We are now in the second half of Year 2025. Time flies in the blink of an eye for the first half (H1) of 2025. Looking back and reflecting Q2 2025 and H1 2025 (Photography | Travel | Creative | Heritage), it had been a very challenging and difficult period, coupled with some highs and lows as well. Here’s my story below:
Photography (Business)
A slow and difficult market
The economy is not in a good shape, ask around small and medium sized business owners from various industries, they echo similar sentiments. While I also got to hear that some industries are doing fine in this tough market conditions (domestic and international), it can be lopsided, imbalanced, making it very difficult and challenging in this slow and difficult market.
I am not going to shy away that photography business has been affected by this slow and difficult market. It’s stressful and pressurising. Some strategic changes are on the cards, potentially going into more content creation/social media marketing sectors than just purely photography shoots itself.
Photography and Content Creation Partnerships Opportunities
There are some discussions on photography and content creation partnerships opportunities coming soon. I am awaiting for more details and the announcement dates from my friend that I collaborated and worked with over the past decade.
Photography (Personal/Leisure)
What’s up on my personal and leisure sectors of my photography? Here it goes:
Photography/Visual Storytelling Ups and Downs
I have a photograph selected for the recently concluded 20th Ngee Ann Photographic Exhibition (NAPE) 2025, it was titled, “Of Red and White Celebrations at GBTB Lighting Up Marina Bay Singapore”. This was a huge honoured for me, I was very happy that my photography artwork was selected to be showcased along side other talented local Singapore photographers. Find out more about NAPE 2025 journey story here!
On the other hand, I previously shared about my visual storytelling article that I am working on in January 2025, for ephemere photography platform publication. My article didn’t make the cut and was not chosen, it was very disappointing to be honest. Just another of those setbacks we get in life and in our visual storytelling and writing journeys.
SG60 Personal Photography Project
With the various concluded and ongoing photography contests and competitions in 2025 till date, the themes are related to the SG60 theme since Singapore is celebrating her 60th year of independence in 2025.
Together with taking photographs for the photography contests/competitions, they are currently added to my SG6t0 personal photography project curation that I am planning to produce a SG60 photography zine or book sometime down the road.
Travel
The travel community chat #TTOT Travel Talk on Twitter that I am co-hosting since November 2020 recently embarked on a slow travel break. Given the ever changing nature of social media and what’s happening to Twitter or X platform, it was so much harder and challenging to organise and run such chats, that we had to take a break, reorganise and plan for the future.
I am not producing travel content per se that lose travel content creators, as I am more of a travel photography/visual storytelling approach. There might be some travel photography/content creation/writing opportunities ahead, keeping my fingers crossed.
As for leading/planning travel photography trips, it’s still in my business plan, although kickstarting this is kind of harder and trickier than I thought. For a start, I need to restart my own personal travel photography trips overseas again and stop procrastinating.
Creative and Arts
Following, supporting, and working with other creative artists from other genres have helped me in many different ways over the years. From arts therapy, to opening up my views and approaches to creativity and arts, they have been helpful and impactful, at times also a relief through those art therapy that combines well with my photography therapy.
Local creative artist such as artist Wei from House of VSE / Very Small Exhibition / Bring LOVE Everywhere, has been an inspiration on his creativity and artistry, that allows me to view and approach creativity and arts in more ways that helps me in my visual storytelling journeys.
Heritage
In recent months, attending events at Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) has opened up further the areas of Chinese history, heritage, culture and arts. Check out some of my earlier coverage of SCCC events that I attended. Together with SG60 celebrations in 2025, there would be more events/activities coming up at SCCC, do keep a lookout!
I am working on more Community Heritage related events with My Community, sharing more about their walks, events and activities.
Other areas of history, heritage and culture that I might partner with, I am also on the lookout for them and potential discussions with seniors who are heritage advocates.
Reflecting Q2 2025 and H1 2025 (Technology | Business | Personal)
I have also wrote about my reflections on Q2 2025 and H1 2025 on my technology, business and personal segments on my TGH Technology and Business website. Do visit and have a read too!
What lies ahead in H2 2025?
There are still a number of uncertainties and worries amidst among all the different situations and happenings taking place. How would H2 2025 turns out? That’s still a lot of work to be done, adapting and making strategic changes are in the works.
Not going to be easy, it might get even tougher, more challenging and more stressful. We all have to work it out and navigate our way.