Darren Soh | Profile | α Professional Photographers – Sony SEA Photographers Program

Edward Tian

Kelvin Koh

Chester Chen

Bryan van der beek

Darren Soh

Architectural Photographer

Darren Soh

Singapore

Architectural Photographer

Darren Soh

Singapore

Born and based in Singapore, Darren obtained a degree in Sociology from the National University of Singapore in 2001 while serving as a contract photographer at the country’s leading English broadsheet newspaper, The Straits Times.

Since 2001, Darren has been a full time independent photographer with a particular interest in architectural and landscape photography.

Darren's first monograph While You Were Sleeping, a collection of nocturnal landscapes from Singapore was published in 2004. Subsequently, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay in Singapore presented the images from the book as an exhibition

In 2006, Darren was invited by Singapore's Ministry of Information, Communications and The Arts (MICA) to contribute his work to Canvas, an anthology of photographic work from Singapore.

In 2007, a folio of Darren's architectural work on public housing in Singapore was shown at the Kay Ngee Tan Architects Gallery. The project, titled Building Blocks, is still ongoing.

In 2009, as part of a collective of volunteer photographers, Darren contributed to Resonance: Songs of Our Forefathers, an architectural photography tome documenting the National Monuments of Singapore.

In 2010, together with several other photographers, Darren founded Platform.SG, an initiative to showcase documentary photography of Singapore or by Singaporean photographers.

Darren's work from the Singapore General Elections 2011 was also shown at the prestigious Noorderlicht Photo Festival in The Netherlands in 2011.

Over the years, Darren has been placed in several international photography awards including the Commonwealth Photographic Awards, the Prix de la Photographie, Paris and the International Photography Awards.

Darren was also listed by industry-leading Photo District News Magazine (PDN) from New York as one of PDN's 30 Emerging Photographers to watch in 2009.

Most recently, Darren was awarded the Discernment Award at the 2013 ICON de Martell Cordon Bleu Photography Award.

In 2013, Darren also published his second book For My Son, a collection of images of vernacular spaces in Singapore as part of the Twentyfifteen.sg initiative to commemorate Singapore's 50th anniversary in 2015.

Some of Darren's international architectural clients include Aedas, ARUP, Wilkinson Eyre, Monocle and Wallpaper* Magazine.

His work can be seen at darrensoh.com and fb.com/darrensohphotographer

Born and based in Singapore, Darren obtained a degree in Sociology from the National University of Singapore in 2001 while serving as a contract photographer at the country’s leading English broadsheet newspaper, The Straits Times.

Since 2001, Darren has been a full time independent photographer with a particular interest in architectural and landscape photography.

Darren's first monograph While You Were Sleeping, a collection of nocturnal landscapes from Singapore was published in 2004. Subsequently, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay in Singapore presented the images from the book as an exhibition

In 2006, Darren was invited by Singapore's Ministry of Information, Communications and The Arts (MICA) to contribute his work to Canvas, an anthology of photographic work from Singapore.

In 2007, a folio of Darren's architectural work on public housing in Singapore was shown at the Kay Ngee Tan Architects Gallery. The project, titled Building Blocks, is still ongoing.

In 2009, as part of a collective of volunteer photographers, Darren contributed to Resonance: Songs of Our Forefathers, an architectural photography tome documenting the National Monuments of Singapore.

In 2010, together with several other photographers, Darren founded Platform.SG, an initiative to showcase documentary photography of Singapore or by Singaporean photographers.

Darren's work from the Singapore General Elections 2011 was also shown at the prestigious Noorderlicht Photo Festival in The Netherlands in 2011.

Over the years, Darren has been placed in several international photography awards including the Commonwealth Photographic Awards, the Prix de la Photographie, Paris and the International Photography Awards.

Darren was also listed by industry-leading Photo District News Magazine (PDN) from New York as one of PDN's 30 Emerging Photographers to watch in 2009.

Most recently, Darren was awarded the Discernment Award at the 2013 ICON de Martell Cordon Bleu Photography Award.

In 2013, Darren also published his second book For My Son, a collection of images of vernacular spaces in Singapore as part of the Twentyfifteen.sg initiative to commemorate Singapore's 50th anniversary in 2015.

Some of Darren's international architectural clients include Aedas, ARUP, Wilkinson Eyre, Monocle and Wallpaper* Magazine.

His work can be seen at darrensoh.com and fb.com/darrensohphotographer

Interview
with Darren

Q

What motivates the photographer in you?

A

I’m primarily an architectural and landscape photographer so the built environment and how human beings are using a space on any scale fascinates me. In a more local context, there is probably no other country in the world that experiences a faster rate of urban renewal and thus change in the built environment than Singapore, so my almost rabid fervency in documenting the built environment is really to ensure that future generations of Singaporeans or anyone who is interested at all, will be able to see through my images what Singapore looked like in the late 1990s till as long as I can physically photograph.

Q

How important is photography in your work and personal life?

A

I work as a photographer, so no photography no income. Ha ha. But seriously, photography has been part of my life since I was 14, so it has been with me for more than half my life. It has progressed from a serious hobby to a language that I now use to communicate my thoughts and ideas to the world with.

Q

What are your expectations of your photography equipment?

A

I use my photography equipment almost seven days of the week, every week of the month and every month of the year, so one word for me - reliability. Of course the equipment needs to realise my vision as a photographer in order for my images to properly convey what I want them to say.

Q

Who are the biggest influences in your photography journey?

A

Photographers whose work I admire include Peter Bialobrzeski whose cityscape and landscape photos first inspired me to meticulously document the changing landscape of Singapore, Peter Marlow from Magnum Photos for the ability to make the most banal places look interesting in photographs and photographers from the Düsseldorf School for their impeccable attention to details when it comes to the photography of spaces.

Q

What is the greatest challenge you faced in your photography and how did the a7 series help alleviate this?

A

I face many challenges in my photography. One of the greatest must be the constant balance between the image quality of a camera’s output versus its size and weight. Before the Sony a7 series of cameras came along, the lightest full-frame interchangeable lens cameras were heavy Digital SLRs. The a7R that I use is a game changer in the sense that for the first time ever, an extremely high quality camera could be so portable and light.

Q

Why did you choose the a7 series to be part of your work and personal photography journey?

A

The size and weight of the camera were prime considerations, but the amazing quality of the files produced by the 36MP Exmor CMOS sensor that is found in the a7R makes it a no-brainer as a first choice of a camera for me. The fact that the a7 series of cameras are mirrorless and allows me to adapt almost ANY third party lens makes it by far the most versatile full-frame camera in the world.

Q

What, to you, are two or three key features / advantages of the a7 series?

A

As mentioned before, the size and weight of the camera as well as the ability to use almost any third party lens on it makes it my first choice of a camera. The 36MP EXMOR CMOS sensor is also the best sensor I've ever used in any 35mm digital camera when it comes to details and dynamic range bar none. The high level of customisable functions squeezed into such a small body is also a big, big plus.

Q

How do you rate Sony in the field of digital imaging?

A

Ten years ago, if you told me that one day, professional photographers would be choosing a Sony camera as their first choice as an imaging device, I would probably have laughed in your face. But today, I would say that Sony is one of the leaders, if not THE leader in the field of professional digital photography.

Q

What is your favourite lens?

A

Unfortunately my favourite lens isn’t currently a lens manufactured by Sony but that is because it is a really specialised piece of equipment. The lens is a 17mm Tilt Shift.

Q

What's in your camera bag?

A

A very well-used Sony a7R.
A Sony 70-200 f4 FE OSS G and the following tilt and shift lenses:
17mm TSE
24mm TSE
45mm TSE
35mm
85mm

Interview
with Darren

Q

What motivates the photographer in you?

A

I’m primarily an architectural and landscape photographer so the built environment and how human beings are using a space on any scale fascinates me. In a more local context, there is probably no other country in the world that experiences a faster rate of urban renewal and thus change in the built environment than Singapore, so my almost rabid fervency in documenting the built environment is really to ensure that future generations of Singaporeans or anyone who is interested at all, will be able to see through my images what Singapore looked like in the late 1990s till as long as I can physically photograph.

Q

How important is photography in your work and personal life?

A

I work as a photographer, so no photography no income. Ha ha. But seriously, photography has been part of my life since I was 14, so it has been with me for more than half my life. It has progressed from a serious hobby to a language that I now use to communicate my thoughts and ideas to the world with.

Q

What are your expectations of your photography equipment?

A

I use my photography equipment almost seven days of the week, every week of the month and every month of the year, so one word for me - reliability. Of course the equipment needs to realise my vision as a photographer in order for my images to properly convey what I want them to say.

Q

Who are the biggest influences in your photography journey?

A

Photographers whose work I admire include Peter Bialobrzeski whose cityscape and landscape photos first inspired me to meticulously document the changing landscape of Singapore, Peter Marlow from Magnum Photos for the ability to make the most banal places look interesting in photographs and photographers from the Düsseldorf School for their impeccable attention to details when it comes to the photography of spaces.

Q

What is the greatest challenge you faced in your photography and how did the a7 series help alleviate this?

A

I face many challenges in my photography. One of the greatest must be the constant balance between the image quality of a camera’s output versus its size and weight. Before the Sony a7 series of cameras came along, the lightest full-frame interchangeable lens cameras were heavy Digital SLRs. The a7R that I use is a game changer in the sense that for the first time ever, an extremely high quality camera could be so portable and light.

Q

Why did you choose the a7 series to be part of your work and personal photography journey?

A

The size and weight of the camera were prime considerations, but the amazing quality of the files produced by the 36MP Exmor CMOS sensor that is found in the a7R makes it a no-brainer as a first choice of a camera for me. The fact that the a7 series of cameras are mirrorless and allows me to adapt almost ANY third party lens makes it by far the most versatile full-frame camera in the world.

Q

What, to you, are two or three key features / advantages of the a7 series?

A

As mentioned before, the size and weight of the camera as well as the ability to use almost any third party lens on it makes it my first choice of a camera. The 36MP EXMOR CMOS sensor is also the best sensor I've ever used in any 35mm digital camera when it comes to details and dynamic range bar none. The high level of customisable functions squeezed into such a small body is also a big, big plus.

Q

How do you rate Sony in the field of digital imaging?

A

Ten years ago, if you told me that one day, professional photographers would be choosing a Sony camera as their first choice as an imaging device, I would probably have laughed in your face. But today, I would say that Sony is one of the leaders, if not THE leader in the field of professional digital photography.

Q

What is your favourite lens?

A

Unfortunately my favourite lens isn’t currently a lens manufactured by Sony but that is because it is a really specialised piece of equipment. The lens is a 17mm Tilt Shift.

Q

What’s in your camera bag?

A

A very well-used Sony a7R.
A Sony 70-200 f4 FE OSS G and the following tilt and shift lenses:
17mm TSE
24mm TSE
45mm TSE
35mm
85mm

Click to view photographer's images