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Not Quite Night series #90

Good evening nightographers! I hope everyone is safe and sound at home, reading my blog at this point in time. Tonight I'm putting up the latest night street photograph for the Not Quite Night series. 

It's been a long agonizing nine months since the last NQN photo was posted on the first day of the year 2020. I can't wait to show you my new NQN work. So let's jump right into.

Last Glimpse of Sentosa's Merlion

Good evening night dwellers!

5 years ago I made this star trail photo of our Sentosa resort island's Merlion, and posted on this blog site. Why do i share it again? News was out today that works are under way to demolish the tallest Merlion in Singapore. So I thought it would be interesting to share it again.

It was announced in September last year that this 37 meters tall statue is making way for a themed thoroughfare that will link Sentosa's north and south shores. This is a part of the long-term plan to reshape the resort island and the adjacent Pulau Brani into a premier leisure and tourism destination.

The last day of operations for the Sentosa Merlion was 20 October 2019.  It was designed by Australian sculptor James Martin and built in 1995. So for the last glimpse of this Merlion current status, check out The Straits Times photo.

That's all for tonight's blog post. Have a great weekend.

Doorway

Photo info:

iPhone 6+ on Camera mode. Post-processed and black & white conversion in Snapseed. Further enhancement in Adobe Photoshop.

Street Photography in Punggol

Two days ago, I woke up really early just to reach Punggol before the first light. I made it on time and took the first shot (shown above) with my iPhone 6 Plus using Camera+ app. Really love the atmosphere. I continued to stroll along the park connector pavement like I'm having my morning walk or exercise, enjoying the morning fresh air and the surrounding environment.

Then I came to this spot and looked at it for a few moments before I lifted up my phone camera to make another shot. Upon previewing the photo, it looks like a black and white photo, hence I converted it in Snapseed, and this is how it looks like.

I like that 'S' shaped pavement on the right side where our subject just seen running into the scene as I pressed the digital shutter button. I like the tile textures on the sitting structure in the foreground, too and the casted shadows of the railing against the ground, in contrast with the overhead horizontal panels. A wall mural in the far background, somehow makes this photo more interesting.

This is the wall mural. Drawings of robots in different shapes and designs with dialogues, seem quite comedic. As the morning light spread across the Punggol sky, slipping through the overhead panels, leaving the strong street lamp to the far left of the frame, I made the shot.

I wish I could venture and explore more other parts of the area or other location in Punggol for more beautiful first light or twilight photos. But the sun was already rising up, and I think it gave me good reason for more future visits.

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.