The Neo Family

There is a subtle kind of warmth and love that emanates from each and every family I've photographed. I know exactly what this subtle warmth and love is because my parents gave that to my brother and I as we were growing up and even up till now.

Just like in these pictures, I was able to capture the warmth, love and affection Jean and her hubby give to Wayne, their firstborn. Of course, worries are also on top of every parents' minds when it comes to their children (as seen in one of the pictures). Nonetheless, a parent's love for a child far outweighs whatever worries and I believe all parents would think the same.

So for me, becoming a parent myself means that it's my turn to shower my child (Chloe) with the same warmth, love and affection that my parents gave to me.

Perhaps you can also find ways to build that warmth and love into your family also.

Aerisha's Maternity Series

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Gong Xi Fa Cai everyone! Hope that you've been prospering with good health and wealth in the year of the goat.

To me, being able to document a couple's milestones is truly a privilege - 

Back in December 2013, Kaden had engaged my services to photograph his surprise wedding proposal to Aerisha at Sentosa's Songs of The Sea. It was definitely a proposal to remember.

Just last year (2014), I was yet again present on their wedding day to witness and capture their most magical moments while walking down the aisle. Their wedding was so heartwarming that it brought tears to many who were present during their wedding ceremony.

Fast forward to January 2015, I am once again presented with the opportunity to help the couple capture images of the their pregnancy. They are indeed a gorgeous couple!

Congratulations once again to Kaden and Aerisha and welcome to parenthood!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Destination Pre-Wedding: Nicholas & Fion

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I got a call one morning in late December last year from Nicholas asking if I was willing to accept a last minute booking to shoot their pre-wedding in mid January 2015 of which I gladly accepted.

Basically the couple had already booked a short getaway to Batam, Indonesia to escape the hustling and bustling rapidity at work. So in the midst of planning for the trip, an idea struck the couple that since they were already heading to Batam, they should also get their pre-wedding shoot done there.

While places like Bali and Bintan are common places where couples travel to to have their pre-wedding photos taken, not too many have ever considered Batam for their shoot as most people do not perceive Batam to be as beautiful as it's neighbours.

Well I have to admit that this perception did cross my mind while I was doing my research. Perhaps by pure coincidence, I chanced upon this phrase while doing my research; it read - 'When life gives you lemons, make lemonade' though more philosophical than photography related, it hit me like a tonne of bricks. It basically reminded me that I must make good of whatever that comes my way. Throw me anywhere in any conditions and I'll still give you stunning and memorable pictures for keep.

To those of you who were wondering, yes some of the pictures were shot right smack in midday when the sun was directly above us and there were also instances where I had to shoot directly into the sun - at times the glare was so intense that I had to shoot with both eyes closed and completely trust my equipments and technical knowledge fully to get The shot. 

Here are some photos for your viewing pleasure.

With that, I shall conclude this lengthy post with a Wefie with my clients after a day's shoot. Have a great weekend everybody!

Joy's Joyful Maternity

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Greetings everyone! Hope you've had a great week so far. If you've not, hangin' there, you're not far away from the weekends.

So here's a maternity shoot that was done back in late November last year. Joy had contacted me over facebook (FB) regarding a maternity shoot. As we communicated over FB, I soon realized that Joy was expecting her second child and I was all excited! Well, you might say that's no biggie.. but to me, it was a wonderful opportunity to include a kid into someone's maternity pictures. 

Having photographed mainly first time mothers, I've always wanted to undertake maternity assignments that include kiddos albeit the warnings from other photographers that kids are hard to handle and they'll ruin whatever photos I'm taking etc.. well, I beg to differ!

My experience from this shoot?

  • I love the spontaneity from a child 
  • Their unpredictability keeps me on my toes
  • Their natural smiles melt hearts
  • Their innocence when querying me makes me giggle just thinking about the questions

But of course, there were moments during the shoot that even the parents were at wits end trying to get the child to stop running all over the place. But in the end, everything went well and don't be too surprised that kids (with the right technique of pacifying them) can cooperate quite easily.

Well that's all from me folks, here are some photos from the shoot for your enjoyment!

Have a great remainder of the week peeps.

Best Friends

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If you've ever watched sitcoms like 'Friends' and 'How I Met Your Mother', you'll notice that the characters in the sitcom portray what best friends should be really well. 

Here are the similarities I gather from the above sitcoms I've mentioned

  1. They hug each other all the time
  2. They apologise when they're wrong (eventually)
  3. They tell the truth (although sometimes it can be hilarious or mean)
  4. They are honest (that's why they tell the truth)
  5. They respect each other (although sometimes NOT)
  6. They push you and encourage you to reach your goals (Drink more BEER!)
  7. They laugh at your jokes although they don't know what it means
  8. After laughing at your joke, they make a joke out of you by teasing you
  9. They are always connected to you (Whatsapp / Telegram chatgroups)
    .
    .
    and the list goes on..

So having the opportunity to document the friendship of these ladies (Phyllis, Winnie, Shanice & Amanda) gives me a chance to rethink what friendships should be.

These ladies were so joyful (even though we started the session really early),  they enjoyed each other's company, teased one another and laughed to their heart's desire. Friendships should be like that. Don't you think so?

Anyway, have a wonderful 2015 everyone!

Blessed Christmas Everyone!

In this christmas, Kelvin Luffs Photography would like to wish one and all a blessed Christmas. May your life be filled with an abundant of joy, happiness and love. May each new day bring about moments to cherish. Merry Christmas everyone!

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
                                                                               Romans 15:13

Project 100 Heads

Hi readers! Hope that everyone is having a wonderful weekend so far.

So, something struck me last week while i was in the midst of my daily work of shooting and editing and I asked myself just how many people actually think about having a portrait of themselves taken. As everyone go through with their daily routines, some just miss the fact that our faces age and change by the day.

Are you one of those who will look into the mirror some mornings and comment about yourself in the mirror - "wow.. I've really aged a fair bit. How nice if I had a beautiful / handsome portrait of myself during my most youthful and most energetic days".

Well, the more I think about it, the more I feel that I should start a personal project on compiling Singaporean faces. And so, I've decided to commence my personal Project 100 Heads.

Upon reaching 100 heads, my plan is to have them compiled into a book and perhaps have it published - some would ask "who will buy this book and why will they buy?" - Honestly, I have no idea. It may be just one reason for me to start this personal project.

Because my aim is a hundred head portraits, I may invite friends, relatives or just about anyone via the social media to participate in this personal project of mine. So if you're invited, all I need is just an hour of your time and you'll have yourself a nice head portrait taken for your own keep. 

Here are some of the portraits I took over the weekend. Enjoy!

July Mommies & Babies

Howdy people! Hope I'm not giving you a baby overload on my blog. It's just so much fun and joy photographing babies and children. Yes, some do cry while others sleep but when the cries gradually turn to smiles and laughter, both the mommies and the photographer become at ease knowing that phew.. the little one is going to have some nice photos of them taken.

So back in November, I was given an assignment to photograph 13 babies and 13 mommies in a single day.  All the babies during the shoot were born between late June to end July (July Mommies Group)

In all honestly, the job was both fulfilling and tiring. The tiring part was inevitable because the shoot lasted for a full 6 hours. Thankfully my partner / wife was assisting me so as to make the flow of the photo-shoot more seamless. YES it was also a very fulfilling job simply because the expectation of the assignment was met and all the parents left with a smiling face knowing that the photographer (me) has captured lovely photos of their dear little ones.

Haha.. enough said, here are some photos taken on the day of the shoot. Enjoy!

Happy 4 Month Old Sweethearts!

You must be wondering why is it that I'm always photographing baby Melanie and baby Chloe. Well that's because these two babies are my darlings and I know for sure that I will miss the days when they are this little in future. That's why whenever possible, I'll take pictures of them as they grow up so that we as parents can refer back to these pictures to reminisce the times when they were still babies like that.

Like any new parents, juggling between work and caring for the kiddos is always a challenge that causes stress, anxiety, unhappiness (especially between husband and wife), frustration and so forth. But what's awesome to know is that all those aforementioned negative emotions will dissipate when your kid gives you a big bright smile or giggle or better still, laughter - and you'll then realise that everything that you've given is absolutely worth it.

As both baby Melanie (7th Aug 2014) and baby Chloe (8th Aug 2014) turn 4 months old, I (we the parents) thank God for his grace on these two adorable babies. May they continue to grow up healthily and happily always. Happy 4 Months Old Sweethearts!

Extracted from @sharinpoy Instagram post:

Here Mummy's prayer for this little girl:
May you grow up to serve Him All of your days.
May He lead you and guide you In all of your ways.
May His hand bless your future with Friendships that last.
May you cherish your youth And not grow up too fast
(Chorus taken from Rachel Aldous' A Mother's Prayer)
 

Here's a lovely picture of my wife Sharin with baby Chloe (left) and my wife's elder sister Maggie with baby Melanie (right)!

Melbourne & Santorini Pre-Wedding 2015

Happy Friday everyone! Hope you've all had a fantastic week so far.

Well, ever since the inauguration of Kelvin Luffs Photography, we have always wanted to help our customers create beautiful everlasting memories by simply creating beautiful pictures for keep.

True to our words, we are in the midst of planning two overseas destination pre-wedding shoots for couples who would like to create their love stories in some of the most iconic and romantic places on earth.

Melbourne (Australia)

Melbourne is truly one of the most ideal places for pre-wedding shoots. Lauded for its sense of style and elegance, it is known for its restored and preserved nineteenth-century architecture, built following the discovery of gold, while beautifully tended parks and gardens present a therapeutic backdrop for couples. Famed for its coffee and food culture, one can expect nothing less than a beautifully-roasted cuppa, perfect with a book in hand on a lazy afternoon. For the more adventurous, couples can opt have their photos taken at The Twelve Apostles, probably the most recognisable of landmarks in the world. Be spoilt for choice with the never ending opportunities for any style of photography you desire that Melbourne and Victoria has to offer!

Santorini (Greece)
If there is ever a word that I can use to describe my experience in this island, it would be - Unforgettable.

The island of Santorini:
1. Is one of the world's prettiest coastal towns. 
2. Has one of the most breathtakingly beautiful sunset in the world.
3. Is surrounded by mind-blowingly captivating scenery.
4. Is famous for their iconic white-washed houses with blue domes.
5. Has the Aegean Sea - 爱琴海 (Ài qínhǎi).
6. IS Pure Romance!

... and the list goes on.

Do drop us an email at info@kelvinluffs.com to find out more.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Baby Chloe & Baby Melanie

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To begin, allow me to introduce the stars of the photo-shoot. They are baby Chloe (my lovely daughter) and her cousin baby Melanie (my lovely niece). Both Chloe and Melanie were born in August this year, just a day apart from each other in the same hospital. Somehow I feel, these two baby girls are destined to be as close as sisters when they grow up, just like how close their mummies are to each other.

As I seek to add pictures to my portfolio, being a daddy photographer gave me the opportunity to do just that. Having these two precious little babies allowed me to constantly practice shooting with my baby models, play with the lightings to ensure the lights compliment the subjects, meddle with the props, think on my feet, etc.. I must say, I can handle babies really well now (after the few months of practice Chloe gave me).

In my previous post, I mentioned that in a baby photo-shoot, most of the time is spent on every other thing related to the babies Except photographing them. But when you do get down to taking their pictures, their expressions can sometimes blow you away.

Take for example this picture below, Chloe was busy crying and Melanie was well.. shocked! Priceless expression from baby Melanie.

Some behind the scene pictures.. Having a two Profoto B1 Air made a world of difference in lighting these precious babies.

[Picture left] So as the shoot progresses, it ended quickly (within 30mins) because both babies started being cranky (time for their nap). [Picture top] We all know that photographers love to 'Seize the opportunity' and that's exactly what I did, seized the opportunity to take the both of them sleeping, just like the picture below.

After about an hour and a half, both Chloe and Melanie came awake. So immediately, the mummies and I sprang into action by helping them change into their next outfit for the next shoot. Like all human beings, babies too need time to warm up after they come awake but perhaps we were too anxious in changing their diapers and clothes, the babies became agitated and showed me their displeasure in this photo.

Another two behind-the-scene photos to show how the next few pictures will transpire. Seriously, it involves the mums hopping up and down and making all sorts of baby language noises just to gain the attention of the two little ones.

[Picture above] Any home can be a make shift studio. With the right backdrop and a sofa, voila! We've now got a red background. [Picture right] Most parents would know that the colors that babies first see are Red, Black and White. As red background is too distracting for the babies, we had to quickly change a background to one that's of a more neutral color.

The babies being 3 months old have gained a fair bit of muscle mass hence rendering them less flexible as compared to when they were just infants but we still managed a few good pictures nonetheless.

Remember, babies are precious and they grow up real fast. So seize every opportunity to capture fun portraits of them, just like these pictures. If you're interested in having such portraits of your kids done, just drop me an email at info@kelvinluffs.com and I'll be most willing to sit down and conceptualize ideas for the shoot.

Here are a few more pictures for your viewing pleasure. Have a great week everyone!

Shay & Dinah's Pre-Wedding

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Hi everyone. It's been awhile since I last posted anything on my blog. Well, the hiatus is over and it's now time to start sharing again and with that, I'd love to present to you Shay & Dinah's pre-wedding series.

As Shay and I were ex-colleagues from the same bank, I'd say he was a real charmer. He would often be charming the colleagues around him with his humorous antics and super jovial personality. Ladies both young and old (some guys too) were easily captivated by his charms. Well, as charming as he is, Shay only had eyes for that one special person.. and that person is none other than the gorgeous looking Dinah (sorry both young and old ladies & guys, Shay's taken!).

As an observer with the camera, I must say that the chemistry and romance between the both of them both off and on the photo-shoot are just incredible - which goes to show that they are truly comfortable in each other's presence - a true envy of many couples.

So here's my heartiest congratulations to you two beautiful souls. May the both of you continue to have your picnic under the stars and may the both of you hold each other's hands tightly as you grow old together.

 

Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.
                                                                                                                   Robert Heinlein.

It's Been a Good 6 Weeks..

 

A baby is a blessing. A gift from heaven above, a precious little angel to cherish and to love...

Grateful, worrisome, anxiety, confusion, helplessness, sleepiness and happiness are how we as new parents have felt in these past 6 weeks. 

Like any new parents would do, my wife and I would constantly worry if baby is fed well, whether she's getting adequate rest and regularly consulting Dr. Google and our paediatrician friend on an array of topics concerning baby's well-being etc. So each time when we think we've got her figured out, she'd spring up new surprises that would leave us dumbfounded.

Well, what I would say is that baby Chloe definitely fills a place in our hearts that we never knew was vacant.

 

Here's a picture of baby Chloe at 6 weeks in her bare body.

Here's daddy (Kelvin) having some father & daughter time together.

And we are proud parents of baby Chloe!

Joan's Amazing Pregnancy Journey

Every pregnancy is different and beautiful in their own ways. Each expecting woman will relay some form of eagerness and anticipation towards welcoming their newborn. Some will document their pregnancy milestones in a diary, others will start hash-tagging on Instagram with their baby belly pictures. 

There are also some who will constantly be joining and asking questions on mummy chat-groups in Facebook and there will be some who will decide to / want to have their maternity photos taken professionally, then have them developed into canvas for display - whichever ways, these are all actions to get themselves (mummies) ready for the arrival of their newborn and ensuring that this beautiful part of their pregnancy journey is documented so that mums can actually reminisce the time the baby move in their bellies.

With that, I shall present to you - Joan’s amazing pregnancy journey.

Enjoy!