These days, when you scroll through Instagram, it sometimes feels like everyone’s posting the same things.
Influencers copy influencers. Content creators copy content creators. Everyone is different yet similar at the same time. Originality is at a premium.
Yet, some photographers break the mould without even trying, bringing creativity and a unique perspective to our smartphone screens each time their work is displayed.
Aik Beng Chia is one such artist.
The Insta-famous photographer, who once said in an interview that he didn’t like being called a street photographer because of its limitations as a label, considers himself more of a visual archivist, capturing precious moments in time, archiving them diary-like with each shot.
He’s even deleted his Instagram feed multiple times, ripping apart each carefully curated gallery of photos and videos for his next batch of work, akin to an artist revamping and revising an art gallery after a few months.
With his calm and relaxed demeanour, Chia is a maestro in anticipating the moment, skulking through the streets, and positioning himself in the right place at the right time, the photography equivalent of a goal-scoring Erling Haaland.
And he has a knack for sniffing out hidden gems too.
We’re hanging out with Chia at Kampong Lorong Buangkok, the last kampong in the city (translated into village in Malay), an anomaly in modern-day Singapore and a throwback to the days that the older generation frequently describes as “simpler and better times.”
It is one of Singapore’s most unique photography spots, with crowing roosters instead of honking cars, zinc roofs and homes without air conditioning instead of towering skyscrapers, and muddy roads instead of concrete pavements.
Chia has been here multiple times himself. But it is the first time he’s getting to speak to the residents.
We’re on the Kampong Lorong Buangkok tour, a rare entry into a community that primarily lives on its own terms (some of the residents were understandably annoyed with hordes of tourists previously coming over to hang outside their houses, with some even taking things a step too far and walking into their homes, uninvited).
Thankfully, we’re meeting residents who are happy to host us to welcome us into a world that most Singaporeans have forgotten.
Chia is taking a picture of the oldest resident in the kampong, talking candidly to him in Malay. It proves that hidden gems don’t necessarily have to be a place. They can be people too.
But it is telling that even as a pro photographer, he doesn’t pressure himself to nail the perfect shot.
His advice to budding photographers or travellers looking to capture incredible photos while on vacation in Singapore?
“Don’t get too caught up with getting the killer shot. For me, I don’t go for the perfect photo. If it comes to me, that’s great. Not all my photos are amazing. Because for me, photography is something you shouldn’t get so stressed about.
As for hidden gems, Chia loves challenging himself at typical touristy spots like Marina Bay Sands or Merlion Park. He also encourages travellers to step outside their comfort zone and go where locals go.
“There’s nothing wrong with going to touristy spots. I love being a tourist in my own city sometimes too. But challenge yourself. That’s what I always tell my students.”
“My advice is besides going to the famous tourist spots of Singapore, explore the heartlands. Because the heartlands are where you can see Singapore’s real, unfiltered side.”
“So go to see the local hospital, try the local food, see the wet market and all that. Have experiences instead of going to attractions because these places will add flavour to your regular tourist spots that you’ll find all over Singapore.”
But why does Chia love Singapore for photo-taking exactly?
“In Singapore, you have the best of both worlds, and the diversity of the culture makes it even more enjoyable. You are living in one country but with multiple cultures and religions.”
“When I started my journey, I always envied travel photographers who constantly travel to faraway places and come back with beautiful pictures. Then one day, my mentor told me, if you can’t photograph Singapore, what makes you so sure we can photograph elsewhere?”
“That was a piece of excellent advice to me when I started, and then ever since then, I spent five or six years later photographing Singapore until later when I got this opportunity to travel out and photograph other people.”
“Yes, Singapore is mundane to some level, like some people say, but how do we make the ordinary beautiful?”
Off-the-beaten-path activities for your Singapore itinerary:
If you, like Aik Beng Chia, are looking to transform the mundane into the beautiful on your next trip to Singapore while discovering a hidden side to the city, here are some of the best activities you can check out to explore the city like a pro:
Geylang, over the years, has suffered a bad rep. But is there more than what meets the eye here? Well, the only way to find out is to go on a tour to weave through its notorious alleys. You might be surprised by what you see, with an urban explorer who grew up in the area leading you along the way, showing you there’s more to Geylang than its social stigmas.
Singapore may be all glitzy these days, with high-rises and swish shopping malls, but there are still places to go to for that bit of nostalgia and to enjoy a blast from the past. One such spot is Jalan Besar. Go on a tour of this quaint neighbourhood and see how its back alleys survive and thrive in a city on a path of constant evolution.
In Singapore, kopi (coffee in Malay) is king. And there is a strong café culture. But before all the trendy and Insta-worthy cafés popped into town, there were old-school local coffee roasters. Join a tour to learn about roasting techniques unique to Singapore and why kopi is so revered here. You can even visit a bread factory while you’re at it too!
Believe it or not, Singapore has a wild side beyond its clean and green reputation. For an authentic, hidden gem experience, go on an expedition to locate abandoned WWII bunkers at Marsiling. You’ll feel like a modern-day Indiana Jones in no time, bashing your way through jungle vines and manoeuvring ankle-deep mud to find a former British Royal Air Force fuel reserve depot.
