Tips + Ideas

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 Bangladeshi Weddings, Chinese Weddings, Church Weddings, Indian + Punjabi Weddings, Malay Weddings, Musings, Outdoor Weddings, Running a Business, Tips + Ideas, Weddings

8 Questions to ask your wedding photographer before hiring them

Choosing a wedding photographer may be one of the most important decisions you make before your big day. You can even say it comes a close second to choosing the right groom! Soon after the wedding, people will forget what your dress looked like, or how the cake tasted and or how good (or bad) the food and wine was, or even what was said during the speeches. But if you could capture those details in a photograph – the emotions on the people’s faces, the laughter, the tears – you could be transported back to that special day and relive it all over again.

That is why hiring the right photographer is so important! Every wedding photographer is different in their own unique style of work, so it’s a good idea to find out what makes them tick. Here’s what you should ask when you set an appointment to meet with your potential wedding photographer.

Why do you love photographing weddings?

Most photographers are emotional beings who will gladly share their life story with you. Find out what gets your photographer excited, and look out for the gleam in their eyes when they tell their story. All the better if you feel an instant connection with them! As for me, I love photographing weddings because I get to be part of a momentous, historical moment in someone’s life. It’s about helping couples remember the happiness they felt on their wedding day, especially after the cake has been eaten and the decorations have been taken down. I consider it a privileged to be part of creating someone’s visual family heirloom.

How do you ensure excellence is top priority?

Photographers provide a service, not just a product, and the amount of monetary investment should reflect excellence. Does the photographer appear detailed in communicating with you? Is he/she efficient in replying emails or has the courtesy to return your call when it is missed? Does your photographer ask you details about you as a couple or even your family? Showing our clients that we care is a big part of what we do. We even care about such details like whether your parents are divorced, because it helps us know how to be sensitive when taking family portraits during a wedding. A good photographer would know how to ask you these details either through a questionnaire or an arranged meet up prior to the wedding day.

Do you have a contract?

Always hire a professional photographer who has a written contract, informing you of his/her promises to you and also listing the deliverables that you are receiving as a result of hiring them. It is important for your peace of mind and it protects both parties if there are any disputes along the way.

Do you photograph back-to-back weddings?

Some photographers accept full day wedding shoots on Saturday and Sunday, which goes without saying, is really tiring! There are incidences where photographers drive 2-4 hours after a full day’s wedding shoot to another location, just to start again in another 2 hours! Usually, it might not affect the first couple as much, but sometimes, the photographer could be so physically tired the next day, that performance is affected. Naturally, some photographers are built with more stamina than others, and this scenario doesn’t affect them. It’s good to find out because physical exhaustion leads to mistakes and carelessness, which could end up with sub-standard photos for you.

What are your backup processes?

For the non-initiated, this could be a hard one. Still, it is important you ask some of these questions. Does the photographer carry extra camera gear to your wedding? Are they using cameras with dual memory card slots so that back ups are done in camera? What about situations when your photographer falls sick and cannot shoot the wedding? If your photographer is part of a team, finding a back up photographer might be easier. How about what happens after the wedding is photographed, are there also other back ups on multiple hard drives? How long do they keep your wedding photos backed up for? We have had incidences of couples coming back to us 5 years after their wedding because they lost their wedding photos, asking if we still had copies of their photos! So it does happen.

Do you edit your photos?

This is a really important question as some photographers deliver images as they are shot while some only edit a small selection and deliver the rest to you unedited. Or some would edit the entire set of images so that it looks consistent with the images on their website. It is time consuming but reflects on the photographer’s pride In their work. Knowing this will help you manage your expectations and avoid disappointment when the photos are delivered.

How do you make life easier for overseas clients?

Does your photographer have the ability to accept credit card payments without any extra surcharge? Doing international bank transfers can sometimes be costly due to foreign exchange charges. Are there online galleries or album proofing softwares that enable you to view the images before it is delivered to you physically?

What is your standard delivery time frame?

In today’s social media savvy generation, images need to be shared instantly. So if your wedding photos take 4-6 months to be ready, the excitement to share these photos would die quite undeniably. Acceptable delivery time frames would be 1-3 months after the wedding is photographed as most photographers usually have an editing backlog. Naturally, if your photographer is able to deliver the photos much faster, imagine your excitement at getting your photos within 2 weeks of your wedding date!

So if you’re looking for a wedding photographer, do take all these into consideration. If you find one that ticks all your requirements, you’ll know that you are in good hands. Then, you’ll be able to sit back and enjoy the journey to saying “I do”.

Grace Tan In Casual Portraits, Family + Children Portraits, Maternity, Musings, Parties & Events, Portraits, Studio, Tips + Ideas

Gifts for Christmas

Giftmemories If any of you are looking for a unique gift for a friend or family this Christmas, why not purchase a photography gift pack from us? It works just like a voucher purchase; you buy the gift, write a personalised message, we post the gift pack out, and your friend can claim the shoot within a year of receiving the gift!

We have 3 different packages for you to choose from – priced at RM350, RM600 and RM800. Find out more about the details of each package and purchase a gift pack online through our store.

Also, if you are buying this gift for a family with babies under the age of 1, there is the limited edition First Year Baby Milestones book that comes free with package 1 and 2. To get the free book, you need to purchase these gift packs from 3 participating stores – Kiddie Casetta in Atria, The Baby Outlet, Tropicana City Mall and Babydash online store.

Now, this is a gift that will definitely be remembered through the years. STORIES_PHOTOSHOOT_PACKAGES-010

Grace Tan In Chinese Weddings, Church Weddings, Musings, Tips + Ideas, Weddings

A White or Red Veil

A white wedding veil is seen as a traditional norm in weddings, symbolising the purity of the bride. Interestingly, Wikipedia mentioned that the earliest reference of a veiled woman was recorded in an Assyrian text from the 13th Century BC. Now, at a Chinese wedding, a red veil is usually the norm, though nowadays, most couples prefer to opt out of it. Red symbolizes good luck, happiness, and prosperity. If you would like to read more about it, this website talks about how the tradition dates back to the Qi period (479-502), where women farmers would wear a veil to protect their heads against the cold wind or hot sunshine.

Whatever the origin, I find veils to be so lovely, almost mysterious. Ten years ago, when I got married, I was quite an ignorant bride, and one of the biggest mistakes I made was that I didn’t try on my veil until my wedding day! It was then that I realised it was too short to cover my face (it was one of those veils that only looked good at the back of your head!). So yeah, with no alternative at hand, I lived with a white veil that stopped short next to my chin. Thank God I didn’t allow that little boo-boo to ruin my wedding day!

20160423_WEDDING_JOHN_JULIETA_0134 A traditional square veil matched with the Chinese kua outfit.

A modern twist to the red Chinese veil.

Whether you decide to wear a white or red veil for your wedding day, here are some questions to ask yourself as you choose your wedding veil:

Does it match your wedding gown?
If your wedding gown has a lot of details at the back or front, you should consider a simple, sheer veil that can highlight this feature. But if your gown is a little more simple, then you can consider a veil with more embellishments. Your gown and veil shouldn’t be fighting for attention.
What length of veil would you like to opt for?
Shorter veils would suit a more informal look, whereas mid length waist level veils are suitable for most gowns. Floor length veils are good for dresses that do not have a train. If you would like a really long veil that drapes across the floor, you can partner it with classic wedding gowns or those that do have a large train. You can read more about this in this informative article here.
What kind of hairstyle would you like to have?
Would your hair be up or down during your wedding day? What kind of accessories are you planning to wear? If your hair is up, you can wear your veil above or below your bun. Pinning the veil below your bun would highlight your hair style a little more compared to wearing your veil above your bun.

Hope these tips are useful!