Phyllis & Simon

Phyllis' & Simon's engagement shoot yesterday.

Dear Geoff

I am as my blog title describes, a mummy, photographer and a wife. I am also someone trying to get into your advertising photography workshop :p My day job is running The Studio Loft, a photography studio I started almost 5 years ago. I shoot newborns, kids, families and the very pregnant nude on a daily basis and work 6 days a week. I love what I do but lately I've been feeling that I am capable of better and in need of some guidance and inspiration to move to the next level of my photography. Registering for your upcoming workshop is my first step towards achieving this. Deciding on 15 images to convince you I am student-worthy was tough. I've decided to present you with a hopscotch of images from the past couple of years which spans both commissioned as well as personal work. Please look through the below and I hope you will accept me into the class :)

Sincerely,
Maryann


Studio work












This wasn't shot in the studio but I did use an off camera flash. It's my first miserable attempt at fashion photography but I do like this shot starring my son :) It's a punk rock themed shoot.


Natural light on location




The below was one of the images I shot for the book Our Very Own






Due to my fear of flying, I have only a handful of travel shots but last year something exciting happened to me which required me to leave my comfort zone and fly. I was one of 6 photographers in the documentary series Asia Exposed on Channel Newsasia. My assignment was to photograph the Hijras (the third gender) in India. It was an eye opening experience. Here are a few shots I like from the slums of Mumbai.

Breastfeeding is bestfeeding


The Hijra Widows


Shreya


Street kids wise beyond their years


Cheeky peek

Lots of love from my two Valentines :)

is it going to rain?

Boxing Day party

It has become tradition for me to have a Boxing Day party to celebrate Christmas with family, friends and those I work with so it was no different for Christmas 2010.

I love the challenge of getting interesting and relevant xmas presents for my friends and family and the look on their faces when they unwrap the pressies (can be bad sometimes!). So here's what I got for them, tell me am I a good gifter or what? :p

Ok for my family, Kayden got a Bey Blade stadium from his daddy, that's a no brainer, he's been going on about bey blades for the past few weeks! For Dylan, I got him a 3 wheeled scooter! He was so happy when he opened the gift becoz now he can join his brother for scootering adventures along the HDB corridor :p For Erwin, I got him a book on millionaires' secrets so he can strike it rich soon and I can be a tai-tai hahaha :D

For my dear friend Corinne and my employee Wen Lin and ex employee Charlene, I got them little handmade lomo camera necklaces from an Etsy shop, aren't they just simply adorable?!

Yvonne, another dear friend who loves everything Japanese, I got her a cherry blossom fragrance from The Body Shop so she can smell japanese all day long :) For my other dear friend Terence who's been training and taking part in triathlons, I got him a phone pouch which he can strap to his arm while running. Dave, my writer friend who's into comics, I got him a thick hardcover book from DC Comics. Ik Hui who complained to me about her dark circles, I got her a concealer for her eyes kekeke. Ashley my ex employee who recently got an iPhone, I got her a speaker for her phone and for her girlfriend Shirley who recently picked up photography, I gave her a tee with a hanging camera design.

Ok next came the tricky ones, the bloggers. For Edmund, the pastor, I got him this book The Case for GOD which talks about the mindset of religion in this modern day. Eunice my travel blogger friend got a travel pouch designed like a postmarked letter from Italy, very cute :D As for Walter, man he was tough to buy for, so in the end I got him some hanging mobile photo holder thingy :p

We had too much food as usual and I made desserts we learnt from our last staff outing to Palate Sensations (cooking school). I made Vanilla Panna Cotta with raspberry compote and Chocolate Lava cakes :D

Hope you all had fun, see you at the next party!

2011 so far

Ok it's more than a month into the new year and I have to apologise for the lack of updates because after Christmas, my laptop passed away and I have not bought a new one yet as I am waiting for the new Macbook Pro. It's still not out as we speak, so I am using the studio's computer in the meantime.

2011 is passing by faster than I wished it would! So far I have missed telling you about my awesome start to the new year when on new year's eve our family won 2 iPads at a dinner and dance! January was also a great month for the studio. We had the Chinese New Year walk-in promo which saw our best walk-in day in The Studio Loft's entire walk-in history! And the Valentine's Day walk-in ended yesterday! So expect lots of pictures in my next few posts :D Oh yes we also welcome Joanne Tan into our studio! She used to teach in a childcare centre so she's great with kids! Don't mind her, she's a Canon user, pffft! HAHAHA! Just kidding! She will be working closely with Wen Lin and I to bring you more fabulous portraits :)

On the homefront, the boys started art lessons at WowART Studio and I have been very impressed with their art pieces so far :) We had a very quiet Chinese New Year with all our visiting done on the first day! :p But it was a good break for me to recharge. We have also been to the zoo with AMK Gong Gong during both new years, pictures to come soon. I have also started Instagram-ing, it's really fun, like twitter but with pictures. I hope you will add me if you are using the app, my nick is tubbykat.

Ok enough talking, I shall be working hard in the next few hours to update this blog now :p Don't give up on me just yet!