This Singapore Street Photographer Has A Thing For HDB Void Decks
Shot with just an iPhone, Jonathan Tan’s latest photo series #LepakDownstairs exudes an honest simplicity and an unmistakable sense of nostalgia.
Street photographer Jonathan Tan has always challenged himself to capture ordinary Singapore sights in a unique way. When he chanced upon tiled tables and stools that typically occupy HDB void decks, that ubiquitous fixture of public housing caught his imagination.
“I thought to myself: Wouldn’t it be interesting to see it from a bird's-eye view?” says the 32-year-old. “Finally, I managed to try it out during a break in December, and the result from the first shot was great.” The snapshots of these communal spaces, taken in estates from Chai Chee to Telok Blangah, are shared on his Instagram account and Facebook.
Processed with VSCO with hb1 preset
Street photographer Jonathan Tan launched the #LepakDownstairs series in December 2020.
After his initial success, Tan decided to turn his work into a photo series depicting these stools and tables from a top-down view. The result is #LepakDownstairs – a colloquial term to describe the quintessentially Singaporean activity of hanging out at the void deck.
Shot with just an iPhone and a three metre-long selfie stick, Tan’s series brings out the eye-catching shapes and colours of these void deck staples. “People have been guessing that I used a drone or a ladder. But I try to keep things simple so that I don’t have to spend much as well,” says Tan.
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Tan has always been interested in documenting communal spots in Singapore – as seen in his 2015 series Your House Downstairs which was shortlisted for the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards.
This isn’t the photographer’s first series capturing local architecture. His 2015 work Your House Downstairs showcased wall features seen at HDB void decks, and was a shortlisted entry for the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards.
A shot from Jonathan Tan's Singapore Pantone (2017) series.
The year after, he produced Singapore Pantone, another well-received and witty series reimagining different locations in Singapore such as the People's Park Complex and the Botanic Gardens as Pantone hues.
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We speak to the talented Tan about how he got started in street photography and curating the #LepakDownstairs series.
Tell us more about your background and how you became a photographer.
"I’m in the advertising and creative industry, currently working as a senior brand manager in advertising agency 72andSunny. I started getting into photography as a hobby when I was in university. I was on an exchange programme overseas and brought a DSLR along. While capturing memories of the trip, I started getting interested in street photography.
Back in Singapore, I realised that the DSLR was too bulky to bring around, and was too 'intrusive' for street photography which is all about candid and natural moments. Since then, I’ve been continuing this street photography with my iPhone. I wouldn’t consider myself a proper photographer but more of a photography hobbyist. If I’m tasked with a proper shoot with proper lighting and equipment, I would be lost!"
How do you get such great photos with your iPhone?
"I mainly get the right composition by enabling grid lines on my camera, and adjusting exposure slightly. I do some minor post-editing on VSCO for cropping, brightness and contrast. And that's all!"
Do you ever intend to do full-time photography?
"I do not intend to do full-time photography. It’s great to keep it as a hobby on the side to just to keep my creative juices flowing which is helpful for my full-time job. It’s also great to work on this hobby with full creative control and at my own pace, instead of working on tight timelines and going through client revisions and comments. (I already have a fair share of that in my full-time job)."
You’ve described yourself as mildly-colour-blind in your website biography – does this affect your photography?
"Not really. While colour may play a part in the photo, there are many other factors that affect the aesthetics. I’m happy as long the photos look great to me. Of course, for a project like Singapore Pantone, the mild colour blindness does affect me a little. That’s when I differ to my wife for a second opinion.
What is it about the tables and stools in #LepakDownstairs that caught your eye?
"I think it’s a combination of shapes, patterns and colours and all these tables and stools are unique in their own way. I find it so interesting that there are so many different designs, and yet all of them still have a Singapore vibe to them. While colour was a factor, it wasn’t the main thing I worked with. All I did was go around looking for these tables and stools, and captured those that looked different from what I have seen before."
How do you curate the collection and decide on the locations to feature?
"With lots of luck. While these tables and stools may be more common in older estates, it’s not a guarantee that you would find them. What I’ll do is to pick an estate, walk through it, and hope that I’ll spot the tables and stools. Sometimes when I get too tired from walking, I’ll hop onto a feeder bus and try to spot them from the window. The difficulty with this project is that I just have to do random searches across neighbourhoods, which is physically draining. But I guess the effort paid off."
What is your favourite estate to document and why?
"I don’t really have a favourite. But if I had to pick one, I would say it’s the first neighbourhood I went to for this project – which was around Mei Ling Street and Stirling Road. Because it hasn’t gone through massive upgrading, the neighbourhood still retains an old-school vibe to it. And it’s nice to still see such sights in Singapore."
What were some challenges with regard to photographing these stools and tables?
"The main challenge was finding these stools and tables. That requires a lot of walking around. Sometimes when I spot them, there might be people using them. Of course, I wouldn’t chase them away. If they stay for long, then I would have to move on without that shot. Also, because I’m using a cheap selfie stick that’s quite flimsy, I have to be extra careful and stable in handling it – I wouldn’t want my phone to drop from a height."
What messages do you hope to send across with #LepakDownstairs and how have people responded to the work so far?
"One of them is to really appreciate all these everyday, ordinary sights more. With upgrading projects and modernisation happening at a fast pace, we may not be able to see some of these sights in the near future. We need to give more credit to our uniquely Singaporean sights and sounds. We may have grown up with them and gotten used to them, but it’s sometimes nice to take a step back and appreciate them.
The other message is that you really don’t need expensive equipment to capture photos in Singapore. Many people thought that I used a drone, but in actual fact, I’ve just been using my phone and a very, very long and cheap selfie stick that I bought online. What’s more important is to find the right subject to capture, and the phone that everyone has now will do the job.
Overall, I’ve been getting a positive response to the work. I think it’s because of the nostalgia – it's something people grew up with which has been given a new perspective. It’s also great that people are starting to appreciate these everyday sights more."
You mentioned how HDB void decks were built with a communal spirit. Do you still see this communal spirit with the refurbishment of estates?
"Personally, I do think that there’s a lesser communal spirit in the newer void decks, just because I don’t think they are built for it with the lack of tables, chairs, etc. That being said, people would still find a way to commune in their neighbourhoods – whether at multi-purpose halls, the community centres, the market or the hawker centre."
Are you planning to enter your work in any competitions?
"Yes, I have actually submitted it for an international photography competition. But I shall keep hush unless I get shortlisted for it."
You’ve displayed a particularly keen interest in HDB flats with your past works as well. What fascinates you about them?
"HDB flats are iconic buildings in Singapore that should be given more spotlight. I grew up in an HDB, and I myself have been guilty of taking these sights for granted. It’s interesting to look at HDB designs, whether it is the table or stools or the void deck recesses and archways. There are a certain charm and uniqueness about them, though it might be quite interesting to speak to the architects who designed them in the first place."
What upcoming photography projects do you have planned?
"For now, I’m planning to continue the Lepak Downstairs series for a bit more after the monsoon season is over."