Newborn Shoot: Lil Pumpkin Studio

We are so happy to share that our little one's newborn photos are out and they look so cute. To be honest, I doubt we were going to get much photos because this one is a super light sleeper. She could barely sleep through her 2 hours straight and would always either startle herself awake or somehow wake up because of slight temperature/ light variation. It was worrying (for me especially) because I might die when our nanny leaves after confinement. 

Truth be told, she was fussing for a good 1.5 hours and most of the photos were only taken within a short 30mins span when she was asleep. All I can say is Lil Pumpkin Studio have very fast snapping speed. I only managed to witness one set of photos taking before going to pump. And voila the subsequent series were shot. Wow! 

We sort of wanted the photos to be ready by Christmas so that we could share the Christmas series of photos with our relatives and friends (humble brag, lol!) And time wasn't exactly on our side. Most studios would take a month before passing us the photos. Lil Pumpkin Studio released all the raw images within 2 days to us and most were good enough to be posted and used. 

In fact, I only picked 7 pieces to be edited further and it was mainly because I looked really shagged in them. For new parents, the newborn shoot is usually taken within 14 days of the child's birth so that they can contort and be wrapped like a ball. And it is hard for any mother (even an energetic one like myself to recover within that period), so photoshop magic it is. 

If a light sleeper for a newborn wasn't hard enough, we had a barely awake toddler along in our family shoot. But this was probably the more meaningful shoot because it is our first official shot as a family. In the ideal situation, it would be great to have a smiling toddler and infant. But I am happy with what I got. And will be printing some pieces to frame. 

Generally, the photoshoot experience was quite fuss-free. They provided most of the props. Some of the props were from me because I had a lot of such things at home (haha) and I always like a bit of personal touch in my photos. Coordinated dressing was a bit tough for us cos we don't do family tees. We ended up wearing navy which seems a bit too dark for my liking but that's the only constant shade in our wardrobes. 

My mother dropped by also to provide some help in case our toddler got cranky. And we got a 3G shoot which I absolutley love. It capulates the mother's love - mine for my kids and my Mum for me so well. A tip for new parents, always invite your parents to the shoot. My in laws witnessed my firstborn's shoot and was intrigued by the process. My mother missed the last one so she was glad she caught this one. 

Finally, ending the post with another favourite of mine. I was always wanted to dress my little girl in tutus like a ballerina princess. Guess wishes do come true ~

Pretty Gowns from Friday Moon

For my maternity shoot, I wore 2 extraordinarily beautiful gowns. Many people asked about them because they look so flattering on me (a fat lady) and I myself felt beautiful and confident again in them. My dresses are rented from Friday Moon. You have the option to buy them, but it doesn't really make sense for me cos I don't really see myself having much occassions to wear another dress of this sort (next pregnancy if any maybe). 

First of all, I have to say that the details on the dresses are super intricate. There were beadings, sheers and laces. Very feminine <3 They felt a lot like the premium wedding gowns and when I tried it at home, I felt so magical I even twirled for my husband. The dresses were also very comfy and not too difficult to put on. 

Ida (Rental: S$134; Purchase: S$350)

This was my favourite gown of the day. The theme of the shoot was floral fairy and when I wore it, I really felt like a fairy. The gown is a nice shade of lilac and wraps the curves at the right places. It was extremely flattering on me. My son was in love with it and my husband gaze was upon me for pretty long when he saw me in this. It wasn't only my heart that fluttered, this dress might just have given me wings to fly. 

Although the lilac was a baby shade, it did give a nice pop of colour when photographed among the greenery. For ladies with sensitive skin (like me), you will be happy to know that the sheer fabric was very soft and not at all pricky. The gown has to be tightened by a corset, so it can basically fit ladies of all sizes!

Emma (Rental: S$88; Purchase: S$195)

To be honest, I didn't feel confident at all wearing this piece even though the dress was gorgeous. I didn't expect the bottom to not have a inner lining so I was basically wearing nude colours pants underneath. It is partially my own fault I guess because I borrowed my husband pants which I could barely zip up so it was pretty much dangling precariously during the whole shoot. 

Fortunately for me, the photography team was very encouraging and told me they could basically photoshop the pants silhouette away. I am glad I calmed down after because the photos turned out to be beautiful. This gown has a beautiful long train and the husband and I did some some couple shots which turn to be so wedding-like! <3 It did make me want to do another wedding shoot again. 

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FYI, apart from the gowns,  Friday Moon also rents/ sells robes which I didn't feature because this is an outdoor shoot. If you are a bride, you should consider renting a robe for your big day. For my own wedding, I didn't wear a robe before I don on my wedding dress. I never felt it was a problem until I saw the actual wedding day photos. I was in my mismatched PJs and the photos didn't come out as instaworthy. :'(

How to survive an outdoor maternity shoot?

For my maternity shoot this time round, I chose to have it outdoors. Because the last round was taken indoors (see post here on the considerations), I thought I should do something different this time round. Mind you, this time round I also have a toddler in tow. But I also bought a helper along so that made things a lot more manageable. 

For those who are also on the fence about doing an outdoor maternity shoot, GO FOR IT! Sure, it is exhausting. But the effect of natural light and just being in a non-confined space makes everyone more relax and the photos, in my opinion, comes out more natural.

1. Note that the shoot is subject to weather conditions. To be honest, the weather forecast was not in our favour. That week was supposed to be raining for 5 days a week. But I took a bet on it partially because time wasn't on my side and our workplace is around that area and it seems to have avoided the showers. 


2.  And speaking of time, take your maternity shoot early (from 32 week onwards). I took mine in 36 weeks because the Hubs was busy and I felt like I might be popping anytime that week. I was easily exhausted too. This was the first series so you can't really see the exhaustion on my face yet.


3. To help counter the exhaustion, I actually hunted down a place - National Museum of Singapore that has quite a bit of variations in the scenary so that I didn't have to run around too much. Still, the clothes change took quite a while and drained me quite a bit LOL!





Expect lots of sweat. I don't actually wear make-up so I don't have the problem of "melting makeup" but my son was drenched. The photographer was sharing that we should have brought along some powder for him so that he could freshen up. Tip for other Mummies. 


Bring Water. I only brought water for my kid and I regretted cos the Hubs and I were so parched halfway into the shoot. 


Toddlers love the outdoors. If you have a toddler, an outdoor shoot might be better because they have a huge space to run about. They are more natural. We had so many good photos!




Be open to photobombs by your toddlers. Basically, at this age, they can't be directed for the shoots. So we just had to accomodate him. Having said that, the effect was really good and the smiles captured were so genuine. <3


Bring a helper or helping hand if you have a toddler. Not all the shoots will be of the family, so you would need someone to keep an eye of the little one as you do a clothes change or take a shoot with your signficant other. 


Take control of your own shoot. In my last maternity shoot, I conceptualised one of the shoot and I realised that I love that series the most. This time, I actually conceptualised from location, wardrobe, theme for all 3 shoots (Perankan, Flower Fairy and Regal Royal) and I absolutely love the outcome!

Perankan Dress from Ans.ein. Accessories from Goldheart

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. :)

Should I take a maternity shoot?

Maternity photoshoots are all the rage in our generation and I have to say I was a bit bummed that I might have to give it a miss during the Covid. So, quite honestly, I have been racking my pretty little head on how to go ahead doing it in a safe manner. Thankfully, the lock-down lifted.

As many of you would know, a maternity shoot isn't the cheapest and it is as though you are going through the whole wedding photo ordeal all over again. So let me just share the tips and tricks with you to make your photoshoot more chillax and fuss-free :D

1. Find a photographer you are comfortable with. In fact, I think this might be the most important criterion on top of price etc. Especially if you want to take photos with slight nudity, that might be even more vital. Our photos are taken by dphotofolio. Alvin is very respectful and when I told him I am not ok with nudity. He found me inner wear so that I can take this flying artistic silk look. 

2. Check out their photo styles and let them know if you are ok to be directed. I think the Hubs and I are a lot more experienced in photoshoots after our wedding shoots. Nonetheless, we also ask to be directed because when it come to the bump shoot we don't really know how to showcase it. Alvin from dphotofolio is very friendly and will let you know what to do so that you will definitely bring home a few good shots to bring home. 

3. Studio or Home shoot or outdoors? This one really depends on your living conditions. Some mummies took at home. I think if you have your own house already and it is well decorated, you can definitely opt for this option. Currently, I am living with my in-laws and I don't think we can be that relaxed with curious spectators. Pai-seh max. Even for an indoor shoot, it can be quite tiring already. My Mum thinks when baby 2 is here. We should take an outdoors one instead. :P

4. Should I wear make-up? I didn't cos I wanted a natural, recognisable look. For my wedding, I had so much make-up and fake lashes on that I didn't look like myself at all. Also, since I was fortunately blessed with the pregnancy glow, I thought I should make use of it. So I only powdered myself for the shoot. And I absolutely love how it turned out!

5. Should I prepare any props? Yes, you should. In fact, you should prepare items that are unique to your relationship and motherhood journey. I remembered to bring my themed shoot props and flowers (from One Hour Florist, read my review here!) But, I totally forgot to bring my baby's toys and clothes. Damn the mummy's brain! Hopefully, Baby 2 will have more luck in this department!

6. How many sets of clothes should I prepare? You need to have at least 2! But it depends on how particular you are. I am ok with wearing the studio's robes etc. But if you are a cleanliness freak then please bring your own. I even brought a set of shoes to change (extra max!). For your own clothes, wear something comfortable. I wore my favourite nursing dress - Joole Maternity Nursing Dress in Black from Mothers en Vogue for my themed shoot!

To re-create my look: Joole Maternity Nursing Dress in Black from Mothers en Vogue, Fabiole shades from Xylvester, Clarks Heels with clip-ons, Nerf Guns 

7. Should I conceptualise my own shoot? Yes, you should. I dreamt this out one night (maybe cos baby wanna do this too) and discussed it with Alvin. He was game and viola, we became spies. We had a ball of fun! I have to say I absolutely love how Joole Maternity Nursing Dress in Black from Mothers en Vogue managed to hide my bump making me still look like a sexy agent although Alvin think I should flaunt the bump. (Note: Mothers en Vogue is really too under-rated, if you want nursing/ maternity wear that shows off your curves, please check them out!)

8. Should I get my raw images back? Yes, you should. Even though most of us are no photoshop experts, we should try to get copies of them. Because behind the scenes are hilarious and will bring back lots of beautiful memories. Plus. it is quite fun to do cringy edits like mine!

9. Should I take maternity shots? Honestly, I didn't find the point to take wedding studio shots initially. But then I realise every year I would look through it. Sometimes, I would also scroll through it in my phone. Photos like this are never cheap and may not be a necessity in life, but I see myself always going back again and again to reminisce that moment and that's when I know it is worth every penny...

Balayage hair with Kimage

A lot of people told me that my balayage hair looks awesome for the wedding. Honestly, this is actually my first time dying my hair and I am pretty happy with the effect. It is a lot more manageable than expected. Because the stylist did a gradient effect on my hair, my roots were essentially still black.

It was also quite easy to maintain because as my hair grew out, there was not much of a need for a touch-up either. And my hair did not become dry and frizzy. But according to the stylists, that is because my hair condition is awesome! :P I know I take good care of my mane.

I also ended up putting some waves in my hair. My natural hair is actually very, very straight. But Kimage has been curling my hair for the past 2 years that...oh well everyone thinks I have natural curls. Honestly, no one give me as natural bouncy curls as Kimage. At the same time, I have also received some of my worse curly hairdo from Kimage.

But still if you ask me where to do curls and dyes, I would suggest Kimage. It is the place I have given my virgin hair dye and curl experience to. And they always successfully convince me that experimenting with my hairstyle can bring out a new, more gorgeous me. Brown hair with curl, dang I feel like a star already....and very ready to be married.

Couple Shots at Bedok

We are now traveling further and wider. Hope you guys haven't been wondering why there is a "lack" of quick content. That is because we are now doing more shoots. And I guess shoots take a little more time, especially if we want to show you guys something good.

For people who live in the East, you will be happy to know, this was taken in Bedok. Honestly, I am not familiar with the area. I wanted to go for a school theme. So we actually took some shots in a school, but some didn't turn out that well. Oh wells...Maybe, I should have just taken those shots in my own school...goodness.

By now, we have learnt that photography comes with hit and misses. The more the number of people, the harder it is to take a good shot. Sometimes the BF look crap, other times I look shit. But with practice, we have gotten pretty good hit rates. :P

By far, this is one of our grassiest shots (aka we laid down on quite a lot of grass spots) and my shortest skirt shot to date. Heng I wore shorts underneath. Hehe. One of the more interesting photo we managed to snap was this at Bedok Reservoir. I really like the grass-beside-water feel shots. But FYI, I got a bit of grass rash after. #SacrificeForArt

And check out some of my favourite shots this weekend. We played with a bit of shadow, symmetry and I love the head-grass shots. Our photographer is not much a traveller. So if you live in the East and is looking for some fast shots, do contact him here.

Kitten Cropped Sweatshirt is from Style Orphic <Quote "ForFunk" and you will get an additional 10% off their items> and makeup using Girl Power from SukkixLASplash (Read my review on their lippies here!) Hope you enjoy the post, there are more varied posts coming out soon!

Casual Pre-wedding shoot with Ce Wen Photography

Pretty stoked to share with you these photos cos they turn out to be a lot better. Remember the last time I dished out some wedding photo tips in my previous post, guess what we did another "practice session", but on casual shoots this time. And I think it done out great great, better in fact.

By now, we already "know" what to do. The photographer was a lot less in a hurry and put in a lot of effort in finding the perfect lighting and sharing with us some tips here and there. Sometimes it is just trial and error, but you need time to keep trying. So I realise the importance of having a patient photographer.

This time round, we had a lot more intimate shots. (Kiss until damn sian...haha...I think never kissed so much during our time together.) And cos we had great afternoon harsh sunlight, we had some flare shots which I absolutely love and adore. So pretty!!!

I also got to try out more posts to torture the BF....Muhahaha. he carried me a bit this time round. And by the end, I was tired. (o.O) Don't ask me why, but I am tired being carried around like a potato sack. Oh yea one more tip, do remember to get those behind the scene shots. I just realise these shoots look great. (There is one which show us giving our mai-siao face to each other. Haha, but I will save that for our memories.

Hope you enjoy the photos you lovebirds. And if you are considering a shoot this V-Day, you might want to use our photographer - Ce Wen. He is quite dope! I did my make-up myself this time using Burlesque Babe from SukkixLASplash (Read my review on their lippies here!) It is pretty long-lasting but imprints on BF when kissed HAHAHA.

My dress is not new. I have worn it a few times already and it is from Missa More. You can read more here about me raving about my "peacock dress". Because Missa More is still relatively unknown, their clothes are still very very affordable for the quality. (I know cos I shop there hehe!)

10 Tips on Great Wedding Photos

This is all what you guys have been waiting for, at least what I have been waiting to show you guys at least. :D Presenting my wedding model photos and my 10 tips on how to take great wedding photos.

RESEARCH

1. Research on the poses. I thought since we are a couple why do we need to look and learn. Can just be natural right? Nope. Normal couples don glue to each other like that. Unless you are a couple that is super into PDA, I doubt such poses are a natural instinct for you. You will just be wondering where to place your hand etc.

2. Research on the locations. I was lazy and didn't really do that. But thank god, the photographer did his homework. Not every wall and every scenery work well. Some places are too much distracting background and some walls are so intricate yet you miss them. Ours was at the CBD area, feel free to steal some tips.

POSES TIPS

3. Go for easy poses. Personally, I think the walking one is the easiest of the lot. Just walk here, walk there. The poses of our photos are considered easy already. So do try them out if you are at a loss of what to do!

4. Stick together. That's the trick we learn from the photographer if you want a photo that shows intimacy, you need to be very very close together in terms of proximity. So close, I could even count the number of pores on his face, and so could he.

5. Review the photos as you take them. I think this is quite important because you can see for yourself the awkwardness you don't like and work from them. I see it as a fast way to self-improve to keep getting better. Just wished the BF had half my desire in self-betterment.

6. Don't be too sad. Initially, I was pretty bumped when I realise most of the photos may not look good based on the review. Don't be. Because the truth is the photographer is going to take a lot of photos and only sieve out the best. And we just need a few good ones. I assure you our photos were terrible. But look at how the good ones turn out. So just keep smiling:)

MAKE-UP AND HAIR TIPS

7. Bring your MUA wherever you go. During a photo-shoot, do remember to ask the MUA to tag along if you want to look perfect at all times because the make-up will crack under the humid weather. In fact, halfway, my hair started following too. So you really need that somebody to babysit you and fix your hair and make-up.

8. Try out different looks before selecting on one. I skipped this step. So the MUA decided on a thick make-up look for me. But, now that I look back, I should have made the choices myself. Because though I look great, I might have preferred looking all natural. Hehe.

9. Dress comfortably. I was kinda of proud of myself that I picked something short instead of a frock with a long trail so I didn't have to worry about tripping. But I kinda regret picking such tall heels. Lol! I lumbered around and had to walk slowly and cautiously.

10. Match your accessories properly. Oops, in the end, I went for a plain look cos I forgot to put them on. But heng, my hair had enough accessories to distract. Tips of the day, less haste. And if you want to be even more prepared on your big day, you can always work with amateur photographers and practice till you become perfect. :D

** This is collaboration post between amateur photographer - Kaiming Photography and budding MUA - Kaiming Photography. If you like my gown, check out other locally designed dresses at Silverlining Bridal Couture. (The owner is a really nice sweet man by the way and dish out great advice! :D)

Soft Curl with Kimage

So this is my new look. :) Feeling pretty awesome and pleased about it because old enemies may not recognise me on the streets. Looking one hell of a corky bitch cos my new bouncy curls are so dang awesome!!!

Back at work and every one is dishing comments on my new look. When you change your hairstyle, it is not about you, it is about the whole community. I got feedback ranging from "Obasan, Ajumma, Damn Korean, put it down, tie it up, tie it higher, your fringe is too thick"!

 

It is my first time heading curls so I still haven't figured out how to look photo-worthy. Haha. But generally, older people seems to prefer me with my hair let down to truly see the beauty of the twirls. Younger folks suggested that I tie up. Personally, I like my hair tied up. With regards to my thick bangs, that's my signature look. LOL!

What I did was digital perm for those who keen on it as well. It hails from korean, pretty much the same steps as re-bonding, main difference one makes your hair straight and the other make it curl. I found the whole process rather quick (4 hours), faster than what I expected :)

Some of the looks from the hair models last week. Curls really do have more variation than straight hair. Think coloured hair looks better with curls. Mine looks like a shiny wig, Hehe. I am going to try out various looks in the weekends and post it on Instagram?

And for those who wonder, where's my model shots, please don't have too hight expectations. I think it probably gonna sucks. I wasn't expecting a photoshoot. So I stayed up all night and woke up with a puffy left eye. And when I saw so many people and the camera lens, I froze...literally. It is like a sudden awareness of the surrounding. Terrible me, usually I don't suffer from fright.

Like me straight? Or do you prefer me curly? Pretty big change huh. BF hasn't seen me yet. Can't wait to walk in circles around him and watch him confused. Wonder if he will recognise his own GF...I derive pleasure from toying him LOL!

This change is done at Kimage. The price is between S$250 to S$335. The curl supposedly last 6 months. You can monitor my curls on my blog. Lol!