Joo Chiat Road Photowalk

Last weekend, I participated in a photowalk organised by Fujifilm Singapore. This was the first time I had ever did anything remotely related to photography so I had no clue what to expect. Thank goodness I turned up in a black t-shirt as most of the other participants did so as well.

We were divided into groups which were each led by an X-Photographer. My group was assigned to Ivan Joshua Loh, a famous local photog who had a great sense of humour and a willingness to teach.

Practically every participant had a Fujifilm camera. Most were using X-T3s or X100Fs but there was also a 4 year old kid using an XE3.

After a quick dinner, during which each group’s members got to know each other – we started walking down Joo Chiat road.

Although I live nearby, I had never really stopped to look at Joo Chiat street. During this walk, I began to realise that there were many things I had never noticed – reflections in the glass of shops, the way sunlight falls on the buildings and the type of people going about their daily lives.

We were told to take a bunch of shots, and then select the top 10 shots that best represented Joo Chiat Road. The reality is that I struggled with this, I had never really given much thought to such things. Perhaps I have been to wrapped up in my career and living in my own bubble to bother about what was going on around me. Part of the reason why I started taking photography a bit more seriously was precisely to improve my self-reflection and I see more evidence now that this is precisely what I need.

To be frank, I was quite in awe of the photographers in my group. The shots they took were amazing with great lighting and perfect composition. I definitely learned a lot just by observing them which for me was the whole point of this activity.

At the end of the photowalk, we took a break at a local coffeeshop and had a cold drink. Just for fun, we placed our cameras on the table and took a shot.

It had been a great event, I’ll definitely be signing up for more Fujifilm events.

What I took away was that I need to get out and shoot more, lose my shyness so that I can take closer shots with people looking in my direction and finally study composition.

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