Flash

It's been a while since I last blogged. Life has been busy busy with family and study. Now my 2nd last course of the cert program is done, so that I could have sometime to blog :)

 

Many photographers described themselves as lifestyle photographers who use natural lights only. I love natural lights as well. However, the courses that I've been through recently had brought me the new level of understanding flash. I wasn't a fan of using flash. An instructor said that it is because you didn't know how to use flash and he's talking about the truth. Once you know the tricks, it helps to create mood and enhance the photo.

 

Here are some examples.

 

This is one flash, off camera, that creates a more dramatic result. While keeping the exposure of the sky correct, the subjects are not under-exposed.

 

   

photo credit: Helena Chu

This one too. Kung Fu boy at Dundas Square :P

This one is my fav taken yesterday at the X'mas party with Santa Claus. It was taken at the basement with a bit of light from the sun roof. I forgot my 24-70mm f2.8 at home, so gotta use the standard18-55mm f3.5-5.6 with flash. This is basically done with pop-up flash. Got the right distance between camera and subject, got the right setting, there we go.

 

 

 

Last but not least, flash can also fill in the light on the subject that is seemless. When the subject is behind the sunlight, boom, Little Monkie #1 is a cool looking handman :)

 

Of course, when the subject is in indoor that has low light, flash would do its work too. This is simply flash set on the camera. My self-portrait... lol...

Little Monkie #3 Being Mommy's Model today

Little Monkie #3 is almost 5 months old and I'm half way through my 2nd last course to complete the certificate program in photography. Assignment is due tomorrow and I was almost out of ideas of what to do.

 

What's better when you have little ones at home? Have them to be your model at your last minute request. Today, it's missy's turn because her bros were at grannies' place for a bit of fun.

 

Having said that, I gotta set things up and be quick in pressing the shutter.

 

pic 1 "Mommy, are you ready? I'm getting bored..."

 pic 2 "smile? sure :)"

 

Just need dada to come back for the real shot. 1, 2, 3 cheers...

 

 

What's this about? Daddy and baby reading time - using flash.

 

How did it turn out?

 



An afternoon at Jack Darling Park

Back in May, I donated a photo session to Munden Park Public School for their fundraising event. This past weekend we had the shoot done at Jack Darling Park, Oakville. The 3 siblings had a long day at school and we're under direct harsh sunlight... eeks...

 

We had some fun time tho'. Let's see.

 

 

Christina and Rina were playing peekaboo with mommy on the other side.

 

Smile beauties :)

Rina is really photogenic.

 



 

Last but not least, the handsome and fast crawling little brother Andreas.

Big day for Little Monkie Boys

 

As promised the last time, the next post will be about the Monkie Boys. Here it is.

 

A few days ago, it was a big day for both of them... first day of school.

 

  

Little Monkie #1 has been waiting and waiting for the arrival of this day. Not only because he's going to be in SK and that his little bro is joining him for school, but it's also his birthday! Every other day, he would ask us "is September here yet?"... he also wanna a Ninjago cake.

Although we didn't throw him a party, however, did fill his day with Ninjagoes.

 

The night before, daddy decorated their room with streamers and banners. Also placed our present to him - the Ninjago Cole alarm clock. He actually likes Ninjago Jay better, but this sounds like a rare item and its alarm clock is way much $$$ than the others. He's fine with Cole, so let's stick with that :)

 

 

We had also prep'd him a few loot bags for his close friends at school. We slided in a couple coloring pages, apple juice and Pocky sticks... all in Ninjago theme.

 

 

Thanks to those who generously uploaded the templates onto Pinterest for free... phew... saved us a big time and $.

 

Of course, we surprised him with more Ninjas when he returned home from school. More streamers, birthday banner and Ninjago Jay balloons. Dinner was his fav food too.

 

 

As for his cake, I spent the longest time on getting ideas. Most Ninjago themed cakes are in heavy food coloring, which I don't prefer. So, let's do it myself.

 

2 minifigures - ordered from my co-worker's wife

Sponge cake - in order to save time, I bought a plain cheese cake from the bakery.

Filling and cream - got the ingredients from grocery and worked on it from scratch.

 

Finally, torched it for a bit before singing the birthday song and he's happy with his one of a kind Ninjago cake. Yay!

 

At the end of the day, daddy and mommy were exhausted from prep'g all these. It's actually lots of work. But he's happy, we're happy :)

 

Little Monkie #2 was excited too. He had placed his request while enjoying the cake... "he wanted the red Ninja, white Ninja and blue Ninja... that's it"...

 

Oh right..."that's it"... will see :P

 

PS - here's a closer look of the minifigures... it's cute... thanks Jenny!

 

Little Monkie #3 is at her 3 months

While I was patiently waiting for her arrival, the little bumper didn't allow me to tidy up the place. So I spent my time on browsing the web for inspirations on baby pictures. Now I finally have a bit more time to execute the ideas.

 

The one on the left is a pin from glowportraitsbyalli.com.

 

The one on the right is my little cutie pie.

 

As a mom of 3 and a photographer, the sweet part is I could practice different ideas with my kids and improve. And that I could do a quick 5 to 10 min session when I feel like it :)

 

Below is what I did for Little Monkie #3 today for her turning 3 months.

 

The pink backdrop is a DIY fringe blanket that I made myself, also prior to her arrival. People normally place it on a basket, which is something I would try the next time, along with the hats that I ordered for newborn shots. Here's a closer look of the blanket.

 

The next project is to weave a X'mas blanket using yarns.

My Little Monkie #3 (aka Cutie Pie)

My Little Monkie #3 is almost 3 months and I have yet to blog about her. This little one has been behaving so far, altho' we are still in the 3 hr routine. The other 2 monkies love her so much - talk to her, play with her, calm her down and needless to say, they kiss her all the time. And she smiles and laughs all the time.

 

Look at her... full of different expressions...

 

Many of our friends said that the little one and I look alike. What do you think?

 

Summer vacation is coming to an end... while the boys are back to school, mommy is getting ready for another course to start. She's also glad that 2 mini-sessions are upcoming. Getting busy and stay tuned for more posts in the Fall. Feel free to drop me a note if you'd like (or you know anyone) to book a session. 

Nom nom nom

I usually get some treats for my monkies when picking them up from the camp. 2 weeks ago, I decided to try out the cupcakes place that I often pass by - Dolled Up Cakecakes at Meadowvale Town Centre. I got 6 mini-ones... rainbow, vanilla, chocolate, key lime, cookies & cream and banana. They all tasted good and my fav was the key lime. My monkies loved the rainbow 'coz all 7 colors were layered nicely instead of getting mixed together. Since then, I always wanna go back for more. Of course, my belly asks me to better behave :P

 

Daddy monkey has reached his 1 year milestone at his current job this week, and he's pretty excited about it. So I've decided to celebrate it with a couple of cupcakes. Hee... got a good excuse. Today, I got the toasted coconut and raspberry bliss... nom nom nom... Most of the cupcakes out there got really sugary icing, but this place doesn't. I would say this place is better than the famous one located at FCP downtown.

 

Before they went into our tummy, I did a few fun shots of the cupcakes. Still remember from my Small Product course that cupcakes and donuts are the two difficult items to shoot - swirls, holes, cuppies, etc. They all create shadows and it's not easy to get rid of them.

 

Below are my shots in 2 different styles. What do you think?

 

 

Baby Charlie

Since the new addition (mini-monkie) has arrived to our family, I haven't have much chances to pick up my gear. A couple of weeks ago, I was happy to have the opportunity of taking a mini-session with Evelyn of Veedo Photography.

 

The little cutie pie is a newborn as well, just a few weeks younger than my mini-. Baby Charlie is such a handsome guy who's full of expressions.

 

 

 

Mother's Day = Happy Valentine's Day

Mother's Day was last weekend and hope that all moms had a happy and relaxing one. Mine's peaceful, at least the monkies behaved okay and I didn't have to yell or shout at them :P And on Saturday, we went over to Brampton in the afternoon and had lots of fun at the Peel Police Community Day.

 

What did I receive from the little monkies? Crafts. I enjoy the ones from Little Monkie #1. His school emphasizes a lot on creativity (see below). He picked his colors, glued the feather and painted the rock himself. The other one is a little booklet about what they think only mommy can do. One cute quote is: "my mommy can carry baby in her tummy"; and the other says "mommy cooks the best rice" and he drew on the pages too. Very cute and sweet.

 

 

This is the rest of what I've got from them. Some were nicely written and presented. I personally prefer something that shows their true talents.

 

One thing to share... when Little Monkie #2 gave me his work to me, he said Happy Valentine's Day... lol...

To all moms, Happy Mother's Day Happy Valentine's Day to you :)

My 1st French Play - Les Miserables

 

 

Today, Little Monkie #1's school has a special event, called the French Café. Parents were invited to attend. I was a bit hesitated at the beginning because it's in the middle of the day. Finally, I've decided to take a day off and show support (as it's near to my mat leave anyway... why not take a little break from work :))

 

I'm glad that I had today off. 'coz my Little Monkie #1 asked if daddy and mommy would be going. He was excited when I said 'yes'.

 

When I arrived today, I swung by his classroom to let him know that mommy's here (and he still asked me how come I was late... I was in fact half an hour early... @@).

 

Soon after I've settled down, the performance has commenced. The little one was one of the many peasants in one of the scenes. As soon as he stepped onto the stage, he looked around to look for mommy. This is the look when he spotted me.

 

 

Smile...

This is the scene they're in. His whole class is little peasants.

 



 

A close up... glad to have this one in focus.

 

The play's done... back to the class. Look at this peasant - dirty and tired. Grandma (my mom) thought that he played in the mud and didn't clean up... lol...

 

Little Monkie #1 was actually right... that mommy should have arrived early. When you're sitting at the back, you set yourself in a difficult situation to capture good shots. And mommy wishes that she could pick up more French 'coz the whole play was in French and she didn't understand much other than "monsieur", "je m'appelle", etc.

 

Anyway, have a nice weekend everyone :)

It's fun time!

Recently, I've joined the Mompreneur group. One day, one of the ladies was asking if anyone could donate prizes for her daughter's school. It's intended for a fundraising event for their new playground. After learning more about this, I said 'yes'. Photo session is something that I could contribute and here is what I've come up with.

  

I feel honored to be part of it. If there's enough money raised for this, students could have timeless fun time at school. As a photographer, I would also have some fun time doing things I love - photo shooting.

Cheers :)

Maternity Session

One of the assignments in my most recent course was to take a self-portrait, which has become my profile picture :) Since I'm expecting the mini-one, I was thinking about taking my own maternity shoot. Of course, it's always easier to say then execute...

 

Not only you need to have the right lighting, but also right moment, right background, right composition, right settings... and the list can go on and on. I'd tried it once with Little Monkey #2 in one morning, which was a quick shot. He's a bit out of focus and the composition wasn't ideal.

 

 

When I tried it again, he faked his smile already. After that, we had no chance of doing it 'coz we got plans over the weekends.

 

My friend Evelyn, the photographer of Veedo Photography proposed to me that she could take the maternity shoot for me. I turned her down a few times 'coz I really wanna try it out myself. In the end, I know I'm running out of time (as you can see the size of the mini-) and it would be a nice experience to see how the others set up their home studio. So we went last Sunday. Howard, the photographer of ToU Photography was the main photographer of the day (they needed models for their new line of business). Evelyn was the 2nd shooter who took candids.

 

It's kinda a unique experience with the photographers in different styles being in the same photo session, in different roles. To me, being a model can see things from a different angle. Photographers always want to stretch themselves to take from different angles/lighting/posing for the best ideal shots. As a model, you'll be exhausted very easily, particularly when you were asked to pose and hold it.

 

On the contrary, being a photographer, it's easier to share my ideas and communicate with the shooters. Let them execute what it is in your mind and see the result below...

 

(Photo Credit: Evelyn Chan of VeedoPhotography)

 

This is 100% more natural and better positioned. Although we were all exhausted afterwards, however, we were happy to see the nice pix. It'd be a nice memory for us to keep it for years. Click on the above link of Veedo Photography to view more pictures. Once again, thanks to Evelyn and Howard.

 

You know what... I haven't given up my idea of taking self-portrait. My next plan is to have do my own birth photo session, provided that the nurses and OB let me do it... haha... Anyhow, I will get my gear ready in the labour and delivery room. Will keep you posted :)

Their big day is upcoming!

After Vidya & Bala having their first new born recently, Connie & Dave... another couple who modelled for my Wedding I assignment is having great news. Their big day is upcoming next month!! One day, Connie asked if I could sponsor a mini-photo session as one of the prizes for their stag and doe party. Of course! Here's the poster I've created... my first time. The background color fushcia and text color apple green go with the theme colors of their wedding. What do you think?

 

 

 At the time they're helping out, they were not even engaged. They were really nice... woke up early in the morning, dressed up, posed for me for a few hours. It's, honestly, quite an exhausting job. They got great smile tho'. Take a look!

(This is not their official wedding pic)

 

Here I would like to wish this lovely couple all the best in the next stage of their life together. Congratulations!!!

 

PS - umm... I guess I can describe myself as the lucky lady... bringing some luck to those who I had shot. Wanna book a session now? Simply contact me :)

Baby BalaJunior

It's been the longest time that I last put up a new post on my blog. My personal life has been busy... work, the 2 monkies, plus the little monkey #3 is expecting in a few weeks plus course... I would love to have more hours to accomplish different tasks daily. Anyhow, here I am... I will try to update more frequently. First, it comes to the most recent baby session I did for the new addition of Vidya and Bala.


Last year, when I was taking the wedding photography course, this pair of newly weds was really nice and helped out being my models for the assignment. A few months later, I heard the great news from the bride's dad that she's expecting.

 

 

A few days ago, in early April, Baby Bala Junior has arrived. I still remember that grandpa was anxious and nervous and excited at work :)

 

 

I went over to their place and visited this little cutie over the weekend. What a handsome boy!

 

 

See this little one, how comfortable he's in mommy's arms...

 

Last but not least, these are my favs - the tiny little fingers and toes.

 

All the best to this little one... wishing you be a healthy and happy boy!

 

Ginger Vinegar from Little Wellsley

 

 

Just realized that I haven't blogged for long... it's been busy couple of months celebrating the festive season and spending some quality time with  my little monkies. My Little Monkie #1's sports class on Sundays had ended last week. This gives me a bit extra time to pick up my camera and have some fun.

 

 

This morning, I had some shots of the "ginger vinegar". For those who're wondering what the weird things are in the jar. As the literal transaltion, there are ginger and black vinegar in there, as well as some eggs and fungi. In Chinese saying, these are all good for moms after labour and delivery. This is also a traditional gift to friends and relatives when there's a new born. Wait... my mini one is still hanging in there... still have a few months before it's due. This is from my good friends Catherine and Sammy who has delivered a little boy recently.

 

 

Time flies and it's been a full month after the little boy's birth. Daddy Sammy has been trying to catch every sec of sleep. I'm sure we'll be back to the same routine shortly. It's all worth it, particularly when I look at my two little monkies. My heart melts when they have their thumbs up and say "mommy, you are the best" or "good job, mommy". All the sleepless nights got forgotten.

 

 

Little Wellsley, although auntie Gigi hasn't met you in person yet, here I wish you be a healthy and good boy. Will give you hugs and kisses when we meet :)