Year 2025 in review, what a year it had been, turbulent, very challenging, a slow economy and with many uncertainties yet there are also glimpses of new opportunities. Taking time here, reflecting my Year 2025 (Photography | Travel | Creative | Heritage), on both professional and personal basis.
Photography
Business
Year 2025 was really difficult and challenging, there were periods that were not just lull, it was quiet. The overall economy was slow, it’s more than just sentiments, similar experiences by business owners from other industries echoed similar views. Nevertheless, some sectors did perform better than others in year 2025.
A big thanks to fellow Canon photographer friend Alex, he referred me to an agency that he has been working with. I started working with them, and managed to built a regular working relationship in the second half of 2025.
Personal/Leisure
From my personal and leisure perspectives, year 2025 was a pretty eventful year. Riding on the Singapore’s 60th year birthday (SG60) wave, there were a number of photography competitions, photography exhibitions and events relating to SG60 theme. I had a pretty fulfilling year photographing and documenting visual stories relating to SG60, thus lesser time on personal photography projects.
In 2025, I had three photographs printed and exhibited, 20th Ngee Ann Photographic Exhibition (NAPE) 2025, 1st National Photography Art Exhibition (from open calls for submission), and NUSPS Montage 2025 Seminar (NUSPS Montage 2025 photography competition) where my photograph submission was shortlisted for the seminar, however I didn’t win any prize.
As for SG60 related photography competitions, I had a good time entering them, although I didn’t win any prize, overall it was fun and got me photographing more of Singapore and SG60 theme related visual stories.
Heritage / Creative / Arts
Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) Wrapped 2025
My adventures at Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) in 2025 were of great fun, diverse and fuelling my creative learning and connections. Through a mix of engaging in history, heritage, culture, traditional and performing arts at SCCC in 2025, it had been a wonderful and engaging journey.
What adventures and visual stories took place at SCCC in 2025 for me? Here’s my SCCC Events 2025 Wrapped and Sneak Preview of SCCC Events 2026! Read it here: https://blog.photojournalist-tgh.tv/photojournalism/my-sccc-events-2025-wrapped-and-sneak-preview-of-sccc-events-2026
Cultural performances (Traditional / Contemporary)
- Siong Leng Nanyin Music (Guan Yin Festival | Tempest & Tranquility)
- Dance Ensemble (Intersections | IMPRINT)
- Drum Feng (EP1 – Xiangqi: The Battle Of The Drums)
Year 2025 was memorable for me in the areas of attending, watching and learning more about different traditional and contemporary cultural performances. It could be the most number of traditional / contemporary cultural performances that I ever attended in a calendar year.
Whether it’s traditional or contemporary, I learnt from cross-cultural, cross-arts learning experiences that further shaped my visual storytelling and writing in the history, heritage, culture and conservation sectors.
Secrets Behind The Artisan @ Chinatown Heritage Centre
This is a very enriching series of talks by different artisans, held at Chinatown Heritage Centre. I learned about this series of talks by Uncle Victor Yue, who has avid interest with great knowledge in the areas of temples, ceremonies, dialects, languages, etc etc. Uncle Victor Yue is one of the key people to look out for in history, heritage, and culture sectors, friendly, approachable and well-respected in the above fields.
I learnt a lot more from my interactions with Uncle Victor Yue, further enriching and expanding my visual storytelling and documentation in the history, heritage, culture and conservation sectors.
House of VSE / Very Small Exhibition
In 2025, it was a therapeutic year supporting, following and documenting artist Wei’s arts journey and adventures throughout the year, with the theme “A Rainbow A Day”, as well as celebrating Very Momentary Exhibition 4th anniversary at NTU Museum.
There was also a special exhibition “Empower: With Art, For A Purpose, With Pride” by House of VSE, I contributed a photography print (a photo that I took of Artist Wei’s Bring LOVE Everywhere rainbow light artwork) for this exhibition.
Travel
There are no overseas travel stories from 2025 to share, adding on to the number of years that I didn’t travel overseas. With Year 2026 being a milestone year for my photography, I have to break this duck.
As for local Singapore travel stories, I am writing more in the history, heritage, culture, arts and events sector.
Year 2025 Wrapped and Looking Ahead Year 2026 (Photography | Travel | Creative | Heritage)
In a nutshell, my Year 2025 Wrapped for my photography, travel, creative and heritage was mixed, from a business perspective, it had been very challenging and difficult due to economic conditions. While from a personal perspective, there were enriching, learn so much more, as well as opening up of my creative and visual storytelling areas.
Looking ahead 2026 in my photography, travel, creative and heritage, what would it be like? My upcoming Yearly Theme 2026 (Photography | Travel | Creative | Heritage) would give my directions, plans and insights on how I would embark my journey.
Year 2026 is going to be a milestone year, 20 years of TGH Photography and Travel (April 2006 to April 2026), and my 10th year of my TGH Photography business (since January 2017).
Thank you very much to my family, friends, followers and supporters, for your following, support and encouragement on my TGH Photography business as well as my TGH Photography and Travel visual storytelling journeys over the decades!