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Time To Bridge The Gap

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Despite quite a few visits to Singapore since I was eleven years old, I don’t think I had ever come across the beam-structured Read Bridge until just before Christmas last year.

I was on my way to India and had very little time to spare, because I was only in transit for a day and a half and I wanted to shoot as many old-world images of the prosperous island-state as I possibly could. (Some of those photographs can be seen at Turn The Corner, Get Your Mind Out Of The Gutter and Open And Shutter Case.)

I was advised to spend some time at Clarke Quay and thought I’d be in and out of there in about twenty minutes. Yeah, right. From the moment I wandered in and shot some frames of a man washing down a glass-topped tourist boat, I probably spent close to three hours there.

I was captivated by the array of colours and sights at the riverside attraction. Comprising a huge array of restored warehouses, restaurants and nightclubs, the area is named after Sir Andrew Clarke, the second governor of Singapore.

Some of the brightly-painted junks moored at the mini-harbour also serve as restaurants, while others are used as sightseeing ferries for tourists. I thought about taking a quick trip on one, but there was so much colour and activity (and so little time) that I chose instead to walk around the whole area, exploring every nook, cranny, street corner, laneway and sub-precinct.

The light was moody, with thick grey cloud and little more than fractured sunlight, so the vibrant colours of the walls and windows were relatively easy to capture.

I walked several kilometers that day, shooting hundreds of frames. But no, I didn’t have any time to put my feet up. Next time I’m there, I’m sure I’ll find myself sitting by the dock of the bay.

Check out RuneE's "Building Bridges" theme at Visual Norway.