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Grace Tan
In Casual Portraits, For Photographers, Life, Musings, Portraits

You are beautiful

I read this beautiful write up recently and would like to share it with all of you. Speaking on behalf of my team, we are honoured that we’re given this privilege to photograph you. And though physical insecurities are not exclusive to women, I somehow feel that women struggle with these issues more. So I want you to know that we, as photographers, take our job seriously. You are important to us.

youarebeautifulOriginal article posted by Missy Mwac.

Dear Portrait Photographers,

You do not cure cancer.
You don’t have the power to stop the path of a tornado
or make rain fall on a land covered in drought.
You take pictures of people.

And although you aren’t performing surgery or landing a spaceship on a comet
You still have a gift to share.
And that gift affects lives

For in front of your cameras stand people
And people, well, they often wear masks disguised as a smile
And beneath those smiles are the hidden things
The unspoken insecurities:

“I’m fat”
“I’m ugly”
“I’m not worthy to have my picture taken.”
“I’m going to hate these.”

You won’t know this, of course
Because most won’t share it
I mean, who can blame them?
But rest assured those feelings are there
More often than not
And they bounce around in the minds of those you’d least expect.

It is your job to create images that silence those fears
Images that prove those fears unfounded
Images that shout louder than the lies our insecurities whisper

Images that say:

“You are perfect.”
“You are beautiful.”
“You are deserving of attention.”

Your gift, dear portrait photographers, may not save lives
But never doubt its importance

Grace Tan
In Maternity, Portraits

Maternity Portraits: Tang & Jun Ling

It just occurred to me that we haven’t posted many maternity portraits lately. We’ve been doing so many shoots in the studio recently (more to be shared later) but here’s one that we did outdoors and even underwater in a pool! It was my first attempt at trying something like this – honestly, though I am a diver, trying to compose your shots underwater with a camera and maintain buoyancy was pretty challenging (plus I forgot that I didn’t have an oxygen tank with me! Duh!).

So yes, I had to hold my breath, compose my shot and make all that flowy material work in the way I want it to be. Not to mention, my subject was constantly moving too! I have utmost respect for people who do underwater photography.

By now, Tang and Jun Ling’s baby would be a few months old!

Have a great Tuesday and a good week ahead!

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Grace Tan
In Chinese Weddings, Weddings

An Ipoh Wedding: Eu Jin & Samantha

20151205_WEDDING_EUJIN_SAMANTHA_0568Ever since we clicked during Samantha and Eu Jin’s pre-wedding shoot at UPM, we have been friends with this amazing couple. Always so friendly, taking care of us by making sure we ate the yummiest Ipoh food, and thinking of us even on the day they should be thinking of themselves only! Even their family members treated us just like family. This is the best part of any wedding, we started off as strangers, but we leave like family. It gives me so much joy knowing that I did my best for this couple.

Eu Jin and Samantha had already said their vows at their church wedding in JB the weekend before, and this was the 2nd leg of the wedding. We love Eu Jin’s family home that overlooks a hill… it made us feel as if we were lost in some resort! Their wedding started off on time, but due to some delays, somehow ended really late around 4pm. It was tough for us to create the same day slideshow before the evening reception started, and so we did something unique we had never done before – create an entire slideshow in Black and White! Have a look at our super-duper express slideshow below.

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Grace Tan
In Family + Children Portraits, Portraits, Studio, Testimonials

Studio family portraits: Nicholas & Sophie

Every now and then two cute little munchkins like Lucas and Chiara would come along, and then we’d get gorgeous family portraits like the one below! Our natural light studio feels like a home, and so we get casual looking photos for the families that come through our doors. This session was photographed by Jamie.

Sophie says.. “We had booked a 1-hour studio photo shoot with Stories for family portraits, which is quite a challenge when you have two untamed little gangsters as part of the family, and when both parents are camera-shy! The photo shoot studio is very pleasant with lots of natural light – it feels a bit like home. The Stories team was great, easy-going, putting us at ease, adapting to the dynamics of the family and most importantly…we had fun! The photos are beautiful and we keep good memories of this photo session. An experience to renew, definitely!”

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Grace Tan
In Chinese Weddings, Church Weddings, International, Weddings

The Perfect Fit: The Wedding of Richard & Melissa, Tirtha Uluwatu, Bali

20151220_WEDDING_RICHARD_MELISSA_0006Richard and Melissa’s story is one filled with God moments, revealing His goodness in their lives. Before 2015, Richard & Melissa’s lives were worlds apart; to be exact 767 km apart! Richard was working in Indonesia managing a plantation company in South Sumatra. While Melissa’s world revolved around the newsroom as a journalist and news anchor in Malaysia. The likelihood of their paths crossing was almost zero.

However, 1st January 2015 was a turning point for both Richard & Melissa. Their mutual friend Charles Mohan was led to arrange a coffee session for them. He had a hunch that they would grow beyond acquaintances and eventually their interactions would develop into something special.

At the point when both of them met, Richard was ready to date again after coming to terms with the death of his late wife who battled with cancer. While Ryan, his three year old bounced back to his usual cheerful self. God’s timing is perfect and led them to meet in a season when both of their hearts were ready. For Melissa, she had ‘almost’ given up on meeting potential partners, somehow never finding the person who was the right ‘fit’. But in her heart, she longed to meet someone whom she could spend the rest of her life with.

20151220_WEDDING_RICHARD_MELISSA_0761Little did they know, Charles had gone to church that morning and asked his priest to pray for his two friends whom he was bringing together to meet that afternoon.

And yes, Charles was absolutely right! The supposedly ‘just a short coffee session’ at Dome Café, Bangsar Shopping Centre turned out to be a 9 hour long conversation that only ended because the mall was closing. The time spent was interesting & heartfelt—and of course; leaving a tug on their heartstrings.

Richard & Melissa got to know each other over the next few days before he left for Indonesia, and Melissa for a mission trip. The time spent together was short but God was speaking to the core of their hearts. The Lord had also sent individuals at the right place & time to speak to them about being open to explore this potential relationship.

The rest, as they say is history, or rather His-tory! Throughout their growing relationship, the Lord’s blessings, favor and intervention in their relationship has been obvious and deliberate.

Both their prayers were answered. God met them at their place of need and helped them discover each other. It was the perfect fit.

View their wedding ceremony photos in the slideshow below, taken at Tirtha Uluwatu and Tirtha Luhur, Bali. Congratulations, Richard and Melissa!

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