Singapore has never fail to amaze me with its rapid speed of change... the skyline for one has gone through numerous refurbishments over the past 5 years. This photo was taken about 3 years ago... I think the skyline would have changed again by now. As a Singaporean, I have mixed feelings with this rate of development - proud & sad. I am proud of the fact that as a nation... it is progressing at a rapid rate yet sad that there are so much unfamiliarity each time I return to the country...
Anyway, recently, I met a budding Michigan photographer at his photo exhibition in Ann Arbor. He is obviously quite talented & his type of photography is rather... "unconventional". I can't remember his first name ... his last name is "Dennison". We were happily chatting & sharing about our different approach to photography. I am a self-professed HDR-freak (although I have "tone" down a little recently), Dennison is more a paint-photographer - while the photos I take places emphasis on colour, contrast & sharpness, Dennison is more "out there". His end product... looked nothing like the original photo. They looked more like some abstract "dark age" paintings. You'll have to see it to appreciate it.
We started sharing our workflow and he said something that sticks with me until today. Dennison's approach is that he will refrain from developing or processing any of his photos until 3 months later. His rational is that he wants an unbiased appraisal of all his photos before he processes them. The logic is that while shooting during the day - you may have thought that you've shot some really good photos (natural bias) & you charge straight for those photos for processing. As a result, you may have missed out some really good shots that may not grab you attention initially...
I tried that approach today - and got this photo process. I am happy with the end result - and the only reason why this photo ever made its way into this space is because of Dennison's advice.
A recent visit to Resort World Sentosa has left me perplexed... on one hand, I was proud of the achievement of Singapore as a nation and how it was totally transformed from a developing country to a first-world nation in little over 40 years. On the other hand, this visit to Sentosa was to fondly re-live some of my childhood memories - for which I found none.
You see - the island of Sentosa was so totally transformed that it almost seems "foreign" to me. I remembered the Fort Siloso beach... the cycling tracks, the World War II bunkers filled with sparrows and scorpions, the camping trips, the SAF bungalows that I used to holiday in. There was definitely a "rustic" beauty about the Sentosa of old which I now sadly miss.
Interestingly, I had tempura in a Japanese restaurant yesterday. Sitting next to me was a very pleasant Australian couple... we spoke of of travel experience in Japan. Then he asked me if I had grown up in Melbourne, I promptly responded that I am from Singapore. "Ah... Singapore." he said. "There is a lot of changes in that city state...." he followed, "Everytime I visit that country, I see drastic changes in the city's skyline."
I smiled and nodded in agreement. Then, I was swiftly reminded of my experience in Sentosa... Yes, I was missing something. I have missed the country that I once remembered...
Growing up in Singapore, I always have fond memories of the Capitol Theatre. The place reminded me of a time (when life was carefree) during my teenage years. I have always admired the structure of the building - in particular it's uniquely shaped ceiling which I believe to be representative of a neo-Classical era.
The building was originally used as a cinema and screened shows by the Shaw Organisation - however, after screening it's last movie in 1998, Capitol Theatre was left on its own (unoccupied) for about over a decade. During the interim period, it seems that the Singapre Tourism Board had intended to use the theatre for Arts group - however, that did not eventuate. The doors of Capitol Theatre was henceforth shut to the public and while the rest of Singapore has evolved over the next decade, it slowly deteriorate through the passage of time & lack of upkeep.
In my recent trip back to Singapore, one of my "must-see" destination was the Capitol Theatre. Firstly, to jolt some good old memories of my teenage years... Secondly, I had heard that there is a development project to restore the theatre and I wanted to catch a shot of the "original" theatre before it's makeover.
The way in which the photos was taken was an adventure in itself. Firstly, the theatre is currently under construction so all areas were condone off to the public. On arrival at the theatre, the first thing that one would see is a big "All visitors must report to the guardroom" sign. Well, I thought I should do the right thing & do what the sign says... but after waiting for about 5 mins outside an unmanned guardroom I figured that I should have a look around the building to see if I might be able to get some help from the workers on-site. I then came across a friendly (foreign) construction worker and asked him if he knew how I could go into the theatre... I think he understood my question and promptly pointed me to what seems to be the only open door into the building (all other entrance were locked or sealed off).
Normally, I would hesitate & not enter into a building that is under construction without proper authorisation but (I guess) curiosity got the better of me and I entered into the premise... it was a sight to behold! Without wasting any time (as I know that I'll have to leave once someone sees me), I promptly set up my tripod and camera & went on a series of rapid fire with my trusty 5D. As expected after about 4-5 shots, a gentleman (who appears to be the foreman) entered the building & proceeded to give me a earful. I still recall that while he was lecturing ... I was still trying to stall time for my last bracketed shot to complete.
Here's the result of my 30 mins adventure in Capitol theatre... (impt: click on the image to see full size pic)
