I Could See Lights At The Edge of All Things

I Could See Lights At The Edge of All Things

© 2010 Martin Liew Photography

Good evening nightographers! Hope all of you are safe and healthy. Tonight I'm showing another old photograph from my photo archive. This photograph was made ten years ago on 9th July 2010, Friday.

A few months earlier, the news was reported about the closure of Tanjong Pagar Railway Station aka Keppel Road Railway Station. The station was the southern terminus of the network operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM), the main railway operator in Malaysia. It was completed on 3rd May 1932 and officially opened by Sir Cecil Clementi. It was around for 79 years before it ceased operations on 1st July 2011 with the relocation of the KTM station to Woodlands Train Checkpoint.

The land on which the station and the KTM railway tracks stood was originally owned by KTM and over which Malaysia had partial sovereignty. This arrangement lasted until 30th June 2011 where the land was reverted to Singapore and to be reserved as the Singapore Railway Museum.

On that night, I visited the railway station and walked all the way to the end of the station platform and beyond, right up to this signal box where it was situated about 400 meters away. As it had since ceased operations and no one was around, I took the stairs up to the second-level balcony area, and I was in awe to see this night scenery before my eyes. Quickly I set up my tripod and mounted my camera prepared to make some exposures. However, there were motorcyclists who rode by from time to time, further into and out of a small village-like community area just around the corner, where I found out later there was a Malay food restaurant. Well, I guess people came by to enjoy the food and gathered with co-workers and friends before all are gone for good.

Initially, I wanted to capture the night scenery without any vehicle light trails, and I did try but they just kept on passing by. So I thought "What the heck!" just went along with it. A strong sodium-vapor spot light hit diagonally across this wooden house with a huge 2-seater sofa in the front and a coconut tree set in the background. The weather was great with fleeting clouds overhead. At that moment I felt everything fell into place and went on to make two exposures, and this is how the night photograph came about.

A Walk In The Garden No. 4

A Walk In The Garden No. 4

© 2010 Martin Liew Photography

Good evening! Tonight I'm featuring this last night photograph of Toa Payoh Garden. It's probably one of the most favourable spots to make photographs of this stone bridge. I did one similar photograph last year on 29th December for my Not Quite Night project. Same subject different camera position.

Tonight I would not say much about this photograph. I let the photograph speaks for itself. Do subscribe or follow my blog by email for new updates.

Photo Info:

Shanghai TLR | f/16 Bulb mode - 3 mins 30 secs | Ilford HP5 Plus | Film developed in Kodak D76 1:1 dilution 10 mins 24 secs | Scanned on EPSON V700 | Post-processed in Photoshop

A Walk In The Garden No. 3

A Walk In The Garden No. 3

© 2010 Martin Liew Photography

Good evening and welcome to another showcase of night photograph made in Toa Payoh Garden. This is another vantage spot I found pretty interesting. The juxtaposition between the stone bridge, bent tree trunk and the curvature of concrete railing that bent in the opposite direction from the former two subjects.

It has this visual contrast of three different subjects of different textures that create bending lines on the somewhat orderly symmetrical lines of the wooden boardwalk. Negative space was applied on the foreground to balance the 3 heavily subjects on the upper half of the composition.

The stone bridge and bent tree trunk lead viewer's eyes in clockwise direction, from the upper left frame to the bending concrete railing on the right, all the way down to the bottom, and back again to the former two subjects.

I wouldn't say this is one good abstract photograph or visual pleasing photograph that I consider as fine art, but in terms of composition, light and shadows and textures, I'm totally satisfied and happy with it.

Photo Info:

Shanghai TLR | f/16 Bulb mode - 3 mins 30 secs | Ilford HP5 Plus | Film developed in Kodak D76 1:1 dilution 10 mins 24 secs | Scanned on EPSON V700 | Post-processed in Photoshop

A Walk In The Garden No. 2

A Walk In The Garden No. 2

© 2010 Martin Liew Photography

Tonight I want to show you this night garden photograph I made a decade ago. Some of you might recognise right away where this bridge is located. Yes it's located at Toa Payoh Garden. 

From time to time I found myself coming back to this place either for relaxation, or to make some interesting photographs. It's not too far from my place actually. Takes about 15–20 minutes walk. What i like about this garden is its one-of-a-kind hexagonal bridge, three stone bridges and a watching tower. Unfortunately the watch tower is permanently locked and entry is prohibited.

On one calm November night in 2010, I arrived at the garden and wanted to make night photographs of the stone bridges. I picked this bridge because it situated right next to a tree with two trunks, forming a letter 'V'. I don't know what kind of tree it is but it's definitely an old tree, most probably older than me.

At that time, I faced challenges in finding the right vantage spot for the right composition. It took me some time though and finally I decided on this, as shown above. The film I used was Ilford HP5 Plus. All along I've been using Kodak TMAX 400 for most if not all of my black and white night photography. But at that time I was thinking why shouldn't I try on a new film and hence I picked up a roll.

Compared to TMAX 400, I like the stark contrast this film creates and I yielded satisfying results on that night. On that same roll I made another photograph at another part of the garden. Check out that night photograph, A Walk In The Garden No. 1

Alright! I hope you like my work I showed you tonight. Hope my work inspires you to pick up night photography. Do subscribe for new updates. Thank you for your time and support.

Good night!

Photo Info:

Shanghai TLR | f/16 Bulb mode - 3 mins 30 secs | Ilford HP5 Plus | Film developed in Kodak D76 1:1 dilution 10 mins 24 secs | Scanned on EPSON V700 | Post-processed in Photoshop