That’s exactly what street photographer Aik Beng Chia did for our recently published January issue. After all, the 50-year-old Chia has carved himself as a social media celebrity thanks to the raw and intimate portraits of everyday life which he shares with his over 34,000 followers on Instagram. Armed with just a smartphone, portable charger, and a plenty of stealth, Chia often roams old neighbourhood estates and tourists spots in Singapore or during his trips overseas.
His keen eye for capturing the essence of daily life has seen his works published on portals such as The Guardian and now Female, where he was tasked to lens his first ever fashion editorial in the vibrant neighbourhood of Little India. Spontaneous and in-the-moment, the photos, featuring the Resort ’18 collection of French maison Hermes, possess the same grain as other fashion photographers such as Glen Luchford and company. Here, he shares a few tips on how to capture that picture-perfect shot.
Be focused
“It’s the most important thing to look out for when taking a photo. If you’re using an iPhone, for instance, simply tap the screen where your subject is in the frame. A small yellow square will appear to confirm the focus point.”
Utilise the ‘Rule Of Thirds’
“Getting focus and exposure right is crucial in photography, but composition is equally important. Without good composition, your photo isn’t likely to be very eye-catching. The Rule of Thirds is one of the most useful composition techniques in photography. It’s an important concept to learn as it can be used in all types of photography to produce images which are more engaging and better balanced. It involves mentally dividing up your image using two horizontal lines and two vertical lines. You then position the important elements in your scene along those lines, or at the points where they meet.”
Use Leading Lines
“Leading lines can be another very useful composition tool. Using leading lines in a photo can help to focus the viewer’s eye on the main subject and lead the eye deeper into the image. It’s a simple technique that involves using vertical, horizontal or converging lines to focus attention on the subject of your image.”
This feature is in collaboration with Hermes.
