Do we lack places to shoot in Singapore?

[suj]

Hi peeps,
I have noticed that we in Singapore are very fortunate to be able to obtain good photographic equipment at reasonable prices along with easy access to good film, development labs and round the clock support for our equipment. This is ofcourse compared to many other places where the costs are so exorbitant that you better rethink your lense acquistion strategy.

Unfortunatly, i feel we are deprived of venues, places and things to shoot at. Especially for film shooters, who do not want to waste rolls on so so objects, which may have been shot by millions. Sure I have a digicam, but it doesnt give as much of the same satisfaction.

Please inspire me to find some nice places of interest, like most of us I think I have done the basic rounds of the parks, buildings etc...

here is something different i recently shot, and I hope this puts my train of thought across to you

 

[tomshen]

Depends on your subjects. For landscape photographers, it's a NO. For street photographers, Singapore is a good place. And I think it's safe to bring some expensive gears on streets even at night. For insect photographers, all they need is a bunch of bush. For pretty-girl-lovers, there are simply too many fashion shows here and there. :bsmilie:

 

[Astin]

If you feel like changing from outdoor to indoor shoot, you are welcome to join our studio model shoot, we do have some pretty models posing for us to shoot.
(and every week we hire different models/faces so we do not lack of opportunities.)

Refer here for details:
http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=30156

http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=33170

 

[ckiang]

Which makes me wonder (tho it may be so obvious), people go for studio shoot to learn/improve studio photography or to oogle at the pretty models..... :devil:

Otherwise how come no one organize studio shoot with male models? :dent:

Regards
CK

 

[sulhan]

Hi Suj,

True enough....Singapore have not much to spare...in terms of photography.....I mean...... at those places people normally go to.

650 km square....of singapore...I'm sure you have only been to about all those areas accessible by road. Have you tried going on foot???....

Well......there are other smaller Islands that you can checkout in Singapore too....juz hop on a boat in Clifford Pier...or Jardine Step(hmm....wonder if this name sounded alien to you).
GO to the off shore Island......and you will be surprise how much of a different types of photography subjects....it offers.

Have you tried the bicycle track at bukit timah hill.......lots of insect....a couple of rock formation at the abandoned quarry?
Have you tried Little GUiLin at Bukit Batok.....?
....hmm lots more.....i guess.....which are not commonly listed
in the singapore MAP.

Have you tried capturing the sun rise at Botanical Gardens ECO lake...... If you have the right tool and the right time.......you can get great photos of "lake" type of photos.

I personally travel quite alot and always complain of no subjects in SIngapore when i come home.....BUT....my two chubby feet...proves me wrong.......Been ..going around almost every weekend to shoot and still find that there are equally interesting places to go for shoot......


Put on yu most comfortable clothea....Go out there.....and start shooting....


Regards,
ME

 

[Astin]

Hi ckiang, if you are serious, I can also organize male models photo shoot, sure very handsome ones.
Will you be the first one to sign up?

Anyway, talk is cheap, right?

 

[ckiang]

Originally posted by Astin
Hi ckiang, if you are serious, I can also organize male models photo shoot, sure very handsome ones.
Will you be the first one to sign up?

Anyway, talk is cheap, right?

Erm, don't get the wrong idea. I mean, I've seen too many organized shoots where the emphasis is more on the model than anything else. And I am sure there's the "if model not pretty I am not going" mentality as well.

To answer your question, no, I won't be signing up as I am not into studio shooting in the first place, but I offer that opinion earlier as food for thought. Let's not turn it into a "gay"-ish discussion.

Regards
CK

 

[clive]

Do we lack places to shoot in Singapore?

no.

 

[togu]

Do we lack places to shoot in Singapore?

no.

 

[Freed]

Unfortunatly, i feel we are deprived of venues, places and things to shoot at. Especially for film shooters, who do not want to waste rolls on so so objects, which may have been shot by millions. Sure I have a digicam, but it doesnt give as much of the same satisfaction.

Yes, I think for landscape photography, Singapore can get quite boring after a while, or at least it's hard to find a good place.

Depends on your subjects. For landscape photographers, it's a NO. For street photographers, Singapore is a good place. And I think it's safe to bring some expensive gears on streets even at night. For insect photographers, all they need is a bunch of bush. For pretty-girl-lovers, there are simply too many fashion shows here and there.

I think Tomshen made a very valid point, depends on what you shoot..

 

[Astin]

Ok back to the original topic.

These "were" my regular shooting places before I turned myself into a studio guy.

1. Walk along the park behind Esplanade, until you reach the foot of the giant bridge (forgot the name of the bridge)
2. Clark Quay at evening (there is only 1 magic moment, very fast, need patience and luck)
3. Old houses along Spottiswood Park (if you know where the Spottiswood Park is )
4. Mount Fabar, facing Sentosa island view
5. Above/near Jurong Bird park, there is a tower where you can walk/drive up, there is a Japanese restaurant, go behind the restaurant
6. Changi Point, sunset time when the boats are coming back
7. Sembawang Park, facing Johore (don't get too near to shipyard though)

Need anymore? later....

 

[tomshen]

Honestly, once you become a street shooter, u will never lack subjects. The kind of energy I have found on streets can never be acquired from posed models. That's why I'd never pay for a model shoot unless for the purpose of studio course. No offence to others who enjoy shooting models, I mean, we have different style. Meanwhile, I deem it a better way to communicate with ordinary people and record their life. I am simply one of them so all my pictures will be a great treasure years later when I want to refresh my momery. I enjoy my present work and will continue doing it in the future. Moreover, now I am pretty sure my stand as an amateur photographer instead of shooting for money. After a few tryout assignments, I realized that it's more pleasant and rewarding to shoot amateurly, so that no pressure forces me to change style which I might not want to. In fact, all I feel is that I don't have enough time to shoot a lot of other themes, rather than running out of subjects as we are talking about here. In my opinion the most wonderful invention in the histroy of photography must be the digital imaging, really relief us from cost issue. So long as you have a good sense and a pair of sharp eyes, the world is yours.

 

[raven]

Folks
just be happy. Cheaper Cameras/Lens/Films/processing and many great locations/scenes/ and all at close proximity.

Nature
World Class Bird park and Zoo, sungei buloh, P.Ubin, Neo Tiew Lane, Botanic Gardens, Bukit Timak Reserve, Lim Chu Kang End,

People
4Million, multicultural (Multicoloured), colourful festivals, ethnic costumes, market scenes etc

Interesting locations
Changi Airport and half the world airlines/ Clark Quay/ chinatown/Little India/Geylang/ Bedok Jetty

Topical - example (watercrafts)
sampans/tonkangs/ lighters/costal freighters/supertankers/passenger cruisers all within reach/Aircraft carriers

and then Malaysia and onwards

I know, left Singapore for work overseas 3 yrs ago and realised the millions of scenes within a tiny island. There is a photo tour that leaves NY, bringing shutterbugs to our Zoo (brochure states that it is a world class zoo) and then to Borneo. I now pay $20 for a roll of Provia and $17.50 to process.

cheers

 

[Azure]

Not to mention the housing estates old and new alike. Lots of things to capture if you wander around. Redhill hawker centre on weekend mornings for e.g. you get old men playing chess. Side road just after new RP site has lots of flowers, bugs, monitor lizards and birds (walk far far in), most the MRT stations have different from the norm scenery/landscapes.

 

[David]

IMHO, I think Singapore doesn't have lack of places to shoot but after a while of shooting, I find it's boring. Dunno, maybe I'm spoilt by my frequent travels overseas.

Sure you can shoot the churches and temples here... but after you've been to the ones in Bangkok and Europe, man....

You can shoot bridges at Hill Street or Sheares Bridge, but after you've done some in Europe, US, etc, man...

Ok no excuses, my biggest and, I can't overemphasize this more, complaint is that the weather here is a big factor I hate going outdoors to shoot. It's too hot and humid and I tend to sweat a lot... you know that feeling, sticky, sweaty, smelly, tired all over the body...

But I'm no wimp or camera collector! When I travel, I really push myself and my equipment and get creative... It makes a world of difference how the temperature affects my mood to shoot...

Well above is just my personal experience and opinion, it may be different from yours...

 

[Azure]

An out-of-the-normal-box thought -

Anyone think of going all around Singapore (by public tpt) to snap pictures of ALL the schools? I'm sure that'll take many of us way off the beaten track and rack our heads for how to capture good shots from outside each school's premises..... :angel: :dunno: ;p

 

[Winston]

The key component of a good photographer is not his equipment or his skills and know-how. It's his creativity.

With Creativity, you can turn regular frequently shot buildings into award-winning pieces, with the right timing, filters...etc

The reason we get so bored with shooting in singapore is that we shoot what others have shot and from the same perspective, the same timing...etc

The same spot for sunset, the same spot for sunrise, the same old famous buildings of interest.

Try shooting at a different location, angle or time of the day. While it's good to look at photography books and other people's photos for inspiration.

Use that to develop your own style of shooting.

Most people will think about plants and insects when you mention macro photography, or city area, sunsets and sunrises when you talk about landscape photography, and models and studio shoots when you mention portaits photography.
But photography is beyond that.

Prize Winning photographs are also about the moment. I remember a photographer won the 1st prize for a B&W shot of some children playing at the fountain at Seiyu Bugis.

The laughter and the look of happiness of the children playing was what made it a prize winner, not a posed model with a posed smile on her face.

 

[yellow_kiwi]

juz have to open my eyes wider... and think more.

 

[Azure]

Originally posted by Winston
The key component of a good photographer is not his equipment or his skills and know-how. It's his creativity.

With Creativity, you can turn regular frequently shot buildings into award-winning pieces, with the right timing, filters...etc

The reason we get so bored with shooting in singapore is that we shoot what others have shot and from the same perspective, the same timing...etc

The same spot for sunset, the same spot for sunrise, the same old famous buildings of interest.

Try shooting at a different location, angle or time of the day. While it's good to look at photography books and other people's photos for inspiration.

Use that to develop your own style of shooting.

Most people will think about plants and insects when you mention macro photography, or city area, sunsets and sunrises when you talk about landscape photography, and models and studio shoots when you mention portaits photography.
But photography is beyond that.

Prize Winning photographs are also about the moment. I remember a photographer won the 1st prize for a B&W shot of some children playing at the fountain at Seiyu Bugis.

The laughter and the look of happiness of the children playing was what made it a prize winner, not a posed model with a posed smile on her face.

Well said. :thumbsup:

 

[Winston]

Actually, I have not been to EVERY housing estate and GRCs or SRCs in Singapore and every little known street or lane on this little island.

Every estate's HDB buildings has got it's own unique design, color and layout.
Every estate's hub has got it's own vibrant life and community.

you could not have shot all of Singapore before.