Fujifilm Walkabout, Shoot and Win and GFX Launch Event

Fujifilm Singapore held its first photowalk on 17 February 2017. Although I am a Team Canon shooter, I joined the event since all camera brands were welcomed. The theme was not announced beforehand and consequently, the participants can be divided into two camps: those with just a camera and those who looked like they lugged their entire camera collection with them... I belonged to the latter. My back does not thank me for it though.

Prior to this event, I had just acquired a Canon 17-55mm F2.8 lens along with B+W ND filters. Previously, I was using the Polaroid Variable ND filter which does not stop sufficient light and also causes uneven exposure. I was excited to achieve exposures of around 1 minute on a bright sunny day using my new filters. The exposures could have been longer if I stacked my 2 B+W filters. The B+W filters do not cause uneven exposure as they are not variable, but surprisingly they had a stronger colour cast than my cheap Polaroid filter.

The theme of the photowalk was 'Uniquely Singapore', and honestly I wanted to roll my eyes so badly when it was announced. I thought it would be something more creative instead of an overused theme for all kinds of competition. Being a photowalk, I expected us to move in large groups, but we were allowed to wander anywhere. We had to return with our chosen photo and print it out using the Fuji photo printers for submission. The results would be announced at the end of the GFX launch event.

I do feel that the competition could have been executed better. For instance, how would the organisers know if the photo was taken on the day itself? They also disallowed editing using a computer although in-camera edits were fine.

I chose to go to the Botanic Gardens and National Orchid Garden to find my shot. After consecutive days of torrential rain, the sun was merciless. Here is my 'winning' shot:

I thought if I did not win this competition, I would submit it for the NParks competition (which I did). All of the winning photos were related to street photography and I cannot say I am not disappointed as I hoped to see more variety. There was a shot in Chinatown showing the contrast between shophouses and skyscrapers which I thought was well-executed. I guess photography is really subjective. In addition, I thought a camera geek like me would be excited by the launch event, but it was ... extremely boring in my opinion.

I did enjoy the event a lot as this is something I have never done before - dedicating an entire day to photography (and skipping a lecture in the process). I do not consider travelling and touring to be of the same category. I know Singapore so well thus it is less probable that I would spend a whole day to photograph places where I have visited before. Unlike in Edmonton, I have not been taking photos as frequently in Singapore, although part of it can be attributed to the persistent rain. I do not need another short-circuited DSLR.

To conclude the post, I hope to join more photowalks and photography competitions. Always learning :D.