Outdoor Yoga Photoshoot with Cynthia Heng

I was glad that Cynthia wanted to make the shoot special by hiring a professional makeup artist, Ivy Tan. It’s not an investment that every client chooses to make, and her commitment set the tone for the day. She was also willing to wake up early for the makeup session — though admittedly, that gave me a headache since I had to wake up early too, and with little sleep as I usually struggle to doze off early.

We chose Bishan–Ang Mo Kio Park as the location because it is one of Cynthia’s favourite places. That made the shoot more meaningful, and besides, the park is beautiful, expansive, and offers a wide selection of good spots.

We faced a small delay at the start, as a gentleman was using the space we had planned for. When it became clear he wasn’t leaving soon, we approached him, and he kindly allowed us to use the spot. Throughout the session, we also had to avoid photobombs every now and then, which added to the challenge.

Fortunately, Cynthia truly appreciates photography, so we went for off‑camera flash techniques. This allowed us to shoot against the bright background while creating flattering light on her face. Without the flash, the background would have been greatly overexposed and almost completely white.

She was patient while I set up the softbox and ran multiple light tests to balance the exposure between her and the background. As we moved to the water catchment area, it became very challenging — my light could have fallen into the water at any time, so I had to be extra cautious.

On a side note, she looked stunning without her spectacles — her feminine character, easygoingness, and energy were captivating throughout the session.

The result was a yoga shoot that combined technical precision with her natural charm, producing portraits that felt both vibrant and graceful.