This September 20th, come and visit our booth at the Ibu Tots Fair at Publika and you get to enjoy discounts off our lifestyle photography packages. Speak to our photographers and get to know the people behind the Stories team. Participate in the lucky draw and you might also win a free family portrait session!
We look forward to meeting your little ones as well on this day, and maybe you get to meet my little Krysta at the same time too! :) See you there!
This morning as I sat on the golden throne which is my toilet, unhappily clutching my stomach from a bug that has decided to hit me at the most inopportune time, I thought to myself, “What a great way to start our 8th year anniversary.” We later joked about it especially when Alex willingly picked up the disinfectant and helped clean the toilet after I was done. What a romantic start to our day.
But what struck me this morning was that this really is an act of love, more so than just the gifts you get on special occasions, or the fancy-schmancy dinners that are planned ahead of time. It is these very things that get taken for granted on a daily basis. The little things we do for each other that demonstrate love in bite sized pieces. Though I love the large acts of love (like planning for holidays together, date nights etc), it is these little things that keep my emotional tank full on a daily basis.
I believe it is these very things that make me feel so loved and cherished these past 8 years. I just hope and pray that I am as good a wife as Alex is a great husband. Growing up as the youngest child in the family, I am used to being pampered, so my selfish nature is something I have to battle with constantly. Over the years, through our heartaches and arguments, I have learnt what it means to live less for myself and more for others. Marriage is one relationship instituted by God that truly brings out the best and worst in you.
So my dear, I am sorry for the times that I might have taken you for granted all these years. With God’s help, I hope our marriage will continue to strengthen through and through. Love you heaps.
Oh, and here’s a reminder of our wedding vows said 8 years ago!
Years ago, I met Steven for the first time at a Christmas party organised by my church cell group. Marilyn and I attend the same group and so one day, she brought along this guy ‘friend’. I didn’t really get to know Steven very well personally over the years, but over the past few months, with the wedding coming up, I discovered he can be a pretty romantic guy, totally detailed and meticulous, funny, and loves to joke.
If you got to know Marilyn, you’d say that she is one of the most bubbly persons you’d probably ever met with a high pitched laugh. She is always tickled by something, which means she constantly has a smile or laugh on her face. I love that. She has a heart of gold, always looking out for others, self-less, loves God with her whole soul, and wears her heart on her sleeve. Over the years, I have been so blessed by this friendship, so photographing their engagement / pre-wedding photos was a privilege.
Here’s just a few sneak pics from their pre-wedding session…photographed by myself and Jamie. The rest will debut on their wedding day this December! :)
In half a day, 25 participants were taught the basics of what makes a great family portrait even better and were even given the opportunity to photograph real families! Chaos reigned supreme during the shoot as with all normal family portrait sessions, and together, we perspired, jiggled rattles, played games, and simply had fun. It was my first workshop specifically on family portraiture, and though I had spoken at many workshops and seminars before, this one felt a little different.
I am thankful to Canon (yay, thanks Chris, Shing Eu and Kevin!) for being the main sponsor for this workshop, and for giving me the opportunity as to speak as their EOS Academy Instructor. We also got to test out the PIXMA Pro-10 printer which was great! I loved the prints that came out of it, so this one’s a keeper! We’ll definitely be printing more images and displaying it around our studio soon.
I’d also like to thank Diane, Jamie and Alex for assisting me on this day because no successful workshop can be done alone.
Here’s some photos from the workshop over the weekend, held at Tropicana Golf & Country Club.
Photo taken by my talented hubby Alex.
After going through pregnancy for the first time, the second round kind of feels a bit of a broken record. It’s terrible, I know, but somehow, you are not fully aware of what is really going on in your body (unless your morning sickness is worse compared to your first pregnancy!). I remember when I was pregnant with Krysta, I diligently followed the Baby Centre app, telling me which week she had developed fingers and what stage she was at. Now, I have to think twice when someone asks me how far along I am. (By the way, I am approaching my 7 month of pregnancy!)
But even though I may be ‘breezing’ through this pregnancy, the challenges of shooting while you are pregnant is still very real. I have more backaches than usual (I think it also has to do with carrying a 10kg toddler!) and squatting for even 2 minutes feels like a massive ordeal. Not to mention, I have to be more careful as I almost tripped over stones or cracks on the ground due to my heavy front load!
Maybe I am ambitious, but I still have 3 full day weddings and countless portrait sessions to shoot, before I stop early October. And I hope to take 1 month off and then I am back again end November for our peak season in December. Not too sure how I can accomplish all of these things, but I am trusting God that with His strength, I will be able to give my 110%.
I thank God for Alex who has been extremely supportive as usual, and for my staff who are efficient, dependable and able to work independently so that I can have an ‘almost’ stress-free lifestyle. Without all of you, I would absolutely cave under the amount of work and pressure that running a business entails.
As I head into my 3rd trimester, I look forward to meeting my new little baby this November.
We are still taking bookings for shoots this 2014, so even though I will be out of action for 2 months, rest assured that you’re in the good hands of the Stories team.
