Musings

Grace Tan In Boudoir, Musings, Portraits, Studio, Tips + Ideas

Tips for a boudoir photography session

I rarely publish boudoir photos, but when a model turned mom turned client allowed me to do so, I was excited! Most of the boudoir sessions I photograph are for women who would love to present these images as a gift to their husbands. It’s a great way to spice up your sex life (especially post-kids!). Though most women feel self-conscious in front of the camera with their imperfect bodies, I believe there is beauty in every woman which shines through when she is confident about her character.

Here are some tips that can help if you are interested in a boudoir photography session:

Make yourself feel beautiful
A lot of women who have posed in front of my camera have shared their insecurities with me. What really helps is if you pamper yourself by hiring a make up artist for the session. You will look amazing as the stylist will help bring out the best in you. Go for a facial or massage a few days before the session, just so that you feel great. Or you can go to the hairdresser a week before to have a new haircut or get your hair dyed.
Go shopping!
If you feel as if your wardrobe is a little stale, go ahead and plan for a mini shopping spree for sexy lingerie! In this boudoir session, we had the privilege of working with this Spanish lingerie brand, Selmark, who provided the white bridal lingerie for the shoot. If you are ever looking for beautiful bridal lingerie, check this European brand out. Another alternative would be to bring an oversized shirt or a body hugging t-shirt with shorts for a different look. Be bold and try something that you would never have tried in the first place! But it is important that you feel confident and comfortable in what you wear. Get a variety of options in different colours – this could just be bras or bodysuits. Don’t forget accessories and heels too!
Choose a good location for the shoot
You can either opt to do the shoot in the privacy of our photo studio or you splurge on a really nice hotel suite or perhaps find an interesting Airbnb property that can give you a variety of shoot locations. A comfortable bed, a gorgeous couch or vintage bathtub can make the images look even better.
Be open with your photographer
Which part of your body does your husband love the most? Your eyes, butt, breasts? If you share this information with your photographer, we can help accentuate that feature during the session. Trust your photographer and let her guide you into the best glamorous poses.
The day before the shoot…
Wax, shave and moisturize. Make sure you drink enough water and have a good night’s rest. When you travel for the shoot, wear loose clothing so that it will not leave marks on your body. Finally, enjoy the session!

Credits:

Photographer: Grace
Location: Stories Studio
White bridal lingerie: Selmark

Grace Tan In Maternity, Musings, Portraits, Tips + Ideas

The Secret to Beautiful Maternity Photos

Every pregnancy is a journey of self-discovery for the mother. No matter how many times you have gone through it, the experience is never the same. Recording every single milestone of this beautiful journey can be an exciting project, which you can share with your children in time to come.

There are mothers who are a little shy and insecure about looking frumpy in their maternity photos, but fear not! Here are some tips for you to achieve beautiful pregnancy images. Of course, if you can hire a professional photographer to shoot your maternity pictures, that would be ideal!

1. Timing

If you’d like to keep a record of your baby bump growing, try to take the same shot with the same angle every month so that you can compare the size as your belly grows. Alternatively, if you are hiring a photographer for your maternity photos, the best timing to shoot would be around the 7th month as you are still energetic after your 2nd trimester. You can still choose to wait a little longer if you want to photograph a larger belly, but don’t leave it till the last minute!

2. Outfits

Choose outfits that accentuate the shape of your belly, or even expose it. You can opt to wear a short tube top paired with a skirt, a body fitting dress, or a sexy shirt, unbuttoned at the bottom. Sexy lingerie does the trick too. Don’t hide your protruding belly… it is what makes pregnant women so beautiful!

3. Good lighting

Keep it natural. Take photos next to windows or in areas that has lots of natural light. Avoid taking photos in fluorescent or down lights, as they create an unflattering, yellow-coloured cast on your belly. If there isn’t much natural light in your home, your house porch will do the trick!

For an outdoor shoot in the park, try not to head out when it’s too hot. The best timing would be in the morning before 9am or late evening after 5pm.

4. Props

Perhaps you might want to incorporate some props into your photo shoot, like letters that spell your baby’s name, cute little shoes, or the ultrasound scan. It’s a great way of personalising your photos.

5. Pamper yourself

You need to know you’re beautiful even thought your body looks different while being pregnant, despite the swollen legs and probable weight gain. Before your photo shoot, treat yourself to a nice bubble bath and get a makeup artist to give you a makeover. If you feel beautiful, you’ll exude confidence through your images!

Maternity photos can be a special way to help you cherish the moments as it unfolds.

If you are interested in doing a maternity shoot, contact us here to book one! Our studio is well-equipped with props, comfortable furniture, clean changing rooms, and lovely natural lighting.

Grace Tan In Comma Videos, Life, Musings, Relationships

Comma Pre-Marital Series 02: Five Love Languages

When I was younger and more naive, my perception of love was just this romantic feeling that you get… you know, butterflies in your tummy, your heart beating so hard you think you might collapse… My view of what love is deepened after I read this book “The Five Love Languages” by Gary Chapman. It has changed my view of love and how people communicate the idea of love. Watch this video to find out what I mean…

If you are interested to receive our notes, get the link to the Five Love Languages profile assessment, receive our Bookmarks newsletter, or would just like to be updated the next time a new video is released, please fill up this form below. And since my love language is “Word of Affirmation”, please do leave a word of encouragement below so we can continue doing videos like these. Thank you for the love! Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel as well.

Comma: Rethink Life, is a homegrown online platform that advocates strong marriages and purposeful parenting in Malaysia.

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Credits:

Script & Content Development by Grace
Filmed & Edited by Chi Yin
Music by John Dip Silas

Grace Tan In Comma Videos, Life, Musings, Relationships, Wedding Films & Videos

Comma, Pre-Marital Series 01: Expectations Before Marriage

We’re so pleased to announce the launch of Comma! This video series has been on my mind since last year (as you can read from this post), so launching it has given me a sense of achievement. The purpose of these videos would be to create meaningful content that would help people in their marriage and family relationships.

Our first series focuses on Pre-Marital content… for example, expectations of your spouse before you get married, communication and handling conflict skills, our 5 love languages, finance, intimacy and more. We’ll be releasing these videos on our YouTube Channel, so please subscribe to that channel to follow our work.

Please watch our very first video on Expectations before marriage and share with us your thoughts. We would love to hear from you!

Credits:

Script & Content Development: Grace
Filmed & Edited by: Chi Yin
Cover Photo: Jamie

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

Fugee School Documentary Videos

At the end of 2016, 4 of us from the Stories team made a special visit to Fugee School, an education hub for refugee kids in Kuala Lumpur. It was a time of getting away from our usual work to do other socially responsible photography and video related projects. In a way, it was something similar to what we did in Kelantan some years back with the flood victims. I met with Deborah Henry, co-founder of the school, to run through some ideas on what we could do for Fugee School, and we narrowed down our focus to a documentary style approach that would give some insight into these families and their life here in Malaysia.

We were blessed to have met two students, Yusra and Hafsa. Listen to their heartwarming stories in the video below, and support amazing organizations like Fugee School who work to make a difference to these children.