Singapore, Architectural Art –
Mixing photography and digital blurring, SABINE WILD creates unique works of Singapore’s landmarks
During Sabine Wild’s first trip to Singapore in 2016, the Italy-born German photographer and digital artist was fascinated with urban life blending harmoniously with the urban structures and the rainforest – living up to Singapore’s plan of becoming the greenest metropolis in Asia.
The architectural masterpieces around Singapore became the catalyst for her inspirations and work creations. Through digital blurring, Sabine deconstructs urban architectural photography in her own unique manner resulting in what looks like abstract art in an elegant style. The vertical and horizontal hatching creates a flickering structure, providing hints of an underlying reality mixed with illusions.
Sabine used to work in architect offices during her studies where she was responsible for the companies’ software needs. Her fascination for working on computers and her passion for architectural photography combine to create her digital photography art.
A Chat with Sabine Wild
Your love for architecture and photography has resulted in this unique art form of yours. What method do you use to achieve this abstract art effect while preserving the essence of the architecture in your work?
My photographs first come into being in a conventional way – I photograph the buildings or urban spaces without any blurring at all, using a large depth of field. The abstraction process is done with digital image processing. I blur parts of the photo either in the horizontal or vertical direction, depending on what effect I wish to achieve. Many partial areas, often even just grid-like lines, are left sharp so that a shift between the blur and sharp parts of the image arises and the two parts alternate. In this way an exciting contrast between the harsh and soft parts of the image is created.
What cameras and lenses do you use for your architectural photography?
I work on the one hand with the Canon 5D Mark and here especially with the 24mm and 17mm tilt-shift lenses. These lenses are great for architecture photography because you can prevent distortion of the image by using them. In addition, I work with the Leica M, here with a 35mm lens.
What do you like most about Singapore’s architectural scene?
It goes without saying that the Marina Bay with its skyline is very impressive, precisely due to the combination of the water with the Marina Bay Sands building. But I find [email protected] equally fascinating. I visited the Sky Garden there where the view is spectacular. To me, [email protected] represents an alternative plan to the western ideal of owning a house. It shows that life in a high rise building can absolutely be attractive and livable. Because statisticians have calculated that over 80% of the world population will live in megacities in 2030, I find it very exciting and important to deal with the topic of the future forms of urban living.
You must travel a great deal. Which 3 cities in the world do you love most for their architecture?
That is a difficult question. Every city has its own virtues, its own atmosphere and things that I appreciate. So far I really like Manhattan in New York, Hong Kong and Tokyo. I find Singapore very interesting due to her ambition to be the greenest city in Asia: the vertical gardens, the traffic concept, the many parks, deeply impress me
How do you relax after a hard day at work?
I meet friends, relax with my daughter, go to the forest with my dog, exercise, go to the cinema.
What advice would you give a novice photographer who wants to take good shots of architecture?
I think it’s important for a new photographer to develop a personal view on the chosen topic, regardless of the subject they devote themself to. Don’t focus on trends, technical guidelines or traditional rules of image composition. A personal view develops their eye and creates authentic pictures. This certainly includes daring to try something new, thinking unconventionally, photographing subjects in a manner that people wouldn’t normally do. And above all, allowing oneself time to let what has been created be left untouched for a while. Frequently, it’s only apparent after a few weeks if a subject continues to be relevant. So don’t post everything on social media immediately! Photographs courtesy of Sabine Wild.