A good corporate profile headshot can make a huge difference to someone’s perception of you! It can exude warmth, show a hint of fun or maybe a whole lot of crazy. If you have been using your passport photo in your resume or as your LinkedIn profile shot, it’s time to update that headshot of yours.
Here are some tips on how to prepare for a session with us.
When I was growing up, I remember the most epic birthday party I had was when I was 8. Growing up in Malacca in the 80s, it wasn’t really common to have major parties for children my age, but my parents had organized my birthday at the new McDonald’s restaurant (the one and only in Malacca at that time!). It was totally memorable for me, especially since my mom baked a gorgeous cake for me, and my friends and I packed into the walk-in freezer to see how long we could stand the cold. I am grateful to my parents for organizing such a party for me.
Now that I have children of own and with the growing influence of Pinterest, DIY groups on Facebook etc, I feel a little ‘pressured’ to do something fun. So a few years ago when my daughter turned 5 and my son turned 3, I organised 2 parties – a unicorn party for my 5 year old and a fireman party for my 3 year old. It was quite fun doing some of the DIY stuff on my own, but unlike my mother, I can only bake instant cakes from those pre-mixes in the supermarket. (Needless to say, I didn’t bake these cakes).
It was a little stressful, but after all that organising, here are some tips to share with other mums who intend to plan their own child’s birthday parties.
1. If you are not good at something, hire someone to do it.
I realised that I was putting additional stress on myself in making some of the decorations myself. I went shopping for goody bags, was busy sorting out the guest list, planning food, AND thinking of how to keep everything under budget. Unless you are the kind of mum who truly enjoys this process, the best way to avoid unnecessary stress is to hire someone to do things for you. There are many great decorators / stylists who are great at what they do! (For my son’s 1st birthday, I had an Up themed party and hired Moments). For his 3rd year party, all I did was call the local fire station, do a site visit, and then let the firemen entertain the kids! (You need to give a donation to hold the party at the local fire station. Some fire stations do not allow parties)
These four ladies came together to celebrate their 50th birthdays. It’s an annual tradition. This shoot also celebrated 28 years of friendship since they first met each other in their early 20s! We had a conversation about getting older and one of them said,
“As we age, we don’t really feel any different from when we were in our 20s. Our bodies might be getting older but emotionally and in our minds, we’re still our crazy, silly selves from when we were younger.”
I feel the same way too (in my 40s now). When I was 25, I thought anyone over 40 was old, but now as I have reached that milestone, I don’t feel old, I am just a wiser version of myself. I’ve added more years of experience to my life and sharpened my focus on my priorities. But as I get older, I must remind myself to always have fun and enjoy the little things in life. Like making time to celebrate life and friendships with a photoshoot, perhaps!
Families are spending so much time together at home these days compared to before (for obvious reasons), and it’s so nice to capture some of these simple yet precious everyday moments for them. Nadia invited us over recently and got the whole family dressed in Minion pyjamas! How cute! Managing kids on a photoshoot is no easy task and with four of them bouncing off the walls and goofing around, we also captured a few shots of the “imperfection behind the scenes”. But the truth is, these moments will still be part of their memories and a reflection of what life can sometimes be… imperfect but still beautiful.
More photos below!