In A Singapore Market
This was one of my very first acceptance in the Singapore International Salon in 1962. I used a Rolleiflex twin lens reflex camera fitted with Rolleikin to capture this image at the China Town market. Kodachrome film was used. This picture won the Silver Medal and US$100 cash (top award) in the New York World Fair “The World and Its Peoples” Kodak International Picture Contest in 1964. After 42 years , the image is still as brilliant as brand new, a testament to the longevity of good film (if kept properly).
(Courtesy of: The National Museum of Singapore Permanent Collection, National Heritage Board, 2008)
Dear Mr. Tan:
This is an extremely good picture. I love taking pictures of market places and I find it hard to get people’s facial expression right on film and the background is often easily messed-up. This picture gets everything right. Just beautiful! Such lighting situation often means possible burnt out areas like the sun on the women’s heads. I don’t know about Kodachrome (an excellent film), but on digital, it is not repairable. I didn’t use some of my pictures because I thought judges may not like these shiny heads. Now this picture shows me that these are not a problem. Thanks again.