Gardens By the Bay

I am not a big fan of gardens and for this reason, I never went out of my way to visit Gardens by the Bay. The reason I visited was a friend who told me about the light show and the many wonderful photographs online. I had to see it to believe it.

The event is called "Garden Rhapsody Asian Edition". It is awesome. It is on every evening at 7:45 pm and 8:45 pm till 22 February 2016. If I had to find an adjective to describe this, it is "mesmerising". I am no wordsmith, nor will I pretend to be, so enjoy the photographs.

Little lights outline the Supertrees

The light up begins...

The lights and music transform the giant man-made trees to a magical wonderland

I was expecting Peter Pan to appear....that's how amazing this place is

Like a city of the future....where's the Jetsons?

Why can't we live in townships which look like this?

It was a magical evening and as I made my way out of this magic wonderland, I glanced back and saw this image. There was a sense of mystery around it. I was expecting to see Batman's light signal in the sky. Hahaha...that's my imagination running wild. I love this photo.

A lone supertree watches over the Marina Bay Sands

Marina Barrage

View from Marina Barrage

It has been a while since I last visited Marina Barrage and decided to soak in the view. I was greeted by a very light drizzle when I arrived but it soon blew over. As I entered the barrage, I was greeted by a majestic view of the Marina Bay Sands. The wet floor left by the drizzle gave the area a unique glow. There is no doubt in my mind that this has become the icon of Singapore. It is an awesome building.

As I made my way to the end of the barrage, I was saw an interesting view of the Singapore Flyer and the skyline around the Sheares Bridge.

Interesting reflection off the wet floor

Beautiful Skyline

There were three palm trees which were beautifully lit and looked awesome against Marina Bay Sands. The white signboard is such an eyesore.

The signboard spoilt this picture

I surveyed the area and just outside the Pump Room and was inspired by a vision of having the Marina Bay Sands being framed by the curvature of the walkway at the barrage. The photograph did not turn out as good as I had imagined. Maybe it is because I did not have a lens wider than 35 mm. I have been thinking about getting a nice wide angle lens :)

This did not turn out as I had imagined

I then made my way to the top of the Marina Barrage and caught a sight of the Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay. It is a gorgeous view.

Such matching colours

The view from up there offered a different perspective. As I took this photograph, I was reminded of the hard work of the many unseen people in the background to make things possible for the rest of us to enjoy. The photograph below is far from a perfect shot in terms of visual balance, but I had to find a way to capture the contrast between the lighted and busy skyline in the background and the two workboats in the foreground. It was as if they (the boats) were resting after a hard day's work while there was a party in the background.

While some play, others need their rest

I was hoping to catch some photographs of the laser show but the photographs did not make the cut to be featured, despite my amateurish standards.....yes, that's now bad they were :) Nonetheless, I left happy and satisfied with the last photograph. Just as the boats need their rest, so does this "uncle" as it is way past bedtime. Good night.

A Different Point of View

A different point of view

In case you are wondering what this picture has to do with the subject, I need to explain. I have always taken photos of the Marina Bay Sands are from this point of view :

My usual point of view

For the spatially challenged, there is indeed a difference between the two photographs above. One is taken almost directly opposite from the other. Ahh....now you get it?

I am reminded of differences over opinions which often get us into unproductive arguments or disagreements. Each is entitled to his or her opinion and just as we need to respect that point of view, we should also be open to the alternate view. The beauty in photography is that there is always beauty in the alternate point of view. We just need to look hard enough :)

As I wandered from "the other side" of the Marina Bay area, I caught glimpses of the laser light show. Before showing you the highlight of the evening, you need to bear with me as I trudge you through some of the photographs I captured that evening.

I approached from the Singapore Flyer and caught the festive cheer. I thought it was simple, elegant and understated. Orchard Road does seem a little over the top, but I guess that is the intention.

Merry Christmas !

From across the waterway, Gardens by the Bay was aglow like it has a life of its own. It looked gorgeous.

View of Gardens by the Bay by night

As I looked up the night sky, the moon seemed to complement the Singapore Flyer. Pity it was a cloudy night and the moon was partially hidden behind some clouds.

The Singapore Flyer

As I arrived at the Helix Bridge, I was greeted by this wonderful sight. It seems like the energy from the Helix Bridge was feeding into the Marina Bay area and setting it aglow.

The Helix Bridge leading to Marina Bay Sands

Love the lights on the Helix Bridge

While I waited for the light show to begin (11:00 pm every night), I admired the Singapore skyline and am reminded that apart from Fullerton Hotel (formerly the General Post Office) and Clifford Pier, none of these building were around in the 1960s. The very point I was standing on was the sea and had not even been reclaimed then. I am reminded of the book "From Third World to First : The Singapore Story". What an awesome success story of a tiny red dot.

Singapore Skyline

At 11:00 pm sharp, the light show began. The following sequences attempt to capture the change of mood created by the light and the laser show.

White

Blue

Purple

Red

Lilac

The laser show begins

Like a Sar Wars laser fight

....beam me up, Scotty !

Soon, the drama ended and it was time for me to pack up my photographic gear and head home for the night. I'll be back to look for another point of view :)