Everything about Photography!! Photography and post-processing tips, news from Mermozine-Photography's studio, sneak peek into our best photo sessions, and much more!! Bonne visite…
It’s called “lockdown”, “confinement”, or here in Singapore “Circuit Breaker”..
Either way, everything/everyone seem to be standing still…
… seem to be standing still …
But life is still going on inside homes.
Kids are still being kids, and parents, well, they are trying to make the best of it, multitasking teleworking, homeschooling, housekeeping, sanity keeping, …
Wandering how it is a an apartment with 4 kids?
It is manageable but you have to seriously lower your expectations.
Our home is a school all mornings – my office has been taken over by little girls – the living room is being transformed in a giant doll house every afternoon, and the whole place look as it has been through a tornado daily.
Here is a few pics into one day in our confined lives…
There is a lot of teleworking for the kids too.
It’s sometimes difficult to get motivated for schoolwork .
“A day in our confined lives”… documentary family photography.
But we are usually done by lunchtime and then the fun time can begin.
“A day in our confined lives”… documentary family photography.
Then the toys take over the place.
“A day in our confined lives”… documentary family photography.
May the fun begin….
For my little one having his big sisters home all the time is super exciting… and a little bit tiring…
Fights and meltdowns also fill up our days!!
But usually all it takes is a big cuddle, and they are back in business!
So yeah, it’s exhausting for us parents, but at the same time we have a unique opportunity to spend loads of time with our little ones. So let’s try to make the best of it. And to be totally honest, even if I find the days very long right now, I will miss them when schools will reopen...
Are you right now expecting a baby? Congratulations! It’s so so exciting right?
Not easy (believe me, I know, I had four, with nine months of morning sickness each time…), but still really exciting!
Is it going to be a boy or a girl? Did you choose a name yet?
All the conflicting emotions (thank you hormones!), all the things to prepare… One minute you could not possibly be more happy and the next you’re freaking out. And I’m not even talking about all the things you have to choose: What kind of baby bed? Which stroller? Breastfeeding or bottle? Cloth or disposable diapers? …
So let’s not add any more stress and let’s make your newborn photography experience as smooth as possible :-).
Here are the 4 options I’m proposing to my clients at Mermozine-Photography, in Singapore. All designed with what you may want in mind.
1- Newborn Session
The “classical” newborn session is the most complete. It takes 2 hours on average and includes not only posed newborn baby pictures on different background colours, and props, but also family pictures (mom-baby, dad-baby, mom-dad-baby, siblings, …). These sessions can be done in the studio or in the comfort of your home. The best time to do this session is when your little one is between 5-15 days “old” (meaning still really sleepy). During the whole session the priority is the security and the comfort of your precious baby so we take as many breaks as needed (feeding, cuddling, …).
As indicated in the name, this session is done in the first couple of days after the birth of your baby. It’s a lifestyle, photojournalistic-style session (no posed baby pictures), about one hour long, usually done in the hospital, and the goal is to capture those really precious fleeting first moments (first cuddles, first meeting with siblings, first bath …).
The family session is focused around the family. It’s about one hour long and does not include posed newborn pictures. It can be done in the studio, in the comfort of your home or outdoor (although I would not recommend it with a brand new baby). The session can include a mix of posed and lifestyle pictures. And big advantage the age of your baby is not a stress factor (can be 5 days as well as 18 years old!).
Newborn photography services in Singapore.Newborn photography services in Singapore.
4- Newborn Mini-Session
The mini-newborn session is focused on baby only, and is designed for anyone wanting posed newborn pictures but also wanting to spend less (time and investment). They are maximum one hour long, can be done only in the studio and do not include any family pictures. Once again the best time to do this session is when your little one is between 5-15 days “old”, and like the regular Newborn Session the priority is the security and the comfort of your precious baby so we take as many breaks as needed (feeding, cuddling, …).
Newborn and maternity photography Services in Singapore.
To see more of my portfolio and to get the pricing details of each sessions, please
You will also find a link there to contact me if you have any question and to book your newborn session with me, or you can email me directly at : Photography@Mermozine.com
“Mignonne, allons voir si la rose Qui ce matin avoit desclose Sa robe de pourpre au Soleil, A point perdu ceste vesprée Les plis de sa robe pourprée, Et son teint au vostre pareil.
Las ! voyez comme en peu d’espace, Mignonne, elle a dessus la place Las ! las ses beautez laissé cheoir ! Ô vrayment marastre Nature, Puis qu’une telle fleur ne dure Que du matin jusques au soir !
Donc, si vous me croyez, mignonne, Tandis que vostre âge fleuronne En sa plus verte nouveauté, Cueillez, cueillez vostre jeunesse : Comme à ceste fleur la vieillesse Fera ternir vostre beauté.”
– Pierre de Ronsard
Because there is no Valentine’s Day without Roses
Because I can’t think about Roses without remembering the first verses above.
Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you!
(yes ALL of you – singled or happily married or anything and everything in between, don’t we all need flowers and chocolates at least one day in the year??).
Well well well… here we are again, starting a New Year!
A time to reflect on the past year and dream upon the upcoming one.
To be honest I dreaded 2018. The arrival of my fourth baby was freaking me out, I could not start to imagine how I could possibly take care of 4 kids and run a business at the same time, all of that while being so far away from my family (not babysitting back-up plan with grandma here).
But then, 2018 arrived, and not long after my little man was born. And yes that was a lot of hard work, but it was also an awesome year, maybe my favourite as a mom.
I’m not one of those perfect moms who always entertaine their kids, never turn on the TV, never loose their temper (and did you notice that those moms usually manage to have also perfect hair and make-up!). Our home is often messy, the windows filled with little finger prints, and the fridge often missing something I forgot to buy (and I often look like a “witch))..
But then again, my kids are healthy and happy, we’re living in paradise (a lonely paradise away from home, sometimes though), we did our first (awesome) travel as a family of 6, and I kept my sanity (well most of it ;-)).
It was a year full of laughter (and fights), full of loving and cuddling (and of the big sisters spoiling the baby “but mommy he’s sooo cute!!”). A year full of first times (first grade for one, first time at school for another, first time biking or biking without training wheels, first mandarin classes for all girls, first time sitting alone, first time clapping,…), a year full of energy.
So there is not much more I wish for 2019 (more sleep will be great!!). I don’t really have “new resolutions”. I would just want to be able to do pretty much the same and to spend more time with my parents (and I promised my best-friend to put aside some “me-time” everyday :-)…).
When I first decided to write a blog for Valentine’s Day (I know….how original!!) my plan was to found out some great “historical” facts about the origins of Valentine’s Day. I started “googling” and reading about the legends/history starting in the ancient Roman Empire and as I was naively expecting to read one story/legend about love and romance (although true to some extent) I was overwhelmed by the number of stories/mythologies starting with the imprisonment and execution of poor Saint Valentine in the ancient Roman Empire… So to make it very very short: Valentine’s Day became a symbol of love for different reasons in the Middle Ages (celebration of spring, of love, ..). (you can read more about it here : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day).
As you most probably all noticed, it’s now a very over-commercialised day. It can represent something different for all of us: the declaration of a new love for some, a competition of romance for others, a dreadful day for the singles, …. (and for me really just the day before my birthday ;-)).
In any case I wanted to share with you pictures of Love.
“Un petit peu de douceur dans un monde de brutes”.
– Mothers’ Love –
Valentine’s Day Ⓒ Catherine Houston
– Siblings’ Love –
Valentine’s Day Ⓒ Catherine Houston
– Young Love –
Valentine’s Day Ⓒ Catherine Houston
– and more Love (in Paris…of course) –
Valentine’s Day Ⓒ Catherine Houston
Valentine’s Day Ⓒ Catherine Houston
– and I will finish with one of my favorite quotes from my favorite author:
“Aimer, ce n’est pas se regarder l’un l’autre, c’est regarder ensemble dans la même direction.”(“Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.)
– Antoine de Saint-Exupéry –
Valentine’s Day Ⓒ Catherine Houston
Happy Valentine’s Day!!!
(and if you don’t know what to do on Valentine’s Day, read the “Petit Prince”- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, best book ever about Love).
Food photography in Action (c) Mermozine-Photography
There is many different types of photography that I really love (Newborn and Children Portraits, Travel Photography, Street Photography, …) and one of them is Food Photography. I love good food and I find it to be very interesting to photograph (mostly fruits and vegetables). So many shapes and colours and textures!!
And as a mom I still need to spend quite some time in the kitchen (although sadly I’m not even close from being a good cook myself). So it became naturally quite an habit for me to have my camera on the table while preparing something, as part of the cooking process with my little chefs.
Our last “food photography in action” session involved the making of some apple sauce.
Last week we celebrated our youngest little princess first birthday party!!! And as a “Mammarazzi” (see previous post….) 😉 my job during all our family celebrations/outings is to take lots of pictures for our family books.
And I love to photograph birthday sessions in general. As a photographer you can make a list of “to not miss” shots (almost like a wedding photographer…. rings exchange, the Kiss, family groups, …). Well for a birthday you have the obvious: the Cake, blowing of the candles, opening of the gifts, …
And when it’s a first birthday it’s even more cute because the baby is discovering all of this for the first time. I’m not exactly a big fan of the “cake smashing” photo sessions myself but I liked the idea of a tiny cake that our baby could actually eat.
So here it is..Happy Birthday Miss R.!!!
Birthday CakesWhat’s going on here?Okay, let’s run with it…Wait!!!!Too late….Is that edible??Let’s try…That’s pretty good!!Let’s have more!!!Gift time…
It’s sometimes difficult to get motivated for schoolwork .
Mermozine-Photography Blog 