I’ve been wanting to get some family photos done, but each time I asked C if we could take some ‘proper’ family shots, he’d insist that he can take the photos himself. Now I’m not being biased, okay maybe I am, but he DOES take very nice photos. In fact, every time you see nice photos on this blog, please assume that they were taken by C, and not by me. All the blurry, badly not well-framed ones? Yup, mine. Anyway, I told C that I would like to have at least SOME nice photos of all three of us together, especially since Noah is growing so quickly, and will lose his ‘baby looks’ very soon. He reluctantly agreed, on the condition that I do the research on good photographers myself, and that it wouldn’t take up too much time.
Those of you who know me personally, would know that I am VERY indecisive. I take ages to decide whether I should buy anything, be it a bag of chips, a book, or a dress, so to look for a photographer for our family photo shoot, was a very difficult task. Thankfully, Orange Studios contacted me, and after viewing Ryan the photographer’s portfolio, we were really looking forward to our studio appointment with him.
Personally, good service really matters to me. It doesn’t matter if you take the most amazing photos I’ve ever seen, but take ages to respond to my enquiries, or have a ‘I know I’m good, so take it or leave it’ attitude. We came across a few of these photographers and videographers when we were preparing for our wedding, so good service is a must for us now.
Ryan and Wini are two very obliging and patient people, which made our experience a lot more enjoyable. A few days before our photo shoot, Ryan called me personally for a short chat, just to find out more about what we are like as a family, and to brief me on what to expect during the shoot itself. Wini, his assistant, responded very promptly to my emails, even those sent late at night, and when our initial preferred date and time wasn’t available, took the initiative to suggest a few other options. She also gave us some pointers on how to prepare for our photo shoot in one of her earlier emails, which gave us ample time to think about what we were going to wear, and what props we wanted to bring.
Although the only other time we went for a photo shoot was for our pre-wedding shots, I did do some research about photo shoots in general, and realised that Orange Studios provides a refreshing and unique experience.
Firstly, the only ‘background’ they use is a white wall. Yup, you read that correctly. No fake park/beach/mountains ‘scenery’, no ‘roll’ of various coloured backdrops to be pulled down from the ceiling, just one blank wall. Ryan explained that this was to ensure that the focus is on the subjects of the photos, and it is entirely up to us to make the photos colourful. I thought that this made a lot of sense actually, as it also prevented people from wearing colours that clashed with a fake backdrop, or worse still, blended into it.
We were also told that no props would be provided, and that we could bring as many items as we wanted for our shoot. During the phone conversation I had with Ryan, he asked me about our favourite family activities, and suggested that we bring items that Noah was familiar with. This would definitely help him to warm up quickly in a foreign environment, and also ensure that our photos turned out more natural. As a paranoid first-time mum, I was glad we could use our own props, as I figured that if we had to use the studio’s props, Noah would most likely put them into his mouth, like most kids tend to do, and I didn’t want to run the risk of him catching any bugs (the HFMD one is particularly nasty these days). I also thought that it was a nice way to capture shots of him with his current favourite toys and books, even if he doesn’t remember playing with them when he’s older.
On the day of the shoot, it was evident that Ryan and Wini have had a lot of experience working with children, as Noah warmed up to them quickly, despite not having taken his usual long morning nap. C and I were initially worried that Noah would be cranky, but thankfully, he was more than happy to play with everyone present. Noah was a little stunned by the camera flash, as we don’t usually use the flash when we take photos of him, but Ryan still managed to capture some really lovely shots of him, all within one hour too! It was really tough trying to pick our favourite photos, and luckily, we were able to do so in our own time at home, via a link which Ryan provided us with.
Happy baby
My loves
Reading
Reading with mummy
Family shots
Cheeky baby
Hugz
We also selected our favourite photo to be made into a 20″ by 20′ canvas, and once it was ready, Ryan and Wini personally delivered it to our home. We were very impressed with the quality of the canvas, and Ryan even took the time to teach me how to maintain it properly.
Our canvas
What it looks like from behind: very neat, and no stray wood splinters that might hurt children
Noah asking to take a closer look at it
Examining the canvas
Our experience with Orange Studios was such a positive one, that I’m seriously considering doing a photo shoot with them every few years, to capture Noah’s growth over the years. I’ll be uploading more photos from our photo shoot with them on the Growing with the Tans Facebook page, and if you would like to see more of their work, you can check out the Orange Studios Facebook page as well as their website.
UPDATE: Our photos can now be viewed on the Growing with the Tans Facebook album, First Family Photo Shoot with Orange Studios.
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SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR READERS OF GROWING WITH THE TANS
Now that you’ve seen the lovely photos from our photo shoot, and read about our great experience with Orange Studios, I’m sure you’re wondering how to go about booking your own photo shoot with them. Just call or email the very friendly and efficient Wini (+65 8606 6950 / winigoh@orangestudios.sg) to check when they are available.
Don’t forget to quote “Growing with the Tans” when you email her, as you will receive a $150 voucher, which is can be used for their package rates, which range from $350 to $1,650. Do make your booking as soon as possible, because this promotion is only valid for a month, and your photo shoot session will have to be within the next two months, ie by the first week of December 2013.
Enjoy your photo shoot!
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Disclosure: We were given a complimentary one-hour studio photo shoot, edited soft copies of ten selected pictures, as well as a 20″ by 20″ canvas print of our chosen picture. We also received a discount on the additional soft copies we ordered. All opinions are my own.
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