Everyone loves a photoshoot. You are the model. You pose, smile, wear pretty clothes and you are in the limelight. The make-up artist ensures you are the prettiest or most handsome. The photographer captures your best angle. Wouldn’t you enjoy all that? But what happens if a baby is that model in the shoot? It’s a totally different ball game and I would say different kind of enjoyment that comes with it!
Our baby photoshoot session is with our long trusted Imagegarden photography, a photoshoot company which Kel and I had engaged for our wedding photos 9 years ago. Imagegarden is a well-known and popular photography studio since 1998. Meng, the photographer, who has a wealth of experience is good at capturing the best expression in any photoshoot. Meivis, our wedding make-up artist is terrific with her hands. She is an assistant to Meng. Not only is she good in her make-up skills, she is good with making hand bouquets and makes good crafts for our baby shoot props. Both Meng and Meivis make a great team together.
Prior to the day of the photoshoot, Meivis coordinated with me on the theme of the shoot. She gave me ideas and showed me various styles and together, we finalized on the best theme based on what Baby YT has for his clothes and toys, and his likes and dislikes. She even let me decide on the best timing for the photo session that would have the baby in his best form. It was very exciting to think and prepare for the shoot. XX and YH had fun helping me too.
When the photoshoot day comes, we ensured the baby had his nap and was happily fed. We then lugged big bags of clothes and toys to the studio and laughed at how a baby photoshoot can have so many things for actual use and standby. You wouldn’t want to risk poo stains or meltdowns. So you bring lots of standby items just in case!
Meivis came to meet us at the lobby and as soon as we reached the studio, Meng was welcoming us and both of them gave some time for the baby to warm up to them as well as to the environment. Luckily Baby YT is usually alert at that time of the day, so he was rather comfortable with them and at ease at the main photoshoot area. The background was a simple lovely white bookshelf on castors. Meivis put on some simple stuff on the shelves with YT’s books and Imagegarden’s props. And boy, they really have a full shelf of interesting articles, some antiques, some artistic and some old-school stuff to be used to compliment photoshoots. Meivis made a lovely mickey mouse themed drum for YT that serves as a prop and fun toy for him. And did I just give away the theme, yes, it is a Mickey Mouse theme.
When it comes to babies for photoshoot, it’s always a challenge. XX and I were the main entertainers to make YT smile and laugh. He didn’t like his cap on and I had to catch the right moment, put on his cap from behind and run as fast as possible to behind the camera and sing and jump to make him smile. Meng who’s always ready with his camera had to take the best shots within seconds before the baby ripped off the cap. Just this scene alone, we repeated about 7 times, enough to capture best shots and short of irritating the baby. Not easy yeah?!
Then come the next theme of a messy baby. Meivis prepared some cakes with whipped cream and sugary jam. The idea is to capture YT with his greedy, messy eater look. What we did not expect was that he was hesitant in picking up the cake. We encouraged him to pick it up. I even put some jam in his mouth and when all these failed, I had to smear some cream and jam on his mouth area, gave him his favourite bland Heinz rusks, and there he went, smiling his usual self. It’s hard to know what babies think at times, isn’t it?
Meng went on to take crawling shots, standing shots, playing shots, naked top shots, and even pouting shots. We had a wonderful and fun time making the baby laugh. Photoshoot are always fun, fun and more fun!
I marvelled at how Meng and Meivis were so patient with the baby. They were accommodating to YT’s mood and allowed much time for him to be comfortable while at the same time, took the best shots quickly before he got tired. XX and YH had their baby photoshoots before they turned one too. We had Imagegarden photography for theirs as well. Our repeat patronage of their services tells how satisfied we are with their professionalism. They are ever so friendly and full of smiles, it makes the photo sessions relax and full of laughter and fun.
Here is a short profile on Imagegarden:
Imagegarden photography has been providing bridal, family, babies and commercial photography since 1998. They present a wide range of styles in photography, often mixing art and beauty in their photoshots. They do not mass produce their work and take pride in cultivating individualistic taste to suit the love story in each bridal photography, tailor-made exclusive concept shoot for each family photography and create beauty in each of the photos that are taken.
Most of their couple clients go back to them for maternity, family and babies photography.
A gem in these days, Imagegarden still do film photography, combining the best of both worlds of modern digital mixed with timeless black and white film photography charm.
You should really take a look at their website to see for yourself on the beautifully taken photo shots to appreciate their photography styles.
I do hope Baby YT enjoyed the photoshoot. I think we had more fun than him. He may not know what was happening although he will come to appreciate his pictures when he grows up.
Do stay tune for the second blog post and more photos on our children and family photoshoots! Yes! The baby was surprisingly patient to accommodate for a family shoot!
Kudos to Baby YT for being the cutest baby and most patient baby in the world!! Or at least in our eyes! And happy birthday to you! We hope you like your gift!
Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored shoot. I wrote this post mainly to share our wonderful photoshoot experience for Baby YT. As our experience with Imagegarden photography is always excellent, I want to share their professionalism here with my readers, especially to those who are contemplating a photoshoot for their wedding or baby or family. Even though I told them that I wouldn’t mind writing this post for free since I was going to write anyway, Imagegarden still insisted to extend a discount to us to thank us and also because we are a long time customer with them. Do remember to check them out!
Wow, somebody who loves a photo shoot! Me – or our kids – are just not made for it. I think we may have gotten a bad karma being forced to get the first pictures for their passports when they were 1 day old (not easy to get a picture with both eyes open and both ears visible and no fingers in the view of a one day old baby!). Since then we’ve never been able to get both kids in one picture in an arranged photo shoot, especially not any happy kids. Let’s see how it goes at the day caree photo day in a couple of days! Hope we get anything remotely as nice and your pics!
Photo at one day old? Babies are sleeping with eyes close! It must be real challenging for you. No, I don’t think it’s a karma. You just need a pro! I remember getting my 1 year old son passport photo when he was sitting still in his potty with eyes fixed to tv. And I had to ensure his position was behind a white background. And for this photoshoot, it’s much prep and about speed for the shutters with hundreds of pics. We can only achieve this with a good pro photographer! Hard to get these on our own.
…we ended up taking the pics ourselves, still in the hospital (we got a bit of attention, I can assure you!), and bringing them to a pro to be photo shopped (obviously not allowed in passport pics but what was the option?!). We had to have them quickly due to applying for the dual citizenship our kids got (since we applied for it immediately after the birth, we got it just by sending the paper work in. Later we would have been forced to fly to London in person. Tricky to fly without a passport…)
Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful! I loved getting Mr. T all dressed up and taking him for his photo shoots! What great pictures and memories you have created!
Thank you! I think we parents love to see our kids in photoshoot more than ourselves in it. They certainly look lovely under professional lens!
I’d kind of like to get photos done, but I just know *one* of our kids would hate it, as usual. Ugh. Well, they are documented by me, anyway. I am optimistic *certain child* will mature out of it next year or so – it seems to be going that way. Nice to have a recommendation.
We had to get baby photos done early for citizenship reasons, too. We left it two weeks and the Singaporean government was nice enough not to chuck our infant out of the country for going past the official paperwork deadline! (It’s still hard at two weeks.)
Oh yes I know what you mean! For birthday or family gatherings, we’ll always have problems coordinating big family photographs due to *certain child* refusing to look into the camera or just sulk at the lens. The child would not even cooperate for 5 seconds. During this photoshoot, my boy started to act out towards the end and I had to use a lousy bribery way to get him to smile for the camera. It’s really luck or making sure the kids are well-rested for the photo session.
No, in our case he has a specific thing about having his picture taken by people who are not family. It’s like a bogey man thing. This includes photos taken by strangers at our request *with our own camera* and bribery is useless. This from the child who frequently begs me to photograph/video him and send it to okto/youtube/etc.
I guess a lot of kids have their quirky fears?
Maybe he just doesn’t like “smiling” at a stranger. Hope he will grow out of it soon!
Those turned out great! What cuties! 😀
Feel free to pop by the blog party any day this weekend and share an old post of yours: http://atlantamomofthree.wordpress.com/2013/10/04/blast-from-the-past-blog-party-oct-4th/ 😀
Thanks for dropping by! You have lots of interesting blog parties! Will pop in my old post! Good way to know more fellow mums!
Really good photos. We also had a photo shoot recently that I’ll be blogging a out. Ours was at home and in the park opposite. You’re right about having them rested, watered and fed 🙂
Look forward to your photoshoot pictures and blog!
It only took a month 🙂