Words & Photos By Nathan Allen

Little India is quite vibrant and diverse – with people and cultures from all over India. Although not a morning person, for the sake of good lighting, I went on a few early photo walks with my Ricoh GR II.

This is the entrance to a temple which serves the northern Indian community. Also shown are the colorful buildings near “Kerbau Rd”. Kerbau means buffalo in Malay. This was a cattle trading hub years ago. Hard to imagine that, when you consider what a sleek and modern city Singapore is today.

The buildings on the streets of Little India certainly win the award for “most colorful” in Singapore…but this love of color also includes the clothes that locals wear. Never seeming to be content with a bland, white shirt, I think Indians have a great sense of style. The scene above has a bit of a yellow / orange theme.

Crowds in Tekka Food Center, Singapore

The shot below was taken on the way into Tekka Food Center, where I found my favorite Punjabi food. Perhaps I will let you know the name of the stall at a later date… In other words, you must follow along to find out!

Anyhow, the Ricoh kicked up the ISO quite high in the challenging light here, and I had to work to clean up the file a bit. Converting the photo to black and white helped.

By the way, it’s not just the market called Tekka. For instance, locals here call all of Little India “Tekka”. I was surprised to learn the name actually comes from the Hokkien Chinese word Tek Kia Kha, which means base of the bamboo. It was named after the plants found growing at nearby Rochor canal.

Apparently some Chinese stall owners in Tekka Centre even speak Tamil, and some Indians, Hokkien!

Here you see an old man riding his classic motorcycle with sidecar. Little India MRT is in the distance.

The People – Little India Street Photography

Next to Kerbau Rd is Buffalo Rd, and I find that a bit funny…though I guess it makes sense when you consider the Malay & British both lived in Singapore early on. Buffalo Rd attracts many shoppers looking to buy fruits, vegetables, as well as the hand woven flower garlands that are used by temple worshipers.

Along a side street, I also came across these workers unloading a truck. I was struck by the color blue everywhere, and wondered if it was done on purpose.

Just another striking splash of color…this time in red.

As I have shown, hitting the streets of Little India is perfect for making photo albums with a certain theme!
Most people shoot street in black and white with the Ricoh GR II. For me, it would be a shame to photograph a dazzling place like Little India in B & W. However, with its striking contrast, the scene below was just begging for it.

There are always a lot of people walking near Tekka Centre. The community hosts many bazaars and holy festivals here. In the distance you can see “Campbell Lane”, which reminds me of a street where I grew up in California. It’s basically as close as I can get to home right now, being on the other side of the world.

Below you’ll see more colorful shops and houses along Serangoon Rd. These streets seem to get more traffic than other places else in Singapore, though it’s still nothing compared to other Asian countries.

MRT Murals & Kerbau Rd

The Little India MRT is quite a busy station. Tourists come here from all over the world, because of the area’s cheap hostels. That, and the neighborhood’s vibrant tourist draws, of course!

(continued below, but please consider following along with me below…)

Don’t miss the giant murals painted on the walls near here.

It seems I mostly find south Indian food around the neighborhood, but from what I read, Punjabis, Tamils, and Bengalis all live and share their cultures here.

37 Kerbau Rd – A Vibrant, Iconic Neighborhood Landmark

Colorful buildings like this are hard to miss. Say hello to the Tan Teng Niah Residence, and although it’s Chinese, the colors seem to be quite Indian to me. This is certainly one of the most popular locations for Little India Street Photography.

Later, snapped this photo of a man riding his bike past the bus station. Thanks to the Ricoh GR II’s “snap focus” mode, obviously I never miss a shot.

FYI, you can check out my camera and accessories HERE

Ricoh is not a partner of mine, and I paid for this camera. However, you can help support me by using the product links on my pages. Thanks!

Here’s one last black and white shot to keep you “street tog” purists happy…

I really enjoyed this bright and cheery community. I always eat at Tekka when I stay in Singapore, and have made some good friends in the neighborhood there. This neighborhood is surely worth exploring!

In closing, I hope you enjoyed my Little India Street Photography series (other Singapore locations below). I’d love to hear your feedback…

Cheers.

1. Downtown (main page)
2. Chinatown
3. Little India
   

– Nathan Allen

www.idreamedofthis.com

Feel free to share.

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  Words & Photos By Nathan Allen

Singapore has an undeniably impressive city skyline. This is just part of it, but you can see the spiked dome of the Esplanade Theatre on the right. These Chinese tourists are taking refuge from the hot, tropical sun… I thought their pink umbrella matched the flowers on the left nicely.

Tourists come here from all over the world, and cross this bridge on the way to the famous “Merlion Statue”.

Without a doubt, the cheapest places to eat are the “hawker centres”. For three or four U.S. dollars, you can find street food from all over Asia, and even some western options as well. Here I photographed some international students having lunch @ Maxwell Food Centre.

Most of the building is blanketed by shade, but a skylight perfectly illuminated their table, and provided the opportunity for a dramatic photo. Of course, the Ricoh GR II handles contrast and black and white tones very well.

Ricoh GR II – The Perfect Candid Camera

With its genius “snap focus” mode, my Ricoh camera is lightning fast. I can shoot candid photos with ease…and this is great to truly capture the soul of the country I’m visiting. Overall, I’m after something real. Getting raw, unfiltered, moments of truth out there on city streets. Nothing plastic or posed.

In other words, we live in an age of photographic deception – and I find street photography to be a breath of fresh air.

My passion for this genre actually began when I stopped viewing people as “in the way”…and instead, challenged myself to start making them the focus of my work!

To be fair, though, Singapore is the least crowded of anywhere I’ve been in Asia. Plenty of wide open streets and sidewalks. As you can see, I like to shoot quite wide…I guess my landscape background shows. My style is a mix between the two.

More Downtown Singapore Street Photography

I love taking pictures of the diverse crowds around the iconic Merlion statue. This is ground zero for tourism in the country. It’s a lot of fun capturing the joy on everybody’s faces.

Here I snapped a quick photo of a tour group posing as I walked by. These ladies looked like so much fun. They really seemed to have a zest for life. (By the way, this photo was published in National Geographic Magazine!)

I love city shots in the late afternoon, just before the sun dips below the buildings. This sleek corridor was a great place for contrast and long shadows. The natural lighting provided a lot of dynamic interest. If you are wondering, the title image on this page was also shot here.

Here’s another shot of my favorite Korean ladies. I caught them mid conversation – with a nice cityscape backdrop…just before they disappeared into the shadows underneath Anderson Bridge.

(continued below, but I do hope you’ll consider following along with me…)

It was nice to find the contours of the bridge perfectly framing the skyline and tourists below it. As you may have guessed, downtown is one of the most versatile locations for Singapore street photography.

Talk about vibrant! The streets of nearby Chinatown are also a rewarding place to take pictures. This shot is from the entrance to “Buddha Tooth Relic Museum”.  The name is quite a mouthful, isn’t it?

FYI, you can check out this camera on Amazon HERE

(I am not a partner of Ricoh, but using these links will help me continue to produce content like this. Thanks!)

This shot was taken at Thian Hock Keng temple.

If you like these last few, be sure to check out more in part 2 of my series….you’ll see the link when you get to the end of this page.

“Native” Singaporeans have roots stretching back to many different countries. For example, most are Chinese, Malaysian and Indian. There are a fair share from Britain, Australia, and even the U.S. as well!

Exploring the streets and alleys of “Little India” really does transport you to another world. Part 3 of my Singapore Street Photography series explores this colorful neighborhood and community. It was also shot with the Ricoh GR II.

This is one my favorite pictures, and one that shows why the Lion City is such a “cultural melting pot”. Here you see the altar and pagodas of Tang Gah Beo temple…but with the contrast of a Catholic Church (St Teresa) in the distance.

In the next chapter of my Singapore street photography series, I explore the hustle and bustle of Chinatown in detail…

1. Downtown (main page)
2. Chinatown
3. Little India

– Nathan Allen

www.idreamedofthis.com

Thanks for reading, and feel free to share.

* Update for 2025: The new version of this camera is out now! Check it out HERE

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