Malaysia Lifestyle Photographer And Videographer: Stories.my

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

What You Wear Matters More Than You Think

Let’s be honest. The first question before any shoot is always, “What should we wear?” Usually followed by a few outfit changes, a bit of overthinking, and at least one “does this match?” moment. And fair enough, it’s not always the easiest question to answer.

But maybe the better question is, “What tends to work well on camera?”

Because while a good outfit can elevate a photo, the right choices can really help everything feel a little more natural and put together, without taking attention away from you.

Let’s talk colours

Colours don’t just sit there looking nice. They’re doing quite a bit behind the scenes. They reflect light, affect skin tones, and influence how a photo feels overall.

Very bright colours can sometimes reflect onto the skin more than expected.
Very dark tones can feel a little heavier in photos.
And when there are too many different colours in one frame, it can start to feel a little busy. And not always in a good way.

This is why softer tones, neutrals, and earthy palettes tend to work so well. They keep things balanced and let the focus stay on people. Also, they are generally easier to match as a group, which helps when everyone is trying to agree on what to wear at the same time… which is usually where things get a little chaotic.

Things that tend to work better

Over time, we have noticed a few things that tend to photograph more smoothly:

Coordinated over matching
Outfits that complement each other often feel more natural than everyone wearing the exact same thing. A little variation actually makes the whole photo feel more alive and a lot less stressful to put together.
Simpler patterns
Smaller prints or textures tend to photograph more cleanly and keep the attention where it should be. Nothing too loud, nothing too distracting, just enough.
Softer colour tones
Muted or toned-down colours are usually more flattering on camera and easier to work with. They also tend to age better when you look back at the photos later.
Comfort matters
Outfits that feel easy to move in help you stay relaxed and present during the shoot. If you feel good, it shows. If you don’t, that usually shows pretty quickly too.
Staying true to your style
Photos always feel more natural when you look like yourself, just a little more put together. No need to suddenly become someone else for the day. You don’t need a whole new personality just for photos.

Where everything starts to click

So instead of overthinking every detail, here’s a simpler way to look at it. Think of your outfit as part of the overall frame, not the main focus.

Soft, balanced colours.
Simple textures.
Pieces that move easily with you.

And most importantly, something you feel comfortable and confident in. That usually does more for a photo than anything else.

If there’s one thing to take away

Photos are not really about the outfit. But the right outfit can help everything come together a little more naturally. More than anything, it’s about how you feel in what you’re wearing. When you’re comfortable, when you feel like yourself, it shows in ways you don’t have to think about.

So keep it simple, comfortable, and true to you. Because the best photos are the ones where you feel like yourself in them.

Oh, and this year’s colour of the year

Oh, and speaking of colours, Pantone’s Colour of the Year for 2026 is Cloud Dancer. Which, yes, is a very nice way of saying a really good shade of white. It’s a soft, airy white that leans slightly warm. Calm, minimal, and very easy to work with. The kind of colour that feels clean and effortless. It also photographs really well. It doesn’t compete for attention and pairs nicely with almost everything. It’s one of those colours that just works without needing too much effort.

You don’t have to go all in, but it works nicely as a base or layered with softer tones. And if nothing else, it’s a very safe option when no one can decide what to wear. What do you think, something you would wear for a shoot, or more of a background kind of colour? If you would like to read more about colours, check out this other blog post we wrote.

And if you are ever unsure what to wear, we are always happy to guide you through styling for your session.

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

A Decade of Raya: 10 Years of Memories with the Nasimuddin Family

Ten years ago, producer/director Peter Chin introduced me to the Nasimuddin family. At the time, it was simply a request to photograph their Raya family portrait.

I did not know then that it would become a decade-long tradition.

Every year, on the first day of Hari Raya, the extended family gathers at the home of Puan Sri Zaleha Ismail. Between greetings, laughter, and the joyful chaos that comes with a house full of relatives, the Stories team arrives with our cameras to capture a moment that has now become part of the family’s annual ritual.

The family includes Puan Sri Zaleha, her children and their families: Datuk SM Faisal, Nur Diana, SM Nasarudin and Marion Caunter, Faliq and Chryseis Tan, as well as Nur Nadia and Hamzah.

It is a big family. And when everyone gathers together in their Raya outfits, the house fills with energy.

In the early years, photographing the children was an adventure in itself. Toddlers rarely sit still for long. I still remember little Liam crawling away from the sofa during one of our sessions while the adults laughed and tried to coax him back.

Fast forward a decade, and those same children now walk into the room with growing confidence and personalities of their own. Some who once needed to be carried now stand tall beside their parents. Along the way, new babies have joined the family, and every year the group grows just a little bigger.

For Marion Caunter, the yearly portrait has become a moment she looks forward to.

“I do photos for a living, but family shots are always the most stressful,” she laughs. “But it’s so fun every year to do them with the kids as they grow older and more babies enter the family. You see the family grow, and it’s just chaos but in a good way.”

One of the highlights of each session is Marion’s now legendary “catwalk moment” with her daughters Leia and Lana. Year after year, they stride toward the camera together, turning a simple walk into a playful tradition. When you watch the images side by side across the years, it becomes a beautiful visual timeline of childhood unfolding.

That is what makes these annual portraits so meaningful.

A single photograph captures a moment. But a series of photographs over time captures a life story.

When we look back through ten years of images, we see children growing taller, cousins forming bonds, and the subtle ways families evolve over time.

For us at Stories, moments like these remind us that photography is about much more than a single photoshoot.

Every family we photograph becomes part of a larger narrative. In that moment behind the camera, we are witnessing a slice of life that will one day become part of a family’s history.

That is also why we take archiving seriously. Over the years, we have invested in terabytes of storage to safeguard the photographs we create. It is our way of protecting these memories so that if families ever lose their copies, those moments can still be recovered. Because photographs are not just images. They are pieces of a family’s legacy.

Looking back at the Nasimuddin family’s portraits over the past decade feels a little like flipping through a living archive of Raya celebrations. Each year tells a slightly different story, but the heart of it remains the same: family gathering, laughter filling the home, and one shared moment in front of the camera before the day unfolds.

For us, it is always a privilege to be invited back again the following year to continue documenting that story.

Ten years later, we are still there. Camera in hand. Witnessing the next chapter.

Here’s a behind-the-scenes snippet from one of the shoots we did! Contact us if you’d like to start your own family legacy of images.

Bin Bin Tan In Misc

Booking Your Stories’ Wedding Photography and Video Team: What You Need To Know

Getting married is such a momentous occasion – life-changing and exciting at the same time. There are so many aspects to the planning, and wedding photography and videography are one of the main considerations for most couples. After all, after the high of the wedding, your photos and videos will be the one thing that remains as memories from the big day.

Selecting your creative team may first involve researching styles to find one whose vision matches your preferences. At Stories, our focus is on natural, authentic moments that capture the essence, emotions and relationships behind your special day.

If this aligns with your needs, check out our process, from enquiry to the actual day, below!

Enquiry

To begin, just drop us an enquiry! You can do this on our website or through WhatsApp, and we will be in touch to discuss your needs.

Some information that would be useful to us at this stage would be:

Type of ceremony that you will be having
Dates (if you already have them, so we can check our availability)
Location
Number of expected guests

We will then share the relevant package. We understand that booking a wedding photographer and videographer isn’t a one-day decision, and we are happy to meet in person for you to get to know us better before making the decision. Feel free to also browse our website to learn more about our creative style.

Booking

If you’ve decided to confirm us – firstly, thank you so much for putting the trust in us to capture your big day! We will send over our booking documents, which consist of an invoice and a contract. To lock in the date, we require the signing of our contract and a 50% retainer fee. The balance is due a week before the wedding.

Getting To Know You Better

As part of our booking process, we will send you a questionnaire to get to know you and your needs better. This is usually sent about 6 weeks prior to the wedding day.

The questionnaire will involve understanding the important people attending (having a family photo list is always helpful), your schedules, any cultural elements that we need to be aware of, etc. Feel free to also put together a vision board and share it with us. We will go through and assist with our input. Do remember to carve out some time for couple portraits!

We will then schedule a meetup (in person is best, but online works too) to have a chat and iron out all the details for a smooth-flowing event. This will also help you know the team better and be more comfortable in their presence on the actual day.

A group chat will be created to coordinate the events better. We’re always available to answer any questions you may have.

Final Check-in

A few days before the wedding, we will drop you a message to reconfirm all details (starting time, location) and to find out if there are any last-minute details or changes we need to be aware of.

THE BIG DAY

All the work now shifts to us. Let go and enjoy your wedding!

Our wedding photography and videography team will be on-site slightly before the allocated time for setup. Since you shouldn’t be worried about all the minor on-the-day details, assigning a coordinator from your end to assist the team in managing the schedule helps.

Please note that we do require meals for our photographers. Nothing major, but a quick bite is sufficient. Hotels and restaurants are familiar with the vendors’ meal and can help you prepare it.

Same Day Slideshows

If you have booked a full-day package with us, we do offer Same Day Photo Slideshows as part of our package. However, if you have requested videography services and would like to have a Same Day Video shown at your wedding dinner, an additional fee is required.

We have a range of royalty-free music that we use for slideshows and videos. These are non-mainstream songs, and we’ll choose a song for you according to our creative discretion. If you do have a particular music genre preference, just let us know so we understand your music style and can take that into consideration. We don’t usually ask for specific songs from our clients, as the song may not necessarily work well with the images or video clips that have been shot. However, if you still prefer to use your own selection, please email us at least 3 options for us to choose the best song that suits the video or photos.

Post-production and Delivery

You can expect some teaser images within a week of the big day. The full set of edited images is delivered 1-2 months after the wedding. For videos, the timeline is 2-3 months. We will send you a download link, and a USB will also be couriered to you.

Albums are currently not included in our package but can be added on. Do have a look at our range of albums available here.

That’s it!

We hope the above is helpful and sheds some light on our processes for capturing your wedding day. Feel free to come say hi to us in our studio at Oval Damansara if you would like to know more, or drop us an enquiry (link to form) and we will be in touch to chat more.

Congratulations once again!

Jasmine Tai In Chinese Weddings, Outdoor Weddings

Wedding Day of Eugene and Sue Pheng

There’s a certain kind of excitement that only exists on a Chinese wedding day. It lives in the laughter echoing down hallways, the nervous excitement behind closed doors, and the quiet pride in a parent’s eyes. From the very first moment, you can feel it, the history, family, tradition, and love all unfolding at once.

What we love most about Chinese wedding ceremonies is how seamlessly joy and reverence coexist. One moment is filled with laughter and teasing; the next is quiet, emotional, almost sacred. Grandparents beam. Parents try to stay composed. Friends exchange knowing looks. And through it all, the couple moves together hand in hand, while learning how to navigate the day, and life, as a team.

As photographers and videographers, we don’t just document what happens. We look for what’s felt. The glance shared across a crowded room. The squeeze of a hand during a nerve-wracking moment. The laughter that erupts when something doesn’t go exactly as planned. These are the moments that tell the stories, the ones that feel just as vivid years later.

Groom’s Attire, Wedding Gown and Evening Gown: 7th Heaven Kua

Hairstyling & Makeup: Cynthia N.

Photography and Videography: The Stories Team

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

How to Arrange People in a Family Photo (Without Losing Your Sanity)

With Chinese New Year and Hari Raya coming up, many families start thinking about taking a proper family photo. What often sounds simple can quickly become stressful. Who stands where? How do we fit everyone in? Why does it look awkward even though everyone is smiling?

The truth is, most family photos don’t fall apart because of the camera or lighting. They fall apart because of arrangement. When people are placed with intention, the photo instantly feels more balanced, connected, and meaningful. It took me years to learn some of these lessons the hard way – by evaluating my photos and finally understanding what worked and what didn’t. Thankfully, 17 years later, I have refined my thought process during every photo shoot. So here are some practical tips to help you elevate your DIY family photos, whether you’re working with a small group or a big extended family.

1. Start with the number of people and the space you have

Before thinking about poses, first be clear about how many people will be in the photo. A group of 10 people needs to be arranged very differently from a group of 20. The size of the group determines how much space you need and how creative you can be with positioning.

More space makes things easier. It allows you to spread people out, create layers, and adjust without rushing. If the space feels tight, you will need to be more intentional about who goes where. This is exactly how I plan my family sessions, especially for larger groups.

2. Arrange people by relationships, not by height

One of the most important things I look at when photographing large families is the family structure. For extended families, I often ask for a simple family tree or a list of names and relationships. This helps me understand how everyone is connected.

For example:
Grandfather and grandmother
Their eldest son and his wife with two children (with age)
Their second son and his wife with two younger children (with age)

Once relationships are clear, the arrangement becomes much easier. Knowing the age of the children helps me a lot too because positioning a 1-year-old would look different from positioning a 16-year-old. I usually place grandparents in the centre as the heart of the family. Each nuclear family stays together, with children close to their own parents instead of being placed randomly in the group.

This approach does two things. Visually, the photo feels organised and intentional. Emotionally, people feel more comfortable standing with those they are closest to, and that comfort shows in the photo.

3. Create layers to add depth and interest

Flat rows tend to look stiff and uninspiring, especially for large groups. Instead, try to create layers by mixing sitting and standing positions.

Some people can sit on chairs or the floor, while others stand behind them. If you are outdoors, use stairs, low walls, tree roots, or rocks. Indoors, stools, boxes, or even the edge of a sofa can help create different heights.

For groups of 15 people or more, you may need two to three layers. Don’t be afraid to let children sit on the floor or stand on a higher surface with support. Layering helps everyone be seen clearly and makes the photo feel more dynamic and natural.

4. Look for triangles and varied heights

Once people are layered, pay attention to height differences. A tall person doesn’t always need to stand, and a shorter person doesn’t always need to sit. The goal is to create gentle triangular shapes throughout the photo.

These triangles guide the eye and make the composition more interesting. Think of it as creating small peaks and slopes rather than straight lines. Move people slightly, adjust where they sit or stand, and see how the overall shape changes. This is something photographers constantly fine-tune during a session, so take your time and enjoy experimenting.

5. Using a sofa without making it look boring

Sofas are common in home photos, but they can easily look dull if everyone sits in a straight line. Try mixing things up by asking someone to sit on the armrest with their legs turned sideways, or placing a few people on the floor in front of the sofa.

If there are people standing behind the sofa, bring them as close as possible to those seated so the group feels connected. For those sitting, ask them to sit slightly forward rather than leaning back fully. This helps with posture and keeps faces closer together.

Every sofa is different. Some are deep or bulky, so not every pose will work. Adjust accordingly and see what looks best in your space.

6. Keep faces close and take a test shot

A simple tip that makes a big difference is encouraging people to lean in slightly towards one another. Small movements like shoulders touching or heads gently angled closer can instantly make the photo feel warmer and more connected.

Always take a quick test shot and review it. Look out for gaps, hidden faces, or anyone feeling too far away from the group. Make small adjustments instead of starting over. This is exactly how I work during professional sessions.

A final thought

Family group photos are not easy, especially when there are many personalities involved and different dynamics to the relationships. Don’t aim for perfection. Aim for connection. When people feel comfortable, seen, and close to one another, the photo will naturally feel right.

And if arranging everyone still feels overwhelming, that’s completely normal. This is where having a professional family photographer helps. My role is not just to take photos but to guide families gently through the process so they can relax and enjoy the moment together.