Total Defence photo contest winner inspired by everyday Singaporeans
The challenge of portraying the theme of Our Community in a single shot drew Mr Ahmad Iskandar Abdullah, 45, to join the We Are Total Defence Photo Challenge.
His shot of Singaporeans of different races enjoying a morning at the Whampoa Park Connector won the challenge.
The senior associate at an architecture firm told The New Paper he wanted to portray Singaporeans in their everyday surroundings.
"We respect other races in Singapore and learn about their cultures and traditions. That is why I shoot people from all walks of life to show who we really are as Singaporeans," he said.
His photo of his nephew's passing-out parade, which depicted Military Defence of the five pillars of Total Defence, was first runner-up last year.
Focusing his photo this year on Social Defence, Mr Ahmad Iskandar said: "It is about living in harmony and keeping a lookout for one another."
Mr David Hong's shot of bird-watchers at a Marsiling void deck was the first runner-up.
As programme coordinator for NTUC Health's Community Befriending Programme, he often interacts with senior citizens, which inspired his shot.
Mr Hong, 61, said: "Bird-watching allows people of all races to come together. I was thinking of this group of uncles sharing a common interest, (and) building a community."
Mr Hong won $700 in Challenger vouchers, while Mr Ahmad Iskandar won $1,000 in Challenger vouchers and the opportunity to be an event photographer for National Day Parade 2019.
He said: "I am a spectator at the parade so my photo angles are restricted. Next year, I will be able to roam around and get better photos and angles."
Ms Loo Pei Fen, chief marketing officer of Challenger Technologies and one of the judges, said this year's submissions interpreted the themes creatively.
Another judge, Mr David Yeo, marketing manager of Canon Singapore, said: "What stood out for the winning entries were the overall composition of the photos and the ability to tell a story relevant to the themes."
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