Photography

Grace Tan In International, Life, Musings

Adventures in Holland

The past one week has been a whirlwind of an experience. From the moment I touched down in Amsterdam on the 4th of August till the wedding day, I’ve been running on adrenaline. After spending 2 days in Amsterdam, I came down with a full blown fever and flu on the third day. It was a really challenging time for me since I was by myself and having to lug heavy equipment and bags all over Holland while blowing my nose at the same time is not something I was looking forward to do.

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Some sights around Amsterdam.

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But I had to muster whatever strength I had and travel about an hour away by train to meet Christina and Chee Su at Zwijndrecht. That evening itself we were supposed to have our pre-wedding shoot but since I was not feeling too well we decided to postpone the main part of it till the next day. Instead we went to a nearby river for some quick shots.

The next day, we went to Kinderdijk, which is a UNESCO world heritage site. The place is covered with mindmills and the landscape is absolutely stunning! We spent about 2 hours there and I even had time to climb up one windmill (as a 10 minute touristy thing). That afternoon, I crashed for 4 hours since I was still weak from the flu. Later in the evening we came back for more photos! Christina and Chee Su braved their fears and went out onto the water in a really unstable row boat. Thank God it didn’t overturn! Here are some teaser shots from the shoot.

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Grace Tan In Portraits, Pre-Wedding & Engagement Portraits

Langkawi Portraiture Shoot

I am so excited to share this set of photos. They are special because it features really really cool people from the wedding industry. People whom I work with, and people I admire. Ever since meeting Kee Sitt, Sharon, Mark and Ian, the colours of my life has doubled drastically. Not to forget, Alex too! They add so much fun to my life, and I truly cherish the friendships that have been built over this one year. They have challenged me in my art, my thinking, how to run my business, marketing it, to creating wacky ideas and then executing it.

Through these relationships, I’m glad to have known Mun Tzin and Lai Yeen too. Thank you for being so generous with your love and support. We took so many lovely shots that day, it was hard choosing favourites. These are my personal favs from the collection. Photos were taken by Mark, Ian, Kee Sitt, Alex and myself. Unfortunately 2 other people could not be with us on this trip as they were overseas – Choon Ean & Chua who are part of the video team.

First up… Kee Sitt and Sharon!

2nd: Mark & Mun Tzin. I love this shot of Mun Tzin.

Yummy flares! And these next 2 shots are just soooo like Mark & Mun Tzin.

They have extra photos featured here since they are getting married next year! :)

Grace Tan In Chinese Weddings, Weddings

Jack & LeAnne in Syuen Hotel, Ipoh

Not too long ago, I posted a blog entry about Jack and LeAnne, and their pre-wedding shoot in Putrajaya. Well, they are now married! I haven’t been to Ipoh for a while, so I was delighted to have the opportunity to shoot their wedding in Ipoh. Both Jack and LeAnne were really hospitable, and they made sure that I was comfortable at all times. Both Alex and I felt really at home and touched by their thoughtfulness! Wishing the both of you years and years of happiness ahead!

Trying a new style of post-processing.

I love the way how LeAnne looks so serene here.

Oh and the shoes!

Grace Tan In Life, Musings

Musings: God Made Me Female!

I’ve always considered the world of photography as a predominantly male industry (which it is!) and initially when I considered joining the ranks of wedding photographers, I thought, “Oh my goodness, I’ll have to grow a goatee, wear an ugly vest and talk tech all the time.” Well, that was like 2 years ago, and now, after having met lots and lots of cool female photographers like Jenny Sun, Fiona Lim, Anna-Rina, Asther Lau, and myself included *ahem*… I am jumping for joy. There’s hope for us yet!

I can look stylish and hot as a female photographer! It sounds incredibly vain, I know, but hey, at least I’m being honest!

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I’ve thought through some of my strengths and weaknesses of being a female photographer, and thought I’d share some here:

Strengths:
– I can connect with the brides out there who are usually my first point of contact during any form of client consultation. I am genuinely excited to hear about their wedding plans, how they met their fiance and what kind of decorations they’ll be having on their big day. You know, girly talk.

– On the shoot day, I can get access where most male photographers cannot. For example, brides would usually allow me to be in the room while they change. They have no qualms cupping their breasts in front of me while my shutter goes clicking away.

– I have more wardrobe options than male photographers. Yay!

– When I started photography, I didn’t really focus a lot on the technical aspects of it, but rather the composition and story of each shot. I think that is still one of my greatest strengths. I look for emotions and storyline above everything else.

– I smile a lot to people. I think that warms them up and breaks the ice. Ok, ok, this is not really a gender difference.

Weaknesses:

– I’m female and small. Being small can be another blog post in itself, but the fact that I’m female, most people would tend to look at the male photographers first before looking at me. They probably think that I’m a guest taking photos. They are quite surprised when I command the situation especially during group shots etc!

– The other male photographers I shoot with can shoot off anything technical in one breath, talk about the latest gadgets in the market, explain ALL the features in the various camera bodies available in the market AND refer you to the websites that has great reviews about them. I am a little slow in these things. :)

– I cannot push large heng tais away, especially those that block my view during the chip san leong session.

– I like to be pampered way too much, so sometimes I spend my hard earned cash on things like massage sessions and pigging out sessions with my girlfriends.

So, what are your thoughts out there? What are the advantages or disadvantages of being a female/male photographer?

Grace Tan In Malay Weddings, Portraits, Pre-Wedding & Engagement Portraits, Weddings

Amri & Daphne, Akad Nikah

The akad nikah was held in their apartment with a small group comprising family and close friends. It was really sweet and simple and extremely personal. Amri and Daphne decorated their bedroom so well, with rose petals all over the bed. I had a great time photographing their wedding, and also getting to know their family and friends. I love it when I get to interact with the couple and also their family members. Thank you for the privilege!