BEHIND-THE-PICTURE WITH THE WINNERS of CNY 2017 Photowalk
1ST PLACE: JUSTIN PENA (NTU)(picture above)
“When I first found out that “attachment” was the theme for the CNY outing, I already pictured images of love in my mind such as couples on dates, families going out together or friends having fun with all smiles and laughs. I never really gave it much more thought than that since I just wanted to join the outing to improve my photography, meet new people with similar interests and, have fun.
It proved to be challenging to take pictures during the event itself due to the dreary weather. Our group stopped by the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple to find some temporary shelter from the rain. That was when I was reminded that I haven’t had a picture yet that conveyed a sense of attachment. My group mate even joked when he saw a bunch of construction workers and told me that it could be an example of attachment because of their dedication to the job despite the weather.
That made me realise that there are different kinds of attachments. Given that we were currently at a temple and the festive atmosphere of CNY, the first thing that came to my mind was our attachment to our culture and traditions, which lead to my shot. Even at a young age, our parents would have exposed us to certain values, behaviours, beliefs and practices that eventually would become a part of who we are today. These culture and traditions are born from our rich history and while some ideas remain the same, it’s also really amazing to see how it evolves over time.”
2ND PLACE: JUN WEI (NUS)(picture above)
“The above photo was taken during the CNY combined Unis photowalk with the theme “Attachment”. Actually I didn’t really have an idea what kind of photo can depict attachment. Was it IT devices likes smartphones, Ipad attachment? Or attachment to physical objects? (so cheem…lol)
In the end I decided to look around for people. Practically speaking it is always challenging to take candid photos without people glancing at the camera. Misunderstandings may or may not occur when doing such photos. Anyway, I saw this baby attached to the mum via a carrier. The mum was waving to someone and the umbrella was hiding her face from view, lending a sense of mystery to the photo. Also the umbrella helps as I wanted the baby’s face to be the main anchor point of the photo, therein lies the ‘attachment’ of the baby in both body and love.”
3RD PLACE (TIE): EE ONE (NUS) & PATRICK LING (NUS)
EE ONE(picture above)
“What do we get attached to as we get older? How do we commemorate the passing of time? This pomelo seller keeps a myriad of plastic bags as storage for knick-knack. Each piece is a personal legacy. Similarly, I find myself with possessions that are not particularly useful: clothes that are too tight to commemorate a past skinnier-self, cringe-inducing essays which used to be the source of my pride, and lots and lots of notions of who I am and who I am not. Our attachment to our identities is very much like our attachment to things. It gives us a story that we get to tell ourselves over and over again. Chinese New Year is just around the corner. This is yet another chance to start all over again. Keep whatever that is desired, and sort out whatever that is not. Wishing everyone Happy Spring Cleaning and Happy CNY!”
PATRICK(picture above)
“Getting attached to something may turn out all right, but when everyone leaves and you’re the only one left, is attachment really the best for you?”
We wish all of our members a very happy Chinese New Year, and we hope our photowalk competition winners have inspired you to pick up your camera during these holidays!
