Fleeting moments frozen in time
Taken a couple of weekends ago… A passerby and her reflection among the pillars at Asia Square, Marina View. I liked how the polished surface seemed to open onto another space, giving a glimpse of a world within a world. Keeping her in colour adds a little warmth to the otherwise monochrome scene.
The last time I photographed this area was with Dad twenty years ago. Back then, I turned my lens towards the flourishing flower trade outside the temple. One of Dad’s photographs from that outing was later selected by SingPost to appear on a postage stamp in 2008.
Returning this time, during the same session that produced Faith and Fortune, I concentrated on the activity at the temple itself. Again, I used a slow shutter speed to let the movement of worshippers blur around a still point. With the frame set, I waited for the right moment. It came when a man in bright red stepped into the centre to offer incense, his shirt echoing the red drapery above.
In processing, I selectively enhanced some colours and desaturated others to draw attention to him. Amid the bustle, a moment of devotion holds still.
Outside Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple on Waterloo Street, a woman pauses to buy 4D tickets from a wheelchair-bound seller beneath his brightly coloured umbrella. Behind them, worshippers offer flowers and joss sticks amid the constant movement of the crowd. In post-processing, I brought out the warm, vivid colours of the two subjects and their small patch of shade, while keeping the busy temple background subdued. It is a quiet meeting of faith, chance and everyday life.