This has been one busy week and a half for photography and myself here in Singapore.

The Singapore Inter-School Photography Seminar was held at Anderson Junior College on a Saturday morning on 31 May. I was invited to speak along with Lance. Weeks earlier, I had taken the speaking engagement a little lightly?.until Kay Chin?s fateful words to me 2 days before the Seminar ??.these young photographers are our future? He has a way of throwing a ton of responsibilities on my shoulders with a few simple words.

More than 200 15 through 18 year olds from a dozen school photography clubs packed the auditorium by 9am that morning. The National University of Singapore Photographic Society was also represented by a group of 5 or 6 undergraduates.

A battery of kids went ahead of Lance and myself, us being the key speakers to be served to the hungry crowd later. Ha, what?s the big deal? They?re just a bunch of kids without half a clue just as I was new to photography in high school almost 30 years ago

Well, as their presentations rolled along, I started getting butterflies in my stomach. These teenagers could put together snazzy multi-media presentations with some pretty nifty equipment the dinosaur in me hadn?t even seen before.

I sat up when their pictures rolled along. They were good, the generous amounts of natural talent and their passion for the art showed. I especially enjoyed the works of 2 young ladies no older than 15 from St Theresa?s Convent on how they portrayed perceptions and images on love.

If you guys from the National Arts Council and the National Youth Achievements Awards Young Photographers? Network are reading this, rest assured that the photographic arts are alive and well in the schools.

A light tap on my shoulder signaled my turn to speak. I would be touching on ?Environmental Awareness in Photography? something that is normally a little cut and dried. What would I say that would be of value to these eager listeners? I approached it from an angle that called for personal self examination. Why do we make photographic images? What are the things we want to say? And how best to say it.

I overshot my timeslot by 20 minutes and quietly sighed a breath of relief as thunderous applause greeted me at the end of the hour. I was confident the message came across well enough when I was waylaid more than a few times during the interval break that followed. I was impressed, nobody really asked what kind of camera system, lenses, film and/or gadgets I used. Instead I was (happily) hit by mature questions like ?What?s your personal view on approaching a subject that might be taboo? and ?What do you do to focus on a story-line without being too inward looking?? I never remember being that profound (I was more profane) when I was a 16 year old when the Rolling Stones (and Mick Jagger) and the Bee Gees were still young men .

Whew! I?m NEVER taking speaking to kids lightly again?.EVER.

Truth be said, the demographics have changed.

1. In the 70s, it was an almost all-boys hobby. The audience on Saturday looked like 70% girls.
2. I saw lots of digital video and still cameras. LOTS.
3. A lot of the guys (and girls) were TALL. Getting across the 6ft barrier didn?t seem an issue with many of these kids. (we were physically much shorter during our time) Well OK, I?ve got a weight advantage over these kids!

I cant help but to look back and be amazed at how far technology has moved forward. We didn?t have zoom lenses then. Getting a camera that had a battery was a big thing then. We didn?t have auto-focus either. And traditional 3R sized B&W prints cost 10 cents a piece then.

Back to the Seminar. I spent half an hour at the photo exhibition of students? works in the school?s Reading Room. They had really good home-cooked bakes that were out of this world. (I had missed breakfast that morning and being in a school, I held back on the cigarettes, which all added up to a really hungry Ed)

Slowly walking through the exhibits, the salon stuff (landscapes, fireworks, macro and animal photos) was pretty good, What blew me away was the quality of street and candid works both in color and B&W. There were approaches, philosophies and ideas that I have not seen replicated in the ?grown-up? world.

??????.

Home is Where the Art is

Tay Kay Chin?s exhibition Panoramic Singapore launched on Wednesday 4 June at Objectifs. I made it to the opening by the scruff of my neck having landed back in Singapore literally a few hours earlier. My tired body was not disappointed. Mounted on gorgeous wood frames and cream colored boards, his superlative body of works on how he saw Singapore gave one (me, at least) a very deceivingly cordial first feel. It disarmed me without me being aware of it. Further examination into the little clues and elements embedded within the images opened the eyes further to the actual depth of his images.

The old fart?s not God but I was in the presence of imaging greatness. Grabbing one of the giveaway posters depicting a child sitting on a father? shoulder admiring a daytime moon and jet plane, I stuck it in his face and he autographed it with, again, simple and kind words.

Kay Chin also delivered a talk on Sunday at the Art Museum with a couple of other guys (notably alongside Ken Seet). He spoke on ?An Idea A Day?. It was eye opening how most of the illustrations he used were from the previous day?s newspapers. I?m sure all who attended the talk walked away with new ideas. It made me more determined not to be a shutter-button pusher but to be more a voice?.. to lead with ideas instead of aiming to be the supplier of supplementary images.

Hasselblad sponsored both the exhibition and talks. They were generous. I scored a nice key chain pewter replica of a Hassy camera.

???????.

Friend Andy Dinesh made the local TV news this evening after an epic 1350km ride in Malaysia with a group of cyclists to raise funds for AFA (Action for Aids) I called him thinking he made it back YESTERDAY.

Ozzy, Greg and a couple of other Offstone photographers took the bulk of prizes at Snap!Snap! I understand that the photos will go on a road show around the country.

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Soo Chie and a few photographers will be coming to my home tonight (9/6) to discuss their planned Yew Tee Community Center photo exhibition slated for November. I hear its going to be titled 'No Words'

Will be meeting up with Tuck Hong and Ruey Loon seperately next week to hear their proposals for the September exhibition.

My wife almost blew her stack this past weekend at the Art Museum. I admit it, I've been neglecting the family. Almost every weekend and many weekday nights, for the past 2 months have been spent on one photo related event or another.
to be continued. Now I understand why most of the photographers I meet used to be married. Not me.....I'm going to buck the trend and have a life outside of photography.

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I'll be in Bangkok on Wed night and heading out to Sangkhlaburi almost imeediately with Feng, Jun and Adam Gregor. Spending some time at the Thai-Burmese border to finish the 2 stories I'm working on. It'll be a long all night drive through the mountains and hopefully we'll arrive in one piece at around 3 to 4 am in the morning

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The Offstone Loft idea is fast materializing thanks to Bobman and Lance. I found an old LCD projector in the office which I hope they can service and use for the Loft. Sorry, we dont have enough Moolah to buy a new one.

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I'm nervous. I'm off to Thailand for 4 days and lugging along an all manual system and Tri-X. One would normally salivate at the thought of slingling a Leica M6 and a Contax RTS II, but will I lose too many ops? Will I have the patience? Will I end up smashing the M6 against a tree? Will feedback in next week's report.
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I received a beautiful poem from Eveline Suryani today in the mail and would like to share it with you guys.

>I ran into a stranger as he passed by.
> "Oh, excuse me please" was my reply.
> He said, "Please excuse me too;
> I wasn't even watching for you."
>
> We were very polite, this stranger and I.
> We went on our way and we said good-bye.
> But at home a different story is told,
> How we treat our loved ones, young and old.
>
> Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
> My daughter stood beside me very still.
> When I turned, I nearly knocked her down.
> "Move out of the way," I said with a frown.
> She walked away, her little heart broken.
> I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.
>
> While I lay awake in bed,
> God's still small voice came to me and said,
> "While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use,
> But the children you love, you seem to abuse.
> Look on the kitchen floor,
> You'll find some flowers there by the door.
> Those are the flowers she brought for you.
> She picked them herself, pink, yellow and blue.
> She stood quietly not to spoil the surprise,
> And you never saw the tears in her eyes."
>
> By this time, I felt very small
> And now my tears began to fall.
> I quietly went and knelt by her bed;
> "Wake up, little girl, wake up," I said.
> "Are these the flowers you picked for me?"
> She smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree.
> I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.
> I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."
>
> I said, "Daughter, I'm sorry for the way I acted today;
> I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."
> She said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay. I love you anyway."
> I said, "Daughter, I love you too,
> and I do like the flowers, especially the blue."
>
Sometime we try to be so nice to people we just met and try to impress them
that you're a nice person but to those already close to you and to those who
really loves you, you tend to take things for granted....and sometime you
treat them harshly, just because you know that they will accept you anyway.
Let's try to be nice to everybody especially those we love and care......