Below is a recent set of B&W street photographs taken locally to be added to my ongoing ever captured "B&W Street Photography in Asia" portfolio. These B&W images can also be viewed at my Flickr photostream at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenniferteophotography/ These images were taken at Singapore Chinatown, an authentic and vintage place which is forever bustling with locals and tourists strolling in and out of the area. It is definitely a great opportunity for street photography. Singapore’s Chinatown district is compact enough to see the major sites on foot in one day. The main sites are temples, shophouses and markets. I like the markets and shops because they represent some of Singapore’s dying trades – from cobblers to watch repair men. Location, location, location – this is really what it is all about in street photography. I choose places where people interact with one another and times when they are present. Yet, with the proliferation of newer attractions and malls, the young are also drawn to this place for its variety and the sense that this place symbolises a part of their history. Though Chinatown is considered a touristy spot, i don’t just go for all the touristy shots, i will always try to get ‘behind the scenes’ and ‘real life’ scenes. This street photography tip is also applied in all my overseas travel trips. If you look at the below images, you will also see they have an interesting “story” behind them. Hope you enjoy this little mini-photo essay titled "A Day In The Life of Singapore Chinatown" through my eyes. As one walks towards the steel and glass canopy in Pagoda Street, you would feel like you are in the middle of everything and also nowhere. This is the time to bring out your camera and capture the baroque and Victorian inspired establishments, colorful shops, calligraphy vendor, lanterns and the busy people in and around - all in one frame. Trust me, this would be one of your most treasured snapshots of the entire Singapore Chinatown album because it practically depicts everything.
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Oh what a night.......I recommended to a group of friends to try out this new recently opened PORN's Thai restaurant branch located at Mount Faber SAFRA. The attendees for this dinner gathering were of the same group that i hanged out with at PORN's first branch located at Liang Seah Street (near Bugis Junction) last year where we had a good birthday celebration for one of the girls (Sandy's). This dinner was such a nice way to fill an entire evening. The decor at the new Mount Faber SAFRA PORN's outlet is homey and somewhat rustic and beautifully vintage-decorated. We had a wonderful time again and enjoyed it very much. Sometimes there’s nothing better than a good meal shared with good friends followed by chill-out drinks. We lingered over multiple Thai dishes, two bottles of wine (we headed to HOSTED On the Patio, a serving modern European cuisine with dining ambience of a suburban home setting located at 991B Alexandra Road after dinner for chill-out drinks) and tottered home hours later. We repleted with good conversation and food, it really felt like a Friday evening had been full to the brim. PORN's (co-owned by Pornsak, a local celebrity compere and his business partner) whose name has created quite a stir since it opened at Liang Seah Street last year, has now decided to take its Thai street fare to the people at the West - Mount Faber SAFRA.
There are certain times of the day that are decidedly more beautiful than others. To me, the setting of the sun is one of those times. And to witness the setting sun after a bustling day of work is a truly peaceful and inspiring experience. It is something that you must experience for yourself. I stood near my home window on a brisk evening watching the sunset and trying to figure out what will my tomorrow be like.
Street photography is somehow one of the major disciplines of photography. It is, to some extent, hard to give an exact definition of it. But we can describe street photography as photography dealing with public places. More accurately, it concentrates on the people and their activities within the streets and public places.
So, the street is, in fact, more of a setting than the subject of the photos. It is the stage where life events take place and where the people interact with each other as well as with the photographer. Below is a set of some recent B&W street photos taken at random places in my hometown, Singapore. Early in the morning, the sun came up and the sky was very blue. I awoke before sunrise, though i was unsure why. I decided to make the most of this unique opportunity and impulsively grabbed my camera. The morning light is really quite different from any other light of the day.
The sun was just beginning to peek over the high-rise flats in the distance and i knew a celebration of light was about to begin. If you think about it, a sunrise possesses an ironic duality. Visually, a sunrise is a celebration of light but it can occur in a perfect inaudible vacuum — in perfect stillness. This morning was one such morning. The fiery sunrise haloed some strangely-shaped clouds in an electric orange light, giving them an otherworldly quality. And then, just as quickly as it began, the magic hour of sunrise was complete. I learned to never underestimate the raw power of color. Color is visual energy capable of arousing intense emotion and what color you choose to portray has an effect on what emotion is aroused. Instead of relating the exact true color of this sunrise, I decided to express the feeling of this sunrise instead. Below is another recent set of B&W street photographs taken locally to be added to my ongoing ever captured "B&W Street Photography in Asia" portfolio. These B&W images can also be viewed at my Flickr photostream at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenniferteophotography/ I made a trip to one of Singapore's favourite and oldest flea markets and that is none other than the one located at Sungei Road, near Bugis / Rochor Canal. This popular flea market is also commonly known as a 'Thieves Market', simply because it is one authentic, unchoreographed place. If you are tired of Singapore's glitzy, air-conditioned mega-malls, head for the Sungei Road flea market to see another face of Singapore. There are no pretensions here. Here, you'll find bare-chested, pot-bellied old men manning their stalls. Here, they cast their cigarette ash carelessly and make no attempt to put on fake smiles. Nor do they ask those rehearsed may-I-help-you-sir questions.
Both sides of this buzzling street are occupied by flea traders in makeshift stalls, some with tentage and some with large canopy unbrellas seen in the above photo. Hi everyone,
Thank you so much to those who attended my official opening of my first solo photo exhibition in Singapore themed "BLACK STREET WHITE WORLD" last month, May at No. 7 Ann Siang Hill. I have also created a Flickr photostream that is specially just for my ongoing ever captured Black & White Street Images which included some of the photos exhibited in "BLACK STREET WHITE WORLD". Please feel free to browse my Flickr photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenniferteophotography/ Black & White are the colors of photography. To me, they symbolise the alternatives of hope and despair to which mankind is forever subjected. I have received extremely encouraging and positive response from the public, friends and family on my first solo photo exhibition in Singapore. I honestly did not think so much of my thought process behind my photo work would ever be recognised. This really motivates me to do even better in my future photography work. It is very important for me to know that my 'photos' meant something to somebody out there. Thank you very much once again to everyone who has showed their kind support and interest in my photo exhibition. Sincerely, Jennifer Teo A Singapore-based travel photographer |
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