Yee sang or lo hei photographs at a chosen celebration

The yee sang toss is one of the best-known moments at a festive meal in Malaysia, but it is not universal. Some hosts include it, some do not, and some include it only at certain gatherings. The first question for a photographer is whether it belongs in your plan.

This page covers one short moment inside a larger event. For the surrounding occasion, see our guide to Chinese family and seasonal photography.

Does the toss belong in your gathering?

Ask the people who host. A family may have always done it at the reunion table; an association may do it at a formal dinner; another family may skip it altogether. Do not treat it as a required step.

If it is part of your plan, decide who leads it, who joins and whether guests with dietary needs or allergies should take part. Those decisions are the hosts', not the photographer's.

What does a brief photographic window look like?

The toss is quick, so the time that matters is the preparation. A good plan has four parts.

1. A cue. Someone, often the host or emcee, says when the plate is arriving.
2. A position. People gather around the plate on a table that has been cleared of obstruction.
3. The toss. A few seconds of action, ideally repeated once if the first attempt is missed.
4. A pause. Guests may return to their seats, and the meal continues.

Ask the hosts whether a repeat is acceptable. Our guide on deciding which moments can be repeated explains how to approach this honestly, since not every moment suits a retake.

How do you coordinate with the venue?

Restaurants and hotels have their own timing. The plate may arrive at a set point in service, and staff may need to guide the group. Speak to the manager about when the plate arrives, how much table space is available and whether service pauses.

Our guide to coverage around food service and moving venue staff lists the practical points. We rely on you or the venue to confirm these; we do not assume them.

A hypothetical example

For example, imagine a family lunch of sixteen people at a restaurant table, where the host wants a photograph of everyone standing for the toss. The plate arrives at 1pm. The photographer stands at the head of the table; the host calls everyone together; and three attempts are taken in about two minutes.

The family then sits, and coverage continues with the meal, or stops if that was the plan. The key is that the host asked for it and the restaurant agreed.

What should be agreed beforehand?

• Who stands where, and who can be left out of frame.
• Whether children are included.
• Whether the toss is the main image or a supporting one.
• How much time the host is willing to give to photographs.
• Whether the photograph is shared publicly.

If guests include people who prefer not to be photographed, our guide to organiser instructions and individual guest preferences offers some wording choices.

What changes with a larger gathering?

At a banquet with many tables, the toss may happen at several tables at once or on a stage. That is a bigger coordination job, and one photographer cannot be at every table. Decide which table or group matters most, and ask whether additional crew is sensible. We confirm what can be covered in your written quotation.

Crew, hours and deliverables

The toss usually forms part of a longer booking. Its effect on hours is small, but its effect on timing is real, because the photographer needs to be in position when the plate arrives. We confirm date, crew and deliverables in writing, and we do not assume video of the toss or same-day delivery of the photographs. Ask us what can be included for your date.