My Favourite Photography Spots in Singapore You Can Visit For Free

30 January 2023
Asia, Photography

Singapore is one of these countries that’s easy to fit in a bigger trip. With a great airport and one of the best airlines in the world, it’s the perfect city for a stop-over. I brought my camera to Singapore and hunted for the best photography spots. I didn’t particularly Google the best spots, no I just took a walk and looked for the best locations I could find. I must admit that I’ve Googled some, but most of the spots I didn’t find on purpose! The best thing? All of the spots I visited and mention in this blog are completely free. Singapore is an expensive city, so it’s great to save some money on activities when you can find spots like these!

China Town

Every big city has a Chinese community and Singapore is no exception. In fact, it’s one of the coolest China Town’s I’ve ever visited. And I’ve been to places like Bangkok, London and New York! I really love to see the people playing their games, living their lives on the street in the amazing climate that Singapore has to offer. It’s the place for cheap street food as well! If you’re looking for a great accommodation in this area, I can recommend ST Signature Tanjong Pagar. They have pod style rooms and I found them pretty comfortable, even though they’re small! This accommodation offers a shared kitchen as well, so you can save some money on having food too. Just one block away, you will find a food market where you can get a variety of food for some of the lowest prices in Singapore.

Back to the Photography spots! China Town has an Insta famous spot as well, the yellow reflecting building. You might have seen it on the gram and it’s pretty easy to get to, once you found your way out of the crazy Chinese mall. Go to the People’s Park Complex and try to find the rooftop parking lot. It takes an elevator and some stairs, but once you’re upstairs, you’ll find the yellow building!

Lens recommendation: Sony FE 16-35 F/2.8 GM

Gardens by the bay

When you think about Singapore, you think about Gardens by the Bay. This park is so much more than these huge supertrees, it feels like a true natural oasis in the midst of a city. I didn’t get the chance to visit this place at night, but it’s supposed to be pretty amazing to see the supertrees lit up too. Take your time to explore the area as it’s pretty huge. There are restaurants and cafes along the trek and I’m sure you’ll have a great time! The best way to get there is navigating to Bayfront metro station and to walk from there.

Lens recommendation: Tamron 28-75 F/2.8 Sony FE

Marina Bay

A trip to Singapore isn’t complete without visiting Marina Bay. Featuring one of the most famous hotels in the world and some amazing panoramic city views, you won’t easily get bored. Sure, you can get to the viewpoints of the Marina Bay Sands hotel, but it didn’t fit my budget on this trip. As a full time traveler, I have to take some hard decisions sometimes and skipping the viewpoint was one of them. I would recommend to take some time and walk the full loop around the lake. You’ll find many interesting viewpoints and angles to capture all the beauty this area has to offer. If you visit Marina Bay after sunset, I recommend to bring a tripod.

Lens recommendation: Tamron 28-75 F/2.8

Library@orchard

An Insta famous spot, completely free to visit and great to capture. The problem is, it’s so Insta famous that they literally created a spot on the ground saying: stand here to get your Instagram picture. I still like it, but felt sad to see a spot like that.

Lens recommendation: wide angle, like the Sony FE 16-35 F/2.8 GM

Kampong Glam

Another interesting area, especially for architecture and street art, is the Kampong Glam neighbourhood. One of the highlights here is the building with the honeycomb pattern, the one that doesn’t have a name or I couldn’t find it. I saw it on Instagram before my visit, but didn’t check the location yet and ran into it. The best way to find it is to navigate to this certain spot and you’ll be blown away by the views.

If you continue walking, you will end up at Arab Street. The streets are colourful and you’ll find lots of street art. I loved to wander around here and take some street shots! It’s a cool place to get some coffee or quick bites as well, so if you’re hungry, this is the place to go!

Lens recommendation: Sony FE 70-200 and Tamron 28-75 F/2.8

Clarke Quay

The last spot of this blog is Clarke Quay. This area is known for a huge variety of restaurants and bars, but offers some great sights as well! One of the most famous spots here is Old Hill Street Police Station. The colourful windows are expressing some kind of joy and photographers love it! To get a unique shot of this place, I decided to walk under the bridge to the other side of the intersection. The movement brings this place to life and I loved how this photo above turned out.