Places to take upside down pictures
Upside down shots are all the hype recently. Instagrammers are always on the lookout for new ways to make their feeds interesting and mind-boggling framing definitely draws the interest of people beyond a 3-second glance.
So if you’re looking to up your IG-feed game or wrap your minds around how such shots are taken, here’s a list of 9 locations to take upside down pictures. We also included different looks as tips to make your subject really stand out in shots.
1. Marina Square Maze
You may feel as if you’ve just walked into a Maze Runner movie upon stepping into this rooftop. The neverending walls that all look the same may confuse you. But from a photographer’s view, this intriguing rooftop maze makes the perfect photo opportunity for clean shots.
For this shot, we’ll be taking part in the #TheHangingCollection, an Instagram movement that sees people “dangling” from the edge of a wall. Grab a friend, quite literally, who’ll lie on the edge of one corner and bend forward. The other person can simply lie across the floor, with one hand reaching up, and the other dangling downwards to give the illusion of an uncertain grip.
Style Tip: To add a splash of colour against the grey walls, choose brightly coloured pieces such as this maroon jumpsuit and mustard dress.
We kept both outfits high-fashioned by pairing them with pink Claudine heels ($59.90) (on Deborah, left) and maroon Paulette heels ($62.90) (on Natalie, right).
The Paulette heels come in a rich suede material that adds an ultra-luxe touch perfect for date nights – and it has an inner lining with a velvet feel that makes it comfortable to walk in too. Or, get a pair of Claudine heels – these well-made pumps have a subtle patent sheen that’ll take you from office to party.
Address: 6 Raffles Blvd, Singapore 039594
Nearest MRT Station: Promenade MRT
Directions: Make your way to Marina Square, Level 3 in front of Beyond Pancakes.
For the photographer: Enter the door leading to the toilets and walk straight down till you find a door on your right leading to a stairwell. Keep climbing up and you’ll soon be on the rooftop.
For the model: Exit via the stairwell beside the toilet (NS-4) that leads down and you’ll be in the maze!
2. Millenia Tower
Many people get impressed by the multi-coloured ceilings of Millenia Walk, but few bother to explore beyond its walls to find a greater architectural marvel – Millenia Tower.
Head near the water fountain right outside the building’s lobby and get into a classic running man pose. With one leg grounded while the other is bent in mid-air, arch backwards and lift your arms in a running position to make it seem like you’re dashing along the grid!
Style Tip: For this look, we went bold with a bright orange dress to stand out against the marbled backdrop. To match the neutral accents and sophisticated design of the building, we paired the vibrant dress with a pair of comfy beige Celine mules ($69.90).
See point 3 for close-ups!
Address: 1 Temasek Avenue, Singapore 039192
Nearest MRT Station: Promenade MRT
Directions: From Promenade MRT, walk through Millenia Walk and exit on your left after The Emporium. Turn right towards Plentyfull and walk straight in the direction of the waterfall, before turning left. Be quick though, as the security may chase you away if you take too long.
3. People’s Park Complex Rooftop
Out of all the photogenic rooftops Singapore has, People’s Park Complex may be one of the most popular for photography. Boasting an iconic retro yellow backdrop that sets it apart from most of Singapore’s neutral architecture, this place adds a pop of colour to any IG feed.
Spice up the everyday OOTD shots with a gravity-defying picture. It’s a bit of a stretch but you’re gonna pull up both your legs and upper body, as if doing a mid-air crunch. With clenched fists and dangling feet, one may be given the illusion that you’re falling.
Style Tip: To balance the vibrant coloured background, we paired our outfits with nude Alessa heels ($49.90) (On Deborah, right) & Celine mules ($69.90) (On Natalie, left, also worn at Millenia Tower).
Address: 1 Park Road, Singapore 059108
Nearest MRT Station: Chinatown MRT
Directions: Take the lift up to the 5th floor, take the stairs to your right. From there, take your pick to where you rock your shoot. There’s so much space all around, it’s entirely up to you.
4. Underpass at Alexandra Technopark
Hidden in between a mass of office buildings in Alexandra Technopark, the unique curvature of this underpass makes it one of Singapore’s more obscure photo spots. Since the end of underpass can’t be pictured, its perfect for upside-down shots since there’s nothing that’ll give it away.
For this shot, get ready to get down and dirty because you’ll be lying on the floor. Yep, that’s right, lie down and place your feet on the side of the tunnel such that when you flip the pic, you’ll look like you’re standing up.
Tip: Tie your hair in a bun for it to follow your posture.
Style Tip: The dark, monochromatic scheme of the tunnel deserves a pop of colour for contrast. We thus took a vivid mustard top and matched it with a clean white pencil skirt.
For a metallic sheen that matches the light trail, we chose a pair of gold Gabrielle flats ($56.90) for a casual yet put together look.
Address: 438 Alexandra Road
Nearest MRT Station: Pasir Panjang MRT
Directions: Turn left facing Alexandra Point and you’ll see a pedestrian underpass leading to Alexandra Technopark.
5. Hidden tunnel at East Coast Beach
Hidden beneath the sandy beaches and cycling treks of East Coast is a monochromatic underpass that when empty, gives off eerie Insidious vibes. With tiled colour alternating walls and a light trail that leads into darkness, there’s plenty to play around with for this shot.
Playing along with the spooky themes, we bent forward such that our hair swayed in front, resembling something out of a horror movie. Flip it for an added dimension of what looks to be gatekeepers of the unknown.
Style Tip: We went with darker shades for a sharp contrast against the white tiles. If you’d like to direct the focus straight onto the subject, pair a black skirt with a bright yellow top like we did.
To match the reflective tiles, we wore a pair of silver Rosabelle heels ($59.90) which perfectly matched the metallic accents of the underpass.
To draw attention to your outfit rather than the shoes, try a pair of strappy pink Vedette ($69.90).
Address: East Coast Park Service Road
Nearest MRT Station: Bedok MRT
Directions: From Car Park F1, walk straight to the end of Xtreme SkatePark. There’ll be a yellow roof leading into the tunnel that’s hard to miss!
6. Apple store
This sleek, minimalist staircase housed in the Apple’s flagship store is no stranger when it comes to being IG-worthy. But instead of the usual stand-up shots on the steps, take it up a notch with this kick shot.
Simply sit on the middle steps right behind where the curve begins, such that the stairwell hides your body. It may be quite an abs workout but now you’ve got to kick up those legs and hold them there for a perfect mid-air shot.
Style tip: Since only the legs are visible, all you’ve got to do is wear a pair of dark coloured pants for a sharp contrast against the white muted tone of the stairwell. We chose maroon to accompany the underlying warm tones of the stairwell. For a dash of elegance, they were paired with these gorgeous red suede Delfina Heels ($49.90).
Address: 270 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238857
Nearest MRT Station: Somerset/ Orchard MRT
Directions: Enter the store and choose between the left or right stairwell.
7. Roxy Square
If you’re a tile fanatic, you’re gonna be pretty happy to find out that a cascade of tiles covers the exterior of Roxy Square. Yep, from the walls to the floors, everything is covered with these unique tiles.
For this shot we’ve once again taken part in #TheHangingCollection, with a one hand grip and leg flying backward to give an illusion that you’re falling backwards and holding on to your dear life.
Style Tip: To match the cool tones of the walls, we chose a pair of navy culottes which looked as if they flowed downwards, making the fall seem more authentic. We injected a pop of colour with a pair of red Kyara heels ($59.90) that had a unique cork base coupled with a vibrant red patent sheen that added texture to the look.
Address: 50 E Coast Rd, Singapore 428769
Nearest MRT Station: Eunos/Paya Lebar MRT
Directions: This slew of tiles is just behind Roxy Square Shopping Centre, facing Holiday Inn.
8. Paragon Bridge
The Orchard Gateway link bridge may be one of Orchard’s popular bridges for photos, but not many know that just a few buildings down is an equally futuristic bridge for cleaner photo opportunities.
Linking Paragon Shopping Centre and Ascott Orchard Singapore, this overhead bridge is covered with unusual hexagonal shaped frames that add dimension to the bridge. By simply bending over, a flipped photo would give an illusion of falling backwards into an abyss.
Tip: Come here during office hours aka before/after lunch breaks for an empty bridge to take your shots.
Style Tip: To contrast against the muted tones and green tints of the bridge, we chose to wear a yellow dress for a pop of colour against the bridge.
We paired this with sleek golden Aedos heels ($64.50) to add some shine and for an all-around elegant look.
Address: 290 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238859
Nearest MRT Station: Orchard MRT
Directions: Take the lift up to the 3rd floor and head towards Metro/ Esprit. The bridge will be right in between both shops.
9. Blk 66 Yung Kuang Road
The 4 blocks of Yung Kuang Road are famous for connecting to form a unique diamond shaped structure, but few make use of the empty corridors in their shots. With clean white rows from the adjacent blocks being in clear view, every shot provides you with the opportunity to play with symmetry.
For this shot, we went to the 10th floor and chose an angle where the opposite block fully filled the frame. Prop one foot up near the ledge and arch your back, with arms imitating that of a running position. Now when you flip the pic, you’ll get the illusion of running into a pit of corridors.
Style tip: We chose to style our outfits according to the cool tones of the HDB blocks, which were mostly white with a turquoise accent. We paired a white flowy top with a navy pair of culottes for a sharp contrast which accentuated the leg action.
For a stylish pop, we strapped on these shiny Violetta heels ($59.90). All bling-ed up, you’d think that these shoes are best worn to formal events and they can be. But think out of the box like we did, and style them as part of your everyday outfit by matching them with solid prints for a bold highlight to your look.
Address: Block 64, 64 Yung Kuang Rd, Singapore 610064
Nearest MRT Station: Boon Lay MRT
Directions: Alight at Lakeside MRT, board bus 240 from Opp Lakeside Station for 5 stops, and alight at Blk 103. Walk straight to block 66 and head up to any level of your pick- we chose 10.
Seeing Things From A Different Perspective
Many ladies love wearing heels – I mean, it makes us look taller and a whole lot more dressed up, even if our outfit’s just a simple dress.
Yet sometimes the wincing pain of uncomfortable heels put us off, or the holographic shoes so on-trend previously starts to look dated nowadays.
Yet, you can get evergreen style and comfort in a pair of Emelyn shoes. Perfect for a full-fledged photoshoot (even upside down!) or your everyday routine, these classic designs are not overly complicated and are easy to match with any outfit.
Pick from either metallic or patent heels (pictured above) for an effortlessly chic everyday look, or strap on classic stilettos in eye-popping colours for that all-important date. Why, you can even hit the town or head to with strappy heels with glitter embellishments!
These straps will fit just right
Besides, you can walk a mile in these well-fitted designs. These are crafted with attention to detail – for example, the ankle strap of strappy heels are tailored to fit properly, with plenty of adjustment holes.
No chaffing on the insides of your shoe, either. On selected premium designs, a microfiber inner lining that feels like velvet makes sure you stay comfortable as you walk for miles. These designs also have a rubber anti-slip outsole so you can strut down slippery paths – blame the rain – with confidence.
Bonus for TSL readers: Get your own pair of Emelyn shoes that’ll have you reaching out for them every day on the shoe rack. Just quote “EMELYNTSL20” for 20% off all Emelyn shoes when you check out at the website here! Also, if you’d like to try on the shoes for yourself, check them out at City of Tomorrow at CityLink.
City of Tomorrow @ CityLink
Address: 1 Raffles Link #B1-47/47A/47B/47C, Singapore 039393
Opening hours: Mon – Thur, Sun: 11AM-10PM, Fri and Sat: 11AM-10.45PM
Contact: 6327 9375
Shop for your own pair of Emelyn shoes here!
This post was brought to you by Dual Energi.