Snap snap snap!

One of my favourite things to do while planning a TFL shoot is...thinking about what cover shots to take. You know the cover shots that go to TFL Facebook page cover photo, profile pic and of course, the so-important homepage gigantic photo!

I used to be very lousy at doing up the homepage montage. I think I still am. So one of the best ways to make the site look good, I deduce, is by having a pretty photo, preferably taken out of the studio. That makes it tons easier to beautify everything. It's like magic! With a scenic background, the fall of the natural sunlight and everything looking more real out of the studio, it's like you can visualise better how the outfit/shoes/bag will look on you! Well, if dusk falls or if it rains, then it's back to googling for ways to touch up a photo until we can all drown happily in its prettiness.

I love outdoor shoots! But to drag many many bags along for outdoor shoots is no easy feat. Still, I look forward to many such opportunites to do so! I think I've finally found a photographer whom I can better afford for outdoor shoots! *fingers crossed*

After much post-processing

I had always been smitten with The Sartorialist and how the photographer captures real-life fashion. There's the high street fashion, daily wear kind of fashion and people of all occupations and ages. That, I feel, is what fashion is all about. Not about affording the most luxurious brands or only high street fashion, but about adapting clothes to your personal style and looking good and comfortable in it.

From Series 82, the photo above was a street-style shot the photographer captured upon my request. I love everything about the outfit! My model's ombre side braid, the scarf prints (I had always love such prints!), the pastel blazer, the shoes and of course the bags! I thought it was a very un-Singaporean kind of outfit, if you know what I mean. It is an outfit that I would wear to death! Think that was also the first time I put up a launch with a bag that comes in 2 sizes! So cuteeeee! The boys were saying that it was odd for the model to hold 2 bags together, but that was exactly my point! This shot was meant to be placed in the Facebook page as a preview of what was coming up next and I wanted customers to see that there are 2 sizes! 一目了然，you know!

But such simple-looking shots didn't come easy because the shot was done at a public place and it was really 人來人往! This short series of outdoor shots was done at around 630pm. Before that we were rushing some studio shots. Though the lighting is not fantastic, resulting in some blurriness, I'm still happy that we got some nice shots! Kudos to the team! =))

A series of shots done after the street shot, but didn't make it to the site! Thought I would do it some justice by showing them here! It was really getting dark then!

 I thought the fluffy hearts slippers my photographer worn was really cute!

Ever grateful to my photographer for accomodating all my ideas, no matter how impossible they sound at first!

It can takes about 20-30mins to get that one nice shot for the cover. For some reason, my photographer has a tendency to take portrait shots when I needed it landscape. Why, Jenny, why? Alright, actually lucky she did, or you girls won't be able to see how nice TFL shoes are! =))

The shop owner was very nice to allow us to snap away at her shopfront, with permission asked, of course!

I like the bell boy stand thing in the shop! Grand and unique! I had really liked this shot, but ahhh, where are the shoes?? No choice, as there wasn't enough space for us to capture a shot that can show off the beautiful Colour Splash Wedges. =(

It wasn't as easy to snap in front of the shop as I thought. For a while, we ended up catching all our reflections in the glass. But to save our face, thou shalt not show the photos, because we really look silly standing lifelessly under the hot sun. 

Just so you know, I'm not the only one that have wacky ideas. =D That was my photographer's suggestion. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the colours came out! Thank you, Jenny! Kudos to Fran for being so pro to lie on this forsaken bench! When asked to, Fran was like, oh sure, and bam, she laid on the bench! I think I hadn't even answer Jenny if I wish to try out this idea! And really Fran, your face where got look big in the photos??

This was for collection 85, if I remembered correctly. There was this very pretty floral fishtail dress, that I thought would be best showcased in a real-life scenario. The let-the-skirt-tail-fly-in-the-air kind of feel. So my model was to walk across the road, towards the photographer, smiling and with the skirt tail flying. 

I thought it was easy. You should see my photographer's face when I suggested the idea. She knew better. Haha!

This was like the most decent photo after 10 tries. Xuan is so patient to keep crossing the road and smiling! We wasted quite a bit of time waiting for Mr Green man for Xuan to start crossing the road. Xuan came up with the brilliant idea to cross half-way and U-turn back! This shot was captured once she U-turned half-way. Now why didn't we think of that??

One of us thought it would make a better photo, if Jenny was to take the photo 45 degrees across from Xuan. So we ran to the other side of the road but it turned out even more impossible. 

Too many pedestrians and too many vehicles crossing into the photo! But 人漂亮就是漂亮! Xuan definitely still stands out in the photo!

This shoot was for the National Day week and I had wanted to bring a Singapore scarf my in-laws got from the NDP preview goodie bag, but I FORGOT!! So we made do with the national flag. 

Ideas come to me randomly. 

This was one of the latest ever we had our shoot. It started from 8pm till 11pm, but one of the best things about photoshoots is having a team that won't compromise on photo quality and yet fun to work with. Times flies during a photoshoot!

Xuan looking like a doll, with the floral dress, hot pink clutch and big wide eyes. A patriotic doll. =D

We had to move away the mirror and cupboard, so that we could get a full length shot, landscape style. I thought the black satin curtains makes a great backdrop for the contrast of colours! It was an impromptu idea at 10pm!

Sometimes (actually, very often) I'm so caught up with the idea of having a nice cover shot that I underestimate the difficulty in getting a shot right. Like in this case, it took us 20 tries before a suitable shot was captured!

More failed shots! Xuan was supposed to do a shout-out happily kind of expression, with one leg raised. In some shots, we got the model's expression right, but the flag went down on us or went in the wrong direction. No crescent, no stars! Flag, why you no cooperate??

I remembered it was nearing 11pm, and I got a bit anxious when we couldn't nail the right shot. It was like a oh no, should I fuss over a right photo and hold everyone back or just make do with whatever shots we got. Thankfully, the girls were really cooperative and the last shot was IT! Thank you, Jenny! Thank you, Xuan!

One good thing about blogging is it reminds me that I have nice people around to help make TFL work! No, it's not about buying them with money. It doesn't work that way. It does take a bit of luck (and fervent praying, haha!) to get the right team together and I'm grateful for the models & the photographers I've met! 

You can check out TFL Series 89 album on TFL Facebook Page to see it! I love that shot!

Coming up for next launch! The white skater dress is such a lovely & comfy piece! See! Under sunlight, it is not sheer at all! Xuan & Jenny were so nice to agree to my wacky idea of Xuan standing on the road for the cover shot! I like the curve of the sidewalk , the rustic-ness of the road, the upward sloping of the highway and the big strong trees, almost forming a canopy over the vehicles.

At 5pm when traffic was getting heavy, it was no easy feat! I was doing 把風看車! But the girls are getting more and more adept at this! It took us only 18 tries! I really think that was lucky! You gals are angels! =DD

I look forward to having more fun with such cover shots! And when my budget (and energy) permits, I hope to do some outdoor shoots too! 

Thank you for all your loves, my dear customers! The 2nd half of 2012 is going to bring about a lot of new growth opportunities for Tian Fen Lan. I'm a bit nervous, honestly. Because doing it all alone also mean I got to bear all the good and bad of whatever decision I make, with no one to tell me how to. (The Husband makes a lousy advisor, shh, don't say I say.)

That aside, I'm really thankful that for the people who email TFL, giving me the chance to grow TFL! I don't know how you get to know of TFL and why you think TFL can make it (because sometimes I don't during my PMS moments.), but really, thank you thank you thank you! =))

I want to keep improving TFL, better photos, better operation system, better quality stuff, prettier bags, prettier clothes & shoes. And yes, I want TFL to grow bigger too! It is always so heartwarming to see new customers telling me they are introduced to TFL by their sisters/aunties/nieces/colleagues/friends. Thank you so much for sharing, girls!


I wonder how you girls start sharing, like, "Eh, you know this shop that sells bags?" or "Waaaah, where did you get your bag/shoes/dress from?? 很美!! Tell me NOW!!" =D

This really takes the cake, when asked on how the customer knows of TFL!

Awww.....so sweeeet!!! Thank you, Rong Xuan!!! =DDD 

I'm truly flattered! I'm unsure if TFL is that known, judging from the FB likes on TFL Page, but this is really a great encouragement! I hope more customers will 'like' TFL for it to cross the 1,000 mark soon on TFL Page! Maybe I need to put more nice updates on TFL FB page!

Ending off this post with a back view of Xuan's gorgeous tresses! You should see it in real life! The hair that has both my photographer & I admiring! Clumsy me can never tong my hair like that!

Happy Sunday, my dear readers! I'm gonna work like mad to grow TFL!! *muacks muacks*

Metta,

欣雨 Xinyu