#SG50: My Love & Dreams for Singapore <爱与梦想> Exhibition & Book Launch @ The Arts House

About 2 years ago, I was approached by Ada to take photos of our family. This was part of her team's My Love & Dreams for Singapore project where they use their camera lens to help express the lives, dreams and stories of 50 Singaporeans.

I was happy to share my dreams and our family stories with others {I mean, that's why I blog right?? haha} and gladly accepted her invitation. Around that time, I just came back from Northern Territory, Australia and it was a life-changing experience {particularly when we went to the nature parks & waterfalls}.

I was so inspired by the trip and told Ada that I'd like her to capture the essence of family, love, adventure, freedom, nature and uniqueness for our family photo-shoot. I imagined us being wild and free at the beach. The kind where you don't mind walking barefoot in squishy sand, getting your dress covered in dirt and hair messed up by the murky salty seawater （>∀<）

She gamely took up the challenge and delivered splendidly. These are some of the shots she took of us and as you can see, I loved them so much that I've using them in my blog and social media sites design for the past few years (´∀｀)♡

Fast-forward 2 years later, Ada and her team have finally collected the dreams and stories of 50 Singaporeans in time to celebrate Singapore's Golden Jubilee #sg50

Last Saturday we were there to support My Love & Dreams for Singapore's Photography Exhibition & Book Launch at the Art House. It's a culmination of Ada and her team's hard work, tears and fears and I'm really thrilled that they managed to complete their project.

If you've been reading my blog for some time, you'd know about my Joys of Parenting series where I hit the streets to ask random parents what brings happiness to them, or even my Celebrate Fatherhood series where daddies from all walks of life share insights about what fatherhood means to them, and how we can appreciate their role in a family too.

Going up to strangers to ask to interview and photograph them can be rather daunting. You have to be thick-skinned and be prepared to be ignored/ rejected... or even mocked, but thankfully that has never happened to me.

It's really rewarding when you learn more about other people's perspectives and stories but that's not to say it's not tough and there were times when I wondered why did I even embark on those mini blog projects??! As such, I can admire how much determination & labour Ada and her team must have put in to complete their time-consuming project with these 50 strangers from different races, professions, ages & backgrounds, and even launch a book and exhibition!!

I told Lil Pumpkin and the boy we were going to support Ada at her exhibition, but I didn't tell them that our photos were featured there too!! haha... Lil Pumpkin was so surprised and thrilled to see them on the wall!!

It's the first time we're featured in a photography exhibition and book. It felt amazing having Lil Pumpkin and the boy there to share that moment with them and read my story....

"Ai Sakura met the love of her life while studying in Australia. She gave birth to a beautiful baby girl in her first year of marriage. Like many other first-time mothers, she wanted to be the best mother to her child, so that her daughter can grow up to be a happy, confident and strong person.

She soon started a personal blog to share about parenting and life as parents. She feels that a mother is obligated to care for her family and children, but that should not come at a cost of her personal life and independence . Knowledge on how to find a balance between family and career is profound and valuable.

Many people have come to take notice of her blog and engaged her in discussions. She has learnt how to be a better mother from others. Her blog was awarded the Best Family Blog in 2013 , and has been featured in many local family-oriented magazines and shared online. With the internet, she shares her experiences to impact more parents on how to build a beautiful family while holding on to their dreams and enjoying their lives."

I really love Ada's whimsical and dreamy photography style. She has her own photography studio, A Square Visual Studio, and you can contact her to do all kinds of photography from wedding, to baby, maternity and group shots. She specialises in the unique 小清新 {xiao qing xin} photography style to produce serene and poetic images.

Congrats and thanks once again for letting my family and I be part of your meaningful project~ (♥‿♥) After reading everyone's stories, I find it such an honour to be featured alongside the other 49 individuals...

My Love & Dreams for Singapore Photography Exhibition
The Gallery Room, The Arts House, 1 Old Parliament Lane
Event period: 12 - 16 Dec 2015
Opening hours: 10am - 10pm {exhibition closes at 3pm on last day}
Website: http://mylove-sgdream.sg/ 

Our family photoshoots:

Indoor studio photoshoot with Essence Studios

Outdoor photoshoot at Marina Barrage

Outdoor photoshoot at Singapore Botanic Gardens

Outdoor photoshoot at Chinese Gardens

Outdoor photoshoot at East Coast Park beach {for a #SG50 book & exhibition}

Indoor fashion photoshoot with Glitter Glam

 Outdoor photoshoot at Gardens by the Bay {East}

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