Underwater Maternity Photography

Hello all. It's about time that this blog gets an update. Part of the reason why it has been neglected is because there is nothing really exciting to report… until now. What could be that special? How about an underwater photoshoot, with a pregnant woman!

When it comes to creating images underwater, I have to humbly admit that I am a total greenhorn. To prepare for this photoshoot, I googled for some sample images and imagine how would I light the scene. But all these preparation did not take into account of one very important fact - radiowaves don't work underwater! Essentially, the pocket wizards were rendered useless. I have to fall back on plan B - use the torchlight function of phones, 4 of them to be exact. That created barely enough light for  the camera to capture.

 

Next on the challenge list is the physical barrier.  Carrying a few extra kgs in the belly itself is hard enough already, even more so the mother-to-be has to hold her breath, perform underwater stunts, control buoyancy, and looking photogenic at the same time. Not an easy task!

 

Despite all these setbacks, I enjoyed this underwater maternity photography session, a welcomed challenge that threw me into the unknown. I'm  glad that the effort of soaking in the water for 1.5hours is being rewarded with the pictures below :

 

 

 

 

PS: Christmas wishlist - proper underwater housing for the camera, underwater lighting, scuba diving lessons.

PPS: Thank you CF Lui for lending the underwater camera pouch. Special thanks to Tan Boon Siong, Kok Siew Hong and Tan Jian Yong for assisting with the lighting. Even more special thanks to Jacqueline Seow for being so sporting.

Read more...

Five Outdoor Wedding Themes

Today's post is from our friends at Simply Bridal. Enjoy.

*************************************************************************

Five Outdoor Wedding Themes

 

It’s that time of year again! Winter is upon us, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t have outdoor weddings. Many fruits suc
 
h as apples and citrus come into season in the fall and winter. So what did we do? We made a list of five outdoor themes for 2013.

Barbecue Wedding

Barbecue may be most associated with summer, but there’s nothing like a fire to take off the chill in the fall and winter.  If it is chilly, provide guests with warm blankets to wrap themselves in or provide heat lamps. In addition to traditional barbecue fare, you can serve some winter foods and beverages that hot chocolate, spiced cider, and mulled wine.

Casablanca

We aren’t talking about the movie, but the actual city. Casablanca is sensual, romantic and exotic and you can bring all of that and more to your reception. Create a Moroccan souk complete with floor pillows, finger food, deep colors and incense!

 

Coming Up Roses

Roses bring the romance so why not surround your wedding with roses? Although you don’t need to do a literal interpretation, we to see roses in centerpieces and rose petals sprinkled throughout the location. As we all know, roses can be expensive, therefore don’t hesitate to use rich red colors to accentuate your rosy outlook on life. Oh, and don’t forget the rose wine, it’s a definite must for this occasion.

Rustic Wedding

Rustic weddings were a huge theme in 2012 and are still right on trend for 2013. We love rustic weddings that feature burlap tablecloths and huge tents with the occasional bale of hay strewn around. Serve drinks out of mason jars and outfit your bridesmaids in comfortable cowboy boots. Relaxed, casual and fun is the name of the game.

Picnic Wedding

Lately we’ve been enamored with picnics. It just reminds us of childhood and simpler times. However, simple doesn’t mean unimaginative. Fill picnic baskets with wildflowers and use them as centerpieces. Serve tea sandwiches and mini fruit tarts and don’t forget the lawn games. This is one wedding where the air will be filled with love and nostalgia.

Looking at these themes makes us want to get married all over again. Then again, that means that we would have to select one of these themes for our wedding day and we know that’s impossible. Brides, have fun narrowing down the themes!

--

SimplyBridal.com is an American online retailer of high quality wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses, and wedding accessories, such as veils and jewelry. SimplyBridal ships to most of Western Europe, North America, and parts of Asia. Our products have been featured on Style Me Pretty, Wedding Chicks, and Rock n Roll Bride.

 

 

Read more...

Justin Timberlake sings at his own wedding

Yes, Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake are now husband and wife. Two of Hollywood’s A-listers have bid farewell to their single life and tied the knot on Friday at the Borgo Egnazia resort in Puglia, Italy. Among the wedding guests were celebrity friends, including Andy Samberg, Timbaland and Beverly Mitchell.

“It’s great to be married, the ceremony was beautiful and it was so special to be surrounded by our family and friends,” Justin and Jessica first told People.com right after the ceremony.

 

Notably, the 31-year-old singer-and-actor sang one of his previously unreleased songs at the couple's nuptials,  which saw The Roots' drummer Questlove DJ at the reception - and he dedicated the performance to his new wife.

A source told US Weekly: ''Questlove played a bunch of Justin Timberlake songs, but no *NSYNC. Justin performed one song at the wedding. It's a new one that he hasn't released yet. He dedicated it to Jessica.''

It is still unknown that if that song will make it to public ears.

 

If you are a singer/songwriter, or simply love singing, you can consider adding a personal touch to the celebration by composing and singing a song for the special one. I have personally witnessed the bride, the groom, and the guests being moved to tears when a special song was sung. This little extra gesture could potentially stir up lots of emotions, thus allowing wedding photojournalists to capture and freeze that moment in time. 

 

 

Photos courtesy of Avior Pictures

Read more...