S'pore symbol Photo

Photographer’s Note

You think this pic has no place in T-Earth : you're totally wrong, I'll show you.

This is time for a true and deep question : what is Singapore's legacy to the world? Forget about 5000 singdols fines for littering or not flushing the toilets, Rapid Mass Transportation, Baring's rise and fall. I mean how would you illustrate S'pore in a snapshot.
For instance, everytime you see the Eiffel tower, smell cheese, hear the first 5 intro notes of "All you need is love" or Peter Sellers impersonating inspector Clouzeau you think about Paris.

I finally made my mind that the S'porean thing is a Singapore Sling at the Raffles' bar. It's so good it should be on Singapore's flag and sung in primary classes...

This is the shot-lah !

I was also hesitating with a shot of kiasu, I have no idea of how to show kiasu-ism...

PS : no offence to s'pore people, take it 2nd degree, please I don't want to get fined next time I'm in S'pore...

markgong, PixelTerror, kajspice, Iuli has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

CedarBough (74) 2003-07-15 19:12

Is this actually shot at the Raffles Bar? The shot seems too dark to me,not enough lights to balance the darks. Top of the drink unfortunately melting a bit into the background. But i appreciate you trying hard to get the essence of a place in a photo. Cool!

evilren (1395) 2003-07-15 19:28

the story behind is wonderful so is the idea for the picture..it does somehow give u a sort of felling connected to the place..but to my the composition is too simple and too dark as ceder wrote..

kooki (550) 2003-07-15 19:28

Nice composition very soft contrast with the very goog material Black and white + Leica M6 make the difference betwenn Argentique and Numerique.
I am curiosly about your scanner ?

cole (121) 2003-07-15 21:46

nice composition, and very interesting note you have there.

p.s. btw, i'm from singapore. no you won't get fined the next time you're here. you'll just get caned! ;)

mdchachi (1611) 2003-07-15 23:15

Nice shot of a glass of beer with a pineapple on it. :) I love the shot but you really need color to show a S'Sling. What about leaving the drink in color & everything else b&w. Oh, wait, it looks like the original was b&w. Forget I mentioned it.

I always associated "All you need is love" with the Beatles. Or perhaps, John & Yoko lying in a bed in a love-in. Is there a Paris connection?

thien (2102) 2003-07-15 23:16

This composition is too simple for a Luko's shot. And the fact that the background is blurry is indication that you have taken too many Slings before having taken this shot. It look just fine on my monitor and I like the idea.

Porteplume (3257) 2003-07-16 3:01

The whole image is attractive to me and I specially like the soft focus on the glas. Hot & refreshing at the same time...

Edwin (2039) 2003-07-16 4:07

Thanks Luko for the clarification. As the Lassi from India works for me as an inspiritation to once visit India this drink might be a trigger as well :)
Love the focus on the glass and the anonymity of the man yet still so clear a bar-tender...

Teten (582) 2003-07-16 12:26

Beautiful, nostalgial and pleasant. Give me the secret to make that!!

greg (2835) 2003-07-17 9:46

I like this one, especially how you've composed the barman. Maybe a harder light on the glass would be good.

zto (292) 2003-09-28 13:12

I agree with Edwin, I like the anonomus bartender and the focus on the drink. I also beleive this is a good pic for TE, because just as you say, when you hear Singapore Sling, especially from Raffles', you emidiatly think SINGAPORE. I also like that it is a BW.

keir (242) 2003-09-30 10:39

Perfect DOF capturing the barkeep in a slow moment in a hot country where the refreshing drink is important and the attention on it. Everything works well together.

Kenny10pin (19301) 2003-11-06 6:06

I really like the pic here, good composition and great focus. I love the sullen look on the mans face, as though he has worked a hefty shift already. Good work

aperture (25) 2003-11-11 7:23

Luko,

Great shots. Good use of DOF the single out the main subject of the photo. For me one of the interesting things about the sing sling is its colour. An interesting version of this shot would be to retain the B and W of the shot but leave the drink in full colour for contrast. Also as a B and W you could also use some burning and dodging to bring out the drink even more.

Steely (895) 2004-03-31 7:57

Nice writeup HAHAHAH!
Kiasuism is something you gotta catch at a dept store sales with the aunties clutching 10 individual shoes as they rumage for a match :P
I like the shot, try it with bottle of beer next time, someone should give you a Tiger! :)
used up my allocation of 15, pts later

bebecam (161) 2005-04-11 21:41

It grainy, oldish, fit for a nostalgic magazine. Really the sing sling should be called the "Ngiam Tong Boon" sling, since this fruity mix was invented by an immigrant barman named Ngiam Tong Boon from Hainan island. Chances are the sing sling recipe today is not even the same as Mr Ngiam Tong Boon's recipe back in the early 90's.

Really, it just a lady's cocktail made sassy by the fame of a celebrity hotel only mah, who know one day can be so famous huh?! ¤my habitual singlish kicking in liao¤

I guess maybe after knowing alittle about the history, it is fantastic to feature a "faceless" barman in the bkgrd, and the dark not-so-glam shot also highlights the not-so-well-known gloomysides of a sing sling story. Aiya tok 2much oredi lah, tok nonsence liao.

PixelTerror (86797) 2005-12-10 4:52

Bonjour Luko,
Effectivement je suis passe a cote de cette Singapore Experience, meme si j'ai une photo pour me souvenir que je suis rentre dans le hall du Raffles, je me rappelle que les portiers regardaient mon look "routard" de haut et que je ne me suis pas senti a l'aise dans cet endroit plutot compasse. En plus pour limiter les risques de littering fine je n'ai passe qu'une journee a Singapour entre deux avions.
Voila donc la merveille !
Bien oui je suis d'accord que ce genre de photo accompagne de sa note a parfaitement sa place ici, je vois beaucoup plus de "learn about the world" ici que dans une photos de gamins sur la plage. Le positionnement du cocktail me plait et l'orientation de la paille est une tres bonne invitation a participer... La profondeur de champ detache parfaitement le sujet, en regardant les details je commprends, 50mm et f/2 ca le fait bien. J'aime aussi le garcon qui apporte un cote chic par sa tenue et une bonne balance dans la photo, le fait qu'il soit ainsi floute equilibre bien a mon avis la difference de taille. Perso je n'aime pas trop les personnages coupes, donc je pense que dans cette situation j'aurais ete tente de viser un peu plus vers la droite, mais vu qu'il n'est pas le sujet principal ici ca me parait un point mineur.
Yeah I support you in that Singapore kids should learn to sing the Sinpapore Sling :-)
Bon week end,
Jean-Yves