Breakfast with Tiffany: Our Fun Photo Shoot with Stan Ong

Last December, my dad was telling me that he wanted to send out a family Christmas card over the holidays. We had a few family photos but none that are truly holiday-card worthy. We decided that a studio session with a professional photographer was in order.

We have already done a couple of photo shoots with the kids in the past. And although we do get a couple of good pictures afterwards, the photo shoot session can often be pretty stressful. You either get a cranky baby, an uncooperative toddler, or if you're lucky - both! Having a group shot with more than one child is another challenge altogether. Getting them to smile and look at the camera at the same time entails a lot of talent and patience.

I first saw Stan's work several years ago when he was still with Stork Studio. I was immediately drawn to the way he captured the moments beautifully. Stan has left Stork Studio over a year ago and has now created a self-named brand for himself. Stan normally does the photo shoots in parks, a rented studio, or a studio set up in the comforts of your own home. It really depends on the client. I really wanted an outdoor shoot but after weighing the pros and cons, we decided that a home shoot was the most relaxing way to go.

We initially scheduled our photo shoot on a Saturday morning. Mornings are very ideal for us since the kids are well rested and 'in the mood' most of the time. However, our schedule only allowed an afternoon shoot that week. So we had to move our photo shoot to 5pm on a weekday. That made me a little bit anxious since i know the kids can already be pretty tired by then.

Stan arrived on time with his team and they immediately started to set up the studio in our living room.

Stan had a way with the kids. My children immediately felt comfortable with him. Both of the kids enjoyed the shoot so much that my son was already asking me when Uncle Stan's next visit would be right after the shoot. They happily played with Stan all throughout our session and Stan was extremely patient with them.

The entire family had a fun time during the shoot. It wasn't stressful at all. No crying babies or uncooperative toddlers. The two kids were having a blast posing for the camera. They just felt like it was playtime.

One thing i love about Stan is that he doesn't rush his clients. Although his photo shoots are usually scheduled for an hour, he doesn't mind extending it to accommodate more shots until he is sure that the family is fully satisfied.

Here are some unedited shots that Stan sent to us. Can you believe all of these are untouched? The background and shots are so clean, it's so good as it is already!