Photography

Grace Tan In Portraits, Pre-Wedding & Engagement Portraits

Pre-wedding in Langkawi: Sam & Kathy

I almost fell off my chair when I read Kathy’s email some time back. Their trip to Malaysia was going to a whirlwind one, as they only had a short break before flying back to Australia again. The main purpose was to attend a friend’s wedding, but of course, why not squeeze in time for a pre-wedding shoot? Best of all, why not fly in to Langkawi for a day trip, just for the shoot?

I tried to convince her to spend at least 1 night in Langkawi (you won’t regret it!) but time really wasn’t on their side. So our shoot became a little adventure. They arrived in Langkawi by noon, did their make up & hair, had lunch, and by 3pm off we went! I prayed so hard for great weather because we only had that short window of opportunity to shoot. God smiled on us, and the weather was absolutely gorgeous.

By the way, don’t you think Kathy’s short dress is just gorgeous!? I love how everything looks really simple and casual. She had also brought some props for the shoot, all the way from Australia!

Grace Tan In For Photographers, Musings, News, Running a Business

Bloom Workshops: Empowering Female Photographers (our first!)

Who would have thought, that 4 very different photographers with unique personalities and style could sit together and organize something as unlikely as a female photography workshop? It took us 5 months to brainstorm ideas, get together a sponsor list, and plan for the event, but our inaugural Bloom Workshops was a hit! The event was held on the 10th & 11th of March 2012 at the Terrace of Hock Choon and attended by 30 eager female photographers. The trainer list consisted of Anna-Rina, Asther Lau, Fiona Lim and myself.

We would like to thank our main sponsor, Canon and all our other sponsors Schmidt Marketing, Wall Canvas Arts, Simplr, Laura Mercier and Kelly Moore bags for adding lots of spice to the workshop.

I had a session on lighting, which is a huge topic to cover in 3 hours! I taught the participants how to look at available light and also did an introduction on off camera flash techniques. I was really excited to read some of these comments on my session:

“Something new and challenging but very beneficial as before this lighting was something that I didn’t take seriously. Understand that it’s all about the light and not all only about the location and pretty subjects.”
“Clear & Precise. Enjoyed applying the techniques during the practical session. Hot models haha.”
“I came away with so much more tips that I’m excited to put into use!”

For those of you who couldn’t make it, here are some photos from the workshop! When the participants arrived, they were greeted by Diane’s friendly smile.

And they received a Canon paper bag filled with lots of yummy goodies from all our sponsors! They even received a personalized print of their photo, created by Simplr.

Grace Tan In Portraits, Pre-Wedding & Engagement Portraits

Pre-wedding at KLGCC & Carcosa: Kenneth & Marie

The One

When the one whose hand you’re holding
Is the one one who holds your heart
When the one whose eyes you gaze into
Gives your hopes and dreams their start,
When the one you think of first and last
Is the one who holds you tight,
And the things you plan together
Make the whole world seem just right,
When the one whom you believe in
puts their faith and trust in you,
You’ve found the one and only love
You’ll share your whole life through.

I love this poem that Kenneth and Marie chose for their wedding. It reminds me that marriage is a journey we go through together. The path seems uncertain, but what makes the whole journey exciting is the company of the person holding your hand as you discover life.

Sometimes, you also discover that the person you initially disliked is the one holding your hand. You know the old saying, “Never say never?” First impressions can be misleading and Marie never imagined going out with a person like Kenneth. But good things happen to those who wait patiently… and to those who are persistent.

Rolling hills, dodging golf balls, beautifully kept lawns, little lakes… what a great location for a pre-wedding shoot! I’ve always wanted to shoot in a golf course, but somehow it never happened…till I met Kenneth and Marie. They shared with me their idea of shooting their pre-wedding at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (KLGCC) and I absolutely loved it! On top of that, they wanted to head to Carcosa as a 2nd location, and I was excited about that too! (as you can tell, beautiful locations make me do a little skip & jump every now and then).

The other thing that makes me excited is the ability to connect with my couples. Kenneth & Marie, I completely enjoyed our time together, getting to know the both of you better prior to the shoot and on the shoot day. This includes our little incident at a certain cafe where we discovered a six-legged creature on our table! Congratulations on your upcoming wedding and I wish you many years of hand holding!

Grace Tan In Musings, Tips + Ideas

Tips: Photographing the Chinese Tea Ceremony

Since we’re all still in Chinese New Year mood, I thought I’d share some tips (from a photographer’s perspective) regarding the tea ceremony that happens at every Chinese wedding. Hope it helps you plan for your tea ceremony!

1. Please prepare a list so you are well organized during the ceremony. You don’t want to accidentally miss that aunt who travelled all the way from Ipoh to attend your wedding. It also enables the ceremony to run smoothly as the next person can prepare their gifts and ang pow before it is their turn.

2. In the past, we’ve photographed a tea ceremony with a large group of about 100 people. And that was only one side of the family! Instead of taking 2 hours for the session, you could speed things up by preparing additional seats – while one couple is being served tea, the next couple is already seated on the 2nd set of chairs, waiting for their turn! One couple we photographed actually created a semi-circle of about 10 seats. Everyone was seated, and the couple made their rounds in an orderly manner.

Grace Tan In Family + Children Portraits, Portraits

Family Portraits: James, Dea & Aaron

There are days when you see a cute baby and think… gosh, I think I am ready for kids, like now! Aaron is one such kid. He’s got such a great personality and a beautiful smile. A smile that can melt your heart instantaneously. I kid you not. James and Dea live overseas and I am glad I managed to meet their tight schedule for a little photo shoot in KL. Thanks Anna for recommending them to me!