Behind every indelible picture, an inspiring story

Lessons from the stories of Straits Times photojournalists who captured the moments.

- Shintaro Tay

Shintaro Tay

At the top of an escalator, I wait eagerly for Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam to ride up on it. He is supposed to address the media after securing 70 per cent of the sample vote in the 2023 Presidential Election.

I move away from the scrum, anticipating to snap a picture that would look as though he was on the ascendant. Initially facing away, he turns and it seems I will capture what I have envisioned. But after some cheers from his supporters, he turns and leaves the hawker centre.

Instead, I snap this picture: The lines of the escalator handrails lead the eye towards Mr Tharman and his spouse, Ms Jane Ittogi, as they stand amid a sea of jubilant supporters.

Little did I expect that it would be on the front page of the next day’s paper, showing me anew how a picture can contain and convey deep emotions.

Growing up, I collected all kinds of pictures — newspaper clippings, stamps, postcards, you name it. It was my way of keeping the world with me.

When I was in secondary school, joining the photography club showed me how I could capture the moments that would become the joyful memories I shared with my peers. That was when I knew I wanted to become a photojournalist.

Since joining The Straits Times in 2022, I have often found myself trawling through its archives to find inspiration. Naturally, I raised my hand when the opportunity came to help curate the Singapore Stories: The Heart Of A Nation exhibition.

The exhibition, which runs from Nov 7 to 23 at Selegie Arts Centre, captures Singapore’s growth from a British colony to a First World nation in more than 200 pictures. (While ST’s first edition was published on July 15, 1845, the newspaper carried photographs only decades later, from 1931.)

Working on the exhibition also gave me the opportunity to uncover the stories behind some of the defining pictures.