Although they are well-known and highly acclaimed for their work as wedding photographers, most would be pleased to know that Antelope Studios has decided to break into the market of newborn photography; perfect for families like us! We thus jumped at the opportunity to engage Sherman (who shot both our wedding and maternity photoshoot) for our newborn photo shoot.

Prior to the shoot, we mutually agreed that we wanted to steer clear from a stereotypical newborn shoot aka dressing up the little munchkin in cute clothes and placing her in a basket of sorts. Sherman had envisioned a simple and clean shoot, a shoot that would be less complex than our maternity shoot (with the decor and whatnot). We also chose to shoot when Ruth hit 3 weeks of age (as opposed to being a few days old) so that her features would be slightly more developed, and better captured on film.

There wasn’t much to prepare for the shoot other than putting together a couple of outfits for Ruth and procuring a fluffy rug for her to lie down on during the shoot. Again, already being super overwhelmed with caring for a newborn without the aid of a confinement nanny, we weren’t able to grab one from Ikea and picked up this discounted blanket for S$17 from Spotlight instead. If you can save money, just save the money; it doesn’t pay to be complicated.

As for Ruth’s outfits, my mom actually crocheted a white wool blanket (which would double up as a swaddle) and a white dress (that bears resemblance to a baptism dress) before Ruth was born. So it was pretty much a gamble as to whether Ruth would be able to fit into the dress at all but we’re so happy that she did! Ruth was also blessed to be able to wear her jiejie Eva’s ribbon headband to complete her outfits and we’re surprised that she actually cooperated with the same throughout the duration of the shoot too!

We shot at RAW, Antelope Studios’ studio at 48 Niven Road. You’ve probably seen this space featured in the photos of various online influencers (whether for their maternity shoot or otherwise) and even in the catalogues of various bridal studios. The space was clean and was filled with simple plant decor. Of course, if you’re looking for a more elaborate setup, we’re sure that Antelope Studios would be more than happy to work with your vision for your photoshoot!

We love working with Sherman because he’s excellent at working with what he has on hand. The dried maize in the shoot above were from a random vase at the corner of the studio. He and his wife, Anna, were able to put together the lovely setup above within the course of a few minutes but of course, with all children, it took FOREVER for Ruth to look up into the lens (or at least have some semblance of facing the lens). Sherman’s also extremely dedicated to his craft and he came armed with many different concepts for our shoot; a hardworking attitude that we will always applaud and appreciate!

But yes, as with all little ones, remember to attend your photoshoot with all the essentials that you’ll need for feeding, changing and sleeping. We brought Ruth to the shoot in her regular onesie and only changed her out of that when we were at the studio, just in case she decided to do a poonami on the way there. We also brought along at least 5-6 diapers, a portable changing mat, wet wipes and drapolene. And as Ruth was still not latching well, we made sure to pack a bottle, some formula and a flask of hot water. Do also pack an extra outfit (one for the shoot and one for going home) just in case any of them become unfortunately soiled during the course of the shoot.

Antelope Studios / RAW
48 Niven Road
Singapore 228396
Tel: +65 9636 1050
www.antelopestudios.com
[email protected]