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Grace Tan In Beautiful Everyday, Casual Portraits, Family + Children Portraits, Life, Maternity, Musings, Portraits, Studio

Highlights: Family Portraits 2015

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” ~ Robert Brault

Each of us only has 24 hours in a day. When I first started my business, I was grateful for the extra ‘time’ that I could have for myself, and then when I had kids, I wondered where all that time went! Each day, I am surrounded by news of disaster, and how easy it is to lose someone you love. Ironically, when I have time with my kids, I just wish they would fall asleep faster, and when I am away shooting a wedding at a beautiful destination, I wish I could be back with them.

I also want to do more in life, but when I have time on my hands, I just want to laze and not do anything.

Such is the irony of life. And then, before you know it, time just slips through your fingers and then a week passes by, and then a month, and a year. Just recently, on Sunday, I sat down with my husband Alex at a random cafe in PJ to talk about life (without the kids!). It felt like a breath of fresh air. We ordered fries, tea and coffee, then flipped our mac screen open to look at our February calendar and intentionally planned date nights, family nights with the kids, swimming sessions etc! We left that cafe a little more rejuvenated, and a bit more focused with what we wanted to achieve in our life as a family.

So, as a pause… here’s a little compilation we did of some of the 101 families we photographed last year. We hope you will take a moment to cherish your family today.

Photography by Grace, Diane, Jamie & Weiming

Grace Tan In Family + Children Portraits, Portraits, Studio

And after two is three: James & Brielle

In 2013, we photographed James and Brielle’s beach wedding at the Andaman, Langkawi. It was such a lovely ceremony filled with wonderful moments. Every year, they make a trip back to Malaysia, and it was in 2015 that we managed to meet this little addition to their family! It feels so wonderful that we can see our clients turned friends grow through out the years. We share their ups and downs. We are part of their best memories which makes our heart full of gladness.

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Grace Tan In Family + Children Portraits, Portraits, Studio

The Happiest Baby Ever: Joash

He definitely wins the happiest baby of the year award. Since I started my photography career 9 years ago, I don’t think I have ever met a baby quite like Joash. He is such an amazing, happy smiley baby, who just completely worked it out for the camera! Look at that face, you could be having the worst day at work, but you would feel happy just seeing his image! I am sure he brings lots of joy to his parents Daniel and Spring. Have a great weekend, everyone!

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Grace Tan In Family + Children Portraits, Portraits

Family Portraits at the Studio: Chris & Anusha

Ever since Chris and I had decided on doing an official photo shoot with our precious baby girl Vida Nevara Gavin, we knew that there was no doubt in our selection for the photographer it had to be Grace! We loved our wedding photos done by her so much, that we still look at them until today with such happiness that it brings back such amazing memories of that special day! Vida came into our lives on 11 Feb 2014, weighing 2.7kg and we never knew how much we could love such a little human until we had her. We wanted to do a shoot when she was a bit older, so we could really capture the essence of her and she could move around more. She has such a wonderful spirit about her and we already see a strong personality about her, which Grace managed to capture in the photos, her big eyes and cheeky laugh will let her get away with murder (in our eyes) and she does what she wants, when she wants, no one can tell her otherwise! We are so lucky to have been blessed with her and we are so glad we got to document this part of our lives with Stories!

– Chris & Anusha –

20150123_FAMILYPORTRAITS_CHRIS_ANUSHA_VIDA_028 Aaaw, thanks for the wonderful testimonial, Chris and Anusha! I am so happy to have been able to see your family grow. That is one of the most biggest job satisfactions I get as a photographer! Honestly, when we did the shoot, I was a bit worried as Vida was really in a world of her own … she is exactly as you described, curious and with a strong personality! I am glad I could capture the energy this little girl has and the love between the 3 of you. Truly, we cannot imagine how much our heart can expand to love someone until we hold another life in our hands. Lots of love to all of you!

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Grace Tan In Casual Portraits, Family + Children Portraits, Portraits, Studio

Graduation Shoot: Jolina & Janisha

Graduation portraits have since moved on from being stiff images posed in front of a fake bookshelf, holding certificates with an equally forced smile. Come on…everyone is young, energetic, about to take on challenges that the world is about to give them… these portraits should be bursting with energy! We’re pleased to have had Jolina and her friend Janisha over at our studio recently for their graduation photos.

It’s obvious they were really good friends as the session was filled with lots of fun, under Jamie’s direction as photographer. Jolina is no stranger to us, as years ago, I photographed her sister Angela’s wedding and also Angela’s graduation photos. So we’re really pleased to have photographed her family again this year. I was also excited to hear that they have a wall full of canvases at home, covered with photos that we have taken through the years. :)

Oh, and there was also something special that happened at this session… our other photographer Nigel who assisted Jamie at this session met Jolina for the first time at the studio… Well, all I have to say is that we at Stories sometimes provide matchmaking services. *GRIN*

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