Down-right Beautiful! The Beauty of Down Syndrome through the Lens

Why do I do this? The reason is simple: I love documenting Love.

There is nothing like watching a mother look at her child and see her love just shine through her every pore. Or watching a father hold their child and see how the child feels so safe and secure in his arms. Or how an older sister hugs them close or an older brother lean in for a kiss. Really. Seriously. There's nothing like it.

This long weekend was blessed with this kind of love. Pure. Unadulterated. Overflowing.

I met Lisha, Ade, and their sweet baby boy Timothy. He didn't like the sun but absolutely loved the affection!

The next day rolled in and I went on a long journey south of Jakarta to meet Ningrum, Sakina and their beautiful family. Sakina is such a handful! She loved life and movement, her little doll, her mommy and her daddy. And her family? They just loved her right back!

Sunday was beauty all over again. Aqila ("smart" in Arabic, her mom informs me) came in with her mommy Nia and Dad and just brought sweetness with her beautiful eyes!

Love like this is addictive. Enticing. And, Life-changing. It opens your heart and your whole being to goodness and kindness and all that is warm and good. This is why I do this. To document Love at work and share what I see with everyone I know, in the hopes that they see it, too.

More to come soon!

Down-right Beautiful: The Beauty of Down Syndrome through the Lens is a collaboration between Chie Sipin Photography, Ikatan Sindroma Down Indonesia (ISDI) and Moms Guide Indonesia. It is a two-pronged project with free Family Portrait Collections for ISDI referrals and 50% contribution to ISDI for all Collections by Chie Sipin Photography for the months of February and March.

Giving back is always a good thing! (Part 2: Featured in Central Park's 360)

It was quite exciting to find Images for a Cure Special Portrait Sessions featured in Central Park Mall's 360 Magazine!

The IFAC project is a brainchild of Orlando based wedding and fashion photographer, Kristen Weaver. It is on its third year of raising funds for The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) by inviting photographers from around the world to donate 100% of their session fees to BCRF for an allotted number of sessions or days.

Aside from donating the session fees to IFAC-BCRF, I also added the CSP Storybook and digital negatives to the Special Portrait Collection for additional donations to Yayasan Kanker Indonesia (YKI) or the Indonesian Cancer Foundation. I thought it was just right to raise awareness and funds for the local organization, too, as this country has been a second home to me for the past decade. It was such a pleasure to be able to share my time and talent for a cause near to my heart! (No pun intended.)

I scheduled a weekend for the cause and, with the help of Ms Ping - a kind heart and owner of Our Dressing Room (beautiful accessories!) - was filled with sign-ups for the event!

The Images for a Cure Special Portrait Sessions were held last November 12, 2011 at Central Park Mall, Jakarta, Indonesia. Six beautiful ladies and their families came over for the event and they were the fun-nest, sweetest and kindest souls I've had the honor of making images for!

Special thanks goes out to another group of beautiful ladies who were there to support the event through their unique talents! Lanny and Abigail, the make-up artists who came to my rescue in such a short notice, thank you for saying yes and for enticing their beautiful souls to emerge. Lala, overall support, thank you for being there and making sure things flowed nice and easy (6 portrait sessions in a day was not easy to manage and hold fort for!). Jai, our stylist, thank you for assisting our beautiful clients in deciding the look and feel of their sessions. Thank you also for reminding me to bring bubbles - they were such a success!

I can't wait for next year's Images for a Cure project! It will most probably be in Manila, Philippines, as my calendar says I'll be there by then. I am so looking forward to meeting the beautiful Filipina souls who will be part of IFAC - Philippines!


(If you'd like to be part of IFAC-Philippines 2012 this October 2012, send me a message through info@chiesipinphotography.com for more details!)


IFAC Special Portrait Sessions Collaborators:
Central Park Mall, Jakarta, Indonesia
Our Dressing Room
Muse Beauty Lounge


To know more about Yayasan Kanker Indonesia (Indonesian Cancer Foundation), click here.
To know more about The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), click here.
To see more images from the IFAC Special Portrait Sessions (Jakarta), click here.

Portraits | A Mother's Day Portrait Session

A beautiful location and a beautiful person make for a beautiful portrait session. And who is more beautiful in a person's eyes than their own mother?

Even in ordinary walkabout clothes, my mom rocked her photoshoot!

She really loved the location because it was so much like the home she's been making for us since we were young: loads of wood, old school and warm.

I don't think anyone can go to Cafe Batavia in Jakarta and not fall in love with the place and the food.

I also don't think there's such a thing as an early Mother's Day. If everyday was Mother's Day, it still wouldn't be enough to celebrate the love our mothers give us.

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Capturing Moments: 3 Quick Tips for Portrait Sessions | Aims

He came very reluctantly and started all shy. Took him about 5 minutes to warm up but once he did, we were on a roll!

I love this portrait session for many reasons but I've narrowed it down to three. And, coincidentally, these are the three top things I put in to most of my portrait sessions.

Quick Tip #1: Use what you have.

These are backyard shots. I love our backyard. This goes to show that any place is a good place with the right light.

Quick Tip #2: Short and sweet.

All these happened in 30 minutes. 

Quick Tip #3: Bond with your subject.

These are all of one of the best birthday gifts I've ever received: my youngest brother. Isn't he the sweetest?

These 3 Quick Tips are not the end all of portraiture, but they work for me most of the time.  If you have a tip to share for portraiture, please share it in the comments section below so we can spread the information and enjoy prettier images all around. :)

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A Quick Look at 11 (My Top Fifteen Favorite Blog Images (2011)

How else should a photographer and blogger end her year and start a new one? With pictures and a write-up ofcourse!

My Top Fifteen Favorite Blog Images (2011)

I love these eyelashes! 

Graduated from Primary School and now off to High School.  Yes, high school.

BBFF! Boys Best Friends Forever! 

Megan and her enigmatic smiles. :)

This is one slice of life I so appreciate being there to capture. (In a wedding, a father speaks to his son.)

China Town in Jakarta.  I love the colors and the faces!

Life is a never ending process of learning. (A model relaxes in the middle of a photo shoot.)

Slice of life in school.  (Reading is a must!)

A special project with Images for a Cure brought these beautiful images to life. 

Right smack in the middle of Halloween and Christmas, we find this little pirate elf! :)

I love this a whole lot! The glee on their faces and the way they cover their mouths!  So funny.  So full of uninhibited life! I love love love! 

Let's end... and begin again with laughter.  Pure unadulterated laughter and joy!

Happy New Year to all. Let's start with clean slates and start making beautiful big pictures for all of us!

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