Singapore Photography Guide
I was captivated by the vibrant colors and intricate design of this beautiful flower inside the Flower Dome at the incredible Gardens by the Bay complex in Singapore.
Have you visited Singapore lately? This amazing city state is a tropical oasis that offers the enthusiastic and creative photographer an incredible Singapore photography experience.
Here's why a Singapore photography experience offers a wealth of amazing opportunities for creative photography.
Singapore is a modern, prosperous, clean and extremely safe island nation offering the tourist great cuisine, shopping, sightseeing and nature based experiences.
I first travelled to Singapore back in about 1992. I liked it, but boy oh boy has it gone ahead since then.
I couldn’t believe how beautiful Singapore had become and how well modern development has been woven in alongside the country’s rich cultural history while protecting so much of the natural landscape.
Images Of Singapore - Nature Photography
If you’re looking to make memorable images of Singapore I think it’s worth pausing for a moment to explore the terms Landscape photography and Nature photography.
I think it’s important to separate the two, not so much in relation to genre, but as a way to help understand how it is you might approach your own creative photography projects.
After all it's in our nature to seek clarity as a way of understanding the world around us. This often causes us to differentiate and separate one thing from another.
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Singapore Photography - Documenting Nature
Nature and landscape photography can occur in either natural or man made environments.
A key difference is that nature photography is often associated with a closer examination of a particular landscape location.
While you might stand back and try to make a landscape photo that incorporates large areas of a forest, a nature photograph is more likely to concentrate attention on a stand of trees, a single tree or even a leaf.
You can see how the photograph at the top of this post utilizes strong composition to produce a striking close up image of a flower inside the Flower Dome at the Gardens by the Bay complex in the spectacular city of Singapore.
The main elements of composition I employed to photograph the flower included the following:
Color
Shape
Texture
Repetition
It’s a photo of a flower and, incidentally, a study in composition that would fit nicely into the nature photography genre.
How to Photograph the Nature of Things
But where photography becomes art is when it moves away from the act of documentation to explore not just what you see, but how you feel about what you see.
Within the nature photography genre, or any other genre for that matter, your photos might explore the concept of the nature of things.
One way to do this is to use abstraction in a way that concentrates attention on the composition, story or metaphor in question.
The key is to be able to differentiate the things you’re photographing (e.g., face, flower, wall) from the story you want to tell or the message or meaning you’re wanting to explore.
While your photo might feature a flower, perhaps the image is about the growth and vitality we associate with the season of spring.
Likewise, a portrait of a fragile elderly person might cause us to think about the ageing process and encourage us to meditate on deeper issues associated with the Human Condition.
I think there’s two very distinct ways to approach your photography. One way is to document your interests and the things you care about.
The other approach is to make visual statements that explore how you feel about those same subjects, concepts or ideas.
You’ll likely be more comfortable photographing certain kinds of subject or working within a particular photography genre.
That’s fine, but for your photography to dramatically improve it’s important to move beyond basic technique to explore your own, unique personal relationship with the world.
To my way of thinking, that’s what it is to be an artist.
I have three university qualifications in art, including a MA in Fine Art photography. My studies have been extremely beneficial to my own creative journey in life.
But these days, with the right type of tuition, anyone can live an artists life through a creative endeavour like photography. And you don’t have to study formally for years or scratch out a living in a garret to do so.
To me able to make money and live a content and creative life is realistic and achievable. It’s simply about balance, commitment and consistency of effort.
Looking down onto the fabulous interactive lighting display at the massive Marina Bay Sands shopping complex in Singapore.
Singapore Photos - Photography is Abstraction
Take a look at this photo of the fabulous interactive lighting display in the amazing Marina Bay Sands shopping complex in Singapore.
I think the picture demonstrates that landscape and nature photos can be either documentary or abstract in nature.
While landscape photos tend to present us with expansive views of our world, nature photos tend to isolate and, thereby, monumentalise individual elements from the larger environment.
This suggests that nature photography lends itself well to abstraction. And there are many ways you can explore abstraction in your own photography.
If you think about abstraction as a way of taking something out of its reality, then the very process of photography (i.e., making pictures in camera, processing and sharing them online) is, by definition, abstraction.
How To Make Abstract Photos
Photographers often explore abstraction in a range of ways, including the following:
Changing perspective by choosing different lens focal lengths.
Changing the relative differences between the camera to subject and camera to background distances.
That’s exactly what I’ve done in the photo at the Marina Bay Sands shopping complex. The display, when viewed from above, monumentalises people within the (virtual) nature based environment they’ve entered into.
One way it does this is by challenging our sense of scale. See how small the human figures appear in relation to the natural elements depicted within the scene.
Ingenious, isn’t it?
By photographing downwards, with a telephoto lens, I’ve enhanced this loss of scale and space and, in doing so, further abstracted the scene.
What a wonderful experience to behold. It was a lot of fun making the image. I can only imagine how much fun it must be for kids entering into that interactive and immersive space.
A Humboldt penguin swimming, just below the waterline, in a purpose built facility at the Jurong Bird Park in Singapore.
Singapore Pics - Making Abstract Photos
Notice how I’ve challenged perspective and, in a way, our sense of reality with this photo of a Humboldt penguin at the wonderful Jurong Bird Park in Singapore.
I achieved this effect through the technique referred to as selective focus. In this case I focused my camera’s lens on the penguin and employed a very shallow depth of field to isolate it from its surroundings.
I love the impressionistic treatment this technique has brought to the background.
While the penguins waddling around above the waterline are real, the iceberg and sky that you see is actually a painted background.
But the technique I’ve used has blended those penguins and the background into a new kind of created landscape, which I find interesting.
Abstraction And The Rules Of Composition
Notice how I’ve opted for a 50/50 composition.
Photography 101 would probably say not to do that, because boring pictures often result from always placing the horizon in your pictures in the same place.
Can I suggest you throw that rule, and most other ones concerning composition, out the window.
You should place the horizon exactly where it needs to be to contribute to a visually interesting image. In this case I placed the horizon in the centre of the frame so as to divide the picture in two.
In a more pictorially based image a 50/50 horizon would create a sense of balance and harmony. And, in certain circumstances, that would be ideal.
However, in this case, the 50/50 horizon adds visual tension as it forces you to compare and contrast the abstract, out of focus top section of the photo with the sharper and more documentary based image in the bottom half of the frame.
Compelling images are not always easy to look at. But if they cause you to look longer, and think harder, than they should be considered successful.
Wouldn’t you agree?
There are many ways by which you can make abstract photos. Here’s some suggestions:
Sepia
Infrared
Macro photography
Viewpoint
Scale
Reflection
Remember, the more you change the way something appears the greater the abstraction that’s been achieved.
Lots of beautiful light cubes by the water outside of the Marina Bay Sands shopping complex at night in Singapore.
Photography Places in Singapore
There are just so many great places to make photos in Singapore.
This particular photo, featuring young folk interacting with luminous light cubes just outside the Marina Bay Sands shopping complex was a hoot to make.
It’s a wonderful, interactive area that’s easily accessible and open to the public. Being positioned right next to the water you’ll likely benefit from the cooler, moisture-rich breeze coming up off the water.
There’s so much to do in Singapore and, being such a safe and friendly city, it’s a great place to explore at night.
If you’re looking for great photography places in Singapore here’s a list to get you going.
Supertree Grove
An absolute standout for me, this is a truly awe-inspiring sight which I'II long remember. In fact I visited the Supertree Grove two nights in a row.
Given the fact that tropical rainstorms are frequent in Singapore I think it's a good idea to allow time to revisit at least a few of your favourite sites where you're likely to be photographing outdoors.
Cloud Forest/Flower Dome
Close to the Supertree Grove and Marina Bay Sands, and right next door to the Flower Dome, is the lovely Cloud Forest.
The Cloud Forest is where you’ll find a six storey high waterfall inside a lush rainforest dome. It’s a magical place to wander around and photograph all manner of tropical plant life.
A lovely pavilion offering shelter from the the sun and tropical downpours in the Singapore Botanic Gardens.
Singapore Botanic Gardens
A large, serene and peaceful oasis that’s right in the middle of town.
If you’ve travelled a long way to get to Singapore then the luscious, green Singapore Botanic Gardens is the perfect place for you to walk off your jet lag.
There’s plenty of places to sit and rest and lots of shaded areas if you’re arrived from a place where winter has come.
An absolute treat is the National Orchard Garden which is situated within the Botanic Gardens. The huge range of orchards on display is amazing and they’re presented in a tasteful and easily accessible manner.
Little India
As expected Little India is a colourful and hectic locale. You'll find Sri Veeramakalianmman temple and Sri Mariammam temple are typically ornate and bursting with color.
I stayed in Little India during my first few nights in Singapore. I really enjoyed walking around in the evening and sampling great Indian food.
I’ve been to India four or five times since 1988 and I consider Little India to offer a pretty authentic travel experience.
Tiong Bahru
Located near the Tiong Bahru Market, and famous for great murals, Tiong Bahru is the place to find trendy cafes, boutiques and cake shops.
It's a pleasant, though busy environment where locals come to buy fruit, flowers and fish.
Vibrant pink light provides wonderful backlighting for this street scene along the famous Orchard Road in Singapore.
Singapore Night View
There’s lots of opportunities to make great night photography in Singapore.
Famous all over the world for its glitz and glamour Orchard Road is a great location for night photography.
So many buildings and large storefronts are illuminated and, as you can see, the color of the light can produce very evocative photos.
Chinatown is worth visiting at any time of day. However you'll find the exterior of the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple to be particularly photogenic at night.
Built in 2007 the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple is a great example of how well Singapore has constructed modern buildings in way that's sympathetic to traditional cultural norms.
The Merlion statue is a great site at night when an incredible light show illuminates it in an ever changing array of colors against the background of the Marina Bay Sands.
Likewise the Helix Bridge, though a very busy thoroughfare, is another interesting location which can be photographed throughout the day.
The intense tropical sun does make this an attractive structure to photograph during a night time photography adventure when it's illuminated in colourful light.
The Helix Bridge also offers a number of places from which to photography towards the Marina Bay Sands or, alternatively, back towards the Singapore business district.
Faces projected onto the lotus leaf shaped ArtScience Museum during an evening light show in Singapore.
Art Explores The Nature Of Things
Perhaps the most interesting approach to nature or, for that matter, any kind of photography is when your photos seek to explore the nature of things.
This is a clear example of when photography moves beyond a process of mere documentation to explore more esoteric or spiritual concerns.
Photography, as art, does not seek to provide answers. The purpose of art is to ask questions.
I'm referring here, for the most part, to the most important questions that encourage artist and viewer alike to think on their place in this world and the ultimate experience that exists just beyond our normal everyday perception.
Photography, as art, can help bridge that gap.
I'm not sure that, at our current stage of evolution, we're able to truly understand the nature of things.
While there are ascetics, from various religions, that have dedicated much of their lives to this very search the fact remains that religion repels as many as it attracts.
Religion is mostly hierarchal, male dominated and, one way or the other, emerged in politics and scandal.
I feel much of the turmoil within modern societies has emerged alongside the loss of many of the rituals that formerly underpinned the lives of our forebears.
Nevertheless, the fact remains that many folk seek understanding and community outside that which is offered by established religions.
This may not be the case with you. Great! If you're happy and engaged in your own religious practice then stay in the place that's right for you.
But, please, understand and respect the fact that it's not the place for all good and meaning seeking people.
Singapore - A Pluralist and Inclusive Society
Like Singapore I believe in and support a pluralist and inclusive society. I consider myself to be a citizen of the world, though I’m loyal to the state and try to focus my attention on the lives of others.
It might also be worthwhile reflecting on the fact that most folks who belong to a particular religion do so because of the country and/or family into which they were born.
Most of us grow up within a particular tradition and many folks choose to stay within that tradition.
There's no right nor wrong, nor good or bad associated with such things. More often than not these choices are made for us, before we are mature enough to decide for ourselves.
Actually I like the idea of recommitting to the religion, culture and society to which you belong.
While some religious practices incorporate rituals along those lines they usually occur while the individual is still at school and living in the family home.
Beware Of Distraction As It Leads To Darkness
It's important to understand that one can seek to live a spiritual life outside of an organized religion. Of course that’s not to say that one should be, necessarily, exclusive of the other.
Photography, as art, can encourage us to spend some of the time we have between the worlds of the known and that other timeless space to which, in our hearts, I believe we all aspire to reach.
The process involved in making or viewing beautiful, life-affirming images is a way by which we can touch the sublime beauty that exists on the edge of our understanding.
Perhaps our main purpose in life is to bring ourselves and, through our efforts, more of humanity closer to the ultimate understanding that is largely lost to us in this world that we've created for ourselves: a world of distraction.
One of the many things that impressed me about Singapore is just how active and involved Singaporean people seem to be in their wonderfully vibrant city state.
I saw young, professional people out and about enjoying life.
I observed so many families immersing themselves in the incredible parks, gardens and zoological reserves in this spectacularly beautiful island nation.
Singaporeans have earned their success and they’ve done so through hard work, an extremely high standard of education and a range of social policies designed by the government to make Singapore one of the most prosperous and safest nations in the world.
Yet, despite their prosperity, what impressed me most about Singapore is the connection to family that’s remained strong.
A young family viewing a Manatee in a large aquarium at the River Safari park in Singapore.
Keeping a Little Of Singapore Inside Me
I’ve always been quite selective with the TV shows and movies I choose to watch and the music I listen to. I made a decision, long ago, to avoid so much of that negativity and violence.
It’s also one of the reasons why I don’t play computer games.
More recently I’ve begun the practice of catching myself whenever my thoughts or words turn overly negative.
However, for the sake of clarity, I should add that my own humor is nothing but ironic and self-effacing and remains largely untamed by the sterility of political correctness.
But I do work very hard to bring some peace and beauty into my life and the lives of so many others through my life as a travel photographer and teacher of photography.
Whatever your own true path is do try to stay true to it. And beware of distraction.
You will surely take the wrong path many times in your life, but straying too far and too long onto paths that are not your own can lead you into the darkness of an unfulfilled life.
And what a terrible waste that would be. Don't you think?
Given the choice I'II always look for the light amongst the darkness. I find that philosophy very much evident when I walk the streets of Singapore where it’s so obvious the choices local people make each and every day.
It’s such a positive and exciting place to be, which is why I can’t wait until I return.
