It’s several months since I returned from my week’s holiday in Singapore and at last I have time to share a few of my snaps with you…

I love taking photos from the plane, which I liken to a visual geography lesson at 35,000 feet! I follow the route and try to catch anything interesting that I can, assuming the visibility is good enough.

Sunrise over India

There’s nothing to obscure the view of a sunrise and the wing of the plane ‘tells the story‘. The trick is to press the camera lens against the window to reduce reflections and ensure you’ve selected a fast shutter speed to avoid any movement.

A good zoom lens and good light below enabled this interesting aerial view of an island off the Malaysian coast. Not perfectly clear and sharp but Photoshop helped to enhance the image.

Small island off Malaysian west coast where they build out into the sea.

Approach to Singapore

Being the largest commercial port in the world, it’s not surprising to find the approach to the harbour like a giant car park for ships! I did my best to cut through the afternoon heat haze and mist as the plane was about to land.

Singapore’s striking commercial district.

In every sense this amazing city has something to offer every photographer and traveler’s taste; from the dramatic modern skyscrapers of the bustling and affluent commercial district to the rustic back streets in Chinatown and Little India. I describe it as a Chinese Lower Manhattan with a touch of Las Vagas!

A splash of colour in the city centre.

Singapore is a very colourful city; seen in it’s people and it’s architecture, no more obvious than these beautifully decorated apartments, snapped from a boat cruising the Singapore River.

Singapore resident, the Javan Mynah

 

Noodles or chicken curry and rice aren’t amongst my fist choices for breakfast (as it seems to be in a lot of Asia), but these cheeky birds (Javan Mynah) were everywhere and happy to grab whatever was left over!

Terracotta horse

Singaporeans like their public art and this terracotta horse in the city’s beautiful Gardens By The Bay park amused me and made a fun photo. Nearby is the city’s famous recently built landmark, Marina Bay Sands, a huge futuristic triple towered luxury hotel complex, which dominates the city skyline. At 636 feet high, the view from the observation deck on top is breathtaking!

Marina Bay Sands

 

Spot the tiny palm trees on the ‘roof’! Having experienced the spectacular view from the top of New York’s Empire State Building at night, I wanted to try something similar in Singapore. I wasn’t to be disappointed! Night time photography isn’t easy when the surrounds make using a tripod impractical. A steady hand, resting against railings and experimenting with ISO settings, different shutter speeds and exposures can give rewarding results. You’ll need to overexpose to give detail in dark areas and compensate for bright lights in the distance confusing the camera’s light meter.

Singapore skyline at night

NEXT TIME: Check out the second installment of my snaps from Singapore, including: Chinatown, Little India and Sentosa Island.