We now live in an era where social media is king, where your online presence is more important than anything else. When spending hours taking #OOTDs of your significant other, for him or her to boost their own public appeal via Instagram is more important than quality time. It’s sad, for the most part, pathetic, but it is what it is—the future.

Singapore, despite being a tiny island, has its own fair share of places where you can nail that perfect shot. With its combination of high-rise buildings, beautiful greenery and sleek architecture, our sunny little island is the perfect canvas for you to play around with to achieve captivating Insta-worthy photos be it edgy, street-style photography or beautiful natural landscapes.

If you are, however, running out of ideas on where to take your next #OOTD or bring your overseas friends, fret not because here is a list of 8 photography spots in Singapore to explore with your squad.

Photo Credit: chowyi

ALKAFF BRIDGE 

If you’ve ever had a staycation at Studio M before, you would have probably come across this vibrant, multi-coloured bridge which spans the Singapore River at Robertson Quay.

The bridge is creatively shaped like a tongkang, which was a light boat that was used to ship goods along rivers in the early days of Singapore. Definitely an appropriate design for a bridge that is just along the Singapore river!

1 Havelock Road
Nearest Station: Clarke Quay

CHINESE GARDENS 

These beautiful gardens are definitely an underrated spot for aesthetic photos and killer #OOTDs. Chinese Gardens is full of majestic Chinese architecture as well as lush greenery that is perfect for that picturesque shot.

With its gorgeous pagodas and oriental vibes, your followers might not even be able to guess that you are in Singapore!

1 Chinese Garden Road
Singapore 619795
Daily: 6am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Chinese Garden

Photo Credit: Cond? Nast Traveler

GILLMAN BARRACKS 

This cluster of art galleries makes for a great place for some artsy, edgy shots for the gram. As the area used to be part of the British military barracks in the past, Gillman Barracks boasts of gorgeous, colonial architecture that looks just as good in photos as it does in real life.

Keep a watch out for their new exhibitions and events which usually means that there will be new photo taking opportunities for you.

9 Lock Road
Singapore 108937
Tue to Thu: 12pm – 7pm
Fri: 11am – 9.15pm
Sat: 12pm – 7pm
Sun: 11am – 6pm
(Closed on Mondays)
Nearest Station: Labrador Park Station

HENDERSON WAVES BRIDGE

The iconic bridge is not just a great place for a nice walk, but it also makes for a gorgeous setting for some pretty neat photos.

This sprawling pedestrian bridge has a fantastical, wave-like shape that is a great as a backdrop in photos. We recommend that you come here at night as well since the bridge is quite a sight when it is all lit up.

Henderson Road
Singapore 159557
Nearest Station: Telok Blangah

HORT PARK 

We feel that this is the underrated and miniature version of Botanic Gardens. Hort Park may be a small park, but it boasts of a wide array of plants and flowers that make a great backdrop for photos.

This place is a small escape from our concrete jungle of a city and is the perfect place if you’re looking to get more nature shots for your feed.

33 Hyderabad Road
Singapore 119578
Daily: 6am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Labrador Park

Photo Credit: chingsantos

RAFFLES MARINA LIGHTHOUSE 

Lighthouses are not a common sight in Singapore, so posting a picture of one on your feed will probably garner plenty of likes and comments from people who want to know where you took that photo.

Raffles Marina Lighthouse is one of these rare finds. Located at the tip of Raffles Marina Club’s breakwaters is a beautiful lighthouse that is a great spot for nautically themed photos. Even though it is a little far out, it is worth the trip down!

10 Tuas West Dr
Singapore 638404
Daily: 8am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Tuas Link

Photo Credit: viscaya_jurnalis 

RAILWAY BRIDGE @ KING ALBERT PARK 

Probably one of the most raved about places on the list is this railway bridge located at King Albert Park. This now defunct railway track is a hot spot for people to take creative shots.

Despite the place being severely overrated, we must admit that there is still a certain charm to these tracks that makes us still want to have our photos taken there even if they have been done so a thousand times by other people.

1 Bukiit Timah Railway Station
Singapore 599938
Nearest Station: King Albert Park

Photo Credit: bern31photowalk 

TOA PAYOH TOWN PARK 

Toa Payoh Town Park is another underrated place that boasts of lush greenery and scenic backdrops that are great for that perfect photo.

Its large pavilion, rustic gazebos and Japanese bridge are some of the many different spots for you to get a shot for the gram and we love how a variety of different shots can be taken at just one place.

Lor 6 Toa Payoh
Nearest Station: Toa Payoh

It doesn’t matter where you are, your live Instagram entertainment is always a scroll away. Providing a window of opportunities for its users, Instagram has been making waves since its debut in October 2010, and its thriving popularity is evident across the globe.

For many Instagram addicts alike, it didn’t happen if you didn’t Instagram it. Here is a fun checklist to identify if you have subconsciously evolved into an Instagram addict.

#1 HIP TO BE SQUARE

Using your mobile phone, you shoot photos in a square frame, making them photo-ready to be shared on Instagram. Even when you capture a photo using a camera, a nagging thought at the back of your mind prompts you to frame a photo and its subject(s) that will look ideal after a squarish crop. The idea of casual photography very much revolves around a square frame.

#2 GOING THE EXTRA MILE

You will do anything to achieve the perfect angle. You have no qualms about removing cutlery from a table, standing on a chair for a vantage point of view, requesting to be seated in a brighter spot at a restaurant or trekking on muddy trail to name a few.

There is no wrong in priding yourself on a good snapshot, but there is certainly no logic in forsaking social etiquettes or being a fuss pot with a list of demands to be met. Suffice to say, our folks knew best whenever they reminded us to “eat while the food is hot”. You might not mind tucking into a bowl of lukewarm lobster bisque, but your friend may think otherwise.

#3 INSTA OCD

Arranging your photo subjects in an orderly fashion is one of the many amusing things that happens behind the scenes. In short, you subscribe to the notion of an organised mess. As oxymoronic as the idea might come across, there is actually a huge following for this trend, based on the increasing number of photos that feature a mishmash of #ootd items or #foodie treats – arranged and styled meticulously to fit nicely into a single frame. There is even a term for this photo-styling trend: Flatlay.

#4 MORE IS LESS

You devote a lot of leisure time and effort to choose the best filter that will make that lone pimple on your face less obvious, or draw attention away from the photo bombers in the background of a photo. If you have a staggering collection of photo-editing applications in your phone but have not found time to explore all of them, you are definitely not alone. Do you remember when was the last occasion you used an Instagram filter?

#5 THE ART OF ANONYMITY

You feel uneasy when you have no access to Instagram because it has become a platform for you to pry into the lives of your friends – both virtual and real-life – and receive live updates without gaining an undesirable reputation as a stalker or a busybody.

Knowing what your friends had for lunch is now part of your daily routine. You feel somewhat smug, while empowered with frivolous knowledge that you’ve gained from your personal inferences, merely from insta-hopping across numerous profiles.

#6 FAKE IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT

Although you are not a sweet-toothed person, you know that a beautiful slice of rainbow cake will garner more likes than a classic chocolate fudge cake. Also, pairing it with a caffeine fix that features a fanciful coffee art is the icing to the cake. If you achieve a greater sense of satisfaction from amassing virtual likes than pleasuring your taste buds, you are taking Instagram a tad too seriously.

#7 NUMBERS DON’T LIE

Do you find yourself checking your phone every other minute to find out how many likes you’ve collected with a recent upload, or constantly refreshing your feed for new photo updates?

Other telling signs include deleting photos that have failed to garner a desired amount of likes and maintaining a small following to followers ratio. If the number of likes on your photo hits a double-digit figure, your day is made. If you allow the number of likes to stroke your ego and feed your addiction, you might be taking Instagram a tad too seriously.

#8 THE #HASHTAG EFFECT

When your hash-tagging game is so strong that it requires more time to complete reading your hash tags than the photo caption itself, you might be flouting the “rules”. Hash-tagging was never intended as a tactic to gain likes and followers until Instagram users made it so.

What was meant to forge a closer community among people with shared interests is now used as a means of gaining popularity and flaunting big labels. On the same note, hash-tagging is still a brilliant idea to discover likeminded users who adore a perfectly #poachedeggs for brunch, or share your excitement for #SG50.

#9 WORD FOR WORD

Bearing in mind that hash-tagging can be fun or annoying, it makes a world of difference when you #nofilter on a photo of a breathtaking view or your naked face. The former is used when you want others to know that they’re viewing the raw, unfiltered beauty of Mother Nature, while the latter just makes you appear like a humble braggart. Your words hold value like your images, so it is wise to review them before they go viral.

#10 BLURRED LINES

When you have trouble detaching yourself from Instagram at a work meeting or in a lecture hall, you might need to reevaluate your overly-attached relationship with Instagram. It is a cause for concern if you are unable to be present in a moment when life is happening. Was life before Instagram any less fulfilling?

Also, when you constantly bring your virtual thoughts offline, you might be stepping on the toes of many peers – especially those who are uninterested in Instagram. It will be considerate to spare a thought for your peers who are not keen on hopping on the Instagram bandwagon, lest you bore them with findings from your latest Insta-hopping activities.

One can still yield the benefits of Instagram without being a slave to it. For starters, draw a line when it comes to your sharing privacy because what you fancy letting the world in on might not be what others want to know about you. In addition, limit your Instagram usage and keep your phone out of sight at important social meetings or family gatherings.

Don’t miss the important fleeting moments in life trying to capture an eventual memory. When you offer a piece of your life to the world, remember that you are trading it with a fraction of your life that you will never get back. Instagram can wait, while time waits for no man. Carpe diem!

About the writer: 
An impulsive foodie who is in love with the written word, Serene has taken the road less travelled by living out of a suitcase. She embraces the idea of being present in the moment and travels with a spirit of adventure on her globe-trotting journeys, which see her exploring a different city or two in a given week. Track her global footprints in pixels and learn more about thoughts and raves on Instagram.

I started a hashtag #LifeisdeliciousinSingapore on instagram last night, and within 24 hours, there are over 3,000 photos tagged. I hope that through this effort, we will be able to let the world see Singapore in a different perspective. If you are on instagram, do upload your favourite shots of Singapore – be it food or places – and tag me @ladyironchef #LifeisdeliciousinSingapore.

200,000 followers on Instagram! Wow this is insane. Thank you for the support! Follow me on facebook and twitter if you have not.

Wow. 100,000 followers on Instagram! Wow.

I started my instagram account back in Feb earlier this year, and I am loving it so far. Instagram allows me to do what I love – sharing beautiful photos and making people hungry – and it has been a great journey so far.

The growth rate of my instagram is crazy; I’m gaining around 1,000 new followers every day. The best part, of course, is getting to know friends from around the world.

I’ve previously written a guide on getting on Instagram’s popular page, if you are interested, you can read it here. And for folks who do not use instagram on phone, you can follow me at the new instagram web profile – http://www.instagram.com/ladyironchef.

Wow. I don’t know what to say. I’ve only started using instagram back in March, and now there are 11,000 followers. Thank you for your support.

On instagram, you get to see the latest restaurants that I visit, as well as photos from my wanderlust adventures. So if you haven’t, follow me there (user: ladyironchef).

Hello folks, I finally joined Instagram! I know it’s a little late, but show some love and follow me at @ladyironchef (or search for Brad Lau). I promise to make you hungry with yummy food photos! Yay to Instagram food photography!

I’m still quite new to iPhone, appreciate if you could leave a comment and let me know which are some of the must-download iPhone applications! Thanks folks, have a good week ahead!