USP students now have a platform to share their talents and skills, as well as learn from one another’s interests. The USPecial series is a series of workshops organised by the Special Projects Subcommittee of the 2nd NTU USP Club. On 14 September 2015, the series took off with its first event – the Photography Workshop, conducted by avid photographers freshmen Daryn Tan, Ong Yong Jia and Natalia Chioang.
In a cozy Seminar Room in Crescent Hall, the dozen or so participants were exposed to the basic techniques of using a digital single-lens reflex camera (DSLR). Factors like lens aperture, shutter speed, and the ISO or light sensitivity of the camera need to be considered and adjusted to take the best possible photographs. Together, the three elements constitute “the Holy Trinity of Photography.”
Yong Jia’s evident passion for photography was displayed as he explained the techniques of photography. Deftly, he dismantled the lens from his DSLR to show the participants the internal composition connected to its use, making the link between the technical knowledge of photography and the actual mechanism of photo-taking.
However, good photography is not just a mechanical process. As Daryn shared, each photograph is a “story you want to tell.” The personal connection between the photographer and the photograph is essential to breathe life into otherwise inanimate images.
Daryn’s interest in photography and landscape has taken him to various parts of Singapore, capturing the beauty often overlooked by reason of familiarity. “I will show you that you don’t need to get out of Singapore to take good photos,” he said with a cheeky smile.
Natalia had put her photography skills to good use during her time working at a restaurant. Her boss had asked her to take photos for the restaurant’s menu, and Natalia rose to the occasion, conjuring beautiful photos under natural lighting, with an elegant composition of the dishes that showcased both her skills and artistic sense.
Yong Jia’s photos reflect his natural gravitation toward people, his curiosity and enthusiasm for them. One monochrome shot shows children playing on a dusty street in Vietnam. Another is of a guitarist immersed in making music as a yellow billow of stage smoke enfolds him. Yet another captures a crowd squeezing inside a tiny shoemaker’s shop.
Each of these three USPian photographers is talented in their own distinctive styles, but all three are united in their passion, earnestness, and humility even as they share their knowledge. As Yong Jia puts it, “I share not my expertise, but my experience.”
At the end of the workshop, Geraldine, who had been taking a backseat throughout the session, shared with us that she had been planning the workshop together with these photographers. With USPecial being a new project, she had been uncertain how it would be received by the USP community. Nonetheless, the good number of enthusiastic participants who showed up for the Photography Workshop was an encouraging sign for subsequent workshops. “It’s a platform for USP talents to shine,” she said. She encouraged all USPians to share their skills in subsequent workshops.
As a USP community, we can look forward to many more enriching workshops which will benefit all among us who are willing to learn.
Check out more photos from the event from our Facebook page!
