For my next guestblogging entry, I would like to feature my father, Tan Lip Seng, who has made a tremendous influence on my style of photography, as well as imparting me the skills necessary to take good pictures. Thanks Dad, for all the support and guidance you have given me all these years!

His reputation as a photographer could be described as “legendary”, with so many achievements to his name that it would take a lifetime (or even more than that!) to surpass. During his heyday, he was ranked as one of the world’s top ten pictorial colour slides exhibitors for 20 successive years (from 1969 to 1988). In 1998, he was awarded the Fenton Medal by the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain and was enrolled as an Honorary Life Member of the Society. A number of his colour slides have made it into permanent collections around the world. Despite the rise of digital technology in photography, he is still a firm believer in use of colour transparency film, eschewing the modern convenience of auto-focus technology, for the creative versatility of the all manual (focusing, metering and film advancing) Leica system he has grown to love through these years. Do visit his photoblog (which I help to maintain) for a sample of the impressive work he has done in more than half a lifetime!

Image title: Squabbling Flamingoes

Name: Lip Seng, Tan

Location: Singapore

Website: http://lipsengtan.elcreations.org, http://www.elcreations.org/lipsengtan/photoblog

Equipment: Leicaflex SL with Elmarit-R lenses – 28mm f/2.8, 180mm f/2.8, 60mm f/2.8 Macro, and 90mm f/2 Summicron-R, 250mm f/4 Telyt-R. Leica R8 with Vario-Elmar-R lenses – 28-70mm f/3.5-4.5, 80-200mm f/4.

About your image: This is one of three images of mine that were used by Kodak for promotion as a collector’s-edition Singapore Mass Rapid Transit card in 1995. Flamingoes are very common photographic subjects found in our Jurong Bird Park. However, to freeze the perfect, decisive moment is a real challenge for photographers. I have collected many images of these birds during my past visits to the park. This particular one is still my favourite among them all.

Your favourite subjects: Pictorial, Photo Travel, Candid, Spontaneous moments, Landscape, Nature

How did you start out in photography? I started shooting record shots for social occasions at the age of twelve. During my school days, I started to shoot pictures and participated in international student salons.

Are there any special themes/ideas that you like to convey in your pictures? To freeze action or spontaneous moments and turn them into permanent images of art with strong visual impact. To envisage and capture images with strong sensation of mood and atmosphere.

Do you have any favourite places for taking pictures? In Singapore itself – The Botanical Gardens, Lower Seletar Reservoir, Jurong Bird Park. Elsewhere – Indonesia, Australia, UK, New Zealand, China, USA, Malaysia

Apart from your own photoblog, are there any others/websites that you would like to recommend here? Besides Eng Loy’s photoblog, Kenneth Cheng’s Portfolio.

Who would you like to dedicate this entry to? To my wife, Lai Cheng as well as my children – Eng Kien and Eng Loy