From The Straits Times    |

Editor’s Rave: LITTLEONES PHOTOGRAPHY
7 Joo Chiat Place, Tel: 6440 7568. www.littleonesphotography.com

The Session
Photographer Kate would make a brilliant preschool teacher. She made it so fun that the kids didn’t want to leave after the hour-long session at her home studio. Following her cues, they jumped, rolled and lay atop one another as she snapped away. Every now and then, she asked: “Do you want to see how cool you are?” and showed them the photos in her camera. The promise of a balloon after the shoot helped, too, as did the upbeat music playing. There was a box of soft toys for difficult kids, but she never needed it. The flooring was padded, so it was safe for the kids to tumble around.

The Photos
Kate pre-selects 40 to 50 photos, in different layouts, and in colour and black and white, for customers to choose from.

Aik says:
“These photos are the most modern of the lot and captured the kids’ expressions very well. The photographer had a clear concept in mind and it showed. The composition, angling and cropping were done well. I would have liked to see a little more detail in the clothes if she could overexpose the pictures less.”

Poh Lee says:
“I like how clean, simple and crisp the photos are. It’s refreshing to see some white space in the long rectangular family shot. All of the photos look good.”

Rate: $350 (weekday photography session), $450 (Saturday session). Prices range from $165 for a framed desktop photo to $1,495 for a 12-inch square album.

Best For: Simple and modern portraits.

Verdict: 9 / 10

 

GREAT FIND: WHITE ROOM STUDIO
219 River Valley Road, 2nd Floor, tel: 6235-7037. www.white-roomstudio.com

The Session
Photographer Dan had a harp and drums ready to get the kids to warm up. Once they did, they had fun playing hide and seek around the billowing curtains and gave Dan opportunities for natural-looking shots. He made funny faces and let the kids look at their photos in his camera. He had the kids crawling on the floor, and even got down on his tummy to take the shots. The kids enjoyed themselves in the 90-minute session.

The Photos
There were lots to choose from – single and group shots, colour, black and white, and sepia. There were pictures of the kids in front of the curtains, crawling on the floor, sitting on the sofa, playing with the musical instruments. Dan took advantage of the daylight that streamed into the studio to take some great shots.

Aik says:
“Dan captured the kids’ natural playful expressions well and used the daylight to his advantage for some good shots. It’s nice that he blurred the background to make some photos more interesting and to let the focus be on the kids’ expressions.”

Poh Lee says:
“Although some shots looked like you could have taken them yourself, Dan managed to capture the kids’ happy faces. I get a warm feeling looking at them. While the family shots are conventional, the shots of the little ones really stood out.”

Rate: $290 (for a group of four; each additional person incurs a $35 charge), includes four different 5R photos (with soft copies) and one 8R photo from one of the four selected photos. Prices range from $120 for a 5R framed photo to $1,800 for a 12-inch square coffee table book.

Best For: Realistic and natural-looking kids’ portraits.

Verdict: 8.5 / 10

 

ESSENCE STUDIOS
60 Tanjong Pagar Road, tel: 6836-3360. www.essence-studios.com

The Session
Photographer Loretta made it fun for the kids – she asked them to run to Mum and Dad to hug them, or to show off their muscles. The kids were at ease, although sporty Kylene had to be persuaded to undo her braids. The kids were asked to bring props related to their interests – Evan’s skate scooter and the girls’ soft toys. There was a lot of space for the kids to roam around and the family could lounge on the comfy sofas during the hour-long session.

The Photos
A mix of colour and black-and-white photos, as well as some taken with blue lighting. Some of the photos were tilted for effect.

Aik says:
“The colours in some shots looked flat and could be more vibrant. Also, the tilted composition of some photos might not appeal to everyone.”

Poh Lee says:
“The white background brought out the colours and expressions well, and gave the photos a ‘clean’ look. The group shots are nicely taken, but the individual shots of the kids look a little dated.”

Rate: $70 for the photography session. Prices range from $100 for a 5R framed photo to $1,800 for a 12-inch square leather album.

Best For: Playful portraits for fun-loving families.

Verdict: 8 / 10

 

JJ PHOTOGRAPHY
Tel: 9789-2588. www.jjphotography.com

The Session
Lasting three hours, the shoot took the longest. You have the option of doing it at a studio or at your home, with no difference in pricing. Photographer JJ set up his equipment in editor Penelope’s flat. Although he had a hard time coaxing her kids to cooperate and getting them into one shot, he was very warm and patient, given how shy they were. It would have been good if he had some tried-and-tested strategies for getting the kids to cooperate, although he did take out his iPad after awhile to entertain them.

The Photos
JJ took the most photos, about 500. Given the quantity, it would have been easier if he had shortlisted the best ones for customers to choose. He also put together a striking montage (inspired by one of The Beatles’ album covers) that showed their faces lit on one side and in shadow on the other.

Aik says:
“The photos lacked the styling to make them more polished – the kids’ dresses could be straightened. I would have liked to see more of their faces in The Beatles-inspired shot.”

Poh Lee says:
“The montage brought out their features and face shapes clearly – you could tell which kid looks like whom. But from the family portraits, I could tell that it was hard to get everyone to look at the camera.”

Rate: $900, which includes the photography session, 20 8R laminated photos bound by a spiral coil into an album and two DVDs – one of all the photos and the other of the selected 20 (touched up).

Best For: A convenient home-portrait session.

Verdict: 7.5 / 10

 

All studios are in Singapore. This article was originally published in Simply Her April 2013.

All product and pricing information was correct at the time of the magazine’s publication. We advise readers to check with the store for the latest availability and pricing information.