Category: Decisive Moment

Fleeting moments frozen in time

Happy 61st National Day Singapore


This post is a day late. It took me longer than expected to go through all the photographs from the past two weekends.

I have not photographed fireworks for quite a while, but a former university classmate persuaded me to give it another go. So we ended up “camping” for fireworks twice—first at the National Day Parade rehearsal on 1 August, and then again on National Day itself.

This photograph was taken during the final encore of fireworks at the rehearsal. I liked the lines and patterns created by this particular sequence, so my first edit was entirely in black and white. Later, I changed my mind and used layers in Photoshop to bring back some of the colours.

What I like most, though, is the Singapore flag projected across the dome of the National Stadium. I restored its red and white as my small tribute to National Day.

A belated happy 61st National Day, Singapore!

路过佛牙寺 Passing the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple


Taken during this year’s Canon PhotoMarathon for the first theme, “Vibrant.” With the weather less than ideal and time running short, I settled on the colourful façade of the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. A slower shutter speed turned the passing traffic into streaks of motion, adding a sense of movement while the temple and its visitors remained still. The photographer in the centre, capturing the same scene, completed the composition.

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.