A typical pregnancy lasts 40 weeks and while that might sound long, the truth is it is fleeting and will be over before you know it. That is why this 10-month journey is so incredibly precious and worth cherishing, especially so if it's going to be the last one.
People always say that pregnant mums exude a glow and from experience, I think that is very true. Besides the increased blood volume, flushed face, changes in hormones and shinier hair, what makes us look so radiant is the joy of a new life growing within us and the excitement of meeting our baby. Now, wouldn't it be nice to capture memories of this glow to last for a lifetime?
I had been looking forward to my maternity photoshoot, which usually takes place when you are around 34-36 weeks pregnant, with Bloom Photography, . While every family photoshoot is meaningful to me, this maternity one was even more so because it was something I held close to my heart. Deep down, I also knew it could be my last chance at capturing moments from this miraculous journey that had blessed me with a baby bump.
Considering it was the Chinese New Year period, it wasn't easy for us to find a date where the hubby could make it and there were available slots for us at the studio. Yup, we decided on a studio photoshoot since we already did an outdoor one at Botanic Gardens last year. We finally settled on doing it on the fourth day of the Year of the Ox since it was a school holiday and the hubby could take off. I can't even tell you how glad I was, and still am, that we managed to do it because guess what, a week later, I GAVE BIRTH. Yup, this baby boy decided to arrive in this world five weeks earlier than planned but thankfully, he allowed me to finish my maternity shoot before he decided to burst my waterbag.
The photoshoot consisted of three different segments: Family, Couple and Solo. The Family one allowed us to take some precious photos with the kids and made them look forward to the baby's arrival, the Couple one let us reminisce our younger days and reminded us why we got together in the first place, and the Solo one captures the beauty of pregnancy and turns it into everlasting memories for the mum. Here's a look at how everything went for us, including some behind the scene moments and the final images.
1) Family
Behind the scene
Many people often comment that my kids seem to be well-trained for the camera and it seems like we can always take nice-looking family photos. Well, that is what it seems. The truth is the more kids you have, the harder it gets to coordinate all of them and make everyone cooperate. For this shoot which took place in the early morning and the kids had to be dragged out of bed, one of the girls said she was tired and gave sleepy looks while the boy was totally lacking in self control and was running around, hiding, whining and grumbling. It took me some time to coax and persuade him and I even had to resort to using biscuits, candy and drinks as a form of bribery. So yup, it is never as it seems and the same applies for social media - don't believe everything you see.
I am very grateful that our photographer, Su Wen, whom we previously worked with for our outdoor and mini Christmas photoshoots, is very understanding when it comes to working with kids. She knows how to get their attention, she tries her best to get them to smile for the camera, she lets the kids take a break when needed, she is flexible and knows how to make the most of the situation. I also appreciate how she gives us clear instructions like where to sit or stand, or what pose to strike. She had to do this for all five of us and ensure we all stay put, which is not an easy task, I must say.
Final pictures
Here are some of my favourite family shots from the session. We wore our own outfits and I chose a white/pastel colour theme. Su Wen decided to use a grey, plain backdrop for our family and I thought it worked pretty well as it accentuated the colours we were wearing. I also chose to bare my belly so that the bump would be the highlight as this was highly likely the last time I would be doing so.
I've realised that while the kids might be looking and smiling at the camera, many a time it would looked overly posed. So, I was thankful that Su Wen would try to make them laugh by tickling them or getting to say words like "Ha ha ha" so that their smiles would look more natural. It's really not easy to take nice pictures when kids are involved yet such family shots are invaluable, don't you agree?
2) Couple Shots
Behind the scene
I was happy to know that we would be doing some couple shots too because I think it helps to bond us as hubby and wifey, reminds us of why and how we got together, and makes us both look forward to the arrival of the little one even more. It's never easy keeping a marriage going and these memories are one of the things that give me the motivation to go on.
We had brought along some props for the photoshoot, including a baby romper, an ultrasound and a DIY name card. Besides that, we also changed into another set of outfits for the couple shoot. I decided to rummage through our wardrobes and it was a pleasant surprise to find these matching blue and black outfits which belonged to us even before we got married. Yup, thankful for the stretchable fabric so I could still fit into this dress!
Anyway, I knew one of the biggest challenge would be to persuade the kids, especially the 5-year-old, to let Papa and Mama do the couple shots without any of them disturbing. This was made much easier in the studio because they had a play corner filled with toys and was designed to entertain the little ones. I also gave them tasks to keep them busy and that was to help us film some behind the scene footage.
Final pictures
It was easy to see that the hubby and I are not model material and
there were times when we would pose awkwardly or look at the wrong
direction. Su Wen patiently guided us on how to sit or stand, where to focus our
gaze and when to smile and look at the camera or my tummy, which was how we ended
up with quite a few nice shots. Let's take a look!
This is something worth mentioning. While most of the shots we took were the elegant and formal kind, the hubby and I actually liked being wacky and casual in front of the camera. So we started doing some funny poses and while it didn't really follow their usual style, Su Wen still kindly took these shots for us too and that was something I appreciated. Thank you thank you!
3) Solo Shots
Behind the scene
Time for me to take the stage, woohoo! I think every preggie mum should do this too because it's not always that we have a bump to show off and it's the sort of thing that you might regret not doing while you had the chance to. So even though I'm not used to being in the limelight, I was thankful to get the chance to shine and these shots would be deeply cherished for a long time.
See how the kids were enthusiastic about taking pictures and videos on my behalf? They would focus on Su Wen and capture her in their shots too and I have to say she was really zen about the whole thing and didn't let it interfere with her work at all.
In addition to my own outfits, I was told by Bloom Photography that I could loan one of theirs too for the solo segment. They had a whole range of gowns, dresses and wraps to choose from and I didn't take long to decide that I wanted to do the fabric wraps because they were so raw, simple yet powerful - something that reminds me of me.
I have always wondered how the shots were taken where the fabric wrap flies gracefully and now I know - it is done by the hubby who would be throwing the cloth up when the photographer gave the cue. Haha. We did this quite a few times and it made everyone laugh when the hubby threw it in the wrong direction. Nonetheless, I think we did well and ended up with a few good shots.
Final pictures
You know, many mums would choose to do a makeover for their maternity shoot so that they would look even prettier in photos. However, I chose not to because in addition to saving money, this was also more in line with our family style - to be natural and raw yet confident, pure and imperfect yet happy. The hubby had never liked the idea of me putting on too much makeup too so I decided to keep it really simple for the shoot and be photographed for who I truly am. Here are some of my favourite solo shots.
How precious is that baby bump and all these beautiful memories, right?
All in all, we had a truly enjoyable experience working with Bloom Photography and the quality of their pictures have never disappointed us. This maternity photoshoot is a very special one for me and I'm glad to have these precious memories to look back on when my kids are all grown up.
"No one will ever know the strength of my love for you. After all, you are the only one who knows the sound of my heart from the inside."
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GOOD NEWS!
For all A Happy Mum readers, simply quote "SUMMER" to enjoy a 10% discount upon booking your maternity shoot with Bloom Photography. Do it while you can, yeah? You won't regret it!
Bloom Photography
Visit: 62 Ubi Road 1 Oxley BizHub 2, #08-01 Singapore 408734
FB/IG: @bloomphotographsg
Call / Whatsapp: +65 9640 3774
Website: https://www.bloomphotography.sg/
Disclosure: This is a sponsored collaboration between Bloom Photography and A Happy Mum. All opinions are my own.
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