It doesn’t matter where you are in Singapore; you’re likely to find a heartland mall nearby. In fact, we bet there’s one right in your estate that you visit almost daily. This is where you go to get your groceries, have a quick bite, and maybe pick up household essentials on your way home.
Now, taking pics of your neighbourhood icon might just nab you a prize with this photo contest. We’ve got details on how to enter down below:
*Read on for the submission link below.
Before you go all trigger happy on every mall in your neighbourhood, get yourself familiarised with this list of HDB malls first:
Then there are the 3 themes to take note of too:
All submitted photos should be of these 12 participating HDB malls and fall under these themes, so you’ll want to make sure you’re snapping the right pics to qualify for entry. With this info locked in, you’re now ready to let your creative juices flow and start snapping away. Here’s some inspo to get you started:
Make use of curves and lines to frame your subject.
We understand if your impression of Bras Basah Complex is that it’s just a place with multiple secondhand bookstores. The building was completed in 1980 – possibly way older than many of us reading this.
Play around with camera settings like shutter speed for an unexpected shot.
But this just means old-school charm exudes from every corner of this HDB mall. This includes the many retailers that have been here for decades, like the secondhand bookstores and antiquaries dealing in old currencies and watches.
If the last time you were here was as a student for copies of exam papers, it’s worth revisiting Bras Basah Complex for a taste of nostalgia. There are plenty of nooks and crannies around that’ll make for a good photo opp.
Use a wider angle to capture more details of the place.
If you’ve ever had doubts about Singapore being a green city, we recommend checking out Oasis Terraces, along Punggol Water Way. This HDB mall is shrouded in greenery from its rooftops to the verandas out front. A far cry from the concrete skyscrapers that make up the skyline in the CBD.
Head to the rooftop garden of Oasis Terraces for stunning views of Punggol.
Trees and plants are such natural beauties, so it won’t be difficult to find photogenic spots at this mall. Head up to the rooftop garden or garden terraces to be face-to-face with nature. You’ll even find foliage at the kids’ playground, where the bright slides and seesaws stand out against the natural verdant background.
Shoot from a lower angle to make buildings look grander.
Northies who want in on the photography contest action can take photos over at Canberra Plaza. It’s directly linked to Canberra MRT, making it a convenient place to stop by for photo taking on your way home.
Close ups work well when you have light reflecting off multiple surfaces.
It’s a relatively conducive mall with lots of open spaces available to create your shots. Go in the day when there’s plenty of natural light if you’re shooting outdoors. If you’ve missed golden hour, just head indoors. Retailers like BreadTalk, Daiso, and NTUC FairPrice have brightly lit aisles. You’ll just need a little imagination when capturing your shots.
This photo contest is open to all, whether you’re a professional or budding photographer. You don’t even need to lug around a heavy DSLR or fiddle with settings to take your photos. You can easily participate just by using what’s already in your back pocket – your smartphone camera.
Upload your captured moments via the link below from now till 2nd October 2022, and you could be walking home with more than just a prize.
Top prize is a Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III.
Image credit: @seagreen0314
Up for grabs for the top 3 spots are a Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III, an Apple Watch SE, and LUMOS Ray Home Cinema Projector. Plus, 12 other merit winners will get a photography package for 2 pax at Automat Self Studio. Winners will be announced on 17th October 2022 on the participating malls’ Facebook pages.
It’s always a moment of pride for photographers to see their photos in print. The winning entries will be displayed in a travelling exhibition at selected malls:
The next time you’re at your neighbourhood HDB mall, keep your eyes peeled and start snapping. You might just have a winning shot on your hands.
This post was brought to you by JLL, Managing Agent for HDB Malls (East & Central).
Photography by Clement Sim.
Eating out can get expensive and unhealthy. But there are many tingkat delivery options for…
A camera under $10? We won't gatekeep this no more!
Do you remember playing these arcade games in the 90s? From Daytona to Street Fighter,…
I hopped off the plane at the airport of one of these places with a…
This amusement park has tons of thrilling rides that’ll give you an adrenaline rush -…
Abigail Chue - Becoming an actress in Singapore When people entertain the idea of a…