Portraits

Grace Tan In Portraits, Pre-Wedding & Engagement Portraits

Pre-Wedding: Christina & Sze Mai

Photographer: Grace
Hair & Make Up: Shinny Ong
Gown: Pretty in White

It’s amazing how two paths can cross… two distinctly different people who are opposites of each other, and yet these same two souls connect, and a relationship is formed. Christina and Sze Mai (also known as SM) first crossed paths as colleagues. Initially, there was nothing more than work that connected the both of them, but eventually, they started hanging out as friends, became best friends cum confidante, and eventually, discovered that they complemented and understood each other well.

Right from the start of the relationship, they talked about all things under the sun… from life, to marriage, childbearing, parenthood, religion… They held no qualms about discussing everything in life. Personally, I think the best relationships are formed this way, when couples start out as best friends. :)

Christina: What I love about SM… He is always the quiet and calm guy that takes everything in stride and is extremely patient! Since the start, we talked about everything… and I even told him about my dream proposal, wedding and future! He had always initiated the question to marry him right from the start, and I always joked, “Hey, where’s the protocol of a real proposal?”

SM: She’s always the happy and optimistic one and she keeps me in high spirits whenever she is around. Her smile, laughter and cute antics just lighten me up immediately. She always knew what she wanted, and I see that as her strength. I had always known that she is the one for me, and I knew that I wanted to give her a great proposal; which she would never forget.

A quiet beach. A relaxing vacation. What better way to propose!

Grace Tan In Family + Children Portraits, Musings, Portraits, Tips + Ideas

Family Portraits: Alan, Alicia & Ava

Just to add some sugary cuteness to your day, here are some photos from Alan, Alicia and Ava’s family portrait session recently. At the start of every family portrait session, I always tell parents that the outcome of the photography shoot will always depend on your baby’s mood. It’s really difficult to predict how babies will really react, but some tips that I give to families are:

1. Make sure your child has enough rest the night before / afternoon before the shoot. If I don’t get enough sleep, I’d be grumpy too.

2. If your child has never been to the park before and you want to do a shoot in the park, I really don’t know how he/she’ll react once he sees grass. Might be a good idea to visit the park as a family a few weeks before the shoot so that you can introduce the little one to grass. (and possibly bugs too!)

3. Bring some snacks in case your child gets hungry. (or if the parents get hungry!)

4. Expect to sweat. Malaysian weather can be unforgiving at times… so dress comfortably!

5. Just play with your child during the photo session. Don’t get upset if things don’t go the way you expect it to. You can never force kids to look into the camera when they don’t feel like it, or haven’t warmed up to the photographer. The more flustered you get, the more likely you won’t get the type of photos you’ve been hoping for.

Have a great mid-week!

Grace Tan In Casual Portraits, Portraits, Studio

Stylized Portraits

I got to know Kenny Shim through last year’s SIBKL & DUMC MadWorld production. It was through this production that I discovered how talented this young man is! He can dance, model, direct a play, choreograph… well, Kenny, what can I say, it’s God-given skills!

Not too long ago, Kenny, together with a few friends, got together with the Stories team to shoot some stylized portraits, kind of like a fun fashion shoot. Together with Mark & Johan, we came up with some pretty awesome shots! Here are some of my favourites…

Image below: Photographed by Johan (left image) and Mark (right image)

Johan’s image below:

My shots below:

Unfortunately it poured and poured that day, with a huge thunderstorm. We couldn’t venture very far from the condo we were in.

Image below: Mark’s shot on the left, mine on the right

Overall, I am pretty pleased with what we could come up with in just 2 hours, despite the pouring rain! All the best with your modeling career, Kenny!

Grace Tan In Family + Children Portraits, Musings, Portraits, Tips + Ideas

Family Portraits: Andrew & Shih Nei

Family Portrait Tip: If you are planning to do a shoot at 8am in the morning, especially if it involves slightly grumpy young kids who are still groggy from sleep… do remember to bring some props and think of some games to play.

That’s what we did for Andrew and Shih Nei’s family portrait shoot. From a non-smiley face, the kids were smiling and having fun within 5 minutes. Whenever I shoot a family portrait, the parents usually tell me before the shoot, “I hope my children will behave”. With children, you never really know what will happen during a shoot, so I usually tell them, “Relax, don’t worry, we’ll have fun, and let’s see what happens.” Forcing a child to smile at the camera when he/she is not in the mood may not yield good results!

Andrew & Shih Nei, I hope you like these photos of your family having a good time!

Grace Tan In Portraits, Pre-Wedding & Engagement Portraits, Testimonials

Behind the Scenes: Joe & Nicole

Videographer & Editor: Weiming
Photographer: Grace
Assistant: Cheryl

You have seen some of the images, now you can see what happened behind the camera! It always feels weird looking at yourself on camera, but I hope that by doing this video, you can catch a glimpse on how we work. At the end of the day, it’s about having fun!

Alright, here’s the behind the scenes video as promised! Do leave us a comment or two about what you think because we LOVE to hear from you!

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