Portraits

Jamie Ang In Portraits, Pre-Wedding & Engagement Portraits

Pre-Wedding: Jawad & Aneela

Jawad and Aneela’s parents have known each other since the two of them were children. Originally from Bangladesh, Jawad now lives in Malaysia with his family but Aneela still resides in Dhaka. Their marriage was arranged by their families…and the first time they met was at the airport when she visited Malaysia for the first time. Both have engineering degrees, but their interests varies as she is more into literature, art (she loves painting) and music whereas, he’s into coding, playing badminton, cricket or football. But they have something in common – the love of nature and the sea.

From the first time they met, Aneela felt as if there was a connection between them… she was drawn to the way he smiled and talked. Jawad’s quite a shy and courteous person, always lowering his gaze around her. So Aneela was never really quite sure of how he felt towards her. Till one day… she caught his magical, piercing eyes looking directly at her. That look he gave her remained ingrained in her mind till this day.

Those tiny feelings they had for each other grew steadily and finally, Jawad told Aneela that he wanted to marry her. We’re so pleased to be able to photograph their portraits in Malaysia when Aneela came to visit earlier this year. It had been raining every single day since she landed, but on the day of our shoot, the skies remained clear! What a gorgeous couple!

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Grace Tan In Family + Children Portraits, Portraits, Studio

Family Portraits: A Malaysian-African Cutie Pie

The shoot idea started out as a gift from Hui Teen, her husband (Njau) and brother (Jun Yong) to her parents so that they would have more recent formal family pictures. The last shoot they did as a family was almost 10 years ago! As the idea became more concrete they thought that it would be a good idea to do it on or close to Hui Teen’s son’s first birthday as it would be a lovely memory for all of them and they would actually have something to commemorate her son’s first birthday. And as it happens, the date they did the shoot was his first birthday.

As a photographer, I encounter many scenarios like these… I suppose the idea of bringing your family to a photography studio 10-20 years ago was really a luxury. In the past 10 years, the idea of photographing your family constantly and regularly became more of a norm, especially since the price of cameras have become more affordable and phone camera specs have improved by leaps and bounds! Personally, I think family photography should not be seen as a luxury that only a select few can afford. I believe every family should look at their family photos as an investment… an heirloom that they can give to their future generation. It’s a record of life!

Grace Tan In Family + Children Portraits, Portraits

Family Portraits: Kok Ming & Angeline

5 years after Kok Ming and Angeline tied the knot, their lives have been filled with excitement. They have started a business venture together, produced two lovely girls in the meantime, and relocated to a foreign country with no family support. But despite the challenges they faced, they are grateful for the good and bad times. Striving hard for their children’s future has been the foremost agenda on their mind these days, but now that Angeline is a stay-at-home mom, she is even more thankful for the sacrifices that her parents have made in the past.

“I have been a whole lot more patient ever since I had kids. Been laughing more and happier since I have been a stay at home mom for the past few months. I worry I will forget about all my happy moments when I am old, that’s why I want to have these pictures taken. How I wish time could slow down a little.” – Angeline

As a working mom, I am amazed at all stay-at-home moms, as I don’t think I have the patience to deal with my children daily. I truly have respect for these mothers and sometimes wish I had the capacity to do such a job. I know that I pray daily for God’s guidance, wisdom and patience in dealing with my kids! Angeline also shares about how her husband is a hands-on man, always doing his best to keep the girls occupied with his funny antics and hilarious comments, even playing dollhouse and having tea parties with them frequently!

I really commend Kok Ming for his involvement. Truly, in a world where we can be so distracted, disinterested or uninvolved with our kids, Kok Ming has made time for his family. We need more people like this in this world.
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Grace Tan In Portraits, Pre-Wedding & Engagement Portraits

The Tall and the Beautiful: Samuel & Cheryl’s Prewedding

At 6 feet 4 inches in height, Samuel towers over Cheryl’s petite frame. But he is not overbearing, instead, he’s like the big, friendly ‘giant’; often described by friends as somehow resembling Olaf from Frozen or Goofy from the Disney cartoons in the past. Cheryl… she is gorgeous, serene and beautiful, both on the inside and outside… according to Samuel, of course! He fell in love with her bubbly and caring nature, her poised yet also geeky looks, piercing eyes and sunshine smile.

They met on a blind date. One day, their friend, Becky, said to Cheryl, “You need to meet “Good Guy Samuel”. I have had many drinks with the guy and he has not misbehaved!”

So the first time they met was for a drink while Cheryl was in Singapore for work. Drinks carried on to dinner, and then Date No. 2 and No. 3 and so on… They have a lot in common, including that they take their relationship with God seriously, and so they discovered that they share many values and life goals as they went along.

This weekend, they will be tying the knot… so a huge congratulations to the both of you, Samuel and Cheryl! I really had so much fun on our shoot together! To summarise, it was like a random walk in the city… walking along smelly back lanes around Jalan Bukit Bintang, stopping at strangers’ homes and discovering locations we never knew existed!

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Grace Tan In Portraits, Pre-Wedding & Engagement Portraits

Construction themed pre-wedding, Cameron Highlands: Wan Hong & Yee Mun

Both Wan Hong and Yee Mun are working in the construction line, so it just made sense to take photos at Wan Hong’s family owned construction site in Cameron Highlands! We also managed to stay at their lovely home where Wan Hong grew up, but has now been transformed into a relaxing homestay which you can book via Airbnb. Through Yee Mun’s generosity, our entire team headed to Cameron Highlands for a 2 night retreat. We also had a good time planning for 2017, eating yummy meals, filming funny videos about each other, and taking new profile photos.

So yes, it was a productive trip! Here are some of our favourites from the session… and then a few more ‘formal’ shots with her wedding gown as well.

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