Portraits

Grace Tan In Family + Children Portraits, Portraits, Studio

Large Family Portrait in the Studio: Lai family

When 26 people get together for a large family portrait, there’s bound to be chaos! In fact, my studio looked like it was hosting a giant Chinese New Year eve family gathering. There were 3 generations in this family shoot, but interestingly, all the married grandchildren did not have children of their own yet. It would be even more challenging if babies were added to the equation!

I’ve known Timmy Lai from the good old days of when I was in DUMC, so it was nice to get to know his entire family. His brother Jacky coordinated this session for his grandmother’s 80th birthday. This is what he had to say…

“Our last family portrait was taken almost 23 years ago. Therefore, in conjunction with our grandmother’s 80th birthday, we would like to retake our family portrait once again. This is also to create a new memory for all of us, so that, someday, we will be able to look back and cherish the beautiful moments and memories that will definitely put a smile on our face.

Family unity is very important to my grandmother. Even till this day, she still worries about all her children and grandchildren. She is a typical Hakka Lady, the one that works super hard and relentlessly for her family especially during her younger days.

The family that we are today, is not really perfect, but with the countless sacrifices that she made with her blood and sweat in order to keep the family united as one! As a young mother, who was also the breadwinner of the family back in the old days, she would always make sure that there was food on the table and a roof over her children’s head. Today, I can say that she has passed down this great legacy to her children and also to us, her beloved grandchildren.

A lot of things had happened since our last photo-shot. There were plenty of ups and downs, joy and laughter, pains and regrets; but because of the strong foundation that my grandmother has built for us, we still stand united as one family. As we looked back at our previous family portrait, we noticed that our grandmother has definitely aged gracefully. Not forgetting her children, our parents, who have grown older with time too. The grandchildren will be moving on to their next stage of life where meeting each other would be rare. Therefore, seizing this opportunity while celebrating our grandmother’s birthday, it would be an amazing moment for us to cherish and look back our this coming family portrait in future.”

What a beautiful reason for a family portrait! We did something different this time for such a huge group. We tested out an idea we had of taking multiple shots of individual families and then compositing it into one large panoramic image below. What do you think of the result? The print looked really unique in my opinion!

Grace Tan In Portraits, Pre-Wedding & Engagement Portraits, Wedding Films & Videos

Styled Modern & Minimalist Post-Wedding Shoot: Faisal & Aggie

“Fill my heart with song, and let me sing for ever more; you are all I long for, all I worship and adore”
― Frank Sinatra

The inspiration for the shoot came from the location itself, Glamz at Genting. As a new venue with interesting dome like structures and glamping facilities surrounded by scenic mountain views, we were excited to create this styled shoot after the contest with Stories.my & The Wedding Scoop ended. Together with Pretty Little Things, we came up with the idea of a modern, simple styled shoot with a tinge of boho. We wanted to combine glamour with the outdoors. Simplicity with a touch of rawness. The flowers were beautifully designed by Bloom2u. We especially love the bouquet with the unique protea cynaroides flower decorated with eucalyptus silver dollar, eucalyptus baby blue, silver leaves, eucalyptus tetragonia, eryngium, leucospermum and foliages. Pretty Little Things worked together with Bloom2u to come up with a complete styled look for the shoot.

The elegant wedding gown was provided by That White Dress and the look was made complete with hair & make up from SuyenPang Artistry. The end result was inspiring, and made our job as photographers and videographers easy! When we contacted the winning couple, Faisal and Aggie and got to know them better, we realised that they fit the whole theme perfectly. The both of them work in the creative industry, with Faisal owning his own video production company and Aggie as a copywriter in an advertising agency. Individually, they are uniquely different – Aggie is a fitness junkie (she is a part time boxing instructor!), a meticulous planner and is a bit more cautious in making decisions. Faisal, on the other hand, is more of a risk-taker (For example, Faisal rented a motorcycle in Bali with no licence and minimal experience, something Aggie wouldn’t do), has zero interest in fitness but willingly plays the role of Instagram cameraman to Aggie.

Together, they fit like a glove, despite coming from culturally different families. They have such a chill vibe about them, brought together by their love of music, cats, travel and all things creative.

After spending 11 years together, they eventually tied the knot in August 2018. So our shoot together was a pretty relaxing one for them, since they had just returned from their honeymoon in the Maldives!

Grace Tan In Family + Children Portraits, Portraits, Studio

One Year Old Cake Smash: Jing Yu

Ooi and Mei Leng visited my studio a year ago, when their older child was just 2 and Mei Leng was still pregnant with Jing Yu. I love to have this privilege of journeying alongside all the families I photograph, especially to see them grow. It was wonderful that I got to celebrate Jing Yu’s 1 year old birthday with a fun cake smash session in the studio. His brother was all too happy to participate in the session together!

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 Maternity, Portraits, Studio

Maternity Portraits: Lucia

There are a few occasions where I photograph women in lingerie… usually when they get into their wedding gown, when they want to take boudoir or glamour photos for their husband, or during a maternity shoot. As a female photographer, women feel more comfortable baring skin in front of me. There is a sense of vulnerability and I am honoured that complete trust is given to me.

Lucia is from Vietnam and she met the man of her dreams, Ben during one of his trips overseas. With her gorgeous looks, she is one of the hottest mums I have seen! It is no wonder that Ben is grinning from ear to ear during our photo session. I am so excited for the both of you… this journey of parenthood has its ups and downs but it is certainly rewarding! Looking forward to seeing photos of the little one soon!