Studio

Bin Bin Tan In Casual Portraits, Family + Children Portraits, Maternity, Portraits, Studio

Types of Backdrops in Our Studio for your Family Photoshoot

Although we love doing photoshoots outdoors (check out our article for best parks) and at our client’s homes, we understand why you might prefer a studio session – it’s more comfortable, convenient, plus it has air conditioning! You won’t even need to do housekeeping, we’ll get the space sorted for you before you arrive! A studio photo session can be ideal for those reasons, but it doesn’t have to be generic. You can inject your own personality and flair to the shoot by selecting a backdrop to match your style. Below are the options available should you choose to do a session in our studio.

1. Plain or classic backdrop

If you’re those looking for a timeless and classy look, you can opt for a plain studio backdrop. We have backdrops in white, grey and black. You will also have the choice of shooting with our studio’s brown walls if these colours don’t work for you.

To help decide on your backdrop colour, plan your outfits and look in advance to ensure your clothes match with the background. The colour of the backdrop can influence the final outcome of the pictures – for classy vibe, opt for a darker background or choose a lighter background for something simple and versatile.

2. Lifestyle

Lifestyle photography involves more authentic background settings – think contemporary furniture and even plants! At our studio we have a variety of couches, rugs, pillows and blankets that you can incorporate into your shoot. These items will give a cosy feeling and will lend a more natural look to your photos. Plus they make the shoot more comfortable!

Grace Tan In At Home, Beautiful Everyday, Casual Portraits, Family + Children Portraits, Portraits, Studio

Navigating the Challenges of Planning a Family Portrait Session

Whether you have 5 or 20 people in your session, it can feel daunting to bring your family together for a portrait session. It can look like a giant mountain you need to scale. Firstly, you have to convince the photophobic members of the family to even show up! Then you need to get everyone’s wardrobe in place, organise a time that fits everyone’s schedule (including working around the baby’s nap time), and finally, think of a location that is suitable. Before you even start, you feel tired already!

Trust me, your situation is more common than you think. As a photographer who has been in front of the camera too, I have personally faced every single challenge listed here. So here are some strategies to help you make this planning process smoother.

1. Convincing your photophobic family member to show up

Remind your family members that they are taking part in a family moment that will eventually be a visual heirloom for years to come. The years will just go by so quickly, and before you know it, the kids will have grown up, and it will be a different season altogether. As a photographer, I have personally invested time and energy to photograph my family every year. It’s my way of seeing how the kids are growing and how our family is ageing as the years go by. It is much better to have these images than to regret never doing it at all. Here’s Michelle and Kishore’s way of documenting their child’s 1st year as a baby, through a 10 month project with us!

2. Scheduling Conflicts

One of the biggest challenges in planning a family portrait session is finding a date and time that work for everyone involved. With busy lives and conflicting schedules, coordinating everyone can be a daunting task. Start by planning well in advance. You can create a shared calendar or use scheduling apps to find a suitable date that accommodates everyone. Be flexible and consider weekends or holidays when family members are more likely to be available. We have had clients organise a family portrait session for 40 people. It was difficult, but they made it happen!

3. Location Dilemmas

Choosing the right location is crucial for setting the tone and style of your family portraits. However, different family members may have varying preferences, making it challenging to decide on the perfect backdrop. You would also have to consider older family members, like grandparents in wheelchairs, etc. A strategy to work this through would be to openly discuss location options as a family and consider everyone’s input. If possible, select a location with sentimental value, such as a favourite park, family home, or vacation spot. Alternatively, you can opt for our professional studio, where we can control the environment.

Suzyana Ong In Casual Portraits, Maternity, Newborn, Portraits, Studio

Heirloom Session: Pamela & Christian

“I threw a party for my birthday in Concubine. One of my friends asked if she could bring her friend as I am “the more, the merrier” type, so I said yes. Little did I know… That night I noticed him (Chris) and thought he was good looking but that was it. We did not even talk that night. Fast forward to a month later, my friend insisted that him and I should meet so she arranged a dinner with her, another friend of hers, Chris and I. Long story short, my friend and her other friend left at 10:00 p.m. Chris and I stayed drinking and laughing until 1:00 a.m. 2 weeks later we were in Pangkor Island on our first vacation together ;)”

What a cute story from Pamela and Christian! They booked our Heirloom photo session, with two photo sessions within a year. For the first session, we photographed their maternity portraits, followed by their newborn session a few months later. However, you have the flexibility to schedule the second photo session anytime if you think you would like to capture other milestones! Contact us if you’d like to enquire about our Heirloom package!

Chi Yin Tan In Beautiful Everyday, Casual Portraits, Family + Children Portraits, Maternity, Newborn, Portraits, Studio, Tips + Ideas

Makeup tips for your photography session

We highly recommend putting on some makeup for a photoshoot. That way, you would look your best and wouldn’t have to worry about taking photos from different angles!

After speaking with our makeup artist, Charlyn Leong, she said that there are some things we might do on our own to prepare. For basic makeup, we can prepare mascara, eyebrow pencil, blush, lipstick, compact powder, and oil-absorbing paper. Let’s dive in a little deeper.

Mascara – This is a great tool for enhancing your eyes, and it’s quite easy to use. It only takes a few seconds, and our eyes look better, so why not?

Eyebrow pencil – It’s good to have tidy eyebrows. Before you do this, make sure you have plucked or shaved some hair outside of the eyebrow shape. And then, use an eyebrow pen to fill in the spots that are empty. Just apply it softly without putting on too much pressure to create a more natural eyebrow.

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

Fun Ideas for a Family Shoot

Need ideas for a fun family shoot? Whenever we photograph kids, we think of play! That is the language of children, and the results? Casual, candid images that are authentic and fun! So the next time you plan for a family photo shoot, think of how you can incorporate play into your session. Bring some props or think of an activity that your children enjoy. It’s ok that the images are imperfect with sweat marks, what’s important is the memories that you have just created together as a family.