Things you need to know about newborn photoshoots

I feel like I am going down memory lane. It feels like it was just yesterday our little one was still a newborn fresh from the womb. One thing for sure, I actually don't miss those days. Haha. When our little one was a newborn, life was really tough. My body was frail and I barely had enough sleep. Looking back, gosh our chubby little cutie was so wrinkly and unphotogenic >_<

I wish people could have told me earlier that the first month postpartum was a case of too many things and too little time. I thought I would have time to slowly figure out many frills, but it was more of a case of priorities. Maybe it was my grit that made me ensure all my frivolous projects pulled through. Here's some tips I would like to share on newborn shoots. 

1. Always plan ahead. Most parents are very kiasu and have pre-booked ahead. I didn't but I was lucky that Alvin from dphotofolio managed to squeeze out time for us. If you find his photography familiar, it is because he was also the photographer behind our maternity shot. Honestly, Alvin is becoming more like a family friend after going through 2 of our major milestones with him.

2. When to take the newborn shoot? I always had this impression that you had to take it within the first 2 weeks. Our little one took it on his third week. Alvin shared that actually you can take it after Mummy's confinement, baby is still soft enough to be contorted. It is just that some babies might be more spoilt by then and would need certain conditions to sleep through the shoot. Personally, after witnessing my child's growth, I would suggest to do it within the first month. Because after that, the baby face would evolve to a more permanent look and the crinkly face is lost forever. 

3. Should I do a home shoot? As this happened during the Covid period, the decision for a home shoot was more obvious. During the first month, Mummy's body might be a little more weak so if you are breastfeeding etc., home shoot is actually more convenient. Because most people were working from home, our family manage to witness the behind-the-scene. (My in-laws and us had an eye-opener on how good Alvin is with babies. He effortlessly coaxed my little one to sleep a few times. P.s. after he left, I tried his method but it didn't work for me. LOL! Guess, his tricks are exclusive to him only.)

However, there are more props at the studio and there is better control of the lighting (which also means better photos). Home shoots also means you would have to incur additional cost for the photographers' transport. If you are wondering why you have to pay so much for transport, it is because the amount of stuff that the photographer have to bring over is crazy. Alvin brought over 3 backdrops, so many bags of clothes and props. o.O

4. Be clear on the package you are getting. Alvin is already more of a family friend, so it is easier to discuss the nitty-gritty with him (anyway he is also quite easygoing). Try to negotiate on number of themes/ looks instead of by hours. Reason being, lots of shit (literally) can happen. Our baby fed and even needed a diaper change mid-way. Our whole shoot took nearly half the day, by the way. 

5. Prepare a bottle of milk on stand-by. I was a breastfeeding mum (low-suppy then) so I had milk powder at hand. Formula milk makes the baby fuller and this will reduce the number of interruptions at the shoot. If you are very particular, then just make sure you have some expressed milk at hand. Please don't latch and waste precious shoot time. 

6. Pray that your baby is cooperative. Whether the photographer get a good shot that day is really luck-based. This photo of my baby smiling so sweetly made me felt that it was all worth-while. Mine didn't stick out his tongue or pout (he does that quite often) that day, but I am thankful that we caught this precious moment. By the way, we have both the raw and edited photos, so we kept images of him and his blotchy skin as well hehe. 

7. Consider themed shoots. If you have been following me long enough, you will know that I have grown to love conceptualisng shoots. I have been accumulating quite a bit of related props for this moment hehe. (Pokeball hat from Sunflower Bee and Pikachu pillow from @beau.sg (go to post for discount code) Of course, please discuss with your photographer ahead. For us, Alvin is always game to take up any challenge and help me bring my ideas to life. Personally, I always feel that there is a lot of joy when you play a more active role in a shoot. :)

If you are looking for a photographer, I would strongly recommend dphotofolio. I have worked with Alvin enough times to assure you he is really nice and easygoing. Most importantly, he is very experienced with babies so you can safely leave your child with him. Also, feel free to discuss with him if you have any specific ideas in mind, because he will be open to them :D

Would I recommend newborn shoots? Yes, and not just for first-born. Some moments once gone are lost forever. I am so glad I persevered and made these photos possible. :)

Halloween Themed Full Month Party

Covid has been quite a downer on everything. Initially, we thought of shelving the month-old party and throw a 100-days party instead. But the hubs side being uber traditional (said it sounded like the mourning for a funeral), we trudged ahead with the one month party. Being just out of confinement and still breastfeeding, I am drained as hell. But I thought no matter what, I shouldn't shortchange my boy. 

His one month didn't fall exactly on Halloween. As it was very, very close to Halloween, I thought why not make it a Halloween themed! At least, we can all have a bit of fun even if it is for the family and the 5 guests (which is still family members) LOL!

1. Red Eggs + Ang Ku Kueh + Cakes

This was the first thing that had to be settled. Because quite a bit of our colleagues were still working from home, we needed a place that could give vouchers. In the end, we decided on Bengawan Solo because they had many outlets which made collection easy. Also, they were very reputable and did not have bad press of mouldy cakes (shall not name who here). Although, comparitively, I think their price was a little on the high side, the packaging and taste made up for it. What you pay is what you get. 

2. Food

The next thing we had to settle was food. We did think of engaging a caterer but the Hubs and I agreed that the quality of food may be sub-par and for the same value, we could get food that we really wanted to buy. Most of the items are homecooked except for the sushi platter (Umi Sushi), curry chicken loaves (Golden Pillow 933) and Johnson Duck. To make the food match the theme, we used cupcake toppers ($6.90) from Give Fun. I have to say it looks pretty good for a home affair. 

3. Dressing to the theme

Sigh, this was supposed to be the easiest, but it turned out to be impossible. What I never did anticipate was his growth spurt and he could no longer could fit into his Thor hat from Sunflower Bee. In the end, I had to find some new gear to suit him out. He is still holding his little hammer. Haha. I think he still looked kinda of dapper, just a little more mismatched fashion. But oh well, kids always look good in tacky colours/ style. So a good deal of this time, he was sitting in his Babybjorn rocker while the guests snapped shots of him. Haha. 

4. Decorations 

This may seems like a frill but it makes or breaks the whole party. As silly as it may sound, the party "became alive" because of the balloons. My little boy is too young to appreciate the balloons. But the adults were obsessed with them. Not only did the balloons liven up the whole atmosphere, they also looked good as backdrop. Psst...as part of the party agenda, baby had his hair cut ceremony. And...the ballons were framing the shots taken cos the BIL was bringing them wherever someone was taking a photo. Hehe.

After the whole event, the baby did have some slight staring session with the balloons. He is curious but still not at the age he would want to prod them. You can get them all around a $100++ bucks (with helium gas). We also got some $1 halloween headbands which you will see more in our hair cut ceremony.  For the amount of joy it brought to the guests, even if you are on a cost-saving spree, you shouldn't cut this out. [Update] The balloons lasted a good 3 days with Boo! still going strong.  

5. [Optional] Cake 

If you know me, I am a super extra person. This was one of our highlights of the day. This is baby's first cake. We even had a cake cutting ceremony for him but the little one was not very impressed cos he was probably drained by then. He gave a very annoyed look with furrowed brows and all in the photo which I find it very cute. Not sharing our family picture because I was having a fever already and looking very pale/ horrid. Also, I have changed out into my sleepwear to be more comfortable. 

I am not sure about you guys but my friends were really impressed with the whole mini party when I shared with them the photos. I am only sharing a few selected ones here because we have another whole post on his hair cutting ceremony which is a lot more picture-heavy. Happy Halloween to you guys too! Who says Halloween is not an appropriate theme for a kid's party. Just get the cute stuff and you can wing it like me!

DIY Newborn Shoot: What we got from Sunflower Bee

Given what happened during Covid's lockdown, I feel like I have grown to become a Mum that is getting overly prepared. Being pregnant during this period is not really the easiest thing, the gender reveal was already such a pain to plan. And even during phase 2, most mothers (including me) will have to survive without a confinement lady. And maybe...I won't even do a maternity shoot.

But...I don't really want my baby to miss out on his newborn shoot. Because they always look so darn adorable in those shoots and they will only be mini that once. Being kiasu, I decided to start (yes, you didn't hear wrong) accumulating items/ props for baby's photoshoot should the worse befall. My photographer friends have been shaking their heads at such early planning, but you know what it is always good to have a plan...

I have to admit that this is no easy feat because I will be roping in a lot of help from my friends. The first thing to do is to decide the number of theme shoots to do. I settled on 3 because that seems like the right number. The second thing to decide is really the type of shoots we are going to do. Honestly, when you are doing a DIY shoot, you really can't try to complex stuff. Complex props with silk cloth etc. are always pretty but it would totally be unmanageable. 

And so, I thought the easiest would be to use knitted wear with props. I wil be playing with blankets/ muslin covers for the background of the photo. There is a few places to get the "costumes". Some places included Taobao, shopee etc. which the price can be really low but the quality questionable. You could also rebuy from other Mums but their theme and your theme in mind might differ totally. Carousell was a very good place if you plan to get custom-made pieces. Here are some goodies we got from Sunflower Bee.

1. Thor - God of Thunder ($60) 

Sunflower Bee does a lot of crocheted pieces, if you are not after newborn pieces, you can also check out her other works. One of her more iconic pieces would be for the fans of Marvel. Yes, my little baby is going to be the God of Thunder. Thor didn't use to be my favourite hero until Endgame when he became a self-depreciating fatty. Haha. A fan of marvel myself, I have my Marvel shirt ready (provided I slim down after popping to fit in).

Fortunately for baby, Mummy has a friend who is crazy about Thor. This means Auntie B is practically bringing her house of merch to style baby too. Haha. Baby, don't let your head grow too big too fast ok, otherwise you are going to disappoint Auntie B who is already brainstorming how to make you the cutest little god that walk (hmm cry) the surface of Earth.

2. Pokemon ($32)

This is a hot favourite among the uncle and aunties. You know what baby, Mummy has a pikachu top which everyone always tease her for when she wears it on dress-down Friday. Finally, this top might come to good use. Uncle has kindly sponsored his newly bought Snorlax for you to sit beside and compete on who is cuter. 

And Mummy has a pikachu pillow whom she has gotten years ago ahead of your arrival is finally going to be put into good use. All this is very exciting. In fact, this is Daddy's favourite theme for you, my boy. But...he has no poke merch so don't bank on your old man to make you cute ok! Psss...adults take note, Sunflower Bee can make you a magikarp hat. 

3. Jughead ($48)

This one might be the most difficult theme to pull off. Your silly Mummy might have blessed away her old comics. For those who are younger, this is Jughead's hat from Archie's Comic. Baby, your grandma insists that she has the comics stashed away somewhere. Sigh. I am not entirely sure how I will be dressing baby in this one. But I guess it will be a surprise. 

If you guys have any ideas or Archie Comics to bless my way, I welcome you. Hope you guys have fun reading the prequel to baby's shoot. Now that we are counting down literally to his arrival, I am praying that everything goes well. Hopefully, my post-partum mood is nowhere near depressing and I am still in the mood for some creative endearvours.