Beautiful Cavanagh Bridge over the Singapore River

With Fullerton Hotel in background.

If you’ve followed my blog, you know that I love walking the bridges along the Singapore River.  From the Esplanade to Clarke Quay and beyond, I find myself walking this route every time I visit Singapore.   I’m not a fan of making this jaunt during the day.  But at night, well, that’s different. Most of the bridges are lit by auxiliary lights that vary in color.  Between these lights and the reflection of city lights on the water, an ordinary river by day becomes a magical stream at night.

The subject of this posting, the Cavanagh Bridge, a pedestrian suspension span crossing near the magnificent Fullerton Hotel, was built in the 19th Century and is a tribute to the Scottish company that designed and built it.  The setting is spectacular, being accented by the tall modern skyscrapers in the background.

Photos taken with a Nikon D700 and Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 zoom lens.

Bathed in blue.

Narrow perspective.

And now in red.

Red and narrow.

Along the river.

Bridge over the Singapore River – Nikon D700 and 14-24mm f/2.8 zoom lens

At the mouth of the Singapore River

There are many beautiful and historic bridges over the Singapore River with the oldest dating back to the late 19th Century.  All the bridges are well-lit and make for spectacular photographs at night.  This particular bridge, though neither old nor historic is at the mouth of the river and joins the Esplanade to the small seaside park where the Merlion, the mythical creature of Singapore, statue resides.  Because of this magnificent setting, the area is quite beautiful in an urban sense.  The arched supports of the concrete bridge structure with its perfect lighting placement are suggestive of sea waves and evokes a sense of calm and tranquility.

Using an ultra wide-angle lens can be perplexing so my style is to shoot the scene assymetric, bringing some part of the  object(s) forming the mid or background into the foreground.  Or finding an object in the foreground to draw the eye to the image.  The key is to experiment with the UWA.

Photos taken with a Nikon D700 and Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 zoom lens.

Perspective enhanced by ultra-wide angle lens.

From the other side.

Partial view of the Esplanade.

Man in the dark.

People-watching at the Esplanade on the Singapore River

Sitting at the outdoor theatre on the Esplanade

The Esplanade at the mouth of the Singapore River is popular with both Singaporeans and visitors.  From those looking to just chill out and take in the views to lovers holding hands and walking along the wide sidewalks, a photographer can find many subjects to shoot.  It doesn’t matter if it’s night or day, there are plenty of visitors.  From this vantage point, you also have a great view of the Singapore skyline.  On this trip, we walked along the Singapore River from the Esplanade to Clarke Quay, a distance of about 5 kilometers.  Besides terrific opportunities to shoot people, there are seven bridges, numerous vintage buildings and skyscrapers.  And don’t forget the reflection of these sights on the waters of the river.

Photos were taken with a Nikon D700 and Sigma 150mm f/2.8 macro lens.

Studying with the iPod.

Lost in the PSP world.

Two in contact, one not.

And from the other side.

Green, blue and orange. And red.

Wild and crazy theme bars at Clarke Quay in Singapore

Faux Bollywood decor

Over the years Clarke Quay has come a long way.  From the laidback comfortable bars and restaurants on the river  to the theme bars that are the dominant and sometimes bizarre species, it has gone from slightly dilapidated to super glossy.  Sure there are some tasteless establishments like the watering hole with the wheelchair seating, but overall, its more interesting than the run of the mill watering holes found in other cities.  There is a certain sense of plasticity (real word?) to the area but it’s still fun.  Kinda like a Disneyland for adults.

Photos with Nikon D700 and Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 lens.

Wheelchair seating

The Clinic?

Lounge around

Fashion Bar

Psychedelic hippie theme bar? Really

More photos along the Singapore River on a beautiful evening

The Singapore River is one of the most picturesque locations in Singapore and on this evening I walked from Clarke Quay past the Fullerton Hotel to the F1 grandstands then over to Bugis Junction. It must have been a distance of 7 or 8 kilometers although on this evening, with the weather being mild, the distance was not that difficult.  The entire length of the river and beyond has been transformed and is one of the best people watching areas of Singapore.

Photos taken with Nikon D700 and 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens, ISO 1600, RAW, no post processing.

Pedestrian tunnels and covered walkways in Singapore

One good location to set up for photos are tunnels and covered walkways.  Instead of moving around looking for photos as you’re walking, find a location where you can stand, observe and depress the shutter. The structure of the tunnel and walkways can frame potential subjects.  And the movement of subjects is channeled by the structure itself.

And these locations are usually well-lit, adding lights, reflections, and shadows to your photos.

Photos taken with Leica M8 with Summicron 35mm f/2 and Carl Zeiss Biogon 21mm f/2.8 lenses.

“Odds and ends” photos from Clarke Quay, Singapore

Just some photos from colorful Clarke Quay.  Ok, I promise never to post another photo of Clarke Quay. But you have to admit that it is colorful.  And on this particular day, the sun and sky were bright.  Between shadow and light, it made for a great day to take photos.

Walking four bridges on the Singapore River

Read Bridge near Clarke Quay

One of my favorite walks in Singapore is down the Singapore River from Read Bridge near Clarke Quay to the Cavanagh Bridge near the Fullerton Hotel.  Along the way is also Boat Quay and its boisterous pub and restaurant row.  (Of course Clarke Quay is home to many restaurants and bars.)

The walk is best done during the evening as the heat and the humidity during the day can be overwhelming.  There are paved walkways down the river with pedestrian tunnels to avoid having to cross busy streets.

As you proceed from Read Bridge, the bridges become more beautiful and elaborate, especially at night.  First comes the Shaw Bridge, then the beautifully red-lit Elgin bridge and finally the Cavanagh Bridge with the backdrop of the Fullerton Hotel.

I recommend you make the walk a loop, starting at Clarke Quay down to the Fullerton Hotel and then around to Boat Quay and back.  I believe the loop is around five or six kms but this is a guess.  There are many online map sites which will help plan your walk.

These photo were taken with a Leica M8 and a Carl Zeiss Biogon 28mm f/2.8 lens and a Panasonic Lumix G1 with Lumix 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom lens.

Shaw Bridge in the late afternoon sun

Elgin Bridge

Elgin Bridge looking at Boat Quay

Cavanagh Bridge

Cavanagh Bridge and the Fullerton Hotel

Singapore’s Clarke Quay on a sunny day

Clarke Quay from across the river

You have to admit that Clarke Quay is beautiful.  From its complete restoration including the pastel-colored buildings to its picturesque location along the river with skyscrapers in the background, its a great place to while away an afternoon.  Or evening.

I recommend that you take a leisurely walk along the river from Clarke Quay all the way to the Fullerton Hotel just beyond Boat Quay.  Guessing that the distance is around 3-4 km (although it could be slightly longer).  Or you can take the river taxi which offers another perspective on a beautiful location.

All photos taken with a Leica M8 and Summicron 35mm f/2 lens.

The new with the old

Catch the river taxi

Central Mall at 1 Magazine Road across the river

Looking at the Coleman Bridge

Coleman Bridge

Clarke Quay in Singapore

I haven’t been down to Clarke Quay in years.  Usually I hang out at Boat Quay which is down the Singapore River from Clarke Quay.  On this occasion, I went to the nearby Central Mall at 1 Magazine Road on a shopping mission.  Glimpsing out the window, I saw that Clarke Quay had been completely renovated, with many restaurants, bars and other businesses.

In fact, Clarke Quay is an improvement on Boat Quay.  Besides being easier to navigate the wider sidewalks, the atmosphere doesn’t have that tightly packed feel that Boat Quay has.  It is much more relaxed and an easy place to while away an evening with your favorite drink.

If you haven’t been to Clark Quay before or not in years, I recommend you give it a try.  You won’t be disappointed.

All photographs taken with a Leica M8 and Summicron 35mm f/2 or Summilux 75mm f/1.4 lens.