Category: Altered Reality

Seller of Joy (售喜)

Seller of Joy (售喜)
Photography has always encouraged me to look beyond the obvious subject and consider the stories that surround it. In this scene from Shenzhen, China, the balloons naturally draw attention. However, it was the vendor carrying them who held my gaze. The photograph became a reflection on the unseen effort behind the small moments of happiness that brighten our daily lives.

I am honoured that Seller of Joy (售喜) has been selected for the 21st Ngee Ann Photographic Exhibition (NAPE) 2026. The exhibition holds special significance for my family, as my late father, Tan Lip Seng, was the inaugural Photographer of the Year when the exhibition was first launched in 2005 and remained a regular contributor for many years thereafter.

Passing Through 路过

Passing Through 路过
Taken at the OCT Loft Creative Culture Park in Shenzhen on a holiday visit last November… A passer-by moves across a mural depicting bodies in motion. For a fleeting moment, the living figure seems to continue the painted sequence. The photograph explores the relationship between art and life, stillness and movement, and how we quietly pass through spaces layered with stories before us.

Wonder/Wander

Wonder/Wander
The last (and third) theme for the Canon PhotoMaraton 2024 I participated in last Saturday was “Wonder/Wander”. Heading indoors, we decided to explore this theme using a semi-slow exposure trick I have employed before in urban indoor photography. Looking for a high vantage point in a busy setting is the first step. The next is to look for groups of people with different vibes of activity so as to create what I call an “oasis of calm in a sea of chaos” effect. The effect in my final submission was done all in-camera as required by the rules. This version shown here is enhanced later in Lighroom for colour balance, clarity and luminance but is otherwise largely similar to the original.