behind the scenes

Grace Tan In Chinese Weddings, Church Weddings, International, Outdoor Weddings, Portraits, Pre-Wedding & Engagement Portraits, Testimonials, Wedding Films & Videos, Weddings

Testimonial & Behind the Scenes: Andrew & Katrina

It’s about time we posted another behind the scenes video! If you are a regular blog visitor, you would have seen Andrew and Katrina’s photos from their 2 day pre-wedding shoot and wedding celebrations in KL and Phuket last year. I am so glad that they agreed to do a video testimonial for us after the wedding. I’ve recently started a collection of testimonials on our Facebook page, and will update our testimonial page on our website soon. On days when the going gets tough, it’s a great pick-me-up, reminding ourselves that what we do matter, and that we are on the right track.

It gives us great satisfaction knowing that we’ve made such a difference in someone’s life, capturing memories that can never be relived again except through photographs.

Credits:

Videographer: Chi Yin
Photographers: Grace & Jamie
Locations: Singapore, KL and Phuket

Grace Tan In For Photographers, Musings, Portraits, Pre-Wedding & Engagement Portraits, Wedding Films & Videos

Behind the Scenes Video: Eu Jin & Samantha’s Prewedding

Our aim at every pre-wedding shoot is to relax and just have fun! For Eu Jin and Samantha’s pre-wedding, we headed to Sekeping Tenggiri and UPM. It rained just after we completed the shoot at Sekeping Tenggiri but thank God the weather held up while we were at UPM. One of the biggest challenges for me during this shoot was to drive our resident VW kombi, Smurfette to UPM. My short legs and lack of arm muscles posed a problem on the road (especially when doing 3 point turns with this non-power steering manual vehicle!), but thank God we survived!

Really had lots of fun too with Jamie assisting. And of course, this video wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for Chi Yin who filmed and edited the video.

We will be posting the photos from the pre-wedding shoot at a later stage, so keep a look out for it!

Credits:
Photographers: Grace & Jamie
Videographer: Chi Yin
Locations: Sekeping Tenggiri & UPM
Hair & Make Up: Angie Ng
Wedding Gown: Pretty in White
Flowers: Floristika

Grace Tan In For Photographers, Musings, Portraits, Pre-Wedding & Engagement Portraits, Tips + Ideas

Behind the Scenes: Pre-wedding of Adrian & Pei Hwa

It’s always fun doing videos like these because it gives clients an insight on what goes on at our pre-wedding shoot. Before a portrait session, most of my conversations with potential clients sound like this:

“I don’t know how to pose.”
“I hate taking photos.” (usually the men say this!)
“My fiance doesn’t know how to smile.” (the women usually say this!)
“Or he’s very kaku – read: stiff and unnatural”
“We’re just ordinary people.”

Perfect! That makes all of our clients! Honestly, you shouldn’t feel insecure or worried, but be assured that the professional photographer you hired will make you feel comfortable and look great. We know it’s probably the first ever professional photo shoot you’ve ever done. And if you’re female, you probably have 20 dress options because you can’t decide what to wear for the session.

Chill.

We’ll help you plan, and on that day, we’ll just have fun. :) Trust me, even the kaku guys end up looking awesome!

View Adrian and Pei Hwa’s pre-wedding photos here.

Credits: Filmed & Edited by: Felicia

Grace Tan In Casual Portraits, Chinese Weddings, For Photographers, Musings, Portraits, Tips + Ideas, Weddings

Behind the Scenes: Making the Most of Every Location

Sometimes I think of myself as not just a photographer, but also a furniture removal specialist, a clutter-free agent, and a lighting consultant. It’s very normal to find less-than-ideal situations at every wedding. Naturally, everyone would love to photograph at beautiful locations and resorts, but most times, I find myself in truly-loved family homes. Read: It usually includes lots of collectibles and objects that have accumulated through the years.

So, I’ve done all of these and more:

1. Moved furniture for the tea ceremony so that we can maximise on better light.
2. Packed clothing into cupboards, hidden rubbish bins, and the rogue red polka dotted mat.
3. Removed curtains because the colour clashes with the wall colour in the bride’s room.
4. Posed couples and families in the compound amidst shoe cabinets and vehicles. Just like these 2 photos of the bride and her bridesmaid were taken in what looked like a seemingly neutral background.

BTS-jon-priscilla1 But in reality, was taken here:

BTS-jon-priscilla2 I had two things that went through my mind when I chose this location: The beautiful light, and clean wall.

Love the challenge! :)

What Motivates Us

If I could sum up everything in one word, it would be LEGACY. What connects us and brings us together as visual storytellers? It is the idea that we are creating something that will far outlast ourselves. The love that you share as a couple, the memories of your parents, your child as she takes her first step… we want to record these precious moments and build a family legacy that you can look back on, years from now… and remember.

I hope this video will give you a glimpse into our thoughts and motivations and why we keep on doing what we do.

Lots of love,
The Stories Team

Credits:
Filmed by: The Stories Team, Edited by Felicia.