Chance photo earns spot in Apple's gallery

Chance photo earns spot in Apple's gallery

It is a sight familiar to Singaporeans - the iconic Marina Bay skyline lit up by the warm glow of a sunset.

But as photography enthusiast Terence Lee, 28, was setting up his camera with an ultra-wide angle lens for a landscape photo of the bay, he noticed a lone kayaker paddling around Marina Bay - a shot which he knew he had to take.

It would have taken too long to change the lens to capture the kayak in frame, so he whipped out his iPhone 6 and snapped a picture.

Little did he know, this chance photo would earn him a spot in Apple's iPhone 6 World Gallery, which showcases photos taken with the device from all over the world.

The photo was also unveiled by Apple yesterday on a billboard at The Verge Shopping Mall. A second billboard will also be unveiled today in Keppel Road, near Pasir Panjang. Both billboards are being set up to mark SG50.

"It's just one of those pictures where I happened to be at the right place at the right time," said Mr Lee, an engineer who is currently working in Portland in the United States.

"I definitely wasn't expecting a kayak to go by... I actually like this picture a lot more than the final picture (of the bay) on my camera."

He is one of four Singaporeans whose photographs are featured in the gallery, out of a total of 174 international photographers.

Visitors to Apple's Singapore website will also be greeted by Mr Lee's photo from Sunday to next Tuesday.

The amateur photographer, who picked up the hobby seven years ago, took the shot last December.

Mr Lee said he takes the chance to visit iconic places in Singapore during visits, to capture keepsakes.

He added: "The kayaker's journey, and the hard work needed to paddle through the bay, runs parallel to Singapore's journey over the past 50 years in achieving success."


This article was first published on August 6, 2015.
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