HELLOOOOO! Just in case you guys are wondering, I have not delivered yet! Chewy Junior #2 is already overdue by a few days! Who says second one will come out earlier? Obviously not true! Haha. Ahlamak, both kids also find my womb too comfy! Shall keep this post short and sweet because it’s my bedtime! We had our outdoor maternity photoshoot with Dphotofolio when I was 37 weeks pregnant. Alvin was our photographer back then so we decided to contact him again. Enjoy the photos! 🙂 In the meantime, I will be updating my Instagram @missuschewy and Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy so see you guys over on the other side!
Category Archives: #Photoshoot
Kyoto Kimono Rental and Photoshoot by Yumeyakata
Hello chewys! This will be our last post documenting our Japan trip and we have saved the best for last! Apart from our visit to Shirakawa-go which we had blogged about previously, another highlight of our holiday would be..
The Chewy’s very first kimono wearing experience and outdoor photoshoot in Kyoto!
Kyoto is the best place in Japan to explore traditional temples, shrines, gardens, as well as for tourists to immerse themselves in Kyoto’s rich culture. Over the years, it has become very common and increasingly popular for tourists visiting Kyoto to go sightseeing in a kimono.
There are so many kimono rental shops in Kyoto so it’s highly advisable that you do sufficient research before your trip to ensure that everything goes according to your plan!
I was initially overwhelmed by the various recommendations provided online and began to shortlist based on two factors: 1) Price and 2) Provision of photoshoot services.
Yumeyakata was the best choice because it offers one of the lowest kimono rental rates at only ¥3500/person (~S$44) upon reservation. Please note that all prices mentioned from here on excludes 8% tax. Female and male couple kimono rental rates are quoted at ¥6500 – ¥7000 (~S$81.50 – ~S$88) and I reckon it’s a really good deal considering you get to wear the kimono the entire day, as long as you return to Yumeyakata by 19:30! If you wish to make a reservation, you may fill in an online form via Yumeyakata’s website or email info@yumeyakata to have your enquiries answered. Sisca was our main contact person and she was very prompt in all email communications, at times going out of the way to make sure our needs were met!
Apart from the really affordable price, Yumeyakata is one of the few kimono rental companies in Kyoto to offer both indoor and outdoor photoshoot services, which Yumeyakata terms as “Location Photo Plan“. Photoshoots are carried out by a team of professional photographers, some of whom can converse in Mandarin and English! Their profiles and photography works can be found on Yumeyakata’s website and you can even designate your desired photographer at an additional ¥2000 (~S$25).
Depending on the location(s) chosen, the photography package price starts from ¥22000 (~S$276) and you get to receive over 200 beautifully captured photos from a 2-hour photoshoot! Yumeyakata also offers a “One-Day Location Photo Plan” where you can hire their photographer for an entire day! This is definitely a good choice if you are touring Kyoto with a group of friends!
A photoshoot usually starts at 10:30 or 14:30 and since it takes about 1.5 hours to get ready, we chose to have our photoshoot in the afternoon to avoid being late as we had to travel from Osaka. As we had a bit of time upon reaching Kyoto, we visited Kiyomizudera and subsequently took a train and alighted at Gojo station. From Exit 1, we only had to walk straight for a couple of minutes before reaching Yumeyakata’s store!
Not surprisingly, the place was packed; a good sign that business was brisk. I had to fill in a form indicating our heights, along with some other information and we were handed recyclable bags to store our shoes and clothes. We were first ushered to one of the floors to pick our kimono, which is estimated to take about 30 minutes. I almost hyperventilated at the vast array of kimonos available! One tip would be to first browse through some of Yumeyakata’s kimonos collection online to get a rough idea about your preferences. I knew I wanted large bold prints against bright colors like pink. Knowing what you want right from the start makes the picking process a lot easier! For ladies, we also had to pick an obi and sash, and you are advised to choose contrasting colors to make your outfit stand out.
Due to privacy reasons, there are different levels that cater to female and male customers exclusively. Also, photography is strictly prohibited when getting dressed as there are other customers around. A professional dresser helped Little misschewy and I into our kimonos and it took only 15 minutes.
Hairstyling is optional but I highly recommend it if you want to at least look like the real deal at the end of the day! Depending on the type of hair styles chosen, prices range from ¥1500 – ¥5000 (~S$19 – S$63). Hairstyling will take another 15 minutes.
Our photographer, Yang Suhao, is a Taiwanese, so we communicated easily in Mandarin. From Yumeyakata, we took a short taxi ride to Gion, our location of choice and commenced our photoshoot. Suhao put us at ease with his warm smile and good naturedness, which made us enjoy the photoshoot. When Little misschewy got tired and became cranky towards the end of the photoshoot, Suhao remained very patient and encouraging.
Even though we only spent two hours in Gion, we had a fun and memorable time posing for photos in our traditional kimonos. Some of the passers-by went, “Kawaii-neh!” while trying to take photos of Little misschewy. We were also very lucky that there were beautiful cherry blossoms to serve as a nice backdrop in some of our photos!
The two hours passed by very quickly and we cabbed back to Yumeyakata after the photoshoot as we had no intention of wearing our kimonos till late evening. We received a link via email to download close to 300 photos the very next day! Our family photos were really well taken thanks to Suhao and these will serve as wonderful memories for us to keep!
This is one of my favorite photos, which I have selected as my iPhone’s wallpaper!
For more information on Yumeyakata and a complete overview of its services available, please head to http://www.yumeyakata.com/english/. Alternatively, there is an e-brochure http://www.yumeyakata.com/english/images/top/en.pdf for the more important and condensed information.
Kyoto Kimono Rental Yumeyakata
600-8103
Hosai Bldg, 353, Shiogama-cho, Nishiiru sakai-machi, Gojo-dori, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, Japan
Tel: +81-75-354-8515
Special phone line for Chinese & English: +81-75-354-9110
Fax: +81-75-354-8506
Business hours: 10:00 ~ 19:30 (entry by 6 pm) *Subject to changes depending on the season*
Closed on Dec. 31 until Jan.3 every year.(Return by 17:00 on Dec. 30.)
Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy 🙂
THE CHEWYS’ MARCH 2016 JAPAN 10D9N ITINERARY
(Tokyo – Osaka – Kyoto – Kanazawa – Shirakawago)
Day 1: Singapore to Narita Airport > JR Narita Express to Tokyo > Check into Airbnb at Kita-Ikebukuro > Asakusa Temple & Shopping Street > Shopping and dinner at Sunshine City
Day 2: Tokyo Disneyland
Day 3: Tsukiji Fish Market > Ueno Park > Shopping at Ameya-Yokocho Market > Tea at Fujiya Peko-chan Milky Restaurant > Pokemon Centre at Sunshine City > Dinner at Ichiran
Day 4: Tokyo DisneySea
Day 5: Fujiko•F•Fujio Museum (Doraemon Museum) and Doraemon Cafe > Shopping and dinner at Harajuku
Day 7: Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Kyoto > Kiyomizu-dera Temple > Kimono rental and outdoor photoshoot > Dinner at Kichi-Kichi Omurice > Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka
Day 8: Thunderbird Limited Express from Shin-Osaka to Kanazawa > Check into Hotel Nikko Kanazawa > Kenroku-en Garden > Kanazawa Castle > Lunch at Sushi Zanmai > Omicho Market > Higashi Chaya District > Tonkatsu dinner at Tomikinton (富金豚)
Day 9: Nouhi bus from Kanazawa to Shirakawa-go > Sightseeing around Shirakawa-go > Nouhi bus from Shirakawa-go to Kanazawa > Thunderbird Limited Express from Kanazawa to Shin-Osaka > Dinner at Dotonburi (Namba station, Midosuji line)
Day 10: Kansai Airport Limited Express “Haruka” from Shin-Osaka to Kansai Airport > HOME SWEET HOME
iSnap The Selfie Place
– Advertorial –
Why do we take photos? This is a question that I ask myself time and again, and the answer is always the same. I shoot just about anything under the sun but taking photos of my husband and daughter is something that I find so much joy in doing. Of course, I would want to be in the frame too and my fondest memory is when misterchewy and I lugged a tripod around during our three-week long honeymoon in Europe just so that we could capture precious moments for safekeeping. Things became different after Little misschewy came along. It was too much of a hassle, so we chucked the tripod in the store room and resorted mostly to taking selfies with our mobile phones. However, sometimes I feel that even with all the photo editing apps available, the photos taken with our mobile phones just don’t cut it.
Imagine our excitement when we found out about this really cool place called iSnap The Selfie Place! iSnap is the first photography company in Singapore that offers professionally equipped personal studio rooms for taking photos without the need of a photographer. It kinda reminded me of the neoprint booths during my secondary school days except that iSnap is so much more sophisticated of course!
After lunch on Sunday, we headed down to Bugis Village where iSnap is located. Wah seriously I feel so old. I can’t remember when was the last time I shopped for clothes at Bugis Village! It’s conveniently located just across Bugis MRT Station and Bugis Junction shopping mall so I still remember how to go there. Hahaha. iSnap is not difficult to find too. It’s right above Bee Cheng Hiang store, which is near the bus stop.
iSnap has 6 individual studio rooms with a total of 24 themes. Before we went into each room, we had a preview of the backdrops using one of these computers. Basically, the six rooms are Aries, Aquarius, Capricon, Leo, Pisces and Virgo. The variety of backdrops are very fun and colorful, which is definitely suitable for people of all ages!
Our first stop was Aries room which comes with a physical swing and a green backdrop. Doesn’t this look like a professional studio for photoshoot? The difference is that you are now your own photographer and you call take the shots. How? Very simple! Just hold the camera remote in your hand and adjust your pose by checking the huge screen in front of you. Satisfied? Simply press the remote and your shot will be captured! The good thing is that there is no limit to the number of photos taken so you can just fire away and be trigger-happy, which was exactly what happened for us because misterchewy was amused by all the candid and unglam shots of me. LOL.
There are costumes and props but let’s not get too excited first ya! Anyway, we also didn’t want to frighten Little misschewy so we had to make her feel at home by allowing her to roam around and play with the soft toys. I’m sure iSnap has child-friendly vibes because in less than 5 minutes, Little misschewy was smiling and pointing at the swing, going “Kiki! Kiki!” Yes, she likes Hello Kitty too!
Does this even look like a SELFIE to you? I whatsapped this photo to my mum and she instantly replied, “Photoshoot again? Where?” Hahaha. Usually for photoshoot sessions, the photographer will give you instructions on how to pose but at iSnap, we are allowed to unleash our own creativity! The hubs and I are the more conservative type, so for most of the shots, we just stand there and smile. HAHA.
Let your imagination run wild with over 500 costumes and props! Not only do they have costumes for adults, the children costumes are crazy adorable!
See what I mean?! LOL. I believe this is Alice in Wonderland? This Alice looks a bit blur blur hor?
Most of the costumes are quite big for Little misschewy but customers are more than welcome to bring their own costumes and props to the studio!
Love the range of couple wear! It’s not everyday that you get to dress like a Korean and call your hubby OPPA!!
Room Virgo! The hubs’ horoscope! Haha. Oh in case you are wondering.. The milk bottle is not a prop! The little one was asking for her milk so we had no choice but to let her drink while we continue taking our selfies.
Little misschewy was taking quite long to finish her milk so I told her to hold up her bottle and say, “CHEERS!” just so that we could capture a smiling shot of her.
Haiyo.. Little misschewy’s attention span is too short. The little pumpkin was more interested in walking around the studio room! But it’s ok! The hubs and I had fun posing in our silly animal costumes!
Moving on to Room Leo! We decided to go au naturel and by that I meant no costumes la! This is one of my favorite backdrops! It looks like some scene straight out from a fairytale.
Holding a bunch of balloons so that we can go UP.. UP.. and AWAY!
At the end of the day, we got to keep ALL the digital copies of the photos taken. Just remember to bring your thumbdrive along! In addition, iSnap also provides 5 4R photos FREE! Definitely saves you the hassle of having to print your favorite photos elsewhere!
As you can see, the studio rooms are clean and spacious, which provides a very conducive environment for corporate and private events!
Currently, there is an SG50 promotion so all personal photography packages are going for half the usual price!
For more information on iSnap, do head over to http://www.isnap/sg or iSnap’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/iSNAP-The-Selfie-Place/781321901984024?fref=ts 🙂
Little misschewy’s One Year Old Photoshoot + Cake Smash
WHOOHOO! Little misschewy is ONE year old today! Knowing that it will take about a month to receive the photos, kiasu mummy planned a photoshoot way in advance! Chanelle was slightly over 11 months old when these photos were taken. Based on past experiences, we kinda knew what to do and ‘forced’ her to take about an hour long nap before the photoshoot. We timed it quite well such that the instant she woke up, we chionged to the studio without wasting any time. LOL. I had also warmed up a bottle of milk and brought it along with us. Just before we commenced the shoot, she finished the entire bottle. Eat full full, sleep full full! Half the battle is won! I must say that misterchewy and I are pretty satisfied with the photos! 😀
I was trying to suppress my laughter upon seeing Chanelle’s reaction when she saw her own reflection in the mirror. She kept inching forward until her face touched the mirror! Anyway, we topped up to get back all the softcopies. The ones posted here are some of my favorites.
My my.. Didn’t know that my boyish looking baby could look so girly here. Hahaha.
Chanelle looks really grown up here! Seriously, where did all the time go?!
Hello surfer girl!
When I learned about the cake smash idea months ago, I thought it was really interesting and I was excited about it! The whole idea behind it is to celebrate your baby’s first year by letting your baby have a first taste of his or her own birthday cake!
Look how happy Chanelle is! I would like to sincerely thank BakeAvenue for sponsoring us this gorgeous pink giant cupcake! When I first saw it, I was like… WOW!!! BakeAvenue specializes in rainbow and ombre cakes, as well as macarons in various shapes and sizes! I ordered some macarons and cupcakes from BakeAvenue for Chanelle’s birthday party and I will cover that in a separate post!
Chanelle’s reaction towards the giant cupcake was priceless. At first, she was indifferent to cake. She looked at it but didn’t reach out to touch it. Then she crawled around it and finally, patted it very cautiously. Yes, she PATTED the cake.
Confusion written all over her face when she had butter cream on her fingers!
And then she felt scared. Like.. What is this thing on my fingers?! (At that point, I kinda suspected that she’s a cleanliness freak like me.)
Chanelle was only willing to lick her fingers after I wiped a bit of butter cream on her lips.
Hmmm.. It’s yummy! Clap clap!
Hope you guys enjoyed this set of photos! Sending everyone lotsa love from Hong Kong!
Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂
The Chewys’ First Overseas Family Outdoor Photoshoot at The Westin Siray Bay Resort, Phuket
Chanelle’s 7 months old Photoshoot by POHTOgraphy
When Chanelle was around 7 months old, she had her photos taken by Levin Poh of POHTOgraphy at his home studio. The photos did not turn out the way I expected them to because Chanelle wasn’t in a particularly good mood during the photoshoot 🙁 She’s usually cheerful and smiley but I guess she did not have sufficient sleep, which caused her to be so cranky just 15 minutes into the shoot!
Nevertheless, Levin was very patient and calm, in fact even more so than misterchewy and I. Levin is a father of a toddler, so he has his own experience with dealing with babies. I would say that the photos were very well taken by Levin, but it’s such a pity that Chanelle refused to smile! There are some basic backdrops and props at Levin’s home studio and we brought some of our own for the photoshoot. Levin actually specializes in event photography such as actual day wedding! More of his works can be viewed on his Facebook page.
If you are keen in engaging Levin for his photography services, his mobile number is (+65) 82883369. You may also email him at contact@levinpoh.com
Little misschewy’s Newborn Photoshoot
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Dedicating this post to my little chewy baby who turned 2 months old recently! Sorry mummy and papa are away in Taiwan right now 🙁 It is the worst decision that I have ever made and this is gonna be my first and last time that I’m travelling without Chanelle. We actually booked our tickets towards the end of my third trimester and I thought I wouldn’t miss my baby. As I’m typing this, I only have three more hours before leaving for the airport. Feeling very emotional because I will be missing out on an entire week watching Chanelle grow. I love gazing at her angelic face when she’s sound asleep and how nice she smells all the time.
Friends have told me to treat this as a good break before I return to work in June. I’m taking 3 months and keeping the remaining 1 month. I wonder if I have any chance of being a SAHM?! LOL.
Ok back to the topic! Photos were taken by Jacky from Studio Memories. We previously had our maternity shoot at this studio as well. Chanelle was 11 days old at that time and I was still doing my confinement. Thank goodness my confinement nanny gave me the green light to wash my hair that day. Hehe. Chanelle slept too much in the day and she was wide awake during the shoot. Actually, it’s best for newborn babies to be asleep during such photoshoots. Chanelle doesn’t like to be positioned lying down on her front and she fussed and cried. Hence, there’s a photo of her showing off her diapers. Hahaha.
So glad that Chanelle had her newborn photos taken by Studio Memories! Jacky did a terrific job imo, considering how much Chanelle was squirming and making noise throughout the shoot. I swear I would have lost my patience if I were him. Haha.
Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂
Dphotofolio Indoor Maternity Photography
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HELLO I’m back! This is my FOURTH time in two months battling mastitis from breastfeeding and each time, I suffered from high fever throughout the night. Anyhoo, I’m feeling much better now and am here to update my blog! Are my readers still there?! Haha. I had shared the outdoor maternity photos taken by Dphotofolio previously. They were taken by Alvin and Jane. This time, the indoor photos were taken solely by Jane. Reason being, for the more adventurous mummies who dare to bare for the sake of art, such photos should be taken by a female photographer right?
The indoor shoot took place a day after the outdoor one. We woke up early and reached Dphotofolio’s studio at King George Avenue slightly before 9am to get my makeup done by professional makeup artist Friennie Kho. More on her later! If I didn’t remember wrongly, the photoshoot lasted about 2 hours. The husband and I had a lot of fun! We also loved how the photos turned out 🙂
Me and Friennie! She’s really gorgeous and very friendly. At first I thought she’s Korean and she speaks Korean like a Korean! I didn’t feel uncomfortable at all despite the fact that it was our first time meeting and she had also explained that the makeup that she did for me wasn’t the dramatic kind, but rather something that’s more natural looking, which is recommended for maternity and family photoshoot. Friennie has 10 over years of experience as a makeup artist. In fact, it is her very first profession and she has been sticking to it ever since! She does bridal makeup, for DND and many other occasions. Friennie also updates herself regularly on the latest makeup trends by attending courses. Her contact details are listed here https://www.facebook.com/FrienniekhoMakeupTouch 🙂
The husband and I really love the photos taken by Jane. Thanks babe!
Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂
Dphotofolio Outdoor Maternity Photography
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The husband and I are extremely delighted to have our outdoor maternity photos taken by Dphotofolio. Established way back in 2005, photographers Alvin and Jane have come a long way indeed and accumulated a wealth of valuable experience from various photography projects. We met up at their studio located at King George’s Building a few weeks prior the shoot to browse at some of their work and exchange ideas as to how we want our maternity photos to turn out.
As for the venue, the possibilities are endless. Alvin suggested shooting at a lalang field, amongst a few other places but I was totally excited to have our photos taken at a lalang field because I imagined that it would be perfect in capturing the blissful and magical moments of my pregnancy. I really admire Alvin and Jane for their willingness to push their limits, go out of their comfort zones and explore areas of photography that they have barely ventured into. Alvin was even adventurous enough to suggest underwater photography! I was kinda tempted but felt that my baby bump might get in the way and make things difficult for me.
The day was a very special one for misterchewy and I. It was Valentine’s Day! Our fourth one together! The weather was kind. Very sunny and the sky was in a lovely shade of blue when we reached our first photo destination early in the morning 🙂
One of the most important things during a shoot is to be able to relax and have fun and that was exactly how misterchewy and I felt. The entire shoot was very enjoyable and it was also memorable as we felt Baby Chanelle’s gentle kicks when we were posing for some shots. It certainly brought a genuine smile to our faces and we just wanted to remember these special moments forever. Hope you guys like the photos as much as we do! Kudos to Alvin and Jane for being so passionate towards their love for photography and also for being so patient throughout the shoot! 🙂
Not sure if you noticed that there is also a ‘horse theme’ for our photoshoot because Baby Chanelle is born in the year of the horse! That explains the real horses and horse balloons in some of the photos 😛
If you like what you see, and would like to view more of Dphotofolio’s works, simply hop on over to their website or Facebook page.
Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂
Studio Memories Indoor Maternity Photography
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Hellooo chewys! We are still anticipating the arrival of our baby princess! The feeling is very surreal. I would like to think that we have almost everything ready and are adequately prepared but deep down, we know that we can never be well prepared, especially since this is our first child. Really don’t know what to expect. Getting the jitters already! Haha. During my third trimester, misterchewy and I went for an indoor maternity photoshoot by Studio Memories.
Living by the motto Capturing The Best Moments, Studio Memories is made up of a group of professional, accomplished and well-equipped photographers who each specializes in his or her own field of photography with years of experience. Blessed with a dynamic team, Studio Memories offers a wide range of services such as actual day wedding photography and videography, and various types of photoshoot for newborns, families, wedding couples and mothers-to-be. Created only in July 2013, Studio Memories has gained a popular following as evident on their Facebook page and it’s not hard to see why because of the high-quality photos that they produce at such a reasonable price that makes it so irresistible.
Located at 28 Niven Road, the studio is impressively huge with several rooms, backdrops and props to cater to various genres of photography. Jacky was our photographer and he encouraged us to express our fun and crazy side. It wasn’t easy for misterchewy and I in the beginning but we slowly warmed up and enjoyed the photoshoot! What attracted and impressed me was Jacky’s creative and artistic flair in capturing these wonderful memories for us. Enjoy the rest of the photos and I’m sure you will agree with me! 🙂
Check out Studio Memories’ website to view their portfolio and package prices, and also ‘Like’ their Facebook page to stay updated on the latest promotions as well as giveaway contests! Catch them at BabyMarket from 18 to 20 April 2014 at Singapore Expo Hall 8 for exclusive promotions!
Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂