Daily Inspiration #232 by Tan Chi Siang

Hi Steve, inspired by your reviews and the daily inspiration of others, I used the bulk of my savings to purchase a used M8 and a 35mm lens last December and started my rangefinder journey.

Life is cruel, within weeks of buying my first Leica, my aunt, someone I lived with and grew up under the care of, passed away. She lived in Singapore while I’m based in Sydney, Australia for the last 2 years. But distance has never any barrier between our love for I update her weekly on what I did and where I went. She, an avid traveller, someone whom has been to every continent, is always all ears to my stories.

Now, I can no longer call and talk to her on the awesome places I visit or tour. However, I seek to capture every beautiful moments I spent in this city before I leave Sydney, hoping one day, I can produce a photo diary, in memory of her, to share with her, my life.

(ps. All 3 photos are shot with Voigtlander 12mm F5.6, M8.)

Thanks Steve

 

16 Comments

  1. Chi Siang,

    Come back to S’pore & take more photos of the childhood places you have visited with her.

    Eugene
    (Singapore)

  2. Beautiful images Tan and my condolences. I understand how important it is to remember a loved one through your images. Keep up the great work. I look forward to seeing more.

  3. rest in peace. i’m sure your aunt is very proud of you. great images too thanks for sharing them. the first one is amazing.

  4. Dear Mr. Tan,
    My deepest condolence to your aunt’s passing, I am sure that she is now in Heaven, with the most beautiful scenary there. One day we will all gather together again in Heaven and take pictures there with our Leica which we will bring into our graves.
    Someone said: you cannot take with you your money when you go, but I am sure that we can take with us our fond memories and emotions of Leica.
    Allan

  5. @David. A very insightful view on emotional connection and detachment. Had not thought of it like that. Great pictures here and I do feel the separation and also the beauty.

  6. Beautiful work! The first shot is just stunning. Keep showing your passion through photographs.

  7. I used to run around that fountain as a child.
    Keep photographing this precious thing we call life.

  8. My condolences.

    I like your images. Ultra-wide angle lenses do inspire creativity.

  9. Great pics and story! Fantastic that your photography helps you with coping with the loss of your aunt. All the best for you.

    Vincent

  10. Love the b&w image (I’m not much of a color landscape guy) and for the reasons that David suggested. The one lone person and the expanse of the image really adds to the mood of the pic.

    Also would like to add my condolences for your loss.

    When you did get back to using the 35mm, I found out this week that H. Cartier-Bresson used a 50mm and 35mm when he shifted to Leica in 1932 (information from Aude Raimbault, HCB Foundation). I look forward to seeing more of your “daily inspiration”.

  11. That Voigtländer 12mm (behaving like a 16mm on the M8) is a great little lens. These pictures just reek of isolation and separation ..but that’s what a super-wide-angle gives you ..so I guess this lens complements the emotional feelings about your aunt. When you feel more upbeat, then perhaps you’ll switch to the 35mm to take photos which feel ‘closer’ to, or more involved in, the rest of the world. That’s what interchangeable (or zoom) lenses give you: more facility to subliminally express varying emotions through the choice of lens you use: heartbreak with a 12mm, vivacity with a 90mm!

  12. Nice photos, all of them. I particularly like the first one in b&w. Sorry to hear about your aunt. She is lucky in a way that someone remembers her.

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