What a cutie pie!

She looked sooo tiny among those tall trees!

Curious with the bubbles!

And she loves to explore!

She definitely loves water!

An attempt with this little red chair!

For the rest of the session, Little Shuen preferred to be in her parents’ arms. So we continued on with more family portraits. Daddy Y & Mommy K were soooo good with her, making her smile & laugh all the time.

Happy moment with Mommy K!

Love being in Daddy Y's arms!

Hello there!

Daddy, I want a kiss too!

Mommy K decided to leave her professional job & started her own home-based financial consultant services. This is so that she can have more time with her little girl & see her grow. She’s also breastfeeding Little S fulltime till this very moment! A very dedicated mommy!

Mommy K playing with her little girl.

Taking a short break to nurse her baby.

Love this "mood" shot!

Some more family moments.

Sweet!

What a beautiful family!

They're so happy!

She's so inquisitive!

And finally…

Such chubby legs!

A big thumbs-up to Daddy Y & Mommy K for bringing up such a wonderful baby! Thank you so much for the happy time we’ve shared & the precious friendship offered. Will definitely see you all again soon… for a swimming session with the girls, aye? *hugs*

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Daddy W called his little boy as “The Boss” and Mommy C nicknamed him “Cow-Boy”. Hahaha… such lovely parents indeed! Little J greeted me with such a huge smile & we started the photo session with a drawer prop his parents brought along.

We were nearby a bicycle stand & I saw this beautiful yellow bike among the other bicycles parked there. I couldn’t resist!

Then we drove around the neighborhood & I saw a little field of wildflowers on an undeveloped land. I was ecstatic! Daddy W wasn’t too sure of my choice of location at first but he came along nevertheless! Good thing he did cos these are the results from the “field trip”. Hehehe…

Then Little J started getting all cranky but we managed to bribe him with baby biscuits to last the remaining session. Daddy & Mommy brought another prop and we all agreed it’s our favorite prop of the day!

Little J has this really cute expression when he dislikes something and his parents was telling me that they never get the chance to capture that expression on their camera. However, Little J decided to give me a chance & I quickly took it!

I was literally jumping up & down for joy when I managed to capture this special moment for his parents. I think my own crazy antic shocked Daddy & Mommy that day. Hehehe…

I’d like to thank my beloved hubby for tagging along & helping out during this session. ♥ I love you, Darling!

We had such a great time & we parted as friends that day. Hope to catch up again one day, Daddy W & Mommy C! THANK YOU so so much for your constant moral support. Take good care of each other now. *hugs*

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Oh how she’s grown into a little pretty princess! She loves music & is very attached to Mommy M. She’s still on Mommy M’s breast-milk & that’s really THE BEST a mother can give to her child! Look at how happy Baby S is…

Little Sophia at 6-month old. CUTENESS OVERLOAD!

Isn't she beautiful?

Her cute little feet!

Happy little girl with dearest Mommy M

And with doting Daddy J

Happy Family!

My all time favorite family portrait! So much love!

Something more arty.

Their family portrait session had to come to an end with Little S all tired out. She came sleeping and left sleeping as well!

Winding down...

Finally fell asleep on daddy's shoulder. Awww...

Once again, THANK YOU so much Daddy J & Mommy M for meeting up & sharing such a wonderful session with me. You’ve done a brilliant job with Baby S! Looking forward to see you all again one day soon. Meantime, take good care of each other. You’re always in my thoughts. *hugs*

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I remembered spending most of my childhood time with her being in our home. Taking good care of our food & drinks, ensuring we have our naps in the afternoon, and constantly saving up what little money we have so we can buy new clothes during festive seasons such as Chinese New Year & Christmas. I remembered how she taught me how to write, and how she constantly supported my interest in reading.

At one stage in my childhood life, I had head lice problem from school. She’ll spend every afternoon after lunch to comb my hair & look for the eggs. She never gave up until she found a solution to rid all of those pesky lice. From “washing” my hair with diesel oil, to washing my hair EVERYDAY. She finally brought me to the hair salon to have my hair permed, in hope that the perming chemicals will kill them all! I ended up having a disastrous hairstyle at the age of 10 but yeah… the lice were gone for good!

Our everyday life is filled with activities. Be it helping out with house chores, or studying, or playing. She managed our time so well.

And that’s how I hope to do the same for my own child. Hence, my decision to be a SAHM (stay at home mother) rather than pursuing a career in the corporate world. I’m very lucky that I am able to turn my photography hobby into a home-based business. Well… home-based at least for now. At least I still can bring in some bucks to boost the family’s living quality. Most importantly, more savings for our little girl’s future.

I want to be with my little girl while she grows. I saw her first crawl, her first baby steps. And am looking forward to experience her first of everything. Every night before I sleep, I silently thank the Lord for giving me such an opportunity to do so.  And I still have my own mother around & being able to help with caring for my little girl while I build my business.

I know not many mommies out there are as lucky as I am. Ever since I started my photography business, I’ve met so many mommies who have shared with me about their mommy-hood. Each has their own way of handling their life as a mother, a wife & earning a living for the family.

Below is a poll of which I hope my dear mommy readers can contribute & share with us. It is meant to let every mother that visits my blog know that they are NOT alone in their struggles of balancing the many roles in our lives. So feel free to share your experiences in the comment section as well as “vote” below. This is a multiple choice poll.

We are going away for a short family trip this weekend to celebrate both my mum’s birthday as well as darling Francis’ first Father’s Day. I’m taking time off to be with my family, hence, I won’t be able to check my emails until Monday. My editing frenzy will also cease until we return and  I’ll start at a much slower pace as my mum will be returning home to Kuching for a short break. I’ll be on full-time mommy duties until my mum’s back with us. But this doesn’t mean I’m neglecting my clients, ya!

Here’s wishing you a blessed weekend and a very Happy Father’s Day to all daddies in the world!

Two dedicated daddies with their daughters. *heart*

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My desk drawer is filled with all kinds of prayers. ~ Geraldine Ferraro

And mine’s filled with my baby! Literally! Hahaha… After my recent featured article on Chiq Clicks, I decided that it’ll be fun to compile all the drawer shots I’ve done to share with you all here. So here goes…

My very first drawer shot with my baby girl, Haley when she was just 4-month old.

With a wooden drawer

Little Jeen How in one of his parents' drawer.

Little Chermaine in a drawer from her baby wardrobe.

Little Angela in a drawer from one of her God-Mother's plastic cabinet.

Little Joey in a drawer from her parents' TV cabinet

Little Jia Hao in a drawer from her parent's built-in bedroom cabinet.

So there! The next time you decide to engage me for your baby portrait session, bring a drawer and you’ll put me in photography heaven! Hahaha…

Hmmm… I think my next project will be with flower pots! Any takers?

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Anyway… today I’m stealing some time away from my tight schedule to give a heads-up to you, my readers & friends, on an article I’ve contributed for a new blog for women photographers called Chiq Clicks. I’m sharing some tips on how to photograph babies & children based on my own experience, so head on over & I hope you’ll find it helpful & interesting. I’d love to hear what you think as well, so do feel free to leave some in the comment section.

I’ll try to update this blog sometime soon, so hang on tight & come back soon! Till then, have a great week ahead!

Hugs,

Asther

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Layang-Layang Island has played a huge role in my life. (you can read them here) So, this trip meant a lot to me since my last time there in 2008. Hubby & I had our honeymoon there too. I even had it in my WILL that upon my death, I’d like my ashes to be scattered around the atoll. I was so looking forward to bringing my Little Haley to meet my dear friends & ex-colleagues at the resort.

I was ecstatic to find that the wildflowers & weeds were beautifully thriving on the man-made island. So how can mummy resist! Once again, Little Haley became mummy’s little star during this sunset photo session. Hope you love them as much as I love capturing them. Let me know what you think. Haley’s almost 14-month when these were captured.

Beautiful sun & wildflowers! That's the staff quarters I used to live in while working there as a dive instructor/dive-guide.

Our Little Haley!

Beautiful sun-ray peeping thru the trees.

My TWO DARLINGS!

*heart*

She loves playing with daddy!

... and playing with the "lalangs" or wild weeds too!

Hehehe...

My Baby!

She totally ignored us when we called out for her!

She loves daddy’s Rudy sunglasses!

Putting it on for daddy!

On second thought, she wants it for herself!

*dreaming*

This is the only "family" portrait we had on this trip.

And then we head over to the pool for some fun dipping! This is Haley’s first underwater portrait.

Splash!

Here’s a simple slideshow I’ve compiled for your viewing pleasures.

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The sun was up pretty early that fine morning but we managed to get some pretty sunlight before it got too hot being outdoor. I looked around their home for some props for the session and then we hopped into my truck & headed to a nearby park. We were pleasantly surprised with the presence of many wild weeds & flowers. Although Little Joey wasn’t in her best mood that day, both Daddy JW and Mommy P did a great job in interacting with their little munchkin. Hence, we’ve got some pretty cute & happy moments during the outing.

Okay… let’s meet Little Joey with her papa and mama. We came by a little spot of pretty wildflowers accompanied with such pretty pretty sunlight!

Pretty!

Bubbles are always my best "attraction weapon".

Then we headed towards the little playground. It was a weekday, hence, we had the whole place to ourselves! Excellent!

Cute!

Joey's first time on a see-saw!

Little Joey loves playing “peek-a-boo” with my camera!

There she goes!

My fav!

Peek-a-boo!

Here are some fun moments with daddy & mommy!

Look at that smile!

With Mommy P!

TOTALLY engrossed with the bubble gun!

Daddy did this little stunt with Joey. He said she normally loves to stand on his palm like this.

Awww... what a sweet family portrait!

MORE bubbles fun!

She's so thirsty after all that fun!

Then the sun got too hot and we headed back to their little home for some indoor moments. Little Joey has a room specially dedicated for her playing time! The sunlight lighted the room just perfectly, so that made me a very happy photographer indeed.

She's sooo happy to be just in her diaper!

Awwww... She love her Winnie the Pooh!

Mommy P decided to dress her up in her new birthday dress & shoes!

Thank you Mommy P for having me over and sharing your little family with me that day. You’ve done a great job with Little Joey and I’m very sure she’ll grow up beautifully!

Mommy P requested for a special slideshow to be done for Joey’s birthday party so I’ve uploaded it here for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

(Remember to click on the play button then pause it to give time for the video to fully load so that you can view the show without interruption)

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I’ve known Amin for YEARS during my scuba teaching days. But I’ve never met his lovely wife, Shareen, until last year when I was engaged by Amin to do their FIRST ever photography session with a professional photographer. (not that am calling myself one! )

One fine day in November 2009, I received a call from an unknown cellphone number. Turned out it was Amin, calling from his personal line! He asked me if I’m free to document his moments with his wife as a wedding anniversary gift to her. They were going to celebrate their 14th Anniversary together as husband & wife come December 2009 and they had never had an official photography session even on their wedding day! Well… it’s never too late! Even if it’s already 14 years down the road.

To make it even more meaningful & memorable, Shareen was diagnosed with TWO types of cancer in within 13 months period! Thanks to God the Almighty, she survived them, having to go through series of surgeries & chemo & what-not. So Amin thought this special portrait session might cheer her up.

I was thrilled! So we communicated via emails to plan the photo session. From make-up service to a tiny surprise of a beautiful hand-bouquet for Shareen. I asked Amin what’s her favorite flower and it happened to be an ornate yellow Oncidium orchid, also commonly known as the “Dancing Lady Orchid”. I did a research on the internet and found a few gorgeous samples of hand-bouquet with the said orchid, then I forwarded them to the florist to order.

Hand-bouquet by Summer Pots Florist

Totally Gorgeous!

After her make-up session at their home, we headed over to Bukit Gita Bayu Clubhouse for some intimate portraits.

Shareen's beautiful shoes!

Make-up by Julie of Manja Brides

Amin preparing for the session.

The love birds were all smiles accompanied by such pretty morning sun that day.

I totally can feel that they're communicating with each other with just by looking at each other!

Sun flare surrounding them with love!

Sigh...

Happiness!

Lovely!

Gorgeous couple, aren't they?

They're so at ease infront of my camera!

One of my fav!

I'm so lucky to have such gorgeous clients!

Smooch!

Shareen had had a surgery JUST one month ago prior to this photo session! Yet she showed such strength & beauty during our time together. You Go GIRL! *salute*

Wow!

Natural Beauty!

She's such a natural infront of the camera too!

Amin and Shareen are proud parents of FIVE children. Yup! FIVE gorgeous children! Shareen was so thrilled over the portrait session that she brought her girls for a shopping spree! She did such a wonderful job in coordinating the attires for her family. Such exquisite taste! Come see for yourself.

Gorgeous family!

The girls!

And the boys!

One big happy family!

Their eldest daughter, Afiqah.

Their second daughter, Amira

Their eldest son, Aiman

Their youngest daughter, Aisyah

And their youngest son, Adam!

Shareen is a stay-at-home mom and I gotta say she’s done such a brilliant job being a wife & mother to her family. So I’m going to dedicate this post to her as a Belated Happy Mother’s Day celebration. Thank you Amin & Shareen for sharing a little part of your family with me. And thank you Shareen for the new friendship bond. May it grow as the time goes by… Take good care of yourself & your family. Hope to see you all again soon! *hugs*

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So I went to their little home and found the babies in the midst of their nap time. I went into their bedroom and Mommy S helped me re-arranged their baby cots towards the window. Then I started with a few shots over there. Mommy S should be proud of her little angels cos …they’re so playful & good natured!

Little Devesh still asleep

But Little Devya is wide awake!

Little Devya's feet!

She's got such pretty eyes!

And then her little brother's time to wake-up!

Then we headed over to the living room. I totally love their little home cos it’s full of antique furniture and very nicely lighted with big windows.

Cute! This is Devya & Devesh is behind her.

Loving her fingers!

Handsome Little Devesh!

Look at this fantastic antique!

And the twins seem to like to be on top of it!

Mommy S wants to have some outdoor shots, so we took some in their little porch and garden. It was in the afternoon and the sun was pretty high up but we managed to find some little corners.

Love the old chair!

Some tummy time!

Hehehe...

Then we headed back indoor.

Little Devesh

Little Devya (I think...)

Little Devesh again!

And big sister, Devya (I think... I'm confused!)

Here are some little moments with Mommy S

Awww...

Mommy S with Little Devesh.

Sweet!

And here’s all three generations in one moment captured!

It has been 4 months since this session was done and recently Mommy S told me they had had their first tooth at the very same exact location and time! Fancy that!

Thank you so much dear Mommy S for having me over that day. I had such a memorable moment with your twins and I pray that they’ll grow up to be such wonderful people just like their mommy! Hope to come over and visit you all again sometime soon.

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