WRITTEN BY
Jordan Hammond
PUBLISHED ON
November 13, 2017
LOCATION
Singapore
Deemed the cleanest city in the world, Singapore is a photographer’s paradise – visually stunning, culturally fascinating, and an ideal destination for a short city break.
The city’s public transport is very convenient, excellent for ferrying around busy photographers and leading directly to Singapore’s world-famous architectural wonders.
ABOVE: Yachts in Singapore’s Sentosa.
Our first stop in the Lion City was Sentosa – home to high-end hotels, yacht clubs, and pristine, palm-lined beaches – only a short train ride from central Singapore. Instead of visiting the attractions and theme parks like Resorts World Sentosa, we opted for the harbors and beaches for the day, stopping for lunch on the waterfront at W Hotel.
ABOVE: The waters and harbors of Sentosa are only a short ride away from Central Singapore on public transport.
After shots of the meandering piers and harbor-fronts from the ground, we decided to send the drone up and see it from the sky. The harbors and boats during the day were stark against the crystal clear sea – a sight not often seen by the tourists and yacht enthusiasts that flock there each year.
Next came the iconic Marina Bay Sands and the Gardens by the Bay. Walking past the Marina Bay Sands and into the Gardens, it felt as though we had stepped into the future. The Gardens are best seen at sunset, as the lights of the avatar-like supertrees switch on with a (if you’re lucky) colorful hazy sky as the sun goes down.
ABOVE: Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay.
After a busy day in the city center, a local friend picked us up early the following morning to take us to some photogenic spots outside the city. As previously mentioned, you can get pretty much everywhere in Singapore in a day, but if you’re trying to get a lot of photographs of different spots in one day, a car helps.
ABOVE: Looking up at one of Singapore’s towering apartments in Yung Kuang.
First, we drove to Yung Kuang in the west, arriving at an old, beat-up apartment block, but upon stepping inside, we found one of the most interesting look-ups we’ve seen on our travels so far. It was fascinating to see the quieter, residential side of the often swirling city Singapore.
ABOVE: Interesting Bedok apartment complex going from yellow to red.
Next, we drove to Bedok to see a group of apartment blocks with different colored gradients painted on the walls. If you’re looking for a beautiful exterior on an apartment, Singapore is the place to go. We saw a few other photographers here taking photos of the bright buildings, but it is very much one of the lesser known photography spots in Singapore.
ABOVE: School for Art, Design, and Media at Nanyang Technological University.
Our last stop was the Nanyang Technological University on the outskirts of Singapore. Ranked as one of the top universities in Asia, NTU is known for its futuristic architecture and design. One such example of this is The Hive: a multi-functional learning space designed by Thomas Heatherwick resembling piles of dim sum baskets from the outside and an extravagant beehive from the inside.
ABOVE: Tennis courts at NTU.
The space was designed to combine learning and social space for collaborative learning. Exploring the campus further, we came to the School for Art, Design, and Media, which featured a sloped grass walkway over the top of two arched roofs. The sunset from the top was something special indeed and a great place to drone the campus.
There’s much more to see in Singapore than the CBD, and it can be an endlessly fascinating place for those with the right eye and the right lens.