thegaleria

24/06/2025

By the end of today, thegaleria will finally close the shutter.

This marks the end of a wonderful 15-year chapter.

Through all its ups and downs, it’s a part of my life I’ll always cherish as a wedding photographer who stubbornly shoots in analogue film. This is perhaps what many of you will remember me as for in the years to come.

But as I’ve said before, this isn’t me disappearing.
I’m now at Decibelist, carrying the same conviction, drive, and passion that defined my time at thegaleria.

So, it's au revoir from thegaleria—and hello, Decibelist!

17/06/2025

If there's one photo that encapsulates thegaleria, this would be the one—a photo taken of Charissa back in 2008, on an unassuming street in central Paris. It's such a simple composition, yet it has had such an endearing legacy. For so many years, this has been the iconic image of thegaleria. Some have even compared this to a Marilyn Monroe shot taken on the balcony of the Ambassador Hotel in New York back in 1955.

The backstory of this photo is well known. It wasn't planned—totally unscripted. Charissa wasn't even supposed to be there, but there she was. And I caught that moment on the first frame of my first roll of TRI-X.

Who would have thought that the first frame would have such a lasting legacy?

In essence, it represents everything thegaleria stood for—It was unscripted. It was on film!

13/06/2025

This probably won’t come as a huge surprise, but some things deserve—and need—to be said.

For those who’ve followed me here, you’ll likely remember me as the wedding photographer who stubbornly insisted on shooting with analogue film—a bit of an outlier in an increasingly digital world. Some of you might even recall that I processed my own black-and-white film in my personal lab and scanned every roll by hand. I perfected the art of Unscripted Wedding Photojournalism.

That went on for more than 15 years and I’ve been incredibly fortunate to do something I’ve truly loved for so long.

Along the way, I’ve met some of the most wonderful people—many who entrusted me with their once-in-a-lifetime moments. Some have since become close friends, and I’m deeply, eternally grateful for those connections.

But like all things, even the ones we hold most dearly, some chapters do come to an end. That time has come for me and photography. The fire that once burned brightly is no more. I once told myself that if the day ever came when I no longer breathed and dreamed photography, that would be the moment to let go. That moment is now.

It’s with a heavy heart that I share: thegaleria, as we’ve known it, will come to a close. A week from now, thegaleria will go dark across all social media channels.

That said, this is not goodbye entirely. If you’d still like to stay connected, you can find me at Decibelist — a space where I now channel my creative energy into designing speakers that blend art, sound, and storytelling.

17/09/2024

The kind of wedding we absolutely love 😍

SINGAPORE — Having attended large weddings where she did not have the chance to speak to the bride and groom, architect Jezamine Chua, 30, always wanted her own big day to be a more meaningful affair for her guests.

13/02/2024

A cosy, simple, small and immensely fun wedding with a Chevy Impala to boot as the cool wedding ride.

Shot this almost a year ago but simply couldn’t find the time to share due to my various commitments and engagements but I guess better late than never. A cosy and small wedding complete with a Chevy Impala to boot as a wedding ride. Related posts: Darren & Theresa Louis & Sylvia Lawrence & Lorrai...

26/10/2023

When it comes to Pre-Wedding sessions, there aren’t many fast and hard rules. In fact, there aren’t any at all. With Pre Weddings, I always encourage wedding couples to follow their heart. What calls out to them? What’s the inspiration? So, things like “5 Best Wedding Locations in Singapore” simply didn’t make sense at all to me. Pre-Wedding sessions should be meaningful, memorable even.

When it comes to Pre-Wedding sessions, there aren't many fast and hard rules. In fact, there aren't any at all.

02/10/2023

I'll be honest. I'm not a huge fan of the rain vortex for wedding photos. Don't get me wrong. It's an architectural marvel and I stand in awe every time when I'm greeted by this monumental feature, but I'm not a huge fan of it when it comes to weddings. Then again, I was never a fan of all things normal and usual. So, this shouldn't come as a huge surprise. Imagine how glad I was when Alan & Tessa said they wanted to do a shoot in but without the rain vortex in it.

19/07/2023

This may have been shot almost 12 years ago but the recent family shoot with Soon Aun, Angie and their two lovely kids reminded me so much of this set of photos, as if they were just shot yesterday. People say photos are timeless but it's moments like this we realise exactly what they mean.

It poured the day before. It poured the day after and never stopped for the next few days. But not on the day we had the shoot. Or a least it wasn’t pouring when we were shooting. It was pouring when we had coffee but stopped when we wanted to have a shoot again. One…

13/07/2023

12 years ago, I shot for Soon Aun & Angie’s pre-wedding session at the historic Bukit Timah railway station back in the day when it was a functioning railway station. Now, they are a family of 4.

12 years ago, I shot for Soon Aun & Angie's pre-wedding session at the historic Bukit Timah railway station. Now, they are a family of 4!

28/06/2023

It’s interesting to think that not too long ago, a mask-less wedding like what we’re seeing here was something that was simply not possible, something we took for granted in the past.

It's interesting to think that not too long ago, a mask-less wedding like what we're seeing here was something that was simply not possible.

27/06/2023

Previously I wrote an article "Film or Digital?". I wrote about the differences between Analogue Film and Digital, more importantly how the film medium might just be the thing for you. Since then, I've had a number of questions and misconceptions about film. Some assumptions made about film are untrue and complete myths. So, in this article, I'm gonna attempt to debunk some of the misconceptions about film photography, and hopefully present the analogue film medium in a very different light.

Film is probably the most misunderstood medium. In this article, I'm gonna attempt to debunk some of the misconceptions about film photography.

01/06/2023

Giving a shout-out to my other company (yes, on days I'm not a photographer, I'm actually a speaker designer).

This would be my debut public appearance as a speaker designer and I'll be part of Asian Civilisation Museum () "Made By Hands" pop-up event happening from June 2 - 4 (4-9pm) along with many budding and established local artisans.

Most of the speakers I've designed will be making a public appearance.

Entrance is free. So, please swing by if you're around the area. Of course, I'll be speaking to you in a very different role than most of you are used to.

🗓️ June 2 - 4 (4-9pm)
🏛️ Asian Civilisation Museum (River Room, L2)