roo+red: steph tan photography blog

day 537 | january 26, 2012 | featured weddings and engagements

2012-01-26T23:07:00.001+08:00

several featured work which i haven't had the time to rave about. just finished a shoot here in pangkor laut resort, and decided to share these out while waiting for my photo back-up to complete. =)

one of my favorite images from the shoots in 2011 got featured as wedding tweets 'wedding photo of the week.'

the wedding bureau shared a teaser clip from stanley and hoay wen's shoot. a couple of months ago, they did a photo feature of the e-session. =)

always thrilled to get one of my photos into love olio's main page photosteam in the company of other cool and fun photographs from creative photographers around the world.

in the first week of 2012, i was excited to receive a notification from extraordinary weddings that they've featured one micaela and jonathan's intimate DIY wedding. =)

love working with clients who are willing to go playful with STP. happiness!

day 536 | december 1, 2011 | deck the halls - family and lifestyle photography

2012-01-26T11:43:00.000+08:00

not my first time to shoot little ryley, i was surprised to find him in a sour-ish mood the morning of this session. perhaps it's because we hadn't seen each other for a while and i was this strange woman to him yet again. it was a good thing he loved treats, and that i was carrying some with me. =)

they really went all out with decorating the house for christmas; a tall christmas tree, little santas manning the corners and socks hanging all over the place. (super backlogged post.) =)

found a red santa bag which i thought was a great fit for little ryley. =) he was apprehensive at first, but he did enjoy it when we finally bagged him.

we managed to get him to cooperate for some family shots with the help of some berry bliss.

to get genuine smiles, we engaged what he enjoys doing. he loves going under the table...

sticking his tongue out and hanging upside down. =)

day 535 | january 3, 2012 | DPS Best Portrait Tutorials of 2011

2012-01-21T08:07:00.001+08:00

a couple of really great news i'm happy about. after months of not having any real help, we finally have a helper again. and in a few days, i can have dedicated time to catch up with work. it's been a real challenge juggling the mundane everyday household stuff, with two little ones, and a business to run. it can't be said enough, but i really appreciate the patience of my clients when it comes to my erratic schedule. hoping that the light i see now is the end of the tunnel. =)

swimming through emails and i belatedly noticed that some tips i submitted on newborn and baby photography made it to digital photography school's top tutorials for last year. =)

link to the article is here: http://www.digital-photography-school.com/our-best-portrait-photography-tutorials-of-2011

tickled! now, back to catching up with emails.

day 534 | november 11, 2011 | clifford moods - singapore wedding photography

2012-01-15T09:00:00.001+08:00

lovely mood at clifford. the black and pink color theme blended well with the gothic feel of the restaurant.

villa maria estate were the suppliers during several BAFTA events this year, and were the couple's choice of winery for the night. yum!

as the sun crept down, the lighting inside the restaurant became quite challenging, but i do love the resulting mood. intimate and cozy.

the food was super good, and would not mind going back there to date the hubby. love the focus on cheeses and desserts.

the couple had their cake tailor-made by clifford restaurant to match their color theme and personality. a playful three-tier fondant cake in pink and black, the cake topper was cute and cheeky. look where the groom's left hand is! =) love it when couple's personalize.

day 533 | november 11, 2011 | sunset at fullerton bay hotel - singapore wedding photography

2012-01-14T09:23:00.002+08:00

here's part 1 of a mauritian-malaysian sunset celebration in the outdoor patio of clifford restaurant at fullerton bay hotel, with lovely views of the bay reflected on its glass exterior. one of my favorite locations in singapore to date (and not just because lantern is on the sixth floor. grin.)

a lovely intimate gathering, with scarlet petals strewn all over the aisle, against a simple set-up. it's classily understated with just the right amount of sass.

this ring shot on nespresso capsules just tickles me. =)

K+A chose juliet pang with didi mudigdo (also known as "polkadot + moonbeam" ) as accompaniment to their celebrations. i was tapping my feet as they played upbeat wedding favorite "i do" by colbie cailat.

love the look of the bridesmaids all lined up, looking sleek and fab in the black silk dresses. natural sunset light looks good on everyone. love shooting outdoor celebrations.

congratulations K+A! =)

day 532 | december 3, 2011 | a peek into ryan's wardrobe - singapore baby photography

2012-01-10T06:55:00.001+08:00

still have lots of shoots to share, and working my way slowly but steadily through them. this is ryan. i've shot him in his mommy's belly and as a newborn, and it's great to see him growing up. he's the first and only grandson so far, so his wardrobe is understandably exponentially expanding thanks to the generous sponsorship from grandparents and uncles and aunts, and doting parents. =)

such cool jammies. i love his particular overall with sketches of scenes printed all over it. so arty baby.

love the bibs!

initially intended as a christmas card shoot, some santa snaps of little ryan. =)

with his uncle's lion stuffed toy collection. =)

his cheekier smiles came at the tail-end of our shoot!

cheers!

day 531 | january 6, 2012 | sweet suri - newborn photography

2012-01-06T23:12:00.000+08:00

about a year ago, i covered R+J's wedding at the temple of fine arts in kuala lumpur (slideshow link here). now, i have the honor of shooting one of the first outcomes of that union. grin. =) little suri posed for us in a wooden luggage bag and a small baby carrier which were gifts (flower holders) from her parents' friends.

little fingers on the rings

cheekiness

sweet dreams while being watched over by her bedtime bear

pinch cheeks!

love love love newborns!

a dose of pink sniffalicious cuteness for the new year!

day 530 | december 31, 2011 | priceless gems

2011-12-31T08:00:00.001+08:00

roo and i had a chance to find old albums from my childhood while we were at my mom's home in manila. photos with my grandma at agus river in lanao, snaps with cousins at our old rented home in zamboanga, and faded memories with childhood friends. and i would have to say, that those old grainy discoloured photographs were among the most precious of gems from our short trip.

i grew up from a single parent household, co-parented by various aunts and uncles as my mom worked hard to provide for our needs. my memories of my parents living together were screamfests and flying dishes, radios, and televisions. i know there must have been good days, but i must have been too little to remember.

there are fleeting memories of sitting on my father's lap as he wove stories, of bittersweet love and things that made me cry, and i remember those dream-like memories in my head fondly. he was a great storyteller, though i always tried to hide my tears away. i can't even remember his birthday, perhaps only that it's sometime in november. with vague memories of time spent with my dad, he's mostly a shadow to me, mentioned only when i need to fill out personal information forms that require both mother and a father to be listed.

the last time i saw him, i think i might have been 12 years old. he had re-married and i had half-siblings. it was awkward, and too much time had passed for me to feel any emotional pull to connect with him. every time i think of my half-siblings, i wish them a good life and wonder if i'll ever get to know them on a personal level.

there were a lot of individual photos of my mom and dad, looking young, and coolly untouchable by life; which never is the case. we looked at all the albums with fascination. roo was interested in finding me in all the photos, and i was interested in finding youthful versions of my parents. i suppose we are all interested in the past and we start off in our life's journey defining ourselves through our parents.

the only photo of its sort, we were thrilled to find a snap of my parents together, in their younger days, carefree and so into each other. roo candidly commented, in her five year old way, that it's similar to the photos i shoot of my princesses and princes (which is how she calls my couples). i know with a lucidity that relationship is over, but it was still nice to be reminded that at a point in time, there was love, there was respect, and there was friendship. as a child, a mother and a wife, this photo touches me in many ways. it's a token that once upon a time, i came from something beautiful; an observation that my relationship with my husband has a direct effect on my children no matter how i wish to buffer them; and a reminder that we all have to decide and act on a daily basis to nurture the love.

i have no lists for 2012, just a lighter heart and a promise to my loved ones: to make time for what is most important and to hold on to the good things because the only moment we truly have is now. let the past be something we can learn from and laugh about.

happy new year everyone!

day 529 | december 25, 2011 | christmas cheer

2011-12-30T21:58:00.001+08:00

we've got a full house this holiday. my mom and and my brother are in town and are doing a relaxed exploration of the spaces in singapore they didn't get explore before (universal studios!).

the kids loved their chrismas morning, opening presents and setting aside some which we weren't able to give in time for christmas day.

red seems to understand ownership now, and was very assertive in staking a claim over her gifts. =) the hubby gave me a nikon 70-200mm lens mug. love it!

roo was eager to model her new clothes (thanks jing!) and fairy wings, while red was a bit more reluctant (thanks for the shirt, nis!)

later on, the kids (including H) shot each other with nerf guns. red and i were the arms dealers, hoarding bullets and distributing to those we felt like giving to.

we had a chance to try red's new shoes with a walk around the park

we sat down and watched the boys make merry fools of themselves, running around, and trying to get the kite to fly. the family beside us had their kite high in the air, while ours continued flopping to the ground. think we need to start reading up on technique. =)

roo was bored, while red had strong opinions on what the boys should do

exhausted, we packed up and headed back home. perhaps in 2012, that kite will finally fly. =)

hope everyone's having meaningful celebrations!

day 528 | december 26, 2011 | pass it on: washi disaster relief

2011-12-27T23:02:00.001+08:00

In between celebrations with family and friends, you may have heard about tropical storm Washi which blew through Southern Philippines on 16 December 2011, causing flashfloods which resulted in more than a thousand deaths, and the destruction of thousands of homes. This came as a surprise as this area of the region is not usually prone to storms – people were caught unprepared for such an onslaught. Initial rapid assessments estimate the affected population in the hardest hit region at 467,379. As of 21 December 2011, official reports reveal 12,131 damaged homes, displacing 284,610 people, with 49,441 displaced families being served both inside and outside 60+ evacuation centers. The remaining displaced – almost a quarter of a million people – have sought temporary shelter with relatives or makeshift structures. The storm disrupted power and water supplies as well as transport and communications in the area, hampering response and recovery.

To most of us, the storm is over, and this is old news among the many disasters that has happened this year. For the quarter of a million affected by this natural calamity, the struggle for normal life has just begun. In these types of disasters, the aftermath of inadequate shelter, lack of food and clean drinking water, unhygienic common living, and inadequate medical supplies can cause more preventable deaths days and months down the road, especially the little ones who are most vulnerable. Estimates reveal that US$28.6 million is needed in support to address the needs of those affected over the coming three months. Habitat for Humanity will respond to the disaster by giving out tool-kits, clean-up kits and shelter repair kits, and latrine (basic common toilet) construction in evacuation areas.

PASSING IT ON:

On January 1, Steph Tan Photography (STP) will be hosting a full day Photo Picnic in the park. Wet weather plan is for an indoor studio shoot at our home office. Half Hour ‘In The Moment’ Sessions are available for SGD150. Feel free to inquire regarding longer sessions. ALL of the proceeds will go to Habitat For Humanity’s Disaster Relief Efforts for the Washi victims. Book your slot by emailing your ideal timing to info@stephtan.com to coordinate specifics. (Do feel free to share this to friends and family who might be interested to give to the cause.)

Alternatively, you may contact Habitat for Humanity Singapore or Singapore Red Cross directly for donations and volunteer opportunities. Lonely Planet’s resource on Tsunami volunteering may also give you an idea on ways to get involved in global disaster recovery efforts.

Join us as we celebrate the first day of the year with a heightened sense of awareness and a hearty generosity. Let’s all give back through any meaningful way we can! In the words of St Teresa, it may feel like a drop in an ocean, but the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.

References: Statistics were pulled from Habitat for Humanity's monthly newsletter and IRIN news.

day 527 | december 1, 2011 | of destinations and festive deals

2011-12-14T14:29:00.000+08:00

excitedly sharing with you STP's destinations for 2012! if you're interested in doing a shoot in any of these locations, don't hesitate to buzz at info@stephtan.com

as a december quirky perk, STP is giving existing clients 25% off on coffee table book orders if they order between now and 20th of January, 2012. sharing images of a recently printed book for my family (something which was long overdue).

it was a surprise to have roo and red fascinated whenever they look at the photos. it brings me pride whenever roo flips through the pages, and goes "i remember this..." before launching onto full storytelling mode. red is soaking up her elder sister's happy memories. as roo explains to her friends, "it's a book about my mommy, my little sister, my daddy, and me. it's a book about my family, you know." (don't ask me where she got the cali accent.)

there's my little tyrant, reviewing the work i do at our messy home office. =) happy holidays folks! off to manila for a holiday with family and friends. =)

day 526 | november 25, 2011 | new albums

2011-11-27T16:02:00.002+08:00

here's a teaser of stp's new premium albums. was excited when i received them, but only had time to shoot them quickly before we needed to head down to KL.

lots of things to be excited about. will be launching an album perk as well as announcing destinations for 2012 this december, so watch out for that. =)

day 525 | october 1, 2011 | pong and ning - singapore wedding photography

2011-11-26T00:03:00.002+08:00

it was a pleasure to shoot this wedding. a little over a year ago, stp covered kitty's wedding — and now, i'm sharing with you photos from her brother's wedding. =) i'm in a creampuff kind of mood, so played around with a creamy vintage processing style.

in between the madness of shuttling between the tea ceremonies, we managed to sneak some shots for a few minutes with their bridal party. love the idea behind the bridesmaids dresses, which is basically the same cloth, styled and tied in different ways.

can you find pong's cute cufflinks? =)

of course, when i found out there was an open rooftop in the hotel (and right beside the reception area), i couldn't resist kidnapping my couple for some quick portraits.

pong and ning had a bit of a challenge during their wedding reception, but despite the little blips, the party did go on. still plenty of smiles and laughs; and attempts were underway to get pong drunk. =)

pong and kitty's hot mom and cool dad. =) love the cheongsam!

and this cheongsam too. =) these two little girls kept me company during the downtimes. cheekiness.

pong and ning's friends secretly decked out the couple's honeymoon suite with petals and balloons. the "pink brigade" were a really cool, supportive crew.

sharing with you the slideshow here. remember to watch it in HD. enjoy!

day 524 | october 30, 2011 | little eve - singapore baby and family photography

2011-11-23T07:50:00.000+08:00

good morning! a few days after our belly shoot, i came back to visit D and O to meet a fresh-out-of-the-oven, tiny little eve. she's a hungry one, so her happy/content time was really precious. one thing i particularly liked about this set is how hands-on daddy is. mommy's still on recovery mode, and it was nice to see a supportive dad who is confident in handling the little one.

i still wonder what little ones dream about. probably floating in a river of milk. =)

i'm not sure if it's just me, but i find it really cute watching little ones turn red all over when they give that full-bodied cry. daddy and mommy attempt to soothe little E by comforting coos. =) but she's serious about getting her milk asap. =)

a smiley shot after she's had enough milk (for now)... =)

congrats D and O! many adventures ahead! =)

day 523 | august 20, 2011 | kelly - new york portrait photography

2011-11-22T10:00:00.000+08:00

a light, organic, abercrombie-feel shoot with kelly in new york's central park. her green eyes look all sorts of amazing against the natural backdrop. while i love make-up work and the transformation that it does for a lot of models i've worked with, i've found out i generally prefer rawness and honesty in my photography. sharing some of my faves from this set. =)

day 522 | june 17, 2011 | bestfriends

2011-11-18T11:43:00.001+08:00

roo is missing her bestfriend right now, who is currently in the philippines for the holidays. a while back, they went to the singapore national museum together for a playdate, and watching the two of them interact is such a treat. especially after the move back to singapore, roo really struggled with missing her friends in KL. with friends like little K, singapore feels more like home. =)

also gotta love how the museums run kid-friendly programmes during the school holidays. it was fun doing museums hops with roo, with all the edu-taining activities that are available. we learned about singapore's history, pretended to be hawkers by creating foodie masterpieces using clay, created masks, interacted with video displays of old trades, and read books in an al fresco lounge.

re-painted old bicycle wheels make an interesting interactive display. =)

the view from the lounge

see you again soon little K!

day 521 | september 23, 2011 | micaela and jonathan - singapore wedding photography

2011-11-16T06:53:00.001+08:00

finally sharing the images from this set. =) lots of cool personalized details from this celebration so do pardon the heavy post. the bride, M, is simple but tasteful in her preferences. love the quiet elegance of her viviangown dress, and happily understated yellow flats!

i found it funny that the bride knew how to tie a tie better than the groom. =)

candy-colored DIY decor in the restaurant. the poster and stationeries were designed by the bride. weiwei of chere weddings helped her put the look and feel together.

J's family were in australia so they set aside some time to get everyone on skype before the ceremony started. =)

plenty of pretty details and hearty moments during their intimate lunch. =)

they had a polaroid photobooth on site which was successfully executed. i've seen many photobooths which didn't really lift off, and i think the key difference is that M and J were really into it too, so their exhuberant energy rubbed off on their guests. =)

quiet moments at the end of the celebration...

and a sneakaway shot with melvin of renatus. do check out his video of M+J's celebration here.

day 520 | october 23, 2011 | little pieces of magic

2011-10-29T17:30:00.000+08:00

it started with a sunrise like this. sunday — and a no-shoot and no-helper day for me, so we decided to bring the kids out for a little adventure. H got himself a kite that's supposed to fly easy, and it was a great morning to test it out.

roo just got her new spectacles to correct her 300 astigmatism. eek. she's still quite shy wearing them, but i think the look is fab on her!

red is always amused by her big sisters' antics. =)

H tries prepares the kite, roo pretends to read the instructions, and red is wondering what in the world is going on...

the kids watch on supportively in VIP seats as H and I wear ourselves out trying to get the kite to fly!

bridgeway to brunch. red can walk on her own now, and she insisted on stopping over by the railing to look at the creek.

red also likes pushing her big sister around. the big ones want to be little again, while the little ones are in a hurry to grow up...

happy weekend! (and no, the kite never flew!). =)

day 519 | october 22, 2011 | anticipation - singapore maternity photography

2011-10-28T08:56:00.000+08:00

by the time this post comes up, D and O would have already delivered the little bun. congratulations guys! =) not sharing her name yet, as i'll be shooting the little one this weekend.

love D+O's books — it shows how much they both love food and cooking. another material we worked with are gifts from family and friends (cupcakes from the baby shower, baby clothes from family and friends, an art-advice book given to D by her friends). i love these little stuff — they are well-loved, and people glow under that kind of love. =) teaser shots for now. baby snaps to come! =)

day 518 | october 26, 2011 | jas and usha - singapore wedding photography

2011-10-26T09:00:00.011+08:00

sharing some of my favorites from our pre-wedding shoot last weekend. love the saree, its sexy silhouette, and the schmexy looks my couple kept on giving me. lots of attitude seeping out from J and U, and it was cool working with them and their fab handy helper. we followed up our saree set with a biker bar set, so watch out for that. (happy jig! i got to ride a harley! thanks C!) =)

love the moorish look of chijmes too. almost looks like we went out of singapore to get these shots. =)

happy deepavali everyone!

credits:

make-up by joannakoh.com

day 517 | september 8, 2011 | more tales of roo

2011-10-22T09:00:00.008+08:00

roo is now five. time has somehow flown at warp speed, and my little 'joey' no longer needs my moomy pouch. she can hop hop hop and explore all by herself. in fact, she's so grown up now that she 'reminds' me quite frequently when i'm not following "the rules." she's at that stage in her life where every rule you ever made as a parent gets swung right back at you, and consistency is a tricky little thing.

grocery shopping. roo checks off my grocery list when we go shopping. it’s our delegation of tasks, and it keeps her occupied and trains her spelling and word recognition at the same time. it also prevents her from asking me to buy her unnecessary stuff as ‘The List’ decides everything.

during one of our grocery trips, i was tempted to load some wine i’ve been looking for into our cart. roo asked me what I was thinking about, so I told her I was thinking of getting some wine for home. she went “go ahead, mommy” as i loaded a couple of bottles into the cart.

she promptly tried to look for ‘wine’ in the list I gave her so she could cross it out. after a few minutes, she turned to me and asked for help. “Mommy, where is wine in our grocery list?” i adore the way she carefully enunciates ‘gro-ce-ry,’ which makes it sound like it's actually three words.

“it’s not there, roo.”

“oh,” she squeaks a sound of realization, as it dawns on her that mommy is no longer following “The List.” moomy is breaking the rules! i immediately felt guilty.

“i think i should put it back. it’s not in our list. i will just pick it up next time.” i rationalize as i unload precious cargo off the cart.

roo smiles at me kindly, pats my back, and whispers conspiratorially, “it’s OK, mommy. it’s our secret. i won’t tell daddy.”

it's good she hasn't learned how to blackmail me. other than citing all the rules in the funniest opportunities, she also likes collecting secrets. =) thankfully, she doesn't like alcohol (yet). =)

photos taken during our night out with friends at tawandang brewery in dempsey. =)

day 516 | september 24, 2011 | playtime with jolynn and joey - singapore lifestyle photography

2011-10-21T08:00:00.002+08:00

meet precocious little jolynn and curious little joey. love that they were willing to go down and dirty on the grass with me. we walked away from that shoot with leaves and unknown little tidbits hanging off our clothes. but i'd like to think we had a lot of fun with it. =)

we swiped some of their aunt's letters and balloons for the shoot, and joey and i had a game of peekaboo in the car.

i just adore these zen sibling moments. =)

mommy and daddy brought along some of J&J's favorite stuffed toys for the shoot too. =)

cute expressions from little joey! =)

happy friday! =)

day 515 | august 20, 2011 | nyc moods

2011-10-18T19:00:00.001+08:00

postcard snaps of quintessential nyc sights and sounds. =) view from the top, from below, on a boat, from the subway and while walking around town.

tourists were lining up to see this particular sight. was wondering what was on sale. apparently, the meat market is hot. =)

it rained while i was on the boat, so pardon the droplets on my lens. stress-tested my nifty nikon pair, and happy that they survived my manhandling, especially during this trip. =)

the lady in black has an amazing voice. was about to hop onto a train when i heard her. went looking for her in the maze that is new york's metro and was not disappointed.

sucessfully managed to capture lightning on top of the rock. =)

day 514 | september 10, 2011 | little carl - singapore newborn photography

2011-10-17T07:57:00.001+08:00

starting off the week with more than a dollop of cuteness. =) a couple of days old and still glowing pink, it took a while to settle little C down. but once he was settled, we were shooting and moving him around without any trouble. he's so yummily chubby, he doesn't look a few days old at all!

i think crying shots are precious. especially these full-bodied ones. =)

the smug bossy look. =) little ones perfect this very early in their lives.

happy dreams

happy monday! =)

day 513 | september 10, 2011 | from belly to baby - singapore maternity photography

2011-10-16T10:32:00.001+08:00

had the honor of taking maternity and newborn portraits for a friend. i was supposed to capture her wedding for her, but it was at the final month of my pregnancy with red, so i had to miss her celebrations. happy to be a part of this celebration. =)

here are some of our 'anticipation' shots, and a teaser on newborn little carl. i would have posted all the shots together in one post, but i think carl is too cute not to have his own post. grin. by the day this post comes up, he would be celebrating his 1 month milestone! =)

sharing different perspectives of the FT. =)

day 512 | august 19, 2011 | new york eats

2011-10-15T10:58:00.000+08:00

this is going to be a long but yummy blog post. (and yes, delayed. grin.) sharing some of the eats and the eating spaces i enjoyed with friends and new contacts during my new york trip.

first up is (1) cafe lalo which is just a shimmy away from my hosts' home. this pretty neighborhood resto in the upper west side was featured in the movie 'you've got mail.' good coffee, a great selections of desserts and a quaint hispanic ambience are what make this place a good place for meet-ups and catch-ups. =)

it's always super busy any time of the day. i like the tile art they have all over the place, as well as the spanish burlesque posters, the pin-up chocolate bars, and if you look hard enough, you'll find poetry on their wall. =)

had an adventure trying to find (2) spotted pig for lunch. i passed by it a couple of times, before i finally asked someone for help and realized that this little space was the restaurant. =) another cool little space. i love how a lot of smaller restaurants have the mix of great food and personality on balance. =)

had roasted beet salad with walnuts and young goat cheese for appetizer, and a chargrilled burger with roquefort and shoestrings for mains — and while it was SOOO good, i struggled with the serving sizes. paired it with yummy apple cider.

three little piggies, hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. =)

on my long walk to the national library, i stopped by (3) bryant park grill which is a cool place to peoplewatch. there's a mix of folks just catching up with friends and sunbathing in the park, tourists stopping by for a treat, and office folks powerlunching.

just at the edge of theater district is this little place called (4) west bank cafe. passed by it a couple of times during my trip and immensely curious both times (they were having a great deal on their wines!) before i decided to pop in for lunch. tried their hanger steak sandwich, and one thing i love about the restaurants in nyc is they can get medium rare right, most of the time. =)
some of the grouchiest cupcake sellers are at (5) magnolia cupcakes, and they grouch at you while you look at their yummy treats. if the cupcakes weren't so pretty and so good, i'd be grouching them back.

what's new york without pizza? =) definitely had to try (6) lombardi's. would have loved to swing by grimaldi's under the brooklyn bridge, but in the interest of time, lombardi's was much closer to other places i wanted to check out. very busy and quite a significant wait before you get any seats, but the pizzas were yummy. we had a standard margheritta and added mushrooms, then paired it with beer. i do believe that the simplest recipe can leave a great impression as long as it's done right, and they do it well here.

as soon as i arrived in ny, i knew the fringe festival was going on, so i checked their calendar and tried to see if i can catch any of the shows. one of their event spaces is (7) bowery poetry club, a hole in the wall joint that welcomes you with a greeting that highlights the transitory nature of life "everything is subject to change," pots and pans on the ceiling, and neruda's poetry in spanish and in english on their staircase. sigh. where can i find something like this in singapore?

as a final stop for our night out expedition, i got a friend's help to lead the way to the (8) little branch, which is a cozy little (possibly maximum 30 people can fit in inside at standing room capacity) jazz bar with no signs except for a scratched out metal engraving on their door. we had to wait outside for a while to get a chance to go in, and i love that they ID-ed us. grin.

the band was good and the vibe inside was just like a warm intimate house party; albeit with a few of your friends trying to pick up each other. it's also one of the few places where you can ask the bartender to surprise you, instead of specifying a drink you want. i think he rocked my mojito mix.

of course, last and definitely not the least on this list is (9) peter luger in brooklyn. we braved the rains to savor some of the finest steaks in new york (smith and wollensky is still my fave, but peter is perhaps in my top 5). what's more, it was in the company of great friends from all the way back! thanks for hosting me, guys! (and hugs to the not-so-little ones!)

now off to hunting for great eating spaces here in singapore. =) happy saturday folks!

day 511 | october 3, 2011 | more featured work and happy fridays

2011-10-14T07:49:00.005+08:00

counting blessings today. back in September, STP's albums were featured in Signature Weddings Asia. thanks to R+K (terrenganu) and K+H (singapore) whose books were featured on this set. =)

earlier this month, some of STP's photos of children in weddings were selected for ExtraOrdinary Blog's 'children in weddings' feature. a particular favorite of mine was the shot above from our bangladesh wedding reception. we do love snapping kids, so thanks to our little models who were cheeky, fun, and always great company during our shooting downtimes. =)

finally, our slideshow for HW+S's meaningfully inspired shoot was just featured at The Wedding Bureau Singapore.

on another note, TWB is running a bride's choice awards contest rewarding the most reviewed and best reviewed wedding vendors in the industry. =) To support STP, please do send your reviews at http://weddingbureau.com.sg/steph-tan. many thanks and happy weekend to everyone!

day 510 | september 10, 2011 | chun pong and xiang ning - singapore wedding photography

2011-10-13T08:38:00.000+08:00

shooting CP and XN is like hanging out with long lost friends. i shot CP's sister's wedding a year back and it's great to reconnect with families of ex-clients. love the light and the lightness on this set. will let the images speak for themselves. =)

we had some joggers in the area who helped us out by running across our frame. =) love it when we get some audience participation into the shots. grin.

we got to nibble on XN's favorite childhood snack during this final set. =)

sharing the slideshow that was shown during their wedding day. =)

day 509 | september 4, 2011 | stanley and hoay wen - singapore wedding photography

2011-10-07T19:52:00.000+08:00

from the get-go, we set out for a meaningfully-inspired shoot that tells their couple story. it all started with an online chat. it's pretty amazing how technology connects us these days. HW and S are the 4th couple i've shot who met through the net. we ended up playing around a bit with some stop-motion animation about who-asked-who-out first. grin. it was clear that S noticed HW first. =)

of course we had to cover S's proposal at boon lay MRT. probably running on frayed nerves, he completely missed HW as he came out of the station. i thought this was a cute tidbit of the story.

he gave her a surprise in the form of a coach bag. =) little did HW know that there was another surprise inside.

S forgot to kneel during his real proposal so we made sure he had ample opportunity to kneel during the shoot. =)

after boon lay, we played around with expensive toys -- an old cessna with pretty yellow-orange stripes, and a spankin new fully-operational 2-seater plane. we had to make the shoot quick though as the plane was flying off an hour from when we got there. =)

HW shared that she wanted sky shots, so we gave her plenty here. =)

sharing the slideshow with an animated clip here. =) enjoy!

day 508 | september 18, 2011 | roo and red's craft day!

2011-09-30T09:04:00.002+08:00

a super fun day with friends and artistic little ones! their art works far exceeded what i expected from the day's session, and the mommies and daddies were all participative in helping their little ones get the best work out there. =) we planned a party where roo and red's friend can design their own photo frame and make their own bracelet/necklace using beads.

some of roo's friends combined beadwork and photoframe design. =) the end result looked super cool. roo and i have to set aside time to try this again.

notice that the boys seemed to have taken brazil's colors. grin. =) footie.

red lingered by the food table, before she went off to sleep. =)

pretty pretty cupcakes from let them eat cake! =) thanks mei zee! love the scissors and patchwork design.

after the craft session, the kids had a super time running around and blowing bubbles!

we opened up a box of colored chalk and the kids went wild with coloring the ground. =)

the party ended a couple of hours longer than we expected it to run. grin. thanks to our guests who helped make roo and red's day a fab one. =) we had a super time and hope you guys did too! =)

day 507 | september 23, 2011 | micaela and jonathan - singapore wedding photography

2011-09-29T09:31:00.000+08:00

a cozy affair in the middle of town with DIY touches. lots of heartiness, silliness, and pretties from this set, so stay tuned for the full post. for now, a teaser. mostly photos from in-between portraits. =)

attended by their closest family and friends, the atmostphere was very light and bubbly throughout the lunch.

love the bright happy colors! =)

vendor credits:
gown - viviangown
belt - diy by the bride and her mom
stationaries - bride herself
wedding planner - chere: weddings and parties
videography - renatus photography and cinematography
photography - stephtan.com

day 506 | september 11, 2011 | alvin and khai ling - singapore wedding photography

2011-09-24T00:01:00.000+08:00

had to work double-time to get this express slideshow out. very happy we managed to produce it with some time to spare, so i could get back on the ballroom floor and resume shooting. wouldn't have been able to execute with peace of mind without a fab assistant backing me up. thanks for the help, JY!

enjoy the slideshow! =)

day 505 | september 11, 2011 | alvin and khai ling - singapore wedding photography

2011-09-23T10:08:00.001+08:00

snaps from A and KH's wedding lunch at goodwood park. =) the timing for their morning fetching and lunch reception was tight, so there was quite a bit of flurry getting to the hotel.

our emcees for the night announce the couple

and ladies on either side of the walkway threw petals into the air as the couple marched in

of course, i had to collect my photos of little ones. =)

on KH's second march in, she changed into a blush coloured dress. color looked fab on her.

smiles and hilarity during the speeches

they had some games too where they tried to fool A into professing his love to one of his close male friends. didn't quite work out as A insisted on constantly holding KH's hand. =) talk about attached. that's one devoted (and smart) dude you got there, KH! grin.

cheers!

will be sharing their express slideshow in the next post. stay tuned! =)

day 504 | september 11, 2011 | a fraction of my time for a smile

2011-09-20T21:14:00.001+08:00

i've got to thank lady S and my hubby for getting me involved with the chinese development assistance council (CDAC). it's a well-organized group that welcomes volunteers for specific projects, like the project CARE which we participated in. 200 elderlies who are living alone in one-room flats were escorted by 200 volunteers to esplanade for a show and a lantern walk — something that is a rarity for them. it's amazing how something so simple can be so meaningful. we take the everyday things forgranted, forgetting that many people don't have the same simple pleasures we do.

my auntie, AY, is very social and independent. it's a shame i couldn't speak with her very much, as she only spoke little english. we communicated in smiles and held hands, and i somehow managed to find out that she's 72 years strong. =) it was her first time to see the marina bay sands.

esplanade walk was all decked out with red lanterns and had a few dieties on stilts including the monkey god. (don't know what it is about monkeys in mythology, but just gotta love 'em). the twilight hues blended well with the outdoor ampitheater's mood lighting too. =)

the seats in the ampitheater were reserved for our elderlies, so the volunteers had to find a space to hang out while our charges enjoyed the show. of course, the singer had to sing 'the moon represents my heart' on this moonlit mid-autumn night to fulfill the cliche. =) managed to steal some time to enjoy a cup of thai iced tea, and found this little bug on my water cup.

once the show was over, we lit up the lanterns and assisted our aunties and uncles in walking back to their bus loading area. it's almost child-like how happy they were to see their lanterns lit up from within by candlelight.

plenty of happy smiles and thank-you's being exchanged before we waved goodbye to our charges for the night. my auntie AY was on the other side of the bus, but she stood up to wave a happy goodbye to me. grin. it was exhausting, but anything worthwhile usually requires energy and attentiveness.

this little exursion, this fraction of my time, will add to their stories and give them something to smile about when they go back to their usual daily routines. hopefully, this is a reminder to them that they are not alone, and encourage them to build a circle around themselves. it's not a big leap; it's a small ember, in the sum of things. but isn't life a sum of the little flickers that light us up from the inside? i hope i've managed to light my auntie, just a little bit. i definitely feel lit after this experience.

hope i can get roo involved in some volunteer work soon. i think she's got the heart for it. so happy to do this with my H too. makes me proud that i'm married to the dude. =)

day 503 | august 14, 2011 | ramon - san francisco lifestyle photography

2011-09-13T09:20:00.001+08:00

sharing some of my favorite shots from my shoot with ramon, the first classical guitarist i've had the fortune of meeting. he knew what he wanted, and was clear in communicating an urban, minimalist, indie feel. super cool guy, and i do hope the winds bring him to concerts in asia. =)

we shot around san francisco city center. there was plenty of great material and great light to work with. if i could store that light in a little container for future use, i would have. =)

it was cold, but we managed to shoot in a rooftop. love the city's twinkly lights! =) best of luck in your endeavors, ramon!

day 502 | september 1, 2011 | pass it on!

2011-09-07T23:46:00.000+08:00

september is a special month for us. it's my birthday, roo and red's birthdays, and STP's anniversary (1 year old as a registered business in singapore!). we're going to party hard, yes, but also, we'd like to put things back into perspective. as we celebrate another year, we can't help but be thankful for a lot of things. we are blessed, and while things are not perfect, there is plenty to be happy about. we choose to count our blessings, and recognize that we are lucky to have enough. it's in this spirit of gratefulness that we are doing things a little bit different this year.

not accepting any gifts for roo and red's party, we are instead encouraging volunteering time and/or resources to a charity as their gift to us. a friend inspired me to do this, and i'm quite pleased and surprised at the maturity that roo has displayed in accepting this idea. she's so excited about a party where she will be giving to her friends instead of accepting gifts. she's learning the joy of giving, and she grows more beautiful in my eyes. we have plenty of surprises for her favorite people. =)

of course, for STP's september quirky deal, we'll stick with our theme of giving out. for every 'catching the moment' gift voucher bought for a friend or a family member, we are rewarding the 'giver' with a either a mini-shoot voucher for themselves or a gift basket from the generosity of pupsik studios! =) it's our gift to you on the month of our birthdays!

we hope this encourages people to "pass it on." =)

day 501 | september 4, 2011 | hoay wen and stanley - singapore wedding photography

2011-09-06T09:00:00.003+08:00

went 'meaningfully inspired' with HW and S at boon lay MRT station which is where S proposed to HW last year. they were not able to document the day, so we went back and re-created the it for them. going back to the 'scene of the crime,' so to speak. =)

i do love capturing meaningful photos like these that immortalize something precious. more fun photos to share! still swimming in files and playing around with processing treatments. for now, these are teasers from our first set. =)

day 500 | august 30, 2011 | of inspired and inspiring people

2011-09-05T08:52:00.001+08:00

one of the top reasons why i love being a photographer is how it allows me to meet an interesting variety of people, everyone with a story to tell. i have been very lucky, because i meet and work with people who move me and inspire me to become a better person, a better mother, a better wife. who remind me of what is important in life.

meet eleni. she is the brain and heart behind life-spheres, a great source of positive energy. she offers life coaching, neuro-linguistic programming, and feng shui to individuals who are willing to make that crucial internal change. we did a family shoot, and i had the honor of meeting her multi-lingual kids (they speak greek, dutch, english, and will likely be learning mandarin). afterwards, we did a couple of videos, the second of which is this video on belief systems and education (which i agree with wholeheartedly!).

she's running a few workshops this year. do check out her website for workshop schedules and details. =)

day 499 | september 3, 2011 | where my heart is

2011-09-03T23:54:00.001+08:00

after two weeks of being away from my little ones, it was such a relief to hold them again. on the final couple of days of my US trip, i could feel homesickness hitting despite the busy schedule i maintained. it was a great trip — i managed to do things i've wanted to do, get re-inspired, and re-connect with friends i haven't seen for a long long time.

however, it still hurts my heart thinking that they've missed me. red has been clingy since i got back, demanding to be carried only by me. she's learned new skills which includes pretending how to count, going down the couch and bed on her own, raiding the snack pantry, and dancing to music (while holding on to furniture). she still can't walk, but it's only a matter of days now. so little time and she's grown so much! between roo and red, i was more worried about how roo would take my disappearance because she's more aware. since i came back, roo snuck out of her room for a few nights to camp out and sleep on the floor beside me. she did this just to make sure that i won't be leaving again anytime soon. it was super sweet, but also a little scary (i almost stepped on her when i woke up!) and heartbreaking (is it just me or do mommies feel guilty about everything?). i'd like to think i've reassured her enough that (1) i won't be leaving without telling her (2) i will try to bring her with me as much as i can, and (3) that no matter where i go and how long i am gone for, i will always come back to where my heart is.

things are more or less back to normal now, except for red's hospitalization (we still don't know what's wrong). i don't think i'll be taking anything more than a week-long trip away from them in the future. i was exploring at the museum of natural history and moma, and several times, i caught myself imagining what roo would say if she were with me, looking and experiencing the same thing i was. roo is travel hungry at her age, and i can't wait to share the world with her. red doesn't take much imagining. the little munchter would just be demanding for her food. =)

day 498 | june 22, 2011 | nina - singapore portrait photography

2011-08-29T10:00:00.001+08:00

a morning shoot with nina. we were fortunate to have playful light, and i think it shows in our outdoor photos. love the location in sentosa as well. nina is a fellow photographer, and she requested these shots as part of her photographer/website profile — which is a good idea i haven't adopted yet. =) i need to make time to get my own profile photos sorted out. =)

gotta love willow trees and their hanging branches. =)

snapshots by the pretty poolside

photographers are supposed to be the moody artistic sort, but i never did fit into the mold. i love happy shots too much. =) one of my faves is this genuinely-having-fun shot of nina.

day 497 | august 15, 2011 | frisco food trail

2011-08-28T08:30:00.016+08:00

my tummy has it's own travel memories, and what fond memories they are. i love good food, and san francisco is rife with favorites — farm fresh vegetables and fruits, varieties of cheeses, great seafood, and plenty of good wine to pair any meal with. here is a tribute to food i enjoyed. =) don't blame me if you start getting hungry midway through this post.

scoma's is part of the story why i'm in san francisco. five plus years ago, i introduced two friends to each other at scoma's embarcadero, the same two friends who are now married. during this trip, i found out about about the scoma's in sausalito which is in a pretty little restored waterfront house walking distance from the sausalito port. took the boat from fisherman's wharf, and gobbled my way through large butter fried scallops dusted in parmigiano cheese and sauteed with lemon beurre blanc sauce. paired it with a riestling, and was off to a happy start to my sausalito island exploration. =)

on the day of ches and arni's wedding, the girls' wedding day breakfast was at los gatos coffee roasting, a quaint cafe on main steet in los gatos which i noted the day we arrived in the area. they served a lot of stuff, but i can't remember any because my brain zoomed in on the spinach, mushroom, and goat cheese crepe. yum. paired it with a well-balanced amaretto latte. just enough amaretto for the after-taste to roll in your tongue.

the day after the wedding, we stopped by the ferry building in san francisco city after i checked in my hotel. il cane rosso is one of ches and arni's favorite places, so i was definitely intrigued. their menu is quite simple. the one thing that makes it stand out though are the farm fresh ingredients used, probably transported through the port. i ordered myself a beef brisket sandwich, with roasted cherry tomato conserva, tarragon aioli and arugula. yum. struggled with the huge servings though.

a few hours before my flight to new york, after i packed all my stuff, i decided to chill out at a place near my hotel. right across from me was villa florence, which housed bar norcini, a well-reviewed little place along the powell street cable car line.

had a wild time with their salumi and cheese selections. they had a deal of USD$15 for 5 different types of cheeses, which sounded perfect to me as an in-between nibble. wasn't in the mood for wine though, so i requested for an irish creme latte which they kinda jinxed (too much irish creme). perhaps i should have indulged in another glass for the day.

there's never enough time to try all the yummy food, so i'm maintaining a dream list for frisco:
(1) head up to napa and bliss out through a nine-course tasting menu of michelin-rated yumminess at french laundry (with the H, ideally.) =)
(2) feast on fresh oysters at the swan oyster depot in polk street.
(3) try the tasting menu at quince.

off i go creating a foodie hit list for singapore too. =)

day 496 | august 1, 2011 | of designer books and lovely testimonials

2011-08-27T09:00:00.002+08:00

one of my favorite things about photography is publishing. getting that photobook or canvas printed out and seeing your photos in a tangible way is an emotional high for photographers. pair it with a great review from a happy client, and we're high as a kite! =)

email rave from rose and khim:
"we like the album very much! very very nice indeed! :)
the leather cover's color, the paper and the printing quality are all perfect!
my husband and i have fun looking at the CDs last night.
there really are so many photos! and so many nice shots! :)
those pictures always bring us smiles and happiness!"

for this album, we ended up upgrading their original 40-paged book to an 80-paged premium leather book. customizing the leather cover based on the mood of their beach wedding, i thought a more playful and non-traditional leather color would work well to hold their hearty, beach-side memories. thanks for the support and kind words guys! =)

day 495 | august 25, 2011 | digital photography school - newborn and baby photography

2011-08-26T08:00:00.002+08:00

just shared some tidbits i've picked up along the way, and was thrilled to find out that digital photography school published an article i wrote on photographing newborns (and babies). if you wish to read the article, do click on the link love below. happy morning!

LINK LOVE: digital photography school: how to photograph newborns

day 494 | june 9, 2011 | noir et rouge

2011-08-24T10:30:00.003+08:00

i'm a huge fan of celest thoi's work, and this opportunity to shoot her latest designs was a breath of fresh air. she does bridal couture, evening gowns, and really comfortable custom-made shoes. for this set, i was inspired by a red and black theme which worked really well with our location. jo-yee looked fab in the gowns, and was super easy to work with despite my eccentricities. =)

shot with available light, played around with a mild touch of the cross-processed look on this set. =)

credits:
model - jo-yee cheong
couture - celest thoi

day 493 | august 18, 2011 | chasing lightning

2011-08-20T11:59:00.002+08:00

it's all gone so quickly, and i'll be wrapping up my new york trip tomorrow night. sharing a teaser of my misadventures with this snapshot of lightning over new york's twinkly city lights, taken over one of manhattan's iconic buildings at 11pm. there were more than a dozen tourists standing pressed against the glass barrier, just waiting for the flashes of magical light with bated breath (and shaking hands). handheld, and with a couple of drinks in the bloodstream. was giddily happy to catch my first lightning. more to share soon.

day 492 | august 13, 2011 | in love with the californian sun

2011-08-15T21:06:00.008+08:00

flooding this space with straight out of camera shots from ches and arni's los gatos ranch weddding. i was the maid of honor, so i only took shots when i wasn't busy running around for final details — to be in front of the camera again, i'm quite anxious about how i looked. grin. i know it's all good though as their photographer, christina richards, is super fab!

after months of emailing each other options for the tiniest details of the wedding, it is such magic to see everything come together, and come together so beautifully. i think ches and arni made an excellent decision when they decided to keep this celebration as intimate as they could make it. not more than 60-people strong, it made for a warm enviroment to reconnect with old friends as well as to make new friends. =) i also think that ches and arni made an excellent choice with radonich ranch and marky of vignette events. the venue is beautiful and marky did a great job interpreting the look we were going for. extra points for giving us plenty of hugs while doing it! =)

love the flowers!

ches's parents who still feel teenager-y in love everytime i look at them. 36 years strong, and such an inspiration.

our beautiful flower girl, K.

my flowers and the paris guestbook.

a table set aside for kids' goodie bags and a space to color. i'm so proud to have such thoughtful friends. =) *beaming*

the dinner setting by the barn

they named each table after their favorite restaurants. =)

wished i could take one of the little ones as a souvenir for home. =) so so adorable.

the menu read so yummily. the spinach salad and grilled tri-tip were super good. ches with her beautiful aunts.

smiles and tears during the speeches. =)

after the speeches, it was time for croquembouche cake cutting and dessert bar opening. the desserts are an entity of their own. will need to try the alfajores before i go, cause they ran out pretty fast! =)

playtime in the outdoors, with a beautiful setting sun. i wish i could pack away the cali sun and bring it to shoot with me. =)

congrats arni and ches! looking forward to seeing you guys 36 years from now, still laughing, talking, and dancing like newly married folks. =)

day 491 | july 9, 2011 | whisky nights - singapore wedding photography

2011-08-14T00:56:00.001+08:00

my first solemnization in a bar. love the colors and the moody light. a small, intimate and personalized wedding celebration. find it fab that my couple was bold enough to do a ceremony that was truly their own. =)

couple marches into the cosy bar with their closest family and friends.

after the ceremony, love poems were read by family and friends.

after the ceremony and poetry, a light dinner buffet was served along with an open bar of whisky and beer.

day 490 | july 9, 2011 | ann siang hill - singapore wedding photography

2011-08-13T13:40:00.000+08:00

we spent an hour walking around the interesting nook that is ann siang hill before we proceeded to the bar for th and yen's solemnisation. if there is some time to spare, i find it worthwhile to do in-between portraits with my couples to maximize their choice of location. it doesn't hurt that ann siang is such a cool place to shoot. the traditional shophouses make for a charming background to play with. love the windows and the pretty wall tiles all over the place!

we met an older couple who have been married for 25 years. =) it was cool that they were willing to go along with our antics.

day 489 | may 29, 2011 | kate and sarah - singapore family and lifestyle photography

2011-08-04T09:00:00.001+08:00

a delayed post. =) an outdoor shoot with kate and sarah, and their mommy and daddy. love the classic all white ensemble they decided to wear, and recognized the little girls' dresses as chateau de sable, a french children's clothing line which is a guilty pleasure whenever i shop for my own girls. =) stephanie lemaire makes fabulous stuff!

love this shot of little sarah being consoled by her daddy. she wasn't in the best of moods because of the heat and humidity. meanwhile, kate was hamming it up with her wings and fairy wand.

after walking around the dry parts of the park, we decided to move into the water play area to get the little ones to cool down from the morning heat. just as we were about to reach the fountains, it started raining. we were soaked from top to bottom. thankfully, the little ones love playing in the rain. =)

some tubby play after a full morning of splish splashing under the rain. =)

day 488 | june 22, 2011 | tanjung beach sentosa

2011-08-02T17:54:00.000+08:00

as mommarazzi, i had a shoot in sentosa in the early morning, and also wanted to scout around for future shoots since i was already in the island. kidnapped roo and red's cousin, and dragged the whole brigade to my scouting trip as a mixed business-pleasure-playdate trip. it was my first time at tanjung beach, having only gone to siloso and palawan beaches before. the beach club worked the charm for me with nautical yellow, white and blue colors that helped us get into the chillout groove.

baby red and mae lounge by the daybeds under the shade of a white and yellow umbrella...

...while the kids rearrange the sand on the beach, and bury random things including their feet. =)

the most amazing thing about this trip was the roo actually ventured into the beach with her cousin to play with the sand. no sand toys and cajoling were needed, and she took off her sandals by herself. usually, she'd be crying as soon as her foot touched the tiniest of sand, and she'd complain non-stop that she's dirty. i'm glad that phase is over. now to chuck the 'disney princess' phase out. grin.

red's standard bossy pose in front of the dining table. trying to kick off the foot-atop-the-table habit. she couldn't hardly wait for the food.

loved how the resto provided us with paper and coloring pens to keep the kids occupied. we had a little fun with swirlies.

contemplative roo, barefoot on sand, unafraid of the waves, wind in hair, and a giddily snap happy mommy whose relieved that her fussy little one is finally friends with sand.

day 487 | july 29, 2011 | mom's vintage dress - kuala lumpur wedding photography

2011-07-29T09:00:00.021+08:00

when i first met with S, it was clear from the get-go that her mom's vintage dress would play a key part in our inspirations for the shoot. when she sent me the photo of the dress by email, i think i might have squealed in delight. love how the dress brings in so much character into the frame!

we shot this at tatto which is a cozy italian place in jalan damai. it felt a bit strange to be instructing my couple not to smile, but it was necessary to get the feel right. hats off to hebe leng for doing S' hair and make-up and helping us deliver the look. i might be biased, but i think my fab couple rocked this set! =)

sharing a montage of B and S's old photographs below, which includes cool wedding photos of both their parents. instead of doing a usual slideshow, i thought doing it in stop-motion style would be more interesting. H was my bulb assistant, while roo kept on scolding me for leaving a mess of photos on the floor. a bit tough to explain to her that i was working 'cause it kinda felt like playing to me. =)

day 486 | july 27, 2011 | happy days are made of double features

2011-07-27T21:37:00.002+08:00

received a note today from love olio that my photo is in their homepage, and that they've featured STP's pre-wedding shoot for B and S. true enough, my photo was there, and within the same page as two photographers whose work inspire me. *girly giggles ensue.* just a week ago the wedding bureau (TWB) singapore featured the same piece with a killer write-up. so double happiness day today. =)

do check out the features on the links here:
love olio
wedding bureau singapore

i've had a couple of brides who are worried about sourcing vendors for their wedding days, and i highly recommend checking through TWB's vendor list to help you along in your search. a few of the vendors that STP has partnered with previously are listed there as well. =)

day 485 | june 27, 2011 | tales of roo: ballerina afternoons

2011-07-27T11:28:00.003+08:00

For the first few ballet classes roo attended, I’ve dined out with her either for salad or frozen yogurt as a sort of mommy’s-so-amazed-you’re-doing-something-on-your-own reward. During the succeeding sessions, I tried to wean her off the unintentional dine-out-after-ballet expectation I created.

During the first day of my wean-off-dining-out plan, she asked me whether we were going to a restaurant. I promptly squashed expectations by telling her that dinner was waiting for us at home. Looking at me with irritation, she goes “but I want to eat outside, in a restaurant.” Flipping her hair back in a fluid motion that I never learned how to do, she adds for effect “and I want Japanese!”

I immediately replied with a “We don’t have enough money.” That usually gets a thoughtful “oh” from her, followed by a “nevermind, it’s OK, mommy.”

This time around though, she looked up at me with shining eyes. “I have an idea, mommy!”

“Really? What is it?”

“Why don’t you…” dramatic pause with finger on chin “…go the the machine,” she’s just full of dramatic pauses and shining eyes “and get some money! It’s a great idea, right?” She finishes off her question with an enthusiastic nodding of her head, as if her bubbly cheerleader smile and the sheer motion of her head will get me to agree.

“But, roo, there’s no more money in the machine, and I only have 12 dollars in my wallet.”

She gives me a thoughtful pause. She was brimming with solutions that day. “That’s OK. You can spend the 12 dollars on my salad, and I will share with you!”

At this point, I knew my “finance lessons for preschoolers” agenda was on the verge of failing. Backtracking, I counter-proposed. “Roo, remember we have a big play date on Thursday?”

She gives me a blank look with a “yeah…”

“Why don’t we go on a super fun play date on Thursday, and we’ll save our money today so we can eat out after our play date with our friends! Isn’t that a better idea?”

“No, not better.”

“Okay,” I paused to look into her eyes and let her understand the gravity of the choices in front of her, “we can either go out today and eat salad then NOT have a play date on Thursday, OR we can go home now and have LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of fun on Thursday sharing food with our friends! What do you think?”

Roo did not look impressed. “I think we can have salad now, and then play with our friends on Thursday.”

“But we don’t have enough money, roo. If we spend now, we won’t have any on Thursday.”

“Hmm…” she had her thinking cap back on. “I know, why don’t we go home and ask DADDY to give us some money!”

I thought that was a FABOLOUS idea. And that is how we went straight back home without any restaurant dine outs, Japanese or otherwise.

***photos taken with an iphone using the ubercool hipstamatic app.

day 484 | july 25, 2011 | playful picnic - kuala lumpur wedding photography

2011-07-26T22:38:00.000+08:00

got to play with a few of my favorite things on this shoot. bright pink balloons, a game of scrabble, natural light in the outdoors, and a fun playful couple to create images with. hope this inspires my couples to play in their shoots as well. =)

this is set two of B and S' pre-wedding photos. i've shared the first set in an earlier post here: garden fairies bridals.

day 483 | july 7, 2011 | picnic art play date

2011-07-26T11:48:00.000+08:00

roo and i have been dating our friends a lot, and it's been great. singapore feels more like home every day because of these connections we make.

i've always wanted to paint with flowers and do an art picnic at the botanic gardens, and roo was definitely onboard with my idea, so we invited a few friends over to hang out with us. the kids had fun walking around to pick up interesting leaves and flowers that they could use to create patterns or perhaps as a paintbrush. the painting bit was tricky as some of the flowers didn't really leave a strong imprint to create patterns. even the mommies got in on the painting to try to make some of the flower patterns work. =)

definitely a fun and inspired way to spend an afternoon. the kids had a blast, and created art for art's sake. red, the little munchter, gobbled up all the snacks while we were painting. =)

just love this three-way handholding thing they got going... =)

happiness... =)

day 482 | july 10, 2011 | something close to our hearts - singapore wedding photography

2011-07-18T20:44:00.001+08:00

a teaser for a wedding that's very close to our hearts. i covered A and J's celebrations with H as my assistant. the last time H and i shot together was almost 2 years ago, and i was tickled to see him behind the lens again. it was also the first time red got dressed up in formal wear, which got me distracted when i finally saw her during the tea ceremony. throughout the day, roo was dreamily sighing away at how pretty her auntie J looks. i didn't realize it can be quite a challenge to shoot people who are close to you as i wished i could shoot everyone at the same time. an elegantly simple and heartfelt celebration of two people we love. congratulations, guys!

more relaxed smiles after the morning tea ceremonies

we all proceeded to sheraton for the solemnisation and the lunch reception.

plenty of giggles and laughs during the solemnisation ceremony

demure kisses. the groom kisses the bride in the cheek to everyone's surprise. even the justice of peace (JOP) protested. =)

i liked how the JOP invited the couple to speak words of thanks to both parents. warm emotive hugs right after the ceremony proper.

an action shot of my assistant for the day, in pink. =)

day 481 | july 15, 2011 | garden fairies bridals - kuala lumpur wedding photography

2011-07-15T12:26:00.001+08:00

sharing some of my favorites from B and S' bridals in kuala lumpur. shot at dusun garden fairies in hulu langat, we drove about 40 minutes from city center to get to the location. the trip was worth every minute though, as the location helped us create a mood that was different from the usual KL urban vibe.

day 480 | july 9, 2011 | whisky nights - singapore wedding photography

2011-07-14T10:00:00.001+08:00

"head in the clouds, dreams come true"

a teaser to th and yen's solemnisation dinner in an unconventional venue. guess where? =) shooting it was fun but challenging due to the lighting. armed myself with all 1.4 prime lens ensemble (24mm, 50mm, 85mm). yum. excited to share the shots, but it will have to wait until the celebrations are over. stay tuned! =)

day 479 | july 14, 2011 | of bouncing bunnies and dating anniversaries

2011-07-14T00:36:00.001+08:00

"something random turned into something awesome..." - yuna

this weekend, you went neurotic just because i wasn't feeling well. similar to how you neurotically researched car safety ratings because you know for a fact i'm naturally accident prone. thanks for being a kid with the kids. watching you with roo and red is beyond beautiful. thanks for sticking salonpas on me after a particularly tiring shoot, and getting lost driving around singapore for 2 hours just to bring me to a new place, and indulging my odd cravings like having cheng tng by the beach at 11pm. thanks for weaving a language that only the two of us understand, a sacred playful circle we can play in even in the company of others. and most importantly, thanks for holding me close even though sometimes i may be pulling away.

seven years, dearest. congratulations to us! there are rough patches here and there. we both know it's not going to be smooth all over. but here's to keeping the promise to remember the right things and centering ourselves on what matters most. big hugs.

day 478 | july 13, 2011 | cinemagraph babies

2011-07-13T19:21:00.002+08:00

my first two tries with creating cinemagraphs. here's the link on how to do cinemagraphs. if you're planning on doing these, i would highly recommend using a tripod and a still subject. kids aren't really the easiest to ask to stay still. grin. these were both handheld, and that bit gave me some hurdles to jump in the processing.

shooting roo was easy, as she's a naturally contemplative girl. just asked her to sit by the balcony, and the scene was done. red, on the other hand, was a little bit of a challenge. =)

we all had a laugh at this non-stop chewing shot of red. this is so her, the little munchter!

for better examples of cinemagraphs, check these out. =) will likely be playing around with this further.

day 477 | july 11, 2011 | mani and rachel - kuala lumpur wedding photography

2011-07-12T18:29:00.001+08:00

posted a teaser of their reception here. now finally sharing slideshow highlights from their wedding day. =) just sharing a few selections in this post. lots of favorites, so the best thing to do is to enjoy the photo montage at the bottom of this entry.

the strange concoction of guiness, eggs, soya milk, and what-not that the boys had to drink as part of the "torture the groom" session. it kinda looks like liquefied tiramisu.

plenty of laughs. best way to start a day. =)

the boys had to take off their socks and hang them onto a limbo wire. =)

mani was super game with the sing and dance portion. =) he really pulled the notes out.

mani's niece feeding the tea to her new auntie. =)

the ladies have fun with it!

here's the photo montage! enjoy it in HD. =)

day 476 | june 7, 2011 | out in the sun - family and lifestyle photography

2011-06-30T17:12:00.004+08:00

my favorite work are candids which capture the dynamics between family members or between a couple. while i appreciate the traditional portraits for their documentary purpose, nothing quite beats natural interactions for feel-good factor.

when mommy N requested me to shoot her and izzie for a morning 'hang-out at the mall as we usually do' shoot, i was excited. mommy N is a cool designer working mom whose story and perseverance is an inspiration (check out her designs at littlegirlscloset). fab izzie is beautiful and vivaciously opinionated. camera-weary, she took a little bit of courting before she warmed up. she is the primary model for her mommy's designs, much like roo and red are almost always in front of my lenses. after our session, i had a serious case of photoshoot-envy. =) i will orchestrate to have a photoshoot with my little girls too.

i think it shows that my favorite set is when we started rolling around in the grass. =) just love the expressions, the light, and the playfulness between mommy and daughter. gotta tip my hat to them for gamely hopping on without batting an eye when i proposed rolling around in public. grin. can't help but get fun photos when everyone is playing!

day 475 | june 14, 2011 | baby ryan - singapore newborn photography

2011-06-29T10:02:00.002+08:00

shooting at the comfort of baby ryan's home, i was excited to finally cuddle six weeks old little R. between seeing his mommy when she was fully pregnant with him and hearing stories from his uncle on R's adventures during his first few weeks of life, we were primed to meet him. =) he was wide awake during the shoot, curiously looking on. not a lot of damage during this session. other than a little regurgitation, little R spared his mommy the major messes of pee and poop. great job, little one! saw his mommy and daddy's sheep collection and thought it would be a good way to reference his size in the years to come. =)

day 474 | june 25, 2011 | june and july quirky promotions

2011-06-25T23:26:00.001+08:00

Our July 2011 Promotion is up! Come celebrate our anniversary with us! This month, STP rewards the married ones. =) This treat is ideal as an anniversary gift to your partner, or a gift to your parents whose last photo together was taken back in the 60's! Limited to the first 3 bookings for JULY married couple shoots, so share this with your loved ones and book your slot at info@stephtan.com.

Our June promotion is still running. So, if you are about to be married and looking to do a meaningfully inspired shoot, do join our humble contest for a chance to win a shoot with STP! It's as simple as 1-2-3

(1) 'LIKE' The Wedding Bureau, a style-savvy resource portal for modern couples
(2) then 'LIKE' Steph Tan Photography, and submit a photo inspiration with your story to info@stephtan.com. Wait for it to be uploaded into the Meaningfully Inspired folder in STP's FB Page (Do check it out to see some samples and submissions!)
(3) Once it's up, ask your family and friends to vote for your entry. The photo with the most LIKEs wins!

In an effort to reward my supporters in FB, STP will be running cool and creative promotions every month. So do link up with my FB or my blog to get updates on exciting quirky deals. =)

day 473 | may 29, 2011 | little joden - singapore newborn photography

2011-06-24T15:05:00.001+08:00

met joden when he was still incubating in his mommy's belly for his mommy's maternity shoot. 5 days after coming out into the world, i had the privilege of playing with little J. shooting little ones just brings out the cooing cheek-pinching instinct in me. just absolutely adore working with newborns. it's not easy, and there's quite a bit of waiting, and wiping (poo, pee, and puke), feeding during the shoot so that the model is content, and laundry after the shoot after the little one has released the 3 P's into the sheets — but it's all worthwhile, seeing the images after the shoot. =) they will never be this tiny again.

true enough, time flew. just a couple of days ago, i received his 1 month celebration treats. roo was hovering while i shot the cupcake, just waiting to eat it up! happy full moon and huge hugs, little j! thank you for trusting me to capture your delicateness as well as your thoughtfulness.

day 472 | june 2, 2011 | inspiration: marmalade summer - a teaser

2011-06-23T01:49:00.001+08:00

'marmalade' is a preserve of citrus fruits, usually a combination of lemons, limes, mandarins, and oranges. for this summer wedding themed shoot, we played with the combination of citrusy sweet colors to bring alive a personalized garden wedding to inspire couples out there to go for more intimate, more casual, more personal as well as more personalized gatherings for their wedding celebrations.

a teaser for now. from concept to execution, it was inordinately fun to coordinate this mini-wedding shoot with the participation of our beautiful models, our handy-helper assistants, and several fabulous vendors:

models: steph and hanli

wedding couture: emanuel b

hair and make-up: janice lai

table and benches: borrowed

invitations, placecards, and menu: the card room

plates, glasses, and cutleries: iwannagohome

flowers and decor: decor artisans

cake and cupcakes: let them eat cake by MZ

set assistants: Q, nina, and lorenz

day 471 | june 19, 2011 | happy daddy's day!

2011-06-19T00:01:00.003+08:00

'A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty' (unknown).

This is then addressed to the 'richest' man I know. The 'job' involves kissing baby feet, tickling gassy tummies, dancing even though we all know you can't, monitoring roo's ipad passwords, walking up and down the hallway to put red to sleep, teaching mandarin, changing smelly poop-filled diapers, going along with many play-pretend stories, being everyone's pack horse, and playing on the floor with the little ones even though you're dead tired from work. The smiles I see in roo and red's faces along with the frenetic pitter-patter of feet running towards the door whenever you come back home to us speaks for itself. It's in the little everyday unappreciated things that love seeps through and leaves an indelible impression on the little ones. Hugs and drooly kisses of appreciation from your spice girls!

To all the awesome daddies I know, happy daddy's day!

day 470 | june 16, 2011 | red goes on a wee playdate!

2011-06-17T09:16:00.005+08:00

on red's first ever playdate, whenever the other wee ones stopped to say hi to her in their baby gibberish, she would pucker her lips out and try not to cry. all the other babies were crawling all over the place, while she lay herself down the edge of the playmat and kept quiet as a mouse (an unusual thing for her). the only time we managed to pull her out of her shell was when the baby biscuits came out -- then she was crawling towards the plate and biscuit leftovers like she hadn't been fed in ages.

this time around, happy to note, that she was a lot more participative. within 30 minutes of arriving, she was already screaming, growling, blowing saliva bubbles, and moving around the space comfortably as she does in our home. unfortunately, i think the other wee ones might have picked up her screaming habit. eek!

roo tagged along during her baby sister's playdate, and kept herself occupied with lady B's camel marionette. when the infinite bubble blower came out (note to self: must get one), she was firing off bubbles all around the babies, which helped me capture these fun shots below. =)

day 469 | june 11, 2011 | mani and rachel - wedding photography

2011-06-13T12:40:00.005+08:00

had lots of fun with this wedding. the couple is wacky, and their friends even wackier. this combination made for a very interesting morning 'torture the groom' session. i love all the details in the wedding reception, and i know it must have taken lots of energy to plan and to execute — as our groom was mostly on the phone coordinating things. just some teasers images for now, while i keep on swimming in photos. grin.

our glowing bride, our groom with her favorite stuffed toy (roo has the exact same one!), and their cooly beautiful french maid from shanghai. =)

our reception venue was JW marriott and was packed with 45+ beautifully decked tables. laser lights were set up for the 'real party.' M+R are big on dancing, and definitely know how to throw a party. the dance floor was packed within minutes of playing the party music.

managed to steal them away for a quickie shoot for this 'thank you' shot, which concluded the express slideshow i made for them. =) you can't hear it looking at the photo, but mani's phone is ringing. grin.

credits:
reception venue jw marriott, kuala lumpur
bridal gown by celest thoi
make-up by joey yap
deco and floral design by excellent sense at starhill gallery
sounds and lights by psychoacoustic
wedding band by diana kwan, singapore
reception videography by manggis
fabolous photography assistance by jason

day 468 | may 21, 2011 | broadsheet babies

2011-06-08T22:22:00.002+08:00

red laughs on demand at the sound of tearing paper. roo, being the doting elder sister that she is, indulges red's interests by tearing newspaper for her. as roo slowly tears our old newspapers into long strips on the floor, the sound of baby giggles fill the air, and i do so love seeing the two of them interact. more often than not, red is usually bullying roo, and roo will run to me crying with dramatic complaints. but there are precious zen moments when they just simply and effortlessly get along. and these are the days to remember. couldn't help but try to capture this element of their play. here are some quick snaps before i threw them both in the tub for their bath. =)

day 467 | june 7, 2011 | the sun came out to play! - lifestyle photography

2011-06-07T17:36:00.002+08:00

the sun i've been itching to play with in singapore finally showed on my first shoot in KL. =) whee. izzie and her mom are supermodels. i love their hair! it's got a personality all it's own. oh, and do check out little girls' clothes with beautiful asian and batik prints at little girls' closet! i bought a matching pair for roo and red, and can't wait to shoot them in it!

day 466 | may 29, 2011 | tiny sparks of possibilities

2011-06-06T12:44:00.002+08:00

a teaser for now. my happy image to start the week. happy monday!