Portraits at Tiong Bahru
TIONG BAHRU, SINGAPORE . 2023
Not every photograph begins with a plan. Sometimes it begins with one falling apart.
What was meant to be a lens test almost didn't happen. The wonderful team at the Leica Store at Raffles Hotel had kindly loaned me a selection of lenses for my Leica SL2, but the original shoot was cancelled at the last minute. Rather than packing everything away, I called my good friend and makeup artist, Klarissa, and asked if she'd be up for an impromptu afternoon of making photographs. We wandered through the familiar streets of Tiong Bahru, with no real agenda beyond seeing where the light—and our curiosity—might lead us.
Looking back, I'm grateful the day didn't go according to plan. Some of my favourite photographs are the result of unexpected detours rather than careful preparation. Every now and then, life reminds us that not every cancelled plan is a disappointment. Sometimes it's simply making room for a different story.
Photographed with the Leica SL2, Summicron-M 75mm f/2 APO and Summicron-SL 50mm f/2 APO. My thanks to Tiak Siew and Jonathan from Leica Store Singapore, and to Klarissa for saying yes to an afternoon that almost never happened.
