Portraits

Grace Tan In Family + Children Portraits, Life, Musings, Parties & Events, Portraits, Tips + Ideas

Tips for Planning Children’s Parties

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)

Grace Tan In Casual Portraits, Portraits

A Portrait Session: Elaine & Friends

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!

Sarah Lim In Portraits, Tips + Ideas

Make Up & Hairstyling Tips by Charlyn Leang

Meet Charlyn Leang, the talented makeup artist and hairstylist who has made so many of our clients look fabulous for their photoshoot! Yes, she’s also part of our “secret sauce” to producing great photos.

Charlyn has been a freelance makeup artist and hairstylist for about 15 years now. What does she love about her job?

“Working with different people because each person brings a unique look and facial features to work with,”

she tells us.

“Then, once we are done. That moment when I get to take a step back and look at the person who is like an ‘artwork’, it’s very satisfying and it makes me very happy.”

An artist who can appreciate any face like a beautiful piece of artwork? Now that’s what we want!

We asked her to share tips on what to do before a headshot session – even before meeting the make up artist. Here are her top three tips:

Sarah Lim In At Home, Family + Children Portraits, Parties & Events, Portraits

Family Portraits at Home: Shaun’s 100th Day Celebration

If these faces look familiar, it is probably because you saw the incredibly sweet wedding anniversary photoshoot we did with them before. That’s right – we were invited to capture yet another precious milestone for Ewe Jin and Ming Lee! This time, with their bubbly little bundle of joy – Shaun!

They celebrated Shaun’s 100th Day with a small gathering at home – family only – due to the social distancing measures that are still in place. It was such a lovely home with soft light and all the right textures and colours together. Ming Lee also wanted it to be a special one because Shaun didn’t get to have his newborn photographs taken due to jaundice at the time. He’s now a happy, healthy, and handsome little baby!

It’s always a good idea to have an at-home photo session with your kids. They’re changing and growing by the day! The home is a place where all your real family memories are shared. A place of meaning, and of love. More photos below!

Grace Tan In At Home, Family + Children Portraits, Portraits

A Minion Photoshoot At Home: Hamzah Alang Azman & Nadia Nasimuddin’s Family

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!