Waiting for a soul to drift up into my view at the Abdul Gaffoor Mosque - Little India, Singapore

Waiting for a soul to drift up into my view at the Abdul Gaffoor Mosque - Little India, Singapore, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

“A picture can express a universal humanism, or simply reveal a delicate and poignant truth by exposing a slice of life that might otherwise pass unnoticed.” - Steve McCurry

73 Dunlop Street in Little India is the location for The InnCrowd Hostel and my temporary address while I was in Singapore last year.

Just footsteps from the hostel, also on Dunlop Street, is the Masjid Abdul Gaffoor (Malay) for the Abdul Gaffoor Mosque. I would walk by this beautiful mosque everyday to and from the hostel. I would have my camera at my side but never found the perfect moment to make a photograph either because the light was terrible or maybe it was due to my obsession to always look for those “Steve McCurry” moments.

One afternoon I walked by the mosque and the elements of light and composition (I crouched down low to frame the mosque with the footwear in the foreground (when entering a mosque one must be barefooted)) happen to come together. The only thing missing was the human element to portray a “slice of life.”

I remembered a quote from photojournalist Steve McCurry when he learned to watch and wait on life. “If you wait,” he realized, “people will forget your camera and the soul will drift up into view.”

I waited patiently for a “soul to drift up into my view” and I was rewarded with this storytelling image as this young girl ran across my frame.

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

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I flew over 20 hours from California to Singapore to see the world’s largest surfboard?!

Marina Bay Sands

I flew over 20 hours from California to Singapore to see the world’s largest surfboard?!, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

My first night in Singapore and the heat and the humidity became unbearable. The back of my shirt felt like it was superglued to my skin. This was not Southern California with its Mediterranean climate.

My introductory walk around Singapore invariably led me to Marina Bay Sands. I looked up and glimpsed at a gigantic surfboard on top of three hotel towers.

Did jet lag cloud my perception?

Did I just fly for over 20 hours from California to Singapore to see the world’s largest surfboard?

No, it was just the world's largest public cantilevered platform, part of which overhangs the north tower by over 219 feet.

The three 55-story hotel towers of Marina Bay Sands are connected by a 2.47 acre sky terrace on the roof, named Sands SkyPark. The SkyPark is home to the world's longest elevated swimming pool, with a 478 ft vanishing edge.

In California we say, “Surf's up!” What is Singapore’s version of that?

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

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Singapore my gateway to Southeast Asia!

Welcome to Singapore!

Singapore my gateway to Southeast Asia!, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

Last year I started my six month Southeast Asia journey in the beautiful city-state of Singapore. The moment I landed at their world class airport I fell in love with the city. What’s not to love? The diversity of cultures and religion, the amazing food, clean streets, low crime and the fact they hang (that’s right hang) people who are involved in any drug smuggling crimes. My type of city.

The moment I arrived at my hostel I met John from England. He had been in Singapore for over a week and offered to give me a quick tour of the city. We covered Little India, Burgis Market and the Clarke Quay. We had dinner at a great hawker stall and then headed out to the Marina Bay Sands Resort with billion dollar views and the construction costs to match it.

This is a photograph of the ArtScience Museum (part of the Marina Bay Sands Resort) with the Singapore skyline in the background. The funky frame above is part of an illuminated pedestrian bridge. I shot this with my table top Manfrotto tripod as I didn’t bring my normal Manfrotto tripod for space considerations and for the reason that I wanted to focus more on street photography with an emphasis on portraiture (later on my trip I bought a proper tripod while in Angkor Wat, Cambodia).

I hope my Singapore photographs convey the beauty and splendor of the city-state and that my Flickr friends and Singaporean photographers Rebecca Ang, Charlie Kwan and fiftymm99 find them as an accurate portrayal of their lovely city.

For the next couple of weeks (perhaps months) I will be posting photos from my amazing Southeast Asia journey. I hope you find them amazing and amusing, much like I did when I originally composed them.

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

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Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel - San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel - San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

I lied.

I said in my last post I was going to start sharing photos from my Southeast Asia journey I embarked on last year.

Lying maybe too strong of a word. Let’s just say I embellished the truth.

Here is a blue hour photograph from my trek to Mexico last year after I came back from Southeast Asia. This will be my last photograph (I promise) and from now on I’ll be updating you guys with photos from my Southeast Asia trip.

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If colonial architecture and cobblestone streets sound very appealing then the beautiful Spanish colonial town of San Miguel de Allende fits the bill to be your home away from home (many Americans do). San Miguel de Allende has one of the largest American communities in Mexico with over 7000 residents. It is large enough to warrant its own U.S. consulate.

The ‘wedding cake’ towers of Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel dominates the perfectly manicured main plaza, El Jardin, in the old historic center. I spent many evenings sitting on a bench in the plaza admiring the gorgeous architecture and striking light, all the while consuming my favorite Mexican meal Tacos Al Pastor!

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

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The Beauty of Guanajuato, Mexico at Twilight

The Beauty of Guanajuato, Mexico at Twilight, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

For years I have heard about the beauty of Guanajuato, Mexico. Now that I have had the opportunity to visit this lovely city, it has lived up to all of its expectations.

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Guanajuato is a colonial-era city situated in a valley that has a labyrinth of narrow, winding and steep cobblestone streets (there are even streets underground). You are guaranteed to get lost, but that is indeed the charm of the city, to simply wander around to explore the city’s shady plazas, sidewalk cafes, historic monuments and all the while admiring the neoclassical and baroque style colonial architecture.

The University of Guanajuato is located right in the historic center which gives the city a youthful atmosphere (there are over 30,000 enrolled students). At night the city comes alive with its vibrant nightlife and callejoneadas, or walking serenades, led by student musicians who strum guitars, serenade bystanders and recite local tales.

This is a bird’s eye view of the city from The Pipila Monument which can be reached by either bus, hiking a steep trail or funicular. Whatever method you choose you are guaranteed a fantastic view of beautiful Guanajuato!

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

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Come Sail Away in America’s Finest City

Come Sail Away in America’s Finest City, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

Since leaving the Midwest last year, I’ve been meaning to photograph the Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge in downtown San Diego. The bridge connects the convention center with Petco Park (home to San Diego’s Major League Baseball team the Padres). At 550 feet, the bridge is one of the longest self-anchored pedestrian suspension bridges in the world and is supposed to look like a sail to fit in with San Diego's nautical history.

I took this photograph from the top floor of a parking garage. I like this view since it not only includes the new Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge, but also Petco Park, the new Central Library and the East Village District which is San Diego's largest and most rapidly developing neighborhood.

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

Why don't you join me on Facebook?
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