Photo projects on home, by young photographers
The Shooting Home Youth Awards (SHYA) is a platform for students aged 15 to 23 years old to develop their photographic skills and ambitions. Formerly known as Junior Shooting Home, the programme has been running since 2011, and has mentored nearly 80 students to date.
Themed around the idea of home, the programme encourages participants to draw inspiration from their surroundings and the issues most important to them. As such the photographs address a variety of subjects that are close to the photographers’ hearts such as their families and friends.
The Shooting Home Youth Awards gives students the opportunity to build a strong portfolio, exhibit their work publicly, and network with industry professionals. Many of the participants have continued to pursue photography through their studies and on a professional basis.
SHYA 2018 participants were mentored by Joseph Nair, Kong Chong Yew, Grace Baey and Nurul Huda Rashid. They took part in the mentorship programme over 3 weeks in Nov-Dec 2018. Their final projects were exhibited at the Library@Orchard (2 to 30 Sep 2019).
Elizabeth Ng
All You Need is Love
“This is the second photo essay I’ve ever made, and I wanted to photograph someone who has influenced me and my life. I chose my grandfather as he has introduced me to many things like photography and music.”
Elizabeth Ng participated in SHYA 2018 as a student at Tanjong Katong Girls’ School.
Lee Jia Wen
有你，真好 (Thankful For You)
有你，真好 is a day-in-the-life photo series featuring the photographer’s father after he was diagnosed with coronary artery disease. She decided to document her father’s journey, using it as an excuse to spend more time with him.
Lee Jia Wen participated in SHYA 2018 as a student at Nanyang Technological University’s Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information.
Joel Chua
Just Follow Lah
“In this series, I explore my relationship with my given religion. When I was younger, my parents would say “Just follow lah” and I wouldn’t question further. Now that I am older, I am beginning this journey of discovery into religion, family and self.”
Joel Chua’s photography explores the relationship between religion, family and self in a predominantly Chinese working-class society. He participated in SHYA as a student at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.
Cheong Jun Hong
Soon
“My earliest impression of Punggol was of forests, unpaved roads and lallang fields, set 15 years ago on a family trip. I initially hoped to revisit and portray the emotions felt back then, but the sound of machinery permeates throughout the district and construction works can be seen encroaching into the landscape. Only a few places were left untouched and surrounded by nature, evoking the same emotions.”
Cheong Jun Hong is a self-taught photographer who is interested in travel and landscape photography. He was part of the SPH Student Correspondents’ Club.
Tan Jye Hern
Carpark 11
A little parking lot nestled up the hills of Kent Ridge.
A makeshift terminal for the buses that ply the modern, sprawling campus.
Slow. Late. Crowded. Bumpy.
Or so they say.
The terminal is gone now.
One day the drivers will too
And perhaps the complaints will follow.
Tan Jye Hern (b. 1999) is currently a full-time National Serviceman. He participated in SHYA 2018 as a student in Victoria Junior College.
Samira Hassan
Laws of Lembu
“Laws of Lembu initially started off as an exploration of the wider neighbourhood of Little India. Eventually, I was drawn to this small, self-contained square behind Mustafa Shopping Centre. I came to Lembu Square with my own preconceptions but Lembu refused to conform to any singular, neat narrative.”
Samira Hassan is currently an undergraduate at the National University of Singapore. She is passionate about migration, gender and urban spaces and hopes to be able to use mediums like photography to uncover powerful stories of communities affected by these issues.
Lin Shiauyu
Expecting
Expecting is a series resulting from visits and interviews with young mothers and a few who were pregnant. These few photos are a brief study to show a few emotions out of the many revolving around pregnancy.
Lin Shiauyu (b. 1995) was previously trained as a painter and now practises as a photographer. She participated in SHYA 2018 as a photography student at Nanyang Technological University.
Siti Shafiqah
Adab Abadi (Eternal Manners)
This series focused on Malay etiquette commonly taught by the older generation to the young ones. However times have changed. We have become modernised and such behaviours no longer hold a high value and emphasis in the current generation of Malays. This series serves as a reminder of little things that may have been overlooked.
Siti Shafiqah is a part-time student at Singapore University of Social Sciences.
Sophia Dominguez
Entrapped
“This series feeds my ache for intimacy and wholeness. There is always a constant absence of one or the other. In the search for a closer connection between my family and I, it is evident the male figures in my life are distant and absent. I try to show these connections of interdependency at home in this series.”
Sophia Dominguez is currently completing a Diploma in Fine Art at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts with a 4D Practice. Her inclination is towards photography, videography and sound art.