\nFounding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew\u2019s wife Kwa Geok Choo watching as a make-up artist got him ready for the 2001 National Day Rally. Known for her attention to detail, she once interrupted the taping of an interview to touch up his hair and make-up.<\/p>\n
ST PHOTO: GEORGE GASCON<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
George shared how one shoot with Mr Lee changed everything.<\/p>\n
In 1995, the paper needed pictures of Mr Lee for the book Lee Kuan Yew: The Man And His Ideas. Mr Lee was not known to be an easy subject; the first photographer assigned to the job had managed to get just 17 shots before being told the session was over. <\/p>\n
George was asked to set up lights, but he chose to work with natural lighting, which he preferred. The night before, he practised his breathing techniques in order to hold the camera steady.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His first thought on seeing Mr Lee up close on the day of the shoot was: \u201cHow can I humanise him?\u201d<\/p>\n
An editor urged George to start shooting quickly, as they were unsure how much time he would be given for photos. George chose instead to observe Mr Lee carefully before clicking, as the leader became absorbed in the interview.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet him get his groove,\u201d George said to the editor, and ended up shooting eight rolls of film, right up to the moment they said goodbye.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy heart was racing when I got back,\u201d George recalled.<\/p>\n\n\nOne of former ST executive photojournalist\u00a0George Gascon\u2019s favourite pictures from the shoot with Mr Lee Kuan Yew has the founding prime minister holding his face with both hands, which he felt humanised the leader.<\/p>\n
ST PHOTO: GEORGE GASCON<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
When the film was processed, then picture editor Peter Ong looked at the contact prints and said, \u201cGeorge, you have just gotten your bonus.\u201d<\/p>\n
Said George: \u201cI hadn\u2019t seen pictures of him like this before as he usually looked very stern. When I saw the photos, he seemed quite relaxed. I think I helped make him more comfortable with photographers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\nA picture of Mr Lee Kuan Yew taken on Jan 17, 1995, for the book Lee Kuan Yew: The Man And His Ideas.<\/p>\n
ST PHOTO: GEORGE GASCON<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\nMr Lee Kuan Yew with former ST executive photojournalist\u00a0George Gascon and his wife Sylvia.<\/p>\n
PHOTO: COURTESY OF GEORGE GASCON<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
George, now 73, said on a Zoom call with me from Cavite, Philippines, where he now lives, he wanted to bring a fresh approach to photojournalism at ST.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His pictures \u2013 which showed a quiet, reflective side to people and events \u2013 gained the editors\u2019 support and he started a new approach to shooting \u2013 observe first, there is no need to go in clicking furiously from the get-go. This inspired other photographers.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\nA 1998 picture showing illegal immigrants being led away from the Woodlands area, where many of them had slept at night in concrete drain pipes when it rained.<\/p>\n
ST PHOTO: GEORGE GASCON<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\u201cPhotojournalism is taking pictures that tell a story that needs no caption. I don\u2019t want a caption to lead the story. I\u2019m telling another story through my pictures, an interpretation of what\u2019s happening,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
George\u2019s philosophy and perseverance in pursuing fresh perspectives continue to inspire me every day to relook ordinary situations.<\/p>\n\n\nGeorge\u2019s philosophy and perseverance in pursuing fresh perspectives continue to inspire the writer every day to relook ordinary situations.<\/p>\n
PHOTO: COURTESY OF GEORGE GASCON<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Before the age of digital news, newspapers brought the world and its events to readers.<\/p>\n
And Mr Jerry Seh was among the photojournalists tasked to capture the images of international sporting events such as the Olympic Games and Fifa World Cup.<\/p>\n
The process was painfully slow \u2013 he had to shoot, develop, scan and then send pictures back to the newsroom using a dedicated photo transmitter. <\/p>\n
\u201cNo picture? Then don\u2019t come back,\u201d Jerry recalled editors telling him in jest.<\/p>\n
Now 87, he estimates he had something like a one in 36 chance of getting a good shot.<\/p>\n\n\nFormer ST photojournalist Jerry Seh holding up a film slide.<\/p>\n
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
On a roll of film with 36 exposures, \u201csometimes, only one or two pictures are good\u201d, said Jerry, whose key body of work coincides with the golden years of Singapore football from the 1970s to the 1990s. Despite just taking just two rolls of film to every assignment, he always came back with special moments. <\/p>\n
On his living room wall hangs an iconic picture he shot at a 1986 World Cup match in Mexico between Spain and Brazil. The ball had crossed the goal line from Spanish player Miguel Gonzalez\u2019s shot, but the referee did not see it and disallowed the goal.<\/p>\n
Jerry was the only photographer to capture the goal, and his picture was splashed across many newspapers around the world, settling once and for all what would have been hours upon hours of argument over whether the ball crossed the line or not.<\/p>\n\n\nThe \u201cworld-famous\u201d photograph taken during the 1986 World Cup match in Mexico between Spain and Brazil. Spain\u2019s Miguel Gonzalez made a 20m shot that crossed the goal line, but the referee disallowed it.<\/p>\n
ST PHOTO: JERRY SEH<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
When Jerry first applied to work as a photojournalist at ST, there was no vacancy and he had to be a \u201cmachine boy\u201d, or someone who maintained the printing press, for two years.<\/p>\n
Eventually, he became a photographer, first for New Nation from 1970, and then in ST from 1982. He would go on to cover two Olympics, three World Cups and countless Malaysia Cup soccer finals and sporting events.<\/p>\n
He loved the small moments, too, often spending his free time in the past shooting football players training at the Farrer Park field.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\nMany of Jerry\u2019s pictures are kept in large black folders, capturing his time as a photojournalist.<\/p>\n
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\nJerry with his prized pictures at home.<\/p>\n
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Whether they are big or small, there will be moments a photographer will miss capturing, Jerry said to me. His words struck a chord with me, as I have often beat myself for letting a moment slip by.<\/p>\n
In encouragement, he said: \u201cAs a photographer, you must be patient. Don\u2019t lose your temper. Sometimes you will miss things, maybe you\u2019re too fast or slow. But the important thing is you must learn from it.\u201d <\/p>\n
Picture editors play an important role as a bridge between photojournalists and editors in the newsroom.<\/p>\n
ST\u2019s former picture editor Stephanie Yeow, 54, now deputy head of visualisation, told me of the time she fought so hard for a picture to be used that she teared up.<\/p>\n
In 2006, executive photojournalist Wong Kwai Chow spotted the name T.T. Durai, then National Kidney Foundation (NKF) chief executive, in the visitors\u2019 logbook at Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB). At that time, news had broken that Durai had mismanaged funds for lavish and personal use at the NKF.<\/p>\n
Together with a reporter, Kwai Chow monitored everyone leaving the CPIB building. After a 12-hour stakeout, he snapped a photo of a man crouching awkwardly in the back of a car.<\/p>\n\n\nFormer NKF chief executive T.T. Durai in the back of a car leaving the CPIB on Jan 25, 2006.<\/p>\n
ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
When he showed the photo to Stephanie, she did not know what to make out of it because the photo was blurry and Durai was not clearly seen. But one detail stood out: a ring.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stephanie immediately searched the photo archives and confirmed it was Durai\u2019s ring, and pushed for the picture to be used the following day. Up to that point, there were no published photos in the media of Durai taken after the scandal broke.<\/p>\n
The night editor opposed running the unorthodox image, as he was not entirely sure the man in the car was Durai.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was livid. I was so angry that my eyes welled up with tears because Kwai Chow put so much effort into getting this picture but it was not going to see the light of day,\u201d Stephanie said.<\/p>\n
In the end, the photo ran in the paper after the night editor was convinced the man was indeed Durai and the call was a correct one. It won Kwai Chow the News Picture of the Year award.<\/p>\n
\u201cA good picture is one that hits you,\u201d Stephanie said. \u201cOf course, everyone has his or her own opinion, but when a picture works, people will look at it and say, \u2018Wow, this is fantastic\u2019.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n(From left) Photojournalist Chong Jun Liang, photo editor Wang Hui Fen, senior executive sub-editor Fraemone Wee, night editor Abdul Hafiz and deputy head of visualisation Stephanie Yeow discussing on Aug 9, 2025, the selection of photos for the next day\u2019s National Day reports.<\/p>\n
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Around the year 2000, photojournalists made the switch from film to digital cameras, paving the way for the ST picture desk to launch a visual journalism site called Through The Lens in 2010, as well as a multimedia photo essay series titled Home in Focus in 2015.<\/p>\n
Photo essays have given me the chance to delve deeper into other people\u2019s lives and overlooked aspects of society.<\/p>\n
The <\/p>\nHome in Focus<\/p>\n
<\/a> section, which runs in ST every fortnight, is managed by senior executive photojournalist Neo Xiaobin, 42, who has guided me through many stories.<\/p>\n
She told me how her first photo essay made a profound impact on her.<\/p>\n
In 2010, the body of a Chinese woman, Ms Li Hong Yan, was found floating in a pool at a bungalow in Sentosa Cove. Reports indicated she had spent the night at a KTV lounge with the house owner before entering the pool and drowning.<\/p>\n
Ms Li had come to Singapore seeking a better life, but her dreams were cut short. Her family came from China to take her remains home.<\/p>\n
When the family allowed ST to follow them back to Heilongjiang province, Xiaobin seized the opportunity, seeing a chance to tell a story beyond the headlines.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was no reason not to go. (The family) gave us <\/b>access, and I was the one who was able to go,\u201d she said. She felt compelled to tell the story, whether or not it would be published, so she took her two weeks of annual leave to go to China. <\/p>\n\n\nMr Li Kui You, the father of karaoke lounge hostess Li Hong Yan, scattering his daughter’s ashes along with red rose petals into the sea off Dalian on April 19, 2010, after she was found dead in Singapore.<\/p>\n
ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Her picture desk colleagues supported her, with photojournalist Ng Sor Luan covering the wake in Singapore and photographers Desmond Lim and Samuel He helping her to pitch the story to the editors.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce (the family) access was given, it became a responsibility to tell the story as best as I could,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Among the many things she learnt in her first photo essay was how to manage her own emotions while being sensitive to the family\u2019s grief.<\/p>\n
After the story was published, many readers reached out, asking how they could support Ms Li\u2019s family. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe response to that story affirmed the role I play as a photojournalist, that the stories you do matter. My first feature became a guiding principle. It opened my eyes to the power of what we can do,\u201d Xiaobin said.<\/p>\n\n\nST senior executive photojournalist Neo Xiaobin with some of the photographs that bagged her the Icon de Martell Cordon Bleu prize in 2014.<\/p>\n
ST PHOTO: LIM SIN THAI<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
In her photo features, she often focuses on subtle details and nuances to bring out something unique even in commonplace scenes, such as a particular picture she snapped of children wading through water at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park. <\/p>\n
Asked about this, she got emotional, recalling her late father\u2019s reaction to the picture.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen he saw my pictures, he said they made him smile, that there\u2019s something about the images that brings joy. I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s something I subconsciously do, but for my dad to highlight it, it was very touching,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\nChildren getting into\u00a0the water to catch guppies at\u00a0Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park on Aug 1, 2017.<\/p>\n
ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
On the night of the Little India riot in 2013, I was a curious 17-year-old polytechnic student as I made my way to the area to understand what was going on. I did not have much training or access, so I could only take pictures outside the police cordon.<\/p>\n
Later on, I saw ST photojournalist Mark Cheong\u2019s pictures at ground zero \u2013 particularly the one of riot police in full gear with helmets and batons standing guard near an ambulance on fire \u2013 and the enormity of the incident hit me with force.<\/p>\n\n\nRiot police standing guard in Little India after a crowd of more than 400 turned unruly on Dec 8, 2013.<\/p>\n
ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The unthinkable had happened \u2013 Singapore had a riot after more than four decades.<\/p>\n
Photojournalists who have the courage and skill to capture critical moments of a nation\u2019s journey are indispensable in our age where the use of artificial intelligence (AI) is rampant.<\/p>\n
As photojournalists, we stand by a strict code of ethics and do not fabricate what we witness. We have a responsibility to tell the truth, to earn the trust of the public.<\/p>\n
\u201cPhotojournalism is now more important than ever, especially with AI and the ease of creating false images in a matter of seconds. As news photographers, we become the eyes (on the ground) to put things on record,\u201d Mark, 37, said. <\/p>\n\n\nA candid picture showing ST photojournalist Mark Cheong (left) and the writer at a Singapore Democratic Party rally at Woodlands Stadium on April 28, 2025.<\/p>\n
PHOTO: RYAN CHIONG<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
While I still fear missing moments, at age 29, I have learnt to embrace the moment.<\/p>\n
Whether I am covering an event or working on a picture essay, I want my pictures to tell a story.<\/p>\n
Whether my pictures are in print or online, I hope they can make people feel something. That is what matters most.<\/p>\n
\n
\n\nSingapore Stories: The Heart of a Nation runs from Nov 7 to 23 at Selegie Arts Centre, 30 Selegie Road. Admission is free. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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