Some time back, Wyeth ran a Be Photo Ready competition for families where the grand prize is a portrait shoot with Stories! Through this contest, I met 2 awesome families – CK, Martina, their sons Melvin and Mavis, and Ivan, Jennifer and their 2 cute girls Cayla and Liz-Myra. My job is a breeze whenever I get to photograph really cute babies like these…
I am sure he gets his cheeks pinched every so often.
Presenting CK & Martina’s family…
Photographer: Grace
Hair & Make Up: Shinny Ong
Gown: Pretty in White
It’s amazing how two paths can cross… two distinctly different people who are opposites of each other, and yet these same two souls connect, and a relationship is formed. Christina and Sze Mai (also known as SM) first crossed paths as colleagues. Initially, there was nothing more than work that connected the both of them, but eventually, they started hanging out as friends, became best friends cum confidante, and eventually, discovered that they complemented and understood each other well.
Right from the start of the relationship, they talked about all things under the sun… from life, to marriage, childbearing, parenthood, religion… They held no qualms about discussing everything in life. Personally, I think the best relationships are formed this way, when couples start out as best friends. :)
Christina: What I love about SM… He is always the quiet and calm guy that takes everything in stride and is extremely patient! Since the start, we talked about everything… and I even told him about my dream proposal, wedding and future! He had always initiated the question to marry him right from the start, and I always joked, “Hey, where’s the protocol of a real proposal?”
SM: She’s always the happy and optimistic one and she keeps me in high spirits whenever she is around. Her smile, laughter and cute antics just lighten me up immediately. She always knew what she wanted, and I see that as her strength. I had always known that she is the one for me, and I knew that I wanted to give her a great proposal; which she would never forget.
A quiet beach. A relaxing vacation. What better way to propose!
Just to add some sugary cuteness to your day, here are some photos from Alan, Alicia and Ava’s family portrait session recently. At the start of every family portrait session, I always tell parents that the outcome of the photography shoot will always depend on your baby’s mood. It’s really difficult to predict how babies will really react, but some tips that I give to families are:
1. Make sure your child has enough rest the night before / afternoon before the shoot. If I don’t get enough sleep, I’d be grumpy too.
2. If your child has never been to the park before and you want to do a shoot in the park, I really don’t know how he/she’ll react once he sees grass. Might be a good idea to visit the park as a family a few weeks before the shoot so that you can introduce the little one to grass. (and possibly bugs too!)
3. Bring some snacks in case your child gets hungry. (or if the parents get hungry!)
4. Expect to sweat. Malaysian weather can be unforgiving at times… so dress comfortably!
5. Just play with your child during the photo session. Don’t get upset if things don’t go the way you expect it to. You can never force kids to look into the camera when they don’t feel like it, or haven’t warmed up to the photographer. The more flustered you get, the more likely you won’t get the type of photos you’ve been hoping for.
Have a great mid-week!
Photographer: Grace
Location: FRIM, Malaysia & St James Tattoo
Hair & Make Up: Charlie from Michelle Touche team
Wedding Gown: Pretty in White
It was the love of tattoos that brought them together. Ever since young, Bobby loved drawing, and he always had a fascination for the world of tattoos. When he was 15, he tattooed his own hand at school while the teacher was droning on in front… he did it with the ink from his pen and a basic needle. Soon, his passion for drawing led him to mastering the art of tattooing. Some years later, Bobby met Elmira in Miri, where she was working at Bobby’s friend’s tattoo shop. One thing led to another, and eventually, romance developed.
Now, Bobby runs his own tattoo shop in Kota Damansara and Elmira helps him out at the shop. For someone whose name card says, “You suck if you are not tattooed”, he’s really a nice, chatty and friendly guy. :) I must say, his drawings are really amazing.
As for Elmira, despite the tough girl exterior in the shot below, she’s really a gentle and sweet girl.
All the best to the both of you for the future! Now if I ever muster the guts to get a tattoo, I’ll know where to go!
Photographer: Grace
Hair & make up: Doris
Wedding gown: Pretty In White
White lacy umbrella: Crafio
Location: Pullman Hotel, Putrajaya
It was 4am in the morning. Hui Yi woke up to discover her eyes were red, puffy and swollen. It wasn’t because of the lack of sleep the night before. It wasn’t normal. But with the courage to carry on, and under the talented hands of Doris, the make up artist, Hui Yi was transformed. When I rolled around to Pullman Hotel at 7am, I didn’t even realize her eyes were swollen.
Thank God for amazing make up artists, and for clients who have faith in them and also their photographer.
Hui Yi told me before the shoot that Noel is quite camera shy. I reassured her that 80% of my brides tell me their grooms are camera shy or don’t really like taking photos. Most times I meet my clients before our photography session, but when they live overseas or time does not permit, I only get to meet them on the shoot day. In a short span of time, I have to build a rapport with my clients and get them to feel comfortable with me. It’s definitely a challenge but I do enjoy the process!
Noel travels a lot for work and so this meant that a long distance relationship was necessary. I do respect couples who despite the distance, manage to make the relationship work. It takes resilience, patience, and also lots and lots of love!
