Welcome to my NM3223 portfolio!

This blog showcases my reflections and photographs on my undergraduate module, "Digital Photography and Imaging ".

Feel free to browse through my 6 assignments and leave your comments for any photographs that leave you inspired.

The peculiar objects photographed in Singapore, by me, are sometimes unusual, both funny and interesting, and often mind-boggling. Far from the world of clichés. I seek to demystify the unshakable taste of Singaporeans and simultaneously document the uniqueness our garden city has to offer.

Clean streets and mesmerizing shopping malls, fancy nightclubs and breathtaking high rises, fascinating food in endless varieties – this is the Singapore that tourist travel to our sunny island to see. Of course, this image only reflects a one-sided cliché of Singapore. These photos on my blog seek to provide an alternative view of Singapore and its inhabitants. Like an explorer, I weave my way through the busy streets and backyards of Singapore, in search of visual evidence to showcase a culture of everyday life in splendor.

I personally view photography as a challenge to keep my eyes open and for me to set out on a journey of discovery.

Enjoy them!

Sincerely,
Melvin

Title: Objects as Subjects
Aim: Apply visual elements on ordinary objects

Deliverable (5 Photos) :

• Line
• Shape
• Form
• Pattern
• Texture

Final Photographs:



























"Water Droplets"
A falling water droplet
Melvin Kwan (Singapore)
Photographed November 2009, NUS, Singapore





























"Palm Lines"
In the early evening, close up shot of the majestic plam trees
Melvin Kwan (Singapore)
Photographed November 2009, Boat Quay, Singapore



























"Illuminating Illuma"
Shot of the patterned lights of Illuma Shopping Mall
Melvin Kwan (Singapore)
Photographed October 2009, Illuma @ Bugis, Singapore


























"Plugged"
A power plug from the Singapore F1 Night Race
Melvin Kwan (Singapore)
Photographed October 2009, The Padang, Singapore


























"Duran Durian"
Close up of the famous Esplanade building & its 'thorns'
Melvin Kwan (Singapore)
Photographed November 2009, The Esplanade, Singapore

Title: Aperture & Shutter
Aim: To understand basic on-camera techniques - aperture & shutter speed settings

Deliverable (4 Photos) :

• Shallow-depth-of-field
• Deep-depth-of-field
• Freeze action
• Motion blur

Final Photographs:

























"Shallow Love"
A shallow depth of view shot, foreground & background of sculpture
Melvin Kwan (Singapore)
Photographed October 2009, Chinese Garden, Singapore



























"The Red House"
A deep depth of view shot, foreground & background of landscape
Melvin Kwan (Singapore)
Photographed September 2009, Chinatown, Singapore



























"Chaos Captured"
Motion freeze shot of the fountain and koi fishes
Melvin Kwan (Singapore)
Photographed October 2009, Chinese Garden, Singapore



























"Flashing Lines"
Motion blur shot of the passing cars
Melvin Kwan (Singapore)
Photographed September 2009, Mountbatten Road, Singapore

Title: Focal Length & Sensor Latitude
Aim: To understand & apply basic on-camera techniques – focal length & sensor latitude

Deliverable (5 Photos) :

• Perspective
• Close up
• Zoom shot
• High Key
• Low Key

Final Photographs:


























"Revelator"
The airport travellator linking Terminal 2 & Terminal 3
Melvin Kwan (Singapore)
Photographed November 2009, Changi Airport, Singapore


























"Chardonnay Flower"
A fallen Frangipani flower
Melvin Kwan (Singapore)
Photographed October 2009, Chinese Garden, Singapore


























"Candle in the Cup"
A lonely candle cup sitting on a table
Melvin Kwan (Singapore)
Photographed September 2009, Merlion Park, Singapore


























"Battered Butterfly"
A butterfly with chipped wings
Melvin Kwan (Singapore)
Photographed November 2009, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore


























"Time Zooms"
Zoom shot of the Victoria Theater clock tower
Melvin Kwan (Singapore)
Photographed October 2009, Victoria Theatre, Singapore

Title: False Reality
Aim: To understand the concept of surrealism using image manipulation

Final Artwork (9 Photographs) :

"Nature's Gift"
This photo montage represents the correlation between human and nature. Environmental issues such as globalization, global warming, and deforestation have undeniably leave an undesirable effect on our natural landscape. This surrealistic visual aims to re-create a whole new notion on "Nature's Gift", and how, if we continue to ignore nature's warning signs, our scenic environment will no longer be clad in greenery.

Title: Emotions Capture
Aim: To portray non-human subjects in different emotional expressions

Final Photographs:


















"Depressed"
A sunken ice-cream stick walking away lonely on the foreground
Melvin Kwan (Singapore)
Photographed November 2009, NUS, Singapore



















"Bitter Taste"
An abandoned ice-cream cone on the sidewalk
Melvin Kwan (Singapore)
Photographed November 2009, Jurong Point Shopping Mall, Singapore



















"The Slip"
A fallen ice-cream cone on a heap of coloured candies
Melvin Kwan (Singapore)
Photographed November 2009, NUS, Singapore



















"Crushed"
An ice-cream cone looking upon a crushed ice-cream cone
Melvin Kwan (Singapore)
Photographed November 2009, Jurong Point Shopping Mall, Singapore

Final Project - ‘Human Nature'

• Call for creative interpretation on HUMAN: NATURE.

Human Nature, a concept that encompasses how humans and nature co-inhabit, in this instance, is often a source of inspiration for artist and photographers. My final assignment leverages on the conceptual meaning of human nature and will depict how humans and shaped their enviornment to satisfy their needs and desires. Each photograph will encapsulate a night scene of a particular landmark in Singapore - the envrionment/nature and what we perceive the environment to be - the human element.

Assignment Inspiration – “Essence of City Lights”
For this final assignment, I have decided to do a series of conceptual photography with focus on human needs and the associated environment to satisfy these needs. A series of 6 photographs will portray several landmark locations around Singapore. In each photo, a series of photographic patterns, called “Bokehs”, will be imprinted on the photo. The scene, superimposed with 2 photographs, will portray the essence of human needs, as well as our desire to supplement them. This project will emphasize on 2 photographic techniques, night photography and “Bokeh”. Night photography to highlight the environment in full glory, and “Bokeh” patterns to depict the essence of the environment and how humans used them.

What is Bokeh?
“Bokeh” is a term, originally from Japanese, that has come to mean the subjective aesthetic quality of the out of focus area of an image. “Bokeh” of an IMAGE is highly dependent on the lighting of a scene, distance between lens, subject and background, how much contrast is in a background scene, how much the background contributes to an image (maybe you WANT the background to be partially visible), how busy the background is, as well as lens factors, as well.

Here are my creative photographs inspired by the essence of our city lights :


Final Photographs:
























Money @ Shenton Way
Shenton Way is a major trunk road in Singapore's central business district, most known for the commercial skyscrapers flanking both sides of the road. The central business district of Singapore, Shenton Way is located at the geographical heart of our island. Its status as a financial center forms the perfect opportunity to portray the essence of business and money. Hence, the money symbol is used.


























Love @ Clarke Quay
Clarke Quay is a historical riverside quay in Singapore, located beside the Singapore River. The surrounding area is not only famous for discos and pubs but also a popular destination for couples to hand out. Its scenic river view provides an excellent opportunity for a romantic night out, hence, the usage of heart “Bokeh” patterns to show that “love is in the air”.


























Living @ Toa Payoh
Toa Payoh is a district located in the Central Region of Singapore, and it is one of the earliest public housing estates in Singapore. Hence, its location is ideal for the portrayal of the HDB lights and its essence of human traffic and dwelling. A ‘pedestrian’ shaped “Bokeh” cutout is used to show people.


























Justice @ The Padang
This scene portrays The Padang and its landmark is the Supreme Court of Singapore. The Supreme Court of Singapore is one of the two tiers of the court system in Singapore, the other tier being the Subordinate Courts. The high court signifies justice and to bring out its essence of righteousness and upright justice, arrows “Bokeh” patterns are used to symbolize.


























Fireworks @ Marina Bay
Marina Bay is a bay near Central Area in the southern part of Singapore, and it gives a magnificent view of Singapore’s skyline. The area is also known as an ideal spot to photography fireworks as the National Day Parade is held around the vicinity. As such, I choose to use a firework pattern to highlight Marina Bay’s specialty.


























Planes @ Changi Airport
Changi Airport is a major aviation hub in Asia. More importantly, the airport is Singapore’s pride and icon, having won several acclaimed awards. This landmark’s essence of air travel is easily portrayed with patterns of airplanes superimposed around the airport’s control tower.


























Bokeh Patterns
Above are the 6 different Bokeh shapes used for the final photographs. These Bokeh patterns are taken seperately from the main photographs, using a 60mm Macro lens. The shots are done in evening time and with the presence of strong and sharp ambient lights (ie. Christmas Lights). To achieve the desirable effect, a lens with a large aperture with a shallow depth of view must be used.

Task:

1. Browse through the photography competition links
2. Select one winner and state briefly his/her winning strategies
3. If you were one of the judge, which picture will you select as an overall winner
4. Give your judge’s comment to defend your chosen winning photograph

Judge's Choice























In the early morning, fishermen clean their nets by Erhai Lake
Johan Ensing (Driehuis, Netherlands)
Photographed October 2008, Yunnan, China

The above photograph is the overall winner for the Smithsonian Magazine 6th Annual Photography Contest. Photograher Johan Ensing deserves his win as this spur of the moment shot captures its subjects and ambient perfectly. On first look, it feels like a painting, mainly due to its nice blend of colours and textures. Also, the tree in the middle of the photograph attempts to split the image into 2 scenes. On the right, a woman weaving fishing nets and on its left, a fisherman on his boat. Both scenes capture the morning sunlight brilliantly and the way its glides along the tree branches and fishing nets does gives the photo a surreal look - which adds to its painting-like impression.

Technically, it is a challenging photograph to take as it encompasses several elements in it. I like that the only thing in clear focus is the woman and her fishing nets in the right foreground. And on the left, only the figure of the fisherman and his boat shows. The less you can clearly see, the more your brain has to invent. I like the clutter, how it puts you into a story. The dark, empty shadows on the fisherman contrasted by the lively sunlight and the branches on the tree, it makes me feel as if I'm coming in from a dark, cold night to a warm sunny morning. To improve,perspective should be used to focus the eye, accentuate a feature, or correct a flaw. In this photo, it feels too flat and presents itself as too surreal. Aside for its unreal presentation, the photograph does elude the essence of storytelling.


Personal Choice

























A starfish greets the sun after a hurricane
Brandon Pendred (Spartanburg, SC)
Photographed October 2006, Kiawah Island, SC

The above photography would be my personal choice for overall winner for the Smithsonian Magazine 6th Annual Photography Contest. In his photograph, photographer Brandon Pendred, tires to highlight the the moment lived, rather than the sense of its loss, and to capture the emotions and impressions of that moment. Photographing the dying starfish at the peak of its beauty, his image also evoke a certain poignancy relating to the transient yet cyclical nature of life. The way this photogaph extrudes the essence of living life, makes it a deserving winner.

On the technical front, this well-composed photography is simple and clear with only 2 subjects - the starfish and its beach background. The real purpose of this photograph is to capture is ambient light, and the image achieves that well with its cloudy sunset. The Highlights and Shadows involved in the main focal region is perfectly balanced and gives the subjects adequate detail. There is little flaw in Pendred's photograph and perhaps the only way he could've improve it is to maybe try out different angles and capture part of the sea. More importantly, this photo tells its story well and I get a sense of warmth and loneliness while looking at it.

Perfection.

Task:

1. Compose one surrealistic picture
2. Give your personal comment on a selected artwork (concept & composition)

Chosen Artwork:























Surrealism, like all other styles of art, is a form of expression of what an artist sees, feels and places on paper, canvas or any other material. Surrealist works feature the element of surprise, unexpected juxtapositions, most importantly, it often reflects the true process of thought.

The above artwork reflects surrealism tastefully by incorporating the concept of breaking vases, except in the artist's interpretation, the 'hand' breaks instead. This image excites the mind as it takes its viewer through a fairly common thought of breaking fragile objects whenever one carry them. The artist's makes me feel as if I'm experiencing one of my subconscious visions.

As for its composition, the artist did well in its placement of the two key elements - the vase and the hand. Together, the placement of the broken hand and intact vase forms a perfect juxtapose of two elements to form a nice optical illusion.

However, I think the principal problem with this photograph is the framing. Cutting off half the feet is just glaring makes the picture feels closed up. My first though is that the picture should be framed further, and include slightly more of the feet as well as the broken fragments of the hand to provide a more holistic view.

Surrealism frees our imagination and introduces us to a whole new ream of subconscious possibilities that only exist in out thoughts and dreams. Looking at surrealistic artworks often invoke my deepest imagination and innate feelings. I often view this art form as representations of another parallel universe and see it as a form of exploration of ourselves and others.

Task:

1. Write a 300-500 words reflection on the "Brief History Survey" by Jeff Curto
2. http://photohistory.jeffcurto.com/archives/281 (1.55.45m)
3. Chosen photographer - Steve McCurry

Steve McCurry – “Can Photograph impact social change?”

“Best known for his evocative color photography, Stever McCurry, in the finest documentary tradition, captures the essence of human struggle and joy.”

McCurry has photographed for, among other, Newsweek, National Geographic, Times magazine, Life Magazine and even won the Magazine Photographer of the Year honors National Press Photographers’ Association. In short, he is one of the world’s most respected photojournalist. Basically, he says, “I have an enormous curiosity about different cultures, in the ways of living. I look for the unguarded moment, the essential soul peeking out. The experience etched on the person’s face. I try to convey what is it like to be that person.”

Although his photographs have deep saturated colors and rich images, McCurry doesn’t like to work with bright lights, he prefer overcast situations. These saturated colors often carry a somber overtone and depicts sadness rather than cheeriness. He likes to work in ‘shadows’ rather that the ‘golden hour’ light, most photographers prefer. As such, many of his photographs are taken in alley ways, dimly lit rooms, and shadowy streets, often in periods of strikes, war and transition in countries like Afghanistan, Persian Gulf, Lebanon, and Cambodia. A lot of his photographs are about the pivotal moments in people’s life, moments of high stress. This is what makes him admirable, with his images highly tied to social change and given a moralistic point of view. From his outstanding photographs, we see how McCurry has given a responsibility to the truth from his vision


























Steve McCurry's "Afghan Girl" original photo.



McCurry's most recognized photo is that of "Afghan Girl", a previously unidentified Afghan refugee. The image itself was named as "the most recognized photograph" in the history of the National Geographic magazine and her face became famous as the cover photograph on the June 1985 issue. The girl, oblivious to her fame, was later identified as Sharbat Gula, in 2002. McCurry later went back to photography her in the same pose years later.

What inspired me the most is McCurry’s commitment and passion as a photographer. In 1979, when photojournalism is still in its infancy stages, McCurry traveled to Afghanistan to cover the resistance of the Afghan Mujahadeen against its Marxist puppet government. To immerse himself in the culture, McCurry ate, slept, fought and even traveled miles across the desert with the Afghan Mujahadeen forces. From there, he documented a story which later played a pivotal role in the downfall of the Afghanistan government ten years later. In another example, although only scheduled to stay for 2 weeks during his first assignment in India, he fell in love with the country’s rich culture and stayed on for 2 years. He was transfixed with its way of life and McCurry when on to document a series of stories across the country.

He may have had his fair share of awards and contributions in the field of photojournalism, however, more importantly, he showed how one man’s passion can lead to a change in history.

-Melvin