of hindsight, I do wish I had more information on the matter and had given the decision more thought. So if you are like me and on the fence of whether you wish to have a pre-wedding shoot, here are 5 reasons to help you decide.

1. Allows you to have more time on your wedding day

You may wonder about the point of a pre-wedding shoot given that you will be having photographs at your wedding day happening in just a few months time. A wedding can be a very demanding and stressful affair. While we will definitely set aside some time to take some couple portraits for you on your actual wedding day, between the ceremony, family photo sessions and guest arrivals, you might not have as much time available to dedicate to your own photos. If you had pre-wedding photos taken, you could relax knowing that couple photos are the last thing on your mind during this already hectic day. Instead, you could spend the day fully immersed in celebrations, enjoying your meal and spending quality time with loved ones.

2. Wedding day trial run

You want your wedding photos to showcase you at your best while still having you be relaxed and natural. Pre-wedding portraits will allow you some time to get used to being in front of the camera. You can practice your poses and reviewing your photos can also help you prepare better for the big day. You can even use your pre-wedding session to test hair and makeup. Knowing ahead of time what suits you best will allow you to feel more at ease on your wedding day.

3. Get to know your photographer

A pre-wedding session is also a great opportunity to get to know your wedding photographer better and get familiar with how they interact and collaborate with you. Additionally, it helps the photographer learn more about you two as a couple. For instance, are you both naturally tactile? Do you prefer more direction in posing? Having this opportunity to know one another and develop a bond can make you feel more comfortable around your photographer and confident that the photographer will be able to deliver you at your best.

4. Variety of locations and styles

On your wedding day, time constraints and logistics can limit photo opportunities. A pre-wedding photoshoot on the other hand, offers more flexibility and you have options to choose for diverse locations and as well as outfits. For example, you may like to take pictures at sunrise or sunset, this can’t be controlled (as much) on your wedding day but it can be planned for during a pre-wedding session.

A pre-wedding photoshoot can also allow you to be as creative as you want. We have even photographed a pre-wedding session in a grocery store! Maybe you want a casual photoshoot or maybe you want to go glamorous with multiple wedding gowns in different styles. It’s a once in a lifetime occasion, so go all out!

5. Tell Your Love Story

A wedding (especially in Asia) can sometimes be a bit of an extended family event. A lot of the wedding planning revolves around creating a great experience for your guests. On the other hand, your pre-wedding session will be exclusively to celebrate you as a couple. You can use this photoshoot to tell your unique love story – perhaps engage in an activity you both enjoy or choose a location that is meaningful to the both of you. You can even take it one step further by adding on a pre-wedding video. A video will really capture all the emotions in the lead up to the big day and will be something you watch and reminisce on in the future.

So there you have it! I hope this list has helped open your mind to the benefits of a pre-wedding session. A bonus from doing the pre-wedding shoot is of course the beautiful, professional pictures that you can use for your save-the-date announcement or to decorate the reception.

If this article has convinced you to have your own pre-wedding shoot, get in touch with us! Do also check out our current promotion with That White Dress for gown rentals starting from as low as RM650.