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SINGAPORE – A black and white photo of Toa Payoh Central that took about 20 hours to process is the winning image in the Housing Board’s (HDB) Shapes of Home photo contest.
The photo, showing the straight architectural lines of buildings and HDB blocks against wispy clouds on a sunny day, was a labor of love from cameraman Stefan Tan.
“Initially, I corrected all the shadows and reflections, but after looking at the final image, it didn’t get the vision I wanted,” said the 32-year-old, who took up photography as a hobby in 2011 and turned professional in 2017.
“For the final edit, I decided to completely black out all the other distracting elements, keeping only the key elements. Black and white photography is one of the hardest things to master,” said Tan, who is particularly interested in photography from landscape and architecture.
But their hard work paid off, as the judging panel said the image was a clear choice for first prize: a Canon EOS 90D with an 18-135mm kit lens, with a total value of $ 2,379.
One of the judges, Bryan van der Beek, 44, a professional editorial and commercial photographer, said the photo was “a clear difference” for him.
“The photographer managed to capture a familiar place in a completely different way. It is a great image that can be both a work of art and a documentary photo. I would love to frame it and hang it on my wall,” he said.
The other three judges were the director of HDB’s corporate communications group, Ms. Joyce Ng; Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) Media Group Photography and Video Office Chief Photographer Lee Tiah Khee; and The Straits Times image editor Stephanie Yeow.
Held from September 1 to October 16, the Shapes of Home photo contest invited the public to share what home means to them through eco-friendly and distinctive HDB architecture and designs, or vibrant moments of the heart, including moments within and around homes.
It also marks HDB’s 60th anniversary this year.
A total of 3,081 photos were submitted through the open category on SPH’s Photonico platform and another 3,127 photos through the Instagram category.
HDB CEO Cheong Koon Hean said that HDB cities have defined Singapore’s urban landscape for the past six decades, with “new blocks rising out of the old and greenery interspersed with bricks and mortar.”
“I am encouraged to see that the many photos submitted have captured the evolution of public housing over the years and have shown us everyday moments of what HDB means to live in the heart,” he said.
Second prize in the open category went to Mr. Kenneth Chiang, 25, a fifth year architecture student at the National University of Singapore, for his photo taken at The Pinnacle @ Duxton.
“I thought the way the sunlight reflected and cast shadows on the older floors was quite sublime, and I decided to frame the Pinnacle @ Duxton within the context of the existing buildings around it,” said Chiang, who discovered the lookout while exploring the state.
A colorful photo of an HDB block in MacPherson receiving a new coat of paint received first prize in the Instagram category.
Mr. Ng Wee Liang, a 21-year-old full-time national serviceman, was on the ground level when he noticed the workers painting, but decided to photograph him from the opposite HDB block for a shot at eye level.
He said: “For some, the HDB farms are quite boring and are just where people live, but I want to show others that there are beautiful places in these everyday places that may not be tourist attractions.”
See all the winning entries on the Photonico website.
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