I love boys with character. So much so I married one with a huge personality! But sad to say, Alex is not the only one who has captured my heart. Every now and then I meet other boys who are simply irresistible. Such as the ones below, Ethan and Lucas. I am sorry to inform you, Alex that there are other boys cuter than you…
The other thing that make these boys so adorable are the rosy cheeks. It must be the weather in Australia where they live. Lucas is only 2 months old, and this was his first photo shoot.
Photographer: Grace
Location: Some random park in Subang
It was 8am. I arrived at Aaron’s home in Subang to be greeted by his warm and welcoming family. In a matter of minutes, they made me feel at home, our conversation drifting from what they do for work to why I shoot portraits for a living to pieces of artwork on their family wall. For an hour, I took some informal photos of Aaron’s family. An hour later, Sheena arrived at Aaron’s place, having rushed over from work not too long ago.
She had just completed her night shift at the hospital, and hadn’t slept at all. After her shift ended, she rushed home, got dressed, did her own make up and made her way to Aaron’s place. I was really amazed at the energy this girl had! I was concerned that she would be really tired for our portrait session, but Sheena made everything look so easy.
The both of them are super easy to photograph. They kept laughing at every little thing I said (or didn’t say!). Our shoot location was no where glamourous. In fact, it was a tiny park across the road from Aaron’s home. I hope these photos show you that it doesn’t matter at the end of the day where we shoot, what matters most is the connection between the couple. Aaron and Sheena were so comfortable in their own skin and in front of the camera. Sometimes I felt ignored. But that’s totally fine with me. :)
Clearing my house has helped me rediscover gems hidden in boxes and in files. Not only did I find old recipes my mother wrote to me when I was in university, I also found some old letters and cards I gave to Alex when we were dating. I admit, I am a hopeless romantic. On our 1st anniversary together, I created a simple set of handwritten messages for him – 12 pages for the 12 months we were together. I wrote these messages because I wanted him to remember… how we started, why I love him, and how our struggles can bring us closer.
So, though it’s a little embarrassing to be sharing this with everyone, I thought I’d include a short excerpt from this card (taken from my journal).
8th June 2004
I can’t believe it… Alex and I are getting together. I don’t know if this is the right thing to do, we both have our doubts and worries and are afraid of taking risks… but… our hearts… tell us to go forward.
Dear Lord, is this the right decision? And is this the right timing? Are we even compatible? There are so many considerations to think about… I don’t know how it all fits into Your plan, but Jesus, I commit myself and Alex into your hands. I am afraid of getting hurt, but if we don’t take risks, we’ll never know. There are so many worries Lord, but I do commit us into Your hands and give it all to You.
Alex and I during our Lake Toba holiday in August 2004
Climbing over fences. Water bomb parties. Watching movies. Eating Mamee snacks. Silly school theatre productions. Watching Oliver the musical. Literary & Debating Club activities.
Some great childhood memories just last a long time. And some great friends last a lifetime. Even though you might only see each other once every few months, or once a year…it doesn’t matter, because every time you get together, it feels like old times again. Amanda is one of those childhood friends who totally fit the bill. Since our primary school days to secondary school and onwards… we grew up together, saw each other through the ugly years (when I still had braces!) and through all the hardships a teenager would normally go through.
Mance, thanks for all the fun memories from our days in Malacca… I wish I could be there on your wedding day, but unfortunately, that date has been booked by another client months ago. I am glad that I managed to photograph your family portraits and some casual shots of you and Ivan though! Nice meeting Ivan for the first time, but we definitely have to sit down for a proper chat over a meal soon! Maybe after your wedding?
Redang is an island paradise. It promises turquoise seas that meet deep blue skies, soft sand under your feet, and lots of friendly fishes that eat from your hand. It’s also a diver’s den, because there are loads of beautiful dive sites around Redang Island and Perhentian Island. I have fond memories of Redang because it was there that I did my first ever snorkeling trip – almost 8 years ago now. I was just amazed at the beauty under the sea… I couldn’t help but feel in awe at God’s creation! Though I came home sunburnt (my butt was more burnt actually… it was quite buoyant haha), I told myself that I must visit those islands again some day. That experience drove me to get my diving licence a few years later.
In August, I received an email from Frank who said he was going to have a beach wedding in Laguna Redang Island Resort. Though my calendar was already quite packed, I couldn’t resist shooting another beach wedding. Frank & Demi are from Chengdu, China. I was a little concerned about the language barrier since my Mandarin is worse than kindergarten standards. But after a few conversations with Frank on the phone, I said yes, packed my bags, and went to Redang with Alex. When I reached there, I found out that Demi doesn’t speak much English but somehow with loads of body language, a smattering of English and my kindergarten Mandarin, we managed to communicate. (actually I just said piao liang most of the time!)
During our first meeting, I asked Frank how many guests would be at the wedding. And he said, “Just the 2 of us.”
I was surprised. He must have seen that look on my face for he then started to explain about how Demi had always dreamed of having a beach wedding. This wedding ceremony at Redang was just for them. Their family and friends would celebrate a month later in a grand banquet in China, attended by 700 guests.
Frank must really love Demi because he made her dream a reality.
And so to date, Frank & Demi’s private wedding is the smallest wedding I’ve ever photographed in terms of number of people.
