Helen called me and asked if I could create a series of dark, strong and powerful maternity portraits for her…
And if there is one thing I love to create it is maternity portraits with a good amount of contrast and mood. Below is a selection of her final gallery.
The short answer to this question is that there is not ‘best place’. Singapore is an outdoor photoshoot heaven. There are so many unique places with wonderful sceneries and backgrounds. within this little Red Dot, you can get jungle, park, beach, city scape, shophouses, skyscrapers…. And of course to add to this a myriad of different cultural backgrounds: Little India and Arab Street just to mention a few.
There is not best place for an outdoor photoshoot in Singapore. I honestly don’t have a favourite place to shoot. Each shoot is unique and the most important thing is to pick a place that suits you and your family. If you have three small children, then doing a shoot downtown CBD is not exactly recommendable. But CBD could be an excellent choice if you are looking for some cool shots with teenagers or a selection of headshots or personal branding…
Some families like to have greenery, and in this case Botanical Garden is an excellent choice. I have done many outdoor photoshoots in Botanical Garden and each and every one is different and unique. Besides, the Garden is so big, that you get a very different shoot depending on which area you go to. The Garden is so varied in flora and fauna, that we don’t need to walk far to get a very diverse and beautiful gallery.
If you are leaving Singapore, then you may opt for a location such as Garden by the Bay East, where you get a great view of Singapore and some of it’s landmarks in the background.
I can guarantee you will get an extremely diverse gallery with great individual as well as group portraits, no matter where the shoot is done. Outdoor shoots is about angles, light, composition and interaction between the models. We can do an entire shoot an an MRT station and get great portraits. It is up to the photographer to capture the moments and work with the available background and light.
Below is a few examples of what type of images you get in various locations in Singapore. Again, these are just examples from those locations. Each and every shoot is different. We work outdoors so the final images will be influenced on the lighting situation (there is no ‘wrong light’ but light will dictate the final image). Moreover, it will be affected by your children’s mood and what you wear (yes high heels limits our options a bit). So the most important thing is to be open and trust that I will get some great images no-matter what location we go to.
Below imagers are all taken around the playground in Fort Canning Park on an overcast day with a toddler who did not want to be in any photos… This means the images with the little boy are more candid, whereas the little sister was an age where she could not easily escape to the playground….
I do not recommend meeting near a playground. It is simply too big of a distraction if your children are playground age. You will not get the type of family images you could get in an area with less obvious distractions. However, if you are happy with very candid pictures and hot looking toddlers, then this is absolutely the place for you.
Below are three different shoots in Botanical Garden. Different locations, different light and different families. As you see the outcome is quite diverse.
Tanjong beach at sunset. Bright sunshine and lots of light is what you often get at the beach. Which is not a bad thing at all. As long as we work with the light we can get some striking images. And as I always like to get some bright and some dark backgrounds, this place is perfect as I just use the rocks for the darker images.
If you want we can even finish the session here with some water splashing if your family is up for it. But, yes, that belongs to the end of the session for obvious reasons!
Gardens by the Bay East has a great view of Marina Bay Sands and the city. It is a popular location for families leaving Singapore, as it has all these landmarks in the background. This location also has some greenery and flowers, which are my personal favourite backgrounds as floral backgrounds give an amazing blurred colourful and impactful backdrop .
National Stadium is a fun and bright place to do a shoot and you get a bit of everything. Greenery, water features, promenade with a view of the city. We did an extended family session here. I really recommend bringing grandparents to outdoor sessions. They don’t need to be in every single picture. But it is a great gift for both children and grandchildren to have portraits together. And if the grandparents get tired, they can just go and sit on a bench or in a cafe whilst we finish the shoot.
This place can be busy with people, but it is a wonderful place for a photoshoot with great light around 6PM. It is really popular with people who live in that area, as it gives them some unique and beautiful memories from their own neighbourhood.
I would advice to avoid Friday and Saturdays here as its simply so busy its hard to get portraits without too many strangers in the background.
If you don’t think outdoor photoshoots are for you, then we can also do a studio portrait session with your family. You can get an idea of studio portraits and the styles we can do HERE
These are all images from a portrait shoot in Fort Canning Park – Singapore. The session was with extended family but the focus was on the youngest daughter. As you see the outfits fit extremely well with the green background.
We got all these shots within a circle of probably 50 meters. Which just proves, that there is not need to trek around very far to get a diverse gallery.
x
I get this question over and over again. What to wear for my photo session? And by right it is very important to question to ask! Those portraits will be hanging on your walls for years to come, so it is quite important that you look and feel your absolute best. This blog details a few hints an idea on how to decide what to wear for your photo session
The first question to ask your self is what colour you will be wearing, or what colour theme you want.
Deciding on a colour seems so simple, yet it can be so daunting. Read on, to get a few hints on how you can find a colour that fits you.
If you are doing individual portraits, for instance you have booked a Women’s Beauty Session then you pretty much have free reins in what colours to wear, as you don’t have to consider matching other family members.
If you have booked a family portrait session or a mummy and me session, then you need to decide on outfits for all of you. This is something most people find very challenging.
Many sites and photographers recommend ‘jeans and white tops’ or ‘all neutral’ (beige, cream, white). And of course you can’t go wrong if you do that. It is a safe option for sure. And it is definitely better than not being colour coordinated! If you have a lot of people in the portrait and you stress about them not bringing the colour you ask them to, then wearing white tops can be the solution
You can also spice up the white top look by closing a bit of an eye catching background colour. This works really well to spice up an image where people are all dressed in white.
However, you can do so much more with colours to create an incredible harmonic family portrait. It looks absolutely amazing when people are colour coordinated but not identical. Matching colours is an art and requires some planning and thinking. But when it is perfected, it is absolutely beautiful, and nothing beat a colour coordinated family portrait.
Pastel colours are great. Or you can go beige, gold, bronze….
Personally I love contrasty colours and when mastered it creates an incredible powerful portrait
I suggest you start with yourself (assuming that 99% of people reading this are women/mothers). Decide on a colour that you like and that looks good on you, then fit the rest of the family members around that colour scheme.
Lets say you pick a warm blue, then children and husband should match that. By matching, I mean finding tones that compliments your chosen colour. And example could be blue and yellow which is very complimentary
Or perhaps you have a lovely orange dress you want to wear, in which case you can consider an autumn scheme of colours for the entire family.
Finding a colour that suits you is not that simple. Most people I know have a colour they think suit them or a favourite colour. However, there is so much more to colours than a ‘favourite colour’.
I recently went for a personal colour analysis with Jo Watering, the owner of Colour Capsule in Singapore. Jo is a colour expert. It is her job to help people find their ideal colour scheme.
I went for my colour analysis, determined that I am a ‘blue person’ and as long as I wear blue, I am fine. However, within an hour with Jo, I had learnt that I am in fact what the professionals call ‘warm spring’. yes, there are shades of blue in ‘warm spring’ but there are so many other shades and colours that fit me. Colours that I have never considered as ‘mine’. But colours that do in fact look great on me.
To be added
If you got the colours sorted, you are 90% done. It really is the hardest part. And if you struggle with it, I would recommend you to check out what Jo Watering can do for you. Your colour won’t ever change, so if you have one consultation helping you to find your colour, it will benefit you for the rest of your life, and make clothes shopping so much easier.
You got your colour, all you have to do is find an outfit. And please please start with your own wardrobe. There is a very good chance you have an outfit with your chosen colour, and there is no need to give more support to the clothing industry just because you got for a photoshoot. As said earlier, it is about the colour and feeling comfortable. NOT about the brand and new clothes.
Although if you want an excuse to get a new dress, then absolutely tell your husband that Theresa told you to get it for the shoot 🙂
I very strongly recommend you to were something you feel comfortable in. Don’t think you can suck in the tummy for the entire shoot. And if you are conscious about your legs, then don’t wear a mini skirt.
I can of course photoshop you, but that is not the purpose of the shoot, and no matter how much I photoshop your tummy or your legs…. Your facial expression will 100% show you are not comfortable. And then what is a flat photoshopped tummy, if you look uncomfortable?
It is in my very best interest that you feel good about your colours and outfits. I am very happy to advice and would love to see what you the chosen before the session, as it helps me prepare for the session. Send me a screenshot of your colour theme and lets chat about it!
There is also a good chance I can help you with the dresses for ladies and girls. 80% of the dresses worn in the portraits in this post are from my studio wardrobe! So feel free to come and check out what I have and have a chat about your shoot.
My absolute favourite kind of portrait is Mummy & Me portraits. You get the best of everything, women’s beauty, fine art child portraits and connection between the two. There is nothing more empowering than capturing the strong bond between a mother and her child.
Mums are not only mums, they are women! Strong, multitasking, sleep-deprived, incredible women. Some women juggle a job and children, whilst others have given up their career, or put it on hold, to be there for their children. No matter what type of mum you are, you are amazing. You are the rock of the family, you are the one that they cry to when they are hurt, and you are the one they bitch to when they can’t find something. You are there – always.
I think mum’s should be celebrated and honoured. Not only as mums but as women. My Mummy & Me sessions are all about celebrating you as a woman and a mother. Get beautiful makeup done by my professional makeup artist Ellie from Big Blow, and use any of the dresses from my studio wardrobe. with more than 200 dresses for girls and women, there will sure be one that fit your size and taste.
With a Mummy & Me session you get a beautiful diverse gallery with images of you together with your children as well as individual portraits of all of you. I try to do a mix of interaction shots and well as more styled portraits.
Beautiful Michelle came to me for a Mummy & Me portrait session with her three children. Michelle is not just an incredible mum, she is also an entrepreneur and an author. She has written “The Chill Mom – how to go from anxious expectant mother to relaxed confident mum”.
This is a book is an amazing read for anyone pregnant or have just had a baby. Michelle gives you advice on what can be a daunting task – becoming and being a parent. She covers everything from being mentally and physically ready for pregnancy and handling life as a new mother, and to how to balance motherhood with career.
You can also follow Michelle (The Chill Mom) on Instagram where she regularly post snippets from her and her children’s life. Such a great page. It aways makes me smile when her posts pops up.
Michelle is so down to earth! Yes, I know she has had three children and still looks like a super model, but she is in all honestly a super down to earth and likeable person. I really enjoyed my session with her and her children. Her youngest was not the most keen model. In fact, he did not want his picture taken at all. Despite all my tricks, he was more into Chase from Paw Patrol than me and my camera. It really is a lost battle when you have to compete with Chase.
This is where my admiration for Michelle was manifested. Instead of forcing her son to sit in front of the camera, instead of bribing him, she just said, “let him have Chase, it is more important to get a happy picture with him in it” And viola, below picture was taken. This may not be an award winning photograph, but this is Michelle with her three children and Chase! This is them as they are right in this point of time. And I bet Michelle will look back at this image, when her soon is grown up and think: ‘aww thats when he loved Paw Patrol, I loved those years’
So my advise to all mums out there PICK YOUR BATTLES. Michelle picked her and got a portrait of her with her children including a happy son. If you want to learn more from Michelle, hit over to her website and have a look at her book.
You can book your Mummy & Me portrait session here or give me a call 9754 1759 to chat about what kind of portrait you would like
Every year I go to Denmark for a summer holiday with my children. I love my time in the Danish countryside. My parents live 15 minutes drive from both the East and the West coast of Northern Denmark, so needless to say we spend a lot of time at the beach. And of course fitting in a beach photo session is pretty much inevitable.
This year I went camping, just me and my children (that merits another blog post:)… My lovely cousin, Line, came around to meet us at the beach for a few pictures and a chat. Line’s beach photo session started with a bit of a drama, as I managed to get Line’s car stuck in the sand. Therefore, before we could start shooting, we had had to put on our big smiles and beg two guys to help us push the car free. Not the best start of a shoot.
When I finally got around to start our session, the sun was really high on the sky. As the sun rises at 4am in Denmark in the summer, you have to be a pretty early bird to catch the good light at 4.30am. Therefore, we pretty much got the worse light imaginable at 10.30am with the sun high on the sky and no clouds at all. Without going into too much detail – harsh sunlight and no shade is any photographers worse nightmare.
Despite the conditions we had a lot of fun, Line’s son is an active little one, therefore, we just let him run wild. I do not try to pose people much for outdoor session. With harsh sunshine, that is pretty much impossible anyway, as they can’t look at the camera given the sun is behind me.
We ended up getting a fun series of action packed pictures of Line and her son. The conditions were perfect for a sharp black and white conversion of the pictures. The more contrast you have between sun and shadow, the better the pictures convert to black and white.
I love the challenge of getting a good series of pictures, even with the light is far from desirable. At the end of the day it is about capturing the connection between the people I photograph.
Although it is a very different beach in Singapore, I love doing beach sessions, so do get in touch if you are interested in a beach photo session. Or check put my outdoor session info here
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