Coming down for a Play:Date – Unlocking Cabinets of Play, was very nostalgic for me personally. There were a number of toys that I grew up playing with, those vivid, fun, wonderful, playful and carefree childhood memories! When I saw the Tamiya cars, I had the burning desire to return back to playing Tamiya toy cars, buying my Tamiya Avante car and building it from scratch, just like my good old childhood days!

Play: Date – Unlocking Cabinets of Play

Starting on 5th July 2024, the National Museum of Singapore (NMS) invites visitors to special experiential pop-up titled Play: Date – Unlocking Cabinets of Play. This is the time to be young at heart again, relive and connect your nostalgic memories in this new toy-theme pop-up, and share your nostalgic childhood play and toys memories with the younger generations!

This special pop-up is developed as part of NMS Collecting Contemporary Singapore initiative, that aims to showcase and collect memories and objects from recent decades. The NMS worked with local toy collectors and artists to co-create this immersive and experiential pop-up showcase comprising large-scale artworks, extensive toy displays, and interactive experiences to tell the fascinating stories behind some of those beloved playtime icons of the past and trace their evolution over the years.

Chung May Khuen, Director of the National Museum of Singapore, said, “Toys are often our first teachers and helped shape our identities in our formative years. As they play such an important role in our lives, using toys as a focal point in this showcase creates a light-hearted way for visitors to connect with each other over their shared memories. We hope this will bring out the collective memories we share of toys across the eras in Singapore, and instil deeper appreciation for toys and play as treasured facets of our combined cultural heritage and the Singapore story.”

Artists help to spread the joys of play to new spaces inside and outside NMS

The NMS is currently undergoing some restoration and upgrading works, thus you can see the hoardings around it. Artists are playing a part to help spread the joys of play to new spaces inside and outside NMS, departing from the traditional exhibition experience of a museum. Play:Date activates various parts of NMS to create a unique and immersive storytelling experience.

Five colourful local artists artworks the hoarding around NMS facade

When you arrive at NMS, you can’t miss the bright and colourful artworks on the hoarding around NMS facade. They are decorated with five large-scale commissioned artworks by five local artists taking visitors on a journey of collecting and the joy of toys in our lives.

Bring toys into reality through a sculptor’s meticulous touch or as a part of a factory line by Tiffany Lovage (Night Shift) and Candice Phang (Joy in the Making).

Capture the excitement of people getting their hands on toys, by Shian Ng (Playtime Pandemonium) and Muhammad Izdi (Flea-ting Moments), with the latter paying homage to flea markets in Singapore, a hotspot for hobbyists. 

Ending the series is Kristal Melson’s When I Was Big, which encapsulates how toys cement themselves among our fondest memories as we grow up.

Each of the five artists artworks feature interactive and tactile elements, aiming to stimulate one’s innate curiosity and kickstart your process of learning through play.

A tunnel housing a digital parade of toy figurines 

Stepping into NMS, at the entrance to Play:Date, there is a tunnel housing a digital parade of toy figurines by local artist Lioncolony, also known as Oh Jia Hao, which are modelled after his iconic Gman character. These characters are inspired by a selection of toys from the 1950s to the 2000s from our National Collection and local collectors, and this digital parade artworks provide a precursor to the showcase’s overarching narrative of local and global social histories.

Jonathan Goh, Senior Assistant Director of the Museum’s Strategic Marketing and Communications department, who is overseeing the showcase shared, “The restoration works on our National Museum monument building can be challenging for us to continue to engage people to visit us. However, we decided to quite literally think outside of the box, and to purposefully transform these otherwise static and functional spaces into creative canvases that not only draw visitors in, but also enhance the experiences of our other offerings within the museum and foster deeper engagement with the public.”

Play:Date – A showcase displaying a collection of toys from local collectors 

The key highlight that you are here for, Play:Date – A showcase displaying a collection of toys from local collectors. Featuring a diverse collection of over 250 locally and globally recognisable toys largely from the 1980s to the present day. Play:Date collectively highlights the socio-historical significance of toys in Singapore story, told through the lens of local toy collectors and organisations.

There are three main sections that tell the nostalgic toy stories of the featured tours and stories from the toy collectors themselves in their toy-collecting journeys: 

It’s a Small World

Do you remember those miniature character figurines from instantly recognisable brands that have captured the hearts of children around the world? 

McDonald’s

Do you remember a series of local McDonald’s toys – including the popular Mr Kiasu figurines? They are from avid collector Tay Swee Hock!

Barbie 

Don’t miss the collection of Barbie dolls from Jian Yang, which includes unique collaborations with local brands and series made from recycled ocean-bound plastic. 

Collectible culture in Singapore from ActionCity

There is a collectible culture in Singapore from ActionCity, with locally designed figurines for global companies such as POP MART and Disney. This include the “Pucky Rose Knight”, the first Singapore-exclusive figurine designed to commemorate the opening of Southeast Asia’s first POP MART official store in Singapore. 

That’s also the first-ever art collectible designed by Singaporean Daniel Yu inspired by Mickey Mouse and the Jiangshi, a vampire character in Chinese folklore.

Drive-Through Time

This was one of my favourite nostalgic childhood memories, playing with toy cars and toy car races! You can spot Hot Wheels, Tamiya and Matchbox from the collections of Clarence Tan, Jeffrey Wong, Ian Goh, Ridzal Ajis and Muhammad Noor Farhan.

Don’t miss the remodelled Tamiya Rover Mini Cooper, painted in the style of British sitcom character Mr Bean’s iconic green car, that was personally autographed by Tamiya’s CEO Mr Shunsaku Tamiya. 

Hot Wheels fans, toy cars enthusiasts, and casual fans alike, you will be awed by The Original 16, the first-ever collection of cars released by Hot Wheels in 1968. Don’t miss the iconic yellow Matchbox cars with vehicles racing from trade lorries and trailers to helicopters and emergency vehicles. 

Batteries Included

This is another of my favourite nostalgic childhood memories! Before the era of touchscreen technology, it was the era of retro game consoles, bringing back nostalgic reminders of your childhood days. 

Do you remember this iconic digital game – Tamagotchi? They are from Rachel Liew’s collection, which includes various rare designs as well as popular characters such as Gudetama, Hello Kitty and Pac-Man. 

Tony Saw’s classic and special handheld consoles by Nintendo and Casio, including a unique calculator that allows students to play a boxing game under the guise of hitting then looks. The most recent experiences include the recreation of Sentosa on popular digital games Animal Crossing and Roblox.

Old-school gaming arcades experiences 

Old-school gaming arcades are an integral part of some of us childhood growing up years! Play:Date also features several immersive and interactive experiences inspired by those nostalgia plays. 

When you visit Play:Date, you can purchase tokens to participate in a Memory Match game, where you are challenged to memorise a sequence of simple objects displayed on a screen, or a Roadblock Highway game, in which you race to the finish line while collecting coins and avoiding obstacles. 

Complementing the nostalgic vibe of the showcase, you will also be able to view a ‘live’ camera image of yourselves via an ‘8bitfy screen’, featuring a retro 8-bit filter layered over the screen.

“Discover Your Play-sonality”

Last but not least, your play finale, you are invited design your own personalised avatar at the ‘Discover Your Play-sonality’ section, which was created in collaboration with local artists together with ActionCity. 

You can choose from a selection of four digital toy avatars with different personality types and physical appearances to create your very own ‘Play:Mate’. For a small fee, you can accumulate points by playing the on-site digital games, and exchange these points to customise your avatar with a variety of Singapore-themed accessories. 

You can then head over to the accompanying photo booth to take photos of yourselves with your ‘Play:Mate’, or opt for a physical photo printout with a donation to the museum.

Open Call for National Museum’s Collecting Contemporary Singapore Initiative 

There is an ongoing effort to enhance the National Collection with more recent social history items with an open call for National Museum’s Collecting Contemporary Singapore Initiative. Visitors are invited to share their own toy stories and to donate their toys dating from the 1980s to the present day. Some of these donations could potentially be displayed in the Museum’s galleries in the future. 

MUSEUM MARKET by ABRY

Alongside the showcase, MUSEUM MARTKET by ABRY is partnering with old-school Holland Village party shop Khiam Teck to bring nostalgic and traditional toys and games to visitors of the National Museum. 

A beloved local establishment that drew its shutters in May 2024 after over 80 years of business, Khiam Teck has been given a new lease of life with ABRY within the Museum’s walls, where customers can relive their nostalgic memories of buying old-school knick-knacks.

Play:Date – Unlocking Cabinets of Play

• Date: 5 July 2024 – 5 January 2025
• Timing: 10am – 7pm daily (last admission at 6:30pm)
• Location: National Museum of Singapore
• Admission fee: Free

* Information courtesy of National Museum of Singapore and Tate Zanur *

The post Come for a Play Date – Rekindle Nostalgia Toys and Play appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

MayThe4thSG @ Gardens By The Bay 4th May 2024

When I read the Gardens By The Bay was celebrating MayThe4thSG with a special Garden Rhapsody Star Wars edition, I wanted to visit again. It’s really special watching the light show display at the Supertree Grove, playing a melody of iconic Star Wars soundtracks that we Star Wars fans grew up listening to.

Here’s a short clip of some of the iconic Star Wars soundtracks that were part of the Garden Rhapsody Star Wars Edition at Supertree Grove. Watching the Star Wars light show display, listening to the soundtracks, it’s kind of nostalgic, and it’s really a nice light show display! 

@genghuitan #MayThe4thBeWithYou! It’s #MayThe4th, #StarWarsDay for #StarWars fans around the world. Celebrating #MayThe4thSG in #Singapore at #GardensByTheBay ♬ original sound – GengHui

After the Garden Rhapsody Star Wars Edition at Supertree Grove, some Star Wars fans stayed back, dressed in their Star Wars attire and lightsabers, posing and taking photos/videos of them with their lightsabers in action. 

MayThe4thSG @ Science Centre 5th May 2024

On Sunday 5th May, I went down to MayThe4thSG community celebration at Science Centre. From anything relating to Star Wars, from Star Wars artworks, Star Wars toys, Star Wars cosplay, 501st Legion – Singapore Garrison, lightsaber related stuff, toy photography exhibition by Plastic Singapore where my friend AikWee has some of this Star Wars toy photography works on display and for sale too!

With Isaac taking back his lightsaber from AikWee, I just have to get Isaac and AikWee to replicate some Star Wars scenes together! 

Return to Star Wars LEGO Photography

MayThe4thSG 2024 also marks my return to Star Wars LEGO Photography! My Star Wars LEGO toy photography took a hiatus. With the addition of a used Star Wars LEGO 75054 AT-AT into my collection, I am now ready to make a return to Star Wars LEGO Photography!

From the photo above, you would have guess which Star Wars scene that I am replicating with my LEGO Star Wars – Star Wars V – The Empire Strikes Back (Battle of Hoth scene). Other Star Wars scenes that I am looking to replicate are Rogue One and Star Wars VI – The Return of the Jedi (Battle of Endor). 

I also have other plans on creative fictional toy artworks on a LEGO airport scene with Star Wars all-terrain vehicles and starships, together with those machine and vehicles you see at an airport. Another idea would be AT-AT and AT-ST patrolling cities/neighbourhoods. 

Let’s see where my return to Star Wars LEGO photography is going to being this time round! Stay tuned to my social media channels for more updates!

Happy Star Wars Day 2024!

Happy Star Wars Day 2024 to all Star Wars fans! May The Force Be With You! 

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The Canon EOS M6 Mark II review unit was received before circuit breaker started in Singapore, creating quite a lot of disruptions to daily life, work and leisure activities. Prior to the start of circuit breaker, I was able to bring the EOS M6 Mark II out, photographing different genres from landscapes, people, cats, street etc. During circuit breaker period, I didn’t roam out taking photographs, I shot mainly from my home windows, cooking/food photography, product and toy photography while I am at home during circuit breaker.

Aesthetics and Layout

Personally, the EOS M6 Mark II is a retro style camera design, with a comfortable hand grip, making it easy to carry and use. The layout of the buttons and dials, giving photographers the control of their camera at the tips of their fingers. The Mode dial, Main dial, Quick control dial, Dial function button, Multi-function button allows photographers to change their settings quickly.

The back panel of buttons and layout beside the LCD screen are placed in positions that help the photographer to control the camera at the touch of their finger tips. It has a flip screen that can tilt upward almost 180 degrees, this would make it easy for your selfie or group selfies shot, it can be tilted 45 degrees downward, giving you flexibility for low level photography.

Camera Technology

The Canon EOS M6 Mark II is equipped with a 32.5MP APS-C CMOS Sensor with Digic 8 processor, Dual Pixel CMOS AF, maximum 5,481 selectable AF point positions, making focusing and photography faster and easier. Users can shoot at 30fps RAW burst mode (One-Shot & Servo AF) should the need arises. There is Eye Detection AF (One-Shot and Servo AF) that is really handy and useful to use in your photography. The in-body 5-axis electronic image stabilisation is a great feature that this camera has inside.

In the world of social media and internet connectivity, you can transfer your photos shot with the EOS M6 Mark II to your smart devices using the Camera Connect App, allowing you to share on your social media platforms or delivering the photographs that you shot to another party pretty quickly.

Photography/Stills review

I tested the Canon EOS M6 Mark II in various photography genres such as street, landscape, food, cats, flowers, animals/wildlife, toys. Overall, the EOS M6 Mark II showcased its capabilities and what it can do, through the photographs shared on my review article.

The EOS M6 Mark II maximum ISO is 25,600, at which ISO would it be your tolerant and acceptance level is subjective and varies across photographers. Personally, when I am testing this camera, I would try to keep it at maximum ISO 12,800 and below. Beyond that, it’s too grainy for my liking and usage.

Special photography projects with Canon EOS M6 Mark II

Jabra Elite 75t x Star Wars Lego

During the recent circuit breaker period in Singapore, I had the opportunity to review the Jabra Elite 75t. Due to the unique and tricky situation and circumstances, I wasn’t able to do the usual earphones review with my usual photography workflow. Since I was playing with my Lego Star Wars toys and mini figures for Star Wars  Day 2020, an inspiration came into me, why not do a Jabra Elite 75t x Star Wars Lego toy photography story?

Sudio Ett x Star Wars Lego

Upon finishing the Jabra Elite 75t review, I received the Sudio Ett earphones for review. Continuing on from my earlier toy photography story approach, I tweaked the story telling while I am using my Star Wars Lego toys and mini figures, publishing Sudio Ett x Star Wars Lego toy photography story.

Couple fun time photography and prints with Canon – Guest post for Easy Travel Recipes

I wrote a guest post article for Easy Travel Recipes titled “Couple fun time photography and prints with Canon”, introducing Canon EOS M6 Mark II along with Canon printers for couples to have a fun photography and prints time.

Shooting Modes: Creative filters

The Canon EOS M6 Mark II has creative filters function that users can utilise and explore. They can be fun, easy to use and widen your scope of fun photography with this camera. The creative filters inside the EOS M6 Mark II are Grainy B/W, Soft focus, Fish-eye effect, Water painting effect, Toy camera effect, Miniature effect, HDR art standard and HDR art vivid.

Check out the photographs that I shot with some of the creative filters!

Shooting Modes: Special scene modes

If you are moving up the photography learning curve and looking to learn more about other photography genres, the special scene function has the following modes namely, SportsPanning, Close-Up, Food, Night portrait , Handheld Night Scene and HDR Backlight Control.

EF-M 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM lens Review

The lens that came with the Canon EOS M6 Mark II review was the EF-M 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM lens. This lens is an all rounder lens, with focal length covering wide angle at 18mm to semi telephoto zoom at 150mm. This focal length would be alright for travel or daily usage, having a wide angle and semi telephoto zoom range. While fast moving objects may not be the easiest for this lens to focus, it still can get the action shots.

Bokeh at f/6.3 and at 150mm focal length may not be the most beautiful, silky, creamy style to some photographers, however the bokeh is pretty decent and you can get some nice shots out from this combination.

The sharpness of this lens is pretty alright, you would be able to view the details on your subjects although there is a bit of softness. This topic on sharpness of a lens is a topic for debate and discussions, it also depends on which other lens that a photographer might benchmark against versus looking at it on its own merits and characteristics. In this current era of digital photography, some photographers are over zealous on sharpness for the wrong reasons. 

It’s a lightweight and compact lens, you can probably put the EOS M6 Mark II and EF-M 18-150mm lens inside your bag and carry it around.

Video Review

The EOS M6 Mark II has three modes, Movie auto exposure, Movie manual  and HDR Movie. You can shoot in un-cropped UHD 4K videos, giving you the full wide angle view of the lens that you are using to capture the entire scene. The Dual Pixel CMOS AF provides high-speed and high-precision focusing when you are recording videos.

There is a High Frame Rate Movie that photographers can use for their videos/movies shoot. This  needs to be enabled in Menu, Movie Servo AF, Movie digital IS and audio are not available.

EVF-DC2 Review

The Canon EOS M6 Mark II doesn’t have a built-in viewfinder, however, Canon has an optional accessory, the EVF-DC2 electronic viewfinder (EVF) is available for this camera. Being an old school/purist photographer, I still love/prefer looking through the viewfinder when I am photographing.

The EVF-DC2 is fast and responsive when you bring it up to the eye for viewing and photographing. You can drag and control your AF point on the LCD screen while looking through the EVF. Besides that, you can also view your photos/videos through the EVF too, although you might prefer the LCD screen to view instead.

For the purist/old school photographers who prefers looking and composing through the viewfinder, I strongly recommend you to add the EVF-DC2 to your Canon EOS M6 Mark II setup.

Thoughts and Views

The Canon EOS M6 Mark II is my favourite EOS M camera till date, partly due to its retro design, feel and layout. Besides the aesthetics, the functions, specifications and capabilities make the EOS M6 Mark II a capable, lightweight and easy to use mirrorless camera to have in my bag for daily usage from leisure, street photography, video-log and social media.

For those upgrading from smartphones and compact digital cameras, it would be a step up from their existing gears. They do not need to worry too much about their photography learning curve with the guides, creative filters and special scenes functions that they can learn and have fun with their photography at the same time.

For those experienced photographers looking for a small mirrorless camera to complement their existing cameras setup as a daily usage camera, the EOS M6 Mark II paired with the EVF-DC2 would be an ideal choice, not just for its retro looks, feel and aesthetics, the technical specifications and capabilities of the EOS M6 Mark II would give photographers a capable small mirrorless camera. 

More photographs shot with the Canon EOS M6 Mark II review can be viewed here inside my Flickr album.

A special TGH Photography x Canon EOS M6 Mark II Explorer Series Production.

* I would like to thank Canon Singapore and Ogilvy for the opportunity to review the Canon EOS M6 Mark II camera *

The post Canon EOS M6 Mark II Review appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

Music is a universal language, the Force is Strong in the world of music, that is sensed and discovered inside the Sudio Ett that was recently introduced to the audio world.

The clone troopers and storm troopers were ordered to transport the Sudio Ett back to base for the audio and technology review and tests. However, they were attracted by the Music and decided to defy orders, opening up the Sudio Ett and discovering the world of Sudio and music.

They are awed by Sudio’s Ett aesthetically beautiful design, minimalist and elegant, rooted in Swedish music that continues to move music lovers around the world today.

So they say, thank you for the #SudioMoments music!

Photographs shot with the Canon EOS M6 Mark II mirrorless camera with EF-M 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM lens that I am currently reviewing. Do keep a look out for my upcoming Canon EOS M6 Mark II review!

A special TGH Photography x Canon EOS M6 Mark II Explorer Series Production.

The post Sudio Ett x Star Wars Lego appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

There is a new pair of true wireless earbuds in the galaxy, the Jabra Elite 75t has now arrived on our shores. Star Wars Lego Clone Troopers have been activated to pick up the gadget and escort it back to base for communication and audio testing.

Under heavy clone troopers security protection, the Jabra Elite 75t is unloaded, unboxed and transferred inside the base for testing and review.

Putting the Jabra Elite 75t through the paces, tests and scenarios, how would the review turn out? If you are interested to know more about the Jabra Elite 75t, do visit and check out my Jabra Elite 75t technology and audio review!

Photographs shot with the Canon EOS M6 Mark II mirrorless camera with EF-M 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM lens that I am currently reviewing. Do keep a look out for my upcoming Canon EOS M6 Mark II review!

A special TGH Photography x Canon EOS M6 Mark II Explorer Series Production.

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