Darren Soh is well known for his mesmerising photos of HDB blocks, but here’s a new project of his that captures a different side of Singapore: In the Still of the Night.
To shoot this collection of haunting images, Soh turned nighthawk and headed out to strange and unfamiliar places – like the one pictured here. The photographer tells us about it.
'My objective isn't really to capture any change per se, but more a challenge to shoot images of Singapore that aren't instantly recognisable as Singapore – basically no cityscapes or HDB flats or amazing infrastructure. I found it difficult, as Singapore has become so much more developed and urbanised over the years.
'The image pictured here was shot last year in Kranji, near the Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve. Those are actually mangrove trees in the image and that’s Johor in the background. It's very unusual to have mangrove trees along the coastline in Singapore, as much of our natural mangrove coastlines have been swallowed by urbanisation. The mangrove forest in Kranji is one of the few remaining ones on the mainland, and this part of the forest isn't even within the boundaries of the wetland reserve. So in a sense, it is wilder. Who knows what will become of this once development takes over. It's probably not going to exist in ten years.
'The image is special to me because it is such a serene vignette compared to the chaos and development that is Singapore. And I think it very nicely says in one image what I want to say with the entire body of work.'
Here are a few more of Soh's photographs:
Low Clouds, Upper Seletar Reservoir (2014)Photo: Darren Soh
Malaysian Power Station, seen from Seletar North Link (2014)Photo: Darren Soh
Pier, Upper Seletar Reservoir (2015)Photo: Darren Soh
Tree in Seletar, Seletar Aerodome (2015)Photo: Darren Soh
Open Space 3, off Punggol Road (2015)Photo: Darren Soh
In the Still of the Night is on display at the Esplanade from Nov 14, 2015 to Jan 3, 2016.