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

Volkswagen Beetle

Volkswagen Beetle

© 2010 Martin Liew Photography

Good evening nightographers! Here's one last night photograph on Tiong Bahru where I came across this nice Volkswagen Beetle car parked along the roadside. Somehow it adds up the nostalgic value to the residential building in the background, I hope.

Photo Info:

Shanghai TLR | f/16 Bulb mode - 3 mins 30 secs | Rollei Retro 400 | Film developed in Kodak D76 1:1 dilution 9 mins 20 secs | Scanned on EPSON V700 | Post-processed in Photoshop

Red Mini-Rover

Red Mini-Rover

© 2010 Martin Liew Photography

This is another part of Tiong Bahru estate area where i came across this red Mini-Rover, parked next to a road signboard. Ambient lighting was tricky and challenging, so I tried to expose for the shadows and later on to develop for the highlights. Four minutes of exposure on Rollei Retro 400 and developed in Kodak D76 1:1 dilution for 9 minutes 20 seconds yielded quite a satisfying result. I scanned the negative on EPSON V700 and post-processed the image in Photoshop for better contrast.

Tiong Bahru Estate

Tiong Bahru Estate

© 2010 Martin Liew Photography

Good evening nightographers! I believe most of our local readers know where this place is. Just so happened I came across this part of the estate building with the curved pine trees and thought it would be worth exposing for a frame.

Photo Info:

Shanghai TLR | f/16 Bulb mode - 3 mins 30 secs | Rollei Retro 400 | Film developed in Kodak D76 1:1 dilution 9 mins 20 secs | Scanned on EPSON V700 | Post-processed in Photoshop

Kitty Cat Sat On The Wall

Kitty Cat Sat On The Wall

© 2010 Martin Liew Photography

Good evening! Here's another night photograph of Tiong Bahru alleyway, not far away from the last photograph posted here. As the photo title says it all. Did you spot the cat? It's a long exposure of 3 minutes 30 seconds and despite the cat sat quietly and motionlessly on the wall, it turned its head a few times. Hence its head appears out of focus, but still distinguishable at a closer look.

Casted shadows of nearby trees and building structures made this photograph more dramatic, if not interesting. The light that hit across the white wall forming nice gradient shades of grey. These are some of the attributes I always look out for in night streets photography.

Then The Quiet Alley

Then The Quiet Alley

© 2010 Martin Liew Photography

In mid 2010 I visited Tiong Bahru on one weekend with my Shanghai TLR camera loaded with a roll of Rollei Retro 400 black and white film. I was trying to look for some nice ambience and subjects for night photography. Tiong Bahru today has flourished into a historically significant estate, combining its rich heritage and push for modernisation into a truly unique aesthetic.

I came across this quiet alley way and really like the ambience and atmosphere. Hence I set up my tripod and camera, and made the first exposure of the Rollei film for 3 minutes 30 seconds. Film was later developed in Kodak D76 1:1 dilution for 9 minutes 20 seconds. Dried negatives were scanned on EPSON V700 and post-processed in Photoshop for better contrast.

Will share more Tiong Bahru night photos in the coming blog posts. Do subscribe for new updates.

A Chair & A Ladder

A Chair & A Ladder

© 2009 Martin Liew Photography

Good evening! In my last blog I mentioned about posting a couple of night photographs with which I made on the same night on 23rd May 2009, Saturday. So here's one and let me share with you on the making of this night photograph.

Seletar Camp was formerly the site of the largest British Royal Air Force (RAF) base in the Far East. Plans to redevelop the Seletar area for Singapore’s aerospace needs were announced in 2006. Work on the project began in 2007 and is expected to complete by 2018. Helmed by JTC, the proposed Seletar Aerospace Park project was carried out on some 140 hectare of land. When completed, the park will serve as a key centre for aerospace activities such as the maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft engines.

Some of the proposed changes to the area include lengthening the existing runway at Seletar Airport and building a new airport control tower. To make way for these changes, some parts of Seletar Camp were demolished or shut down, including the Seletar Base Golf Course, one of the few golf courses open to the public. The members-only Seletar Country Club, on the other hand, remains open. One hundred and seventy-four out of the 378 colonial black-and-white bungalows were demolished to make way for redevelopment.

While the economic downturn in 2009 had affected the Seletar Aerospace Park project, measures taken by the JTC, such as extending expired leases to companies occupying the site, helped to put the project back on track when the economy recovered. It was during this time period, I visited the place. Some buildings were abandoned and left empty which could be preparation for the redevelopment. The doors to the abandoned buildings were left opened and I went in to explore.

It was so pitch dark that I couldn't see my own fingers. I brought along a powerful LED flash light with which I was able to find my way around. I took the stairs to the second floor and there I saw this damaged chair at the end of the corridor, right outside a bunker. Behind the chair, a wooden ladder leaned against the wall. In that instant, I knew this set-up would be good for photography. No shifting or re-arrangement of the chair and ladder was made. I wanted to make photographs as I saw it.

Quickly I set up my tripod and mounted the camera to get the desired composition. Then I paused and thought of ways to make the first exposure. It was pitch dark and leaving the shutter open on Bulb mode is a must. The crucial part is how to light the subjects. If you take a closer look at the above photograph, you can see obviously where the shadows fall and where the light source came from.

Yes I walked into the bunker with the strobe, stood about one and a half meter away from the door frame. There, I pointed at the chair and fired two flashes. Next I walked up to the door frame, still remained out of sight from the camera, I switched on my LED flash light set at a lower lumen power and started to light paint the wooden ladder for about a minute. The shutter was still opened until I closed it at a stop time of 3 minutes 30 seconds.

So that's it. That was how this night photograph was made. In the following month, I came back to this place on every weekend for more night photography. I brought my digital SLR camera and other useful light painting tools. Many successful photographs were made, including this damaged chair.

I hope you enjoy my night photography work. Good night.

Ghost Tree

Ghost Tree

© 2009 Martin Liew Photography

Here's another night photograph I made on that same night with the white guardhouse in our last blog post. It stood strongly within the Seletar Air Base premise along the roadside, about a hundred meters away from the white guardhouse. Not too sure if this dead tree is still around.

It does look creepy and spooky as it stood against the dark night sky and has an open field in the background. Street lights hardly cast upon the dead tree in whole. The lighting effect you see here in the photograph was created using a portable manual strobe. At aperture f/8.0, I opened the shutter for 36 seconds. Within this short time, I fired the strobe twice to the left side of the tree and once to the right side, in full power. As the flashlight fell off shortly and quickly, the light could only reach the foreground and a little further mid-range of the crooked tree branches. Leaving the ones further behind in silhouettes. Hence it has this pop-up three-dimensional effect. Somehow or rather the lighting made this dead tree looks "alive".

There are quite a few soft spots/bokehs in this photograph. You can see that the bottom left corner thick tree trunk or branch has this motion blur effect. The middle part foreground tree branch is out of focus. The only focused area is the main tree trunk covered with ferns. It's all due to the wide-angle lens I fitted on the taking lens of Shanghai TLR camera. The lens is meant for normal camcorder usage and its thread size fits perfectly right on the TLR taking lens. Focussing with this lens is challenging. This night photograph wouldn't be made possible without this wide-angle lens.

I'll be posting and sharing another two night photographs which I made on that same night with this ghost tree. Do come back. If you have not subscribed to my blog, do so for new updates. Thank you for your time. 

Good night.

White House

White House

© 2009 Martin Liew Photography

I was out doing light painting at Seletar Air Base in the wee hours on 23rd May 2009, Saturday. I brought 2 cameras with me on that night – Nikon D300 and Shanghai TLR. In case you're curious and want to find out what are the color night photographs I made, here's the blog in which the photographs are featured.

As I made my way out towards the main gate, there was this guardhouse and I stopped to make one exposure with my Shanghai TLR camera on Kodak TMAX 400. The shutter was opened for 36 seconds. The film was later developed in Kodak D76 (full stock) for 6 minutes. Negatives were scanned on EPSON V700 flatbed scanner and post-processed in Photoshop for better contrast.

I will show more other black and white night photographs I made on that same roll of TMAX 400. Do subscribe to my blog for new updates.

Holding Your Light

Holding Your Light

© 2008 Martin Liew Photography

There's always something about back alleys that attract me to explore the possibilities or opportunities for good night photography. It was one of those moments when I came across this location where I found the clean whitewashed houses along with this stand-alone street lamp, interesting for a black and white photograph.

I want to keep things simple and this night scene has those minimalistic elements. Exposed this frame with Shanghai TLR camera on Kodak TMAX 400 for 5 minutes. Film developed in Kodak D76 full stock for 6 minutes. Negatives scanned on EPSON V700 and post-processed in Photoshop for brightness and contrast.

OUE Tower

OUE Tower

© 2007 Martin Liew Photography

This is one of the prominent landmarks located beside Collyer Quay at Marina Bay within the Downtown Core of the Central Area, Singapore. So much has changed in Collyer Quay since this night photograph was made in late April 2007. OUE Tower is within The Fullerton Heritage precinct which consists of The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore, The Fullerton Waterboat House, One Fullerton, The Fullerton Pavilion, Clifford Pier, and Customs House. Level 10 of the tower houses the popular Chinese restaurant, Tóng Lè Private Dining (under Tung Lok Group), and at Level 8, the restaurant offers three luxurious-furnished rooms, complete with state-of-the-art karaoke facilities stocked with over 60,000 songs. How's that for a dining and entertainment experience?

This night photograph was made possible with my Shanghai TLR camera on Kodak TMAX 400 black and white film. Negatives are scanned on EPSON V700 and post-processed in Photoshop.

City of Caves

City of Caves

© 2007 Martin Liew Photography

Good evening! Here's an old night photograph from my archive, which I made on 11th March 2007, Sunday. It was twelve minutes past three. I was walking along the walkway outside the National Gallery, formerly the Supreme Court, when I came across this part of the building. I was drawn by the juxtaposition of shapes and lines between the brick wall, stairways, and window panels. The light and shadows were in good place and this is the final composition that was captured with my Shanghai TLR camera on Kodak TMAX 400.