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Grace Tan
In Life, Musings, Relationships, Tips + Ideas

Everyday photos that you need to take

As a photographer, I have this innate desire and need to document my life. There are some important people, places or events that encompasses an essential part of who I am and the life I live. I believe that this process of documenting life is really important and I encourage you to think about your own life and how you can capture these moments because they become little windows into a memory that you once held dear.

1. Your house

It may seem trivial to take a photo of your house from the outside. But when you move and settle into a new home, you might find it hard to remember if there was a rose bush by the old gate or if your door was wooden or glass because those memories will fade. Just by looking at a picture of your old house on the outside can actually bring a flood of memories to mind of the times you spent pruning that rose bush and the barbeques you had on the porch.


My family home in Malacca where I spent my growing up years. This was the final goodbye as we packed the house to sell it in 2011.

2. The inside of your home

Just like the outside, you’ll want to remember the interior of the place you called home. Maybe one day your kids will want to see their old room, or the doorframe where you had their height measured every six months; and maybe even have a laugh at the type of furniture you had. They might even remember the time they spilled juice all over that carpet! They will be images that have far more sentimental value than you’d expect. This is one of the reasons I love photographing families in their own home, mess and all.


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Grace Tan
In Casual Portraits, Family + Children Portraits, Life, Musings, Portraits, Relationships

A new phase of life for my firstborn

Just like every other parent I know, there are some moments in life that are just etched in your mind forever. Like that first cry your child made at the hospital which made you cry too. That moment she took her first few steps, or when she babbled those semi-incoherent words that you swore meant something. Lately, I’ve been feeling a little emotional too, as my 5+ year old is now about to leave preschool and head on to her first year in primary.


First day at preschool

It felt like just a few blinks ago when she stepped into preschool, all scared and tiny. Being a December baby, she was just 2 years and 1 month when she joined the 3 year old class in January. She blossomed from a timid girl to a confident and intelligent child. In fact, going into year 1, she is not fearful at all, but really more excited than the nervous wreck I am!


Packing up on her last day at preschool, just after her Merdeka party

I just want to cuddle her close to me, never wanting this baby to grow up. But she has, and she will continue to do so…growing more and more independent as a person. It’s hard to verbalise this feeling, so bittersweet. So proud of her, and yet this tinge of sadness that her baby years are ending faster than I am willing to acknowledge. Soon, I’ll have a teenager with acne and boyfriend problems and then the day will come when her dad will have to walk her down the aisle to the man she loves.

But for now, I’ll just cherish these memories and be brought back through time with captured moments.


Gearing up for Year 1 on orientation day

Grace Tan
In Life, Musings, Relationships

Life’s Precious Moments

There were a lot of changes in my life over the past one month. On the 1st of May, while en-route on a company trip to Club Med, I got the news that my mom was struggling with her last breath at home. It was over WhatsApp that I said my goodbye to her. She was 81. Her death did not come as a surprise, because the month before that, my sister and I were going in and out of hospital, trying to rescue her infected toe that was turning into gangrene. Towards the last few weeks of her life, she had a lung and bladder infection, and the doctor basically just told us to be prepared.


My mum, looking very hip then! And the photo below was taken with my dad years ago when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Read a bit more about his journey here.

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Grace Tan
In Beautiful Everyday, Family + Children Portraits, Life, Musings, Portraits, Relationships, Studio

Love Someone With Autism

Did you know that 1 out of 68 children are affected with autism? Autistic children face various challenges in life. We partnered with The Hope Project, the non-profit arm of Early Autism Project Malaysia to create a video about autism awareness.

So what is autism?

Autism is a lifelong development difficulty that affects how an individual relates, communicates and interacts with other people as well as how they perceive the world around them. In essence, they face deficits in social communication/ interaction and have restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour or interests. It is a spectrum disorder in which their symptoms and severity vary widely across the core characteristic symptoms. This means, while all individuals with autism share certain similar difficulties, these symptoms affect their lives differently. (extracted from EAP’s website)

If you would like to find out more about diagnosing your child, you can find out more information here.

Watch our previous video on how to create a successful environment for a photo session with an autistic child.

Credits:
Photography & Videography team: Chi Yin & Grace assisted by Abigail

Grace Tan
In Family + Children Portraits, Life, Musings, Newborn, Portraits, Relationships, Studio, Tips + Ideas

Documenting the Different Phases of Life

How true it is that daily life filled with chores, workload and family concerns may seem long and tedious! However, when you look back at how fast the months and years go by you find yourself yearning for time to slow down. That baby you hold today will be a young man or woman in a blink of an eye. Here are some phases in life you’ll want to capture and cherish forever:

BABY STAGE

Whether it is a maternity, newborn or baby stage, it is usually a very special time for the parents. Documenting the natural glow and protruding tummy in the later stage of pregnancy can remind you of how you felt throughout the pregnancy. Capturing shots of your precious baby sleeping in her crib, breastfeeding her or those of a gurgling baby will remind you of the happy (and tough!) times as a parent in the early months. It is also a good opportunity to share the journey with your child when they are older!

TODDLER STAGE

This is the stage when your child starts to discover new things and experiences… like the joy of cooling off on a hot day with the water hose in the backyard, or doing hand-painting in playschool, maybe even digging in the garden with their plastic garden tools. Having keepsakes of them in the midst of these activities is what you’ll treasure later on when they have grown up a little.

PRE-SCHOOL STAGE

At this stage in life, your little one is developing in character and is capable of so much more. They’ll be selecting their own attire for the day, helping you make cookies, learning to cycle, going for piano or ballet lessons! The list is endless… and there’ll be so much to photograph.

PRIMARY SCHOOL & BEYOND

Time zooms by once they start school proper because life takes over and days are filled with ferrying them from one place to another. But don’t forget that even as they grow into teenagers, documenting moments like holidays and achievements will give you something to hold on to before they leave the nest to lead their own lives. As a parent, you’ll want to capture every milestone with your child. Sometimes, you may remember to whip out your handphone to snap a picture or two, but most times the moments just pass you by. It is a good idea to make it a point to get some proper shots of the family together, in various phases of life. You will not regret how it made you feel to be reliving those times again!

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