"As we grow up we realise that it is less important to have lots of friends, and more important to have real ones."

Qihui and Seirye were my friends from high school - Seirye used to sit next to me in class! And we always get confused when teachers call one of us as our names were similar sounding - my Chinese name is Ze Rae. In one of my trips back to Singapore, we finally managed to squeeze a portrait session in. 

Best friends for almost two decades, they got married at almost similar times, and then started a family of their own. It was a barrel of laughter with these two mommies, their husbands and their very adorable baby boys! Godmas to each other's little ones, they even have matching stuffed bunnies! With smiles that can light up the room (when it chooses to appear), and being comfortable enough to dig each other's noses (seriously, I laughed till my sides ached), little munchkin and little hyukster look set to follow in their mummies footsteps to be best friends forever too!

I'm incredibly thankful that photography has given me the opportunity to reconnect with old friends, and share a small part of celebrating together with them, some of their life milestones.

She's cute and sweet and so much fun!

Celebrating little milestones and watching tiny babies grow into cheeky, babbling, salivating little one year olds is such an honour. I first met baby R when she is just a little over a month old. Even then, she could lift her head easily, and gave the cutest expressions. Now the one year old, is just as inquisitive. Once she had some time to warm up to the camera, I was really entertained by her laughter and giggles.

"Being a family means you are a part of something very wonderful. It means you will love and be loved for the rest of your life."

Despite the heat and wet grass, there was just so much laughter and love to go around. When Michelle Ann Iking first contacted me and asked if I can snap some quick photos of her extended family (who were home from various parts of the world), I was a little worried about time constraints. But that proved to be unnecessary, as this family were so easy to photograph. They just enjoy being each other's presence so much, that it translated into photos. 

An extended family with three grandchildren, the Suppiahs were so very photogenic. The three #premiumblend tots were also a joy. I met one of the best behaved two-year olds! He was all handsome smiles and charm, while his 4-month old baby sister and 2-month old cousin, were just adorable - with their huge eyes and super special smiles.

Every good and perfect gift is from above.
James 1:17a

It is only when I look at my friends, that I realise I'm growing older. From engagement parties, to wedding invites, and then to baby showers, full moon parties... and soon, very very soon... first year birthday parties - I'm now resigned to introducing myself as 'Aunty Sam'.

Ben & Serena are very good friends of my husband and I. We were there for each other's life celebration - from the proposals and engagement parties, to the weddings. And now, for Ben & Serena, from bump to welcoming little baby D. 

So when Ben asked if I could make some trips to Singapore to photograph their maternity portraits and subsequently their latest addition, of course I said yes! When I first said hello to baby D, it is immediately apparent that he has inherited both his parents best qualities - his mummy's sweet smile, and his daddy's cheekiness (those dimples!).

'I like that!' A few months later, on my birthday, she remembered and gifted it to me. I was the happiest 6 year old with a gold ring of her own. That is the earliest recollection I have of my mummy. I still remember looking forward to every Chinese New Year, where it would appear from her safekeeping, and I would wear it proudly, showing it to anyone who said hello to me (I was a little bit of a showoff then..maybe now too!).

Mummy is the one we (with the exception of the baby in the family, my brother) are really afraid of. With dad being busy at work most of the time, she became the disciplinarian at home. I remembered vividly once when I was in primary school. She found out I told a lie, got so incensed that she immediately took the rotan. The next thing I knew, a game of chase around the large dining table at home ensued. I ran till the both of us were out of breath. Just when I thought I had evaded her... - to all children, if you have been naughty, please accept your punishment quickly. If you run, the punishment is a lot worse... I speak from experience.

As I grew up, moved out and got married, mummy became one of my closest friends. Problems with work, arguments with husband, falling out with friends - she always have good advice and I know she will always have my back. 

Whether she works full time or is a stay-at-home-mom, whether she has a helper or not, whether she has one, three, ten OR one kid on-the-way - mothers are cheerleaders when we feel down, they are the maids who wash and iron, sweep and mop, teachers who help with school work, doctors who worry and look after you when you are sick, and they also feed and cook! They wear so many hats!

In honour of the superwomen in our lives, from now till the end of May, Samantha Yong Photography celebrates MOTHERS! When you book in for a photography session for May 2016, you will receive a box of beautiful blooms (worth RM50), from the gorgeous people at Boxing Blooms, delivered to the special lady in your life! On top of that, everyone can get matchy matchy, with a set of 4 personalised family t-shirts (worth RM216) from blackmilkproject. 

Sessions are limited, head on to CONTACT ME, if you would like to book one in.

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MORE GOODIES!

Psst... if you haven't heard, one of my favourite vendors - the talented peeps at blackmilkproject is running an instagram giveaway! Join in the fun for some awesome personalised goodies + a free session with yours truly! Contest ends 30 April 2016.

The beautiful Iking-Azmi children are wearing tops from the blackmilkproject's food truck collection.

Cake is the Answer!

Baby turning ONE is indeed a milestone worthy of celebration! This is not only for the little one, but also for mum and dad - who survived the many diaper changes and sleepless nights.

Of late, I've received many requests for ‪#‎cakesmash‬ photography sessions, which are such a fun and adorable way to celebrate! To help parents (especially first-timers), I've put together some tips to prepare for a stress free and enjoyable cake smash.

1. Begin with a theme in mind

Whether it is animals or sofia the first, choosing a theme would allow you to coordinate outfits, balloons and even cake! It will also make sure you stay on track, especially in creating a cohesive coloured set. You wouldn't want to have pink and purple balloons in a safari themed session. 

You can also opt to go simple - by choosing a colour palette of complementary colours. For example - baby pink, blush, white and gold; baby blue, white, and navy blue; white and gold; purple, pink, and cream.

2) Location

For beautiful, well-lit photos, it is essential that your location be filled with a good amount of natural light. Not too crowded spaces are also the most ideal for photography. You can choose to have it at home, where there is a large enough area or at a favourite park. 

3) Cake matters

While the detailing on fondant cakes are beautiful to look at and photograph, they are not smash friendly. Go for something fluffy and soft, as it can be easily squished and 'pounded' on by the little hands. For mummies who know how to work an oven, there are a ton of recipes online for you to work with.

For the ones, like me (I may just burn the kitchen down!), who have not learned the art of baking , you can let your caker baker know that you want a small cake (a 500g cake would be more than enough) for a baby cake smash. They should know what to do!

p/s: You can refer to some of my favourite bakers in the Klang Valley at the end of the post.

4) Preparing the birthday boy/girl

It is important to get the star of the show - the birthday boy/girl - ready and enthusiastic! Not all babies like getting their hands all mushed up with cake. To prep, I highly recommend giving them cupcakes (baby safe ones - ie not too sweet and with no preservatives) a few times prior to the scheduled session. Encourage them to have a go at feeding themselves - and don't worry about the mess, you can clean that up later.

5) Eat cake and have fun!

Children will be children. Let them laugh, cry and go on a exploration of their senses during the session.

Cake get into their hair, it's OK;
on their dress, that's OK too;
into their mouth, even better!

When they are allowed to be exactly who they are, that's when some of my favourite photos are created. Mummies, daddies, big brothers and sisters can also join the fun, and have a taste of cake, and make some sweet memories. 

RECOMMENDED VENDORS

BAKERS
1. it's baked by Suli
2. temptation by JinAnn
3. porcupine place 

BALLOONS
balloon puff by Rachel

PARTY PLANNERS
You may opt to have someone bring the balloons, cake and style a session especially for you - 
1. Su Yen
2. Pretty Little Things
3. Moments

Ready to get smashin and book a session? Get in touch, to find out more!

celebrating the cuddly two-year old hunk who is
already winning everyone's hearts with his charms.

From taking tentative baby steps to running (and making his parents chase after him); from blabbering to short sentences; one of my favourite little cheeky human turned the BIG TWO!  Little C may not be a baby anymore, but one thing remains - his love for animals! All through the shoot, he was saying long words like - rinoteros (rhinoceros) and efant (elephant).

This family of November babies (mom, dad and baby's birthdays are all days apart), is always such a joy to photograph and hang out with. 

Style is when the inside is as
beautiful as the outside
- Coco Chanel

One of the most stylish families I've photographed, it was all super cool, despite the heat of the day. Baby E was all handsome smiles and chuckles. Watch out world, he is definitely going to be a heartbreaker - with his mohawk-styled hair and moustached pacifier!

A baby fills a place in your heart that you never knew was empty.

When daddy and mommy asked for a kiss, he obliged and planted a huge, long, sloppy one on their lips. When this teething chuckle bunny laughed (which was very often), he will show off his four tiny baby teeth. 

Children grow up too fast, and photographs are the best way to preserve memories, especially when they celebrate their first year on earth.

It's the most powerful creation to have life growing inside of you, there is no bigger gift.

At this time of writing, this gorgeous and warm couple would have been parents for almost 6 months! Iman and Shazan are such beautiful people. They had a good sense of humor, and it was very obvious how in love they were, and how excited they are about welcoming their very first baby!

It was so special being invited to capture their love, reminiscing about Perth (Murdoch Uni for the win!), and getting some slobber on from their motley crew of dogs - that Great Dane is all sorts of cool!