women

Female Standing Poses: Tips & Tricks

There are many ways to pose a person so that they will look good in front of the camera. Naturally, our clients are not models, and they rely on us as the photographers to guide them on how to stand. Watch our video for some basic tips on female standing poses and see how your images can be much better by just applying some of these simple principles!

Female Standing Poses: Basic Tips & Tricks

Stand at a 45 degree angle to the camera to give some shape to your body. If our body faces the camera directly, the shoulders appear square and the entire body looks wider.
Bend your arms and knees to create shape. The female body is full of curves, even if you are plus sized! Arms that lie flat against the body look squished and makes it look even bigger than it actually is. So, go ahead and bend any limbs that can be bent!
Push your hips to one side of the other. If you are standing at a 45 degree angle, one leg will be forward. Put your weight on your back leg and push your butt and hips to the back so that it will make your hips look smaller.

Go ahead and get beautiful images of yourself!

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

3 Generations: Yam Family

It was a fun photo session for the ladies of the Yam family. Candy and her sister Ann decided that they wanted to capture some moments together with their mother in this session. Together with Ann’s daughter, the photo session brought together 3 generations of women in one shared experience. Ann was the mastermind behind the coordinated outfits which made it look like an editorial shoot for a magazine! With their long legs, they certainly could pass off as professional models. (By the way, having your hair and make up done professionally makes a huge difference to your images!) Thank you for bringing your family to our studio, Candy!

Grace Tan In Boudoir, Musings, Portraits, Studio, Tips + Ideas

Tips for a boudoir photography session

I rarely publish boudoir photos, but when a model turned mom turned client allowed me to do so, I was excited! Most of the boudoir sessions I photograph are for women who would love to present these images as a gift to their husbands. It’s a great way to spice up your sex life (especially post-kids!). Though most women feel self-conscious in front of the camera with their imperfect bodies, I believe there is beauty in every woman which shines through when she is confident about her character.

Here are some tips that can help if you are interested in a boudoir photography session:

Make yourself feel beautiful
A lot of women who have posed in front of my camera have shared their insecurities with me. What really helps is if you pamper yourself by hiring a make up artist for the session. You will look amazing as the stylist will help bring out the best in you. Go for a facial or massage a few days before the session, just so that you feel great. Or you can go to the hairdresser a week before to have a new haircut or get your hair dyed.
Go shopping!
If you feel as if your wardrobe is a little stale, go ahead and plan for a mini shopping spree for sexy lingerie! In this boudoir session, we had the privilege of working with this Spanish lingerie brand, Selmark, who provided the white bridal lingerie for the shoot. If you are ever looking for beautiful bridal lingerie, check this European brand out. Another alternative would be to bring an oversized shirt or a body hugging t-shirt with shorts for a different look. Be bold and try something that you would never have tried in the first place! But it is important that you feel confident and comfortable in what you wear. Get a variety of options in different colours – this could just be bras or bodysuits. Don’t forget accessories and heels too!
Choose a good location for the shoot
You can either opt to do the shoot in the privacy of our photo studio or you splurge on a really nice hotel suite or perhaps find an interesting Airbnb property that can give you a variety of shoot locations. A comfortable bed, a gorgeous couch or vintage bathtub can make the images look even better.
Be open with your photographer
Which part of your body does your husband love the most? Your eyes, butt, breasts? If you share this information with your photographer, we can help accentuate that feature during the session. Trust your photographer and let her guide you into the best glamorous poses.
The day before the shoot…
Wax, shave and moisturize. Make sure you drink enough water and have a good night’s rest. When you travel for the shoot, wear loose clothing so that it will not leave marks on your body. Finally, enjoy the session!

Credits:

Photographer: Grace
Location: Stories Studio
White bridal lingerie: Selmark

Grace Tan In For Photographers, International, Life, Musings, Wedding Films & Videos, Weddings

Two Middle-Eastern Weddings

libyan-wedding01 Traditional Libyan wedding outfit

A few months ago, I was approached to photograph two very interesting weddings. Both were Middle Eastern weddings and required an all-female photography and videography team here in Kuala Lumpur. Since I love a challenge (despite not speaking Arabic) and have always been fascinated with Middle Eastern culture (I’ve read lots of biographies especially of women living in this region), I decided it would be wonderful if I could photograph these weddings! Somehow, I gained favour in the eyes of the couples, and my team was engaged to cover their events.

The first couple was from Yemen. They were originally meant to be wed in their home country, but because of the civil war that is still ongoing, they had to move their wedding to Malaysia. Up to one week before the wedding, they weren’t sure if their family could come for the wedding as the Yemen airport was closed due to unrest. Thankfully, the couple had already left Yemen by then, and were sure that at least they would be there to attend their own wedding! This couple have known each other for a few months before getting married.

yemeni-wedding03 The second couple was from Libya. I really had a tough time communicating in English for this wedding but thankfully, even though I couldn’t understand their verbal language, I understood universal body language! I found out that this couple have only known each other for 2 months and that the groom worked with the bride’s father.

One common theme during the two weddings were the separation of gender during the parties. I knew that it would happen, but I never understood how it would unfold on the wedding day. Interestingly, both cultures had different standings on how strict they were on allowing men to view them unveiled. I am not sure if it was specific to these families, or it was a cultural thing. The Yemeni family I photographed was particularly strict about this, so there were two grand entrances (one with the bride only to a roomful of unveiled women), and then the bride and groom to the same room of women who covered themselves again before the groom entered the room. There was a lot of cheering, clapping and singing as the couple made their entrance. Many of the women who were at the Yemeni party specifically told us not to photograph or film them, so it felt a little strange for me to mainly focus on the couple during the wedding. Naturally, I had to respect their wishes but it was not possible to completely ignore all guests! (one lady specifically made me delete her photo from my camera when she saw that I had photographed her). I found it challenging knowing who I could photograph and who I couldn’t.

However, at the Libyan wedding, the guests kept on asking for photos (repeatedly and in many different poses)! It was quite entertaining, really! Continue Reading

Grace Tan In Casual Portraits, Portraits, Studio

Glamour Portraits: Chong’En

Every woman deserves to feel good about themselves. They deserve to feel confident and beautiful despite what they perceive about their physical looks. I truly believe every woman has this strength and inner beauty. Sometimes it could be hidden under layers of insecurity, but no woman should ever have anyone tell her that she is unworthy of feeling beautiful. The mountains and valleys of your life only add character to who you are, it never takes it away from you.

And I am so happy that I can photograph someone’s portraits, as they are. Beautiful, just like Chong’en.

20150227_PORTRAITS_CHONG'EN_107 20150227_PORTRAITS_CHONG'EN_055 Continue Reading