Dear Me,

Last wednesday, at IRAS building, i was caught
shooting at that sensitive area using a big 6x7 Bronica GS1 (film camera).
I was told that a staff called the police and alert them about me.

What was i shooting? People (banglas) and not the building.
6.30pm:
I arrived at IRAS and saw a few 'photos' that i'd
want to take and snapped a few. Then, went to my usual sitting spot
at IRAS and waited for my wife.
6.55pm,
3 police officers came to me and did some checks.
7.05pm;
My wife saw me with the police officers, walked up to us, said
'Hello!I'm his wife.' and immediately, the officers did checks on her.
7.30pm:
After that, another 3 came...by then
8.00pm,
My wife and I was 'released'.

this morning, a fren asked me what did the police asked me....
so here's what they asked me:
1. Y your camera so big?
2. Y your film so big?
3. Y do u haveto bring a big cam everyday? Not Heavy?
4. Y developing so ex? and Y the film got NO SERIAL NO?
5. Y only can shoot 10 frames?
6. Y do you shoot the bangla workers?
7. Y u want to shoot with the bangla looking at you??????
8. Do u use this cam for weddings too? Oh u did?!?! So EX RITE!!!???
9. Y u shoot 3 shots of the bangla worker?

and the best bit:
10. So, How to see the picture ah????

and the last one...
11. Can u show us, How to use this (Bronica GS1) camera?

And i did a live demo in frt of 6 officers, in public.

my point of view:
I know that that's a sensitive area...but to resist a moment
of photography? I cant...i had to take a few snaps.
Y i cant resist taking photos? Becos i'm a photographer.

The odd thing here is...if i'm a terrorist, why would i want
to stay at the same place? Because, from the time i shot a few
frames to the time the police came...it was a very long time.
Therefore, i suppose the staff who called the police was still around
peeping at me, and directing the police where i was sitting.

To that staff of IRAS who alerted the police:
Whoever you are, you are doing the right thing.

Well, I've seen others (chinese and ang mohs) taking photos ard that area too
and i've yet to see police officers surround them.
But please dont call the police just because i look like
a bangla or a pakistani or a malay guy with a big cam. That's not right.
You should have confronted me and advice me because i wasnt running away.

But have u wondered y i nvr walk away from the building?
It's because my wife work at RH before, and now she's at gentle rd.
So, THAT's the BEST spot for me to wait for her.
And i've been waiting around that same spot for 5 years already.

Anyway, that was a good experience where if that staff had judged me as
a terrorist, i'd be in deep shit. Oh well, that's life in SG. Cos that's not my first time.

To that IRAS staff...read more on street photography and why
is there street photography. It's not the buildings, it's the people.
If there's no photographs, then there's no history.
All books and newspaper will be just text.

to the police officers, you guys did the right thing. Although the questions,
from a photographer's point of view, was really silly. But i know u had to ask.
And hope to see u guys next week for 'film screening'.

This incident reminds me of a poster posted by Geoff:
See this - http://midnightales.blogspot.com/2008/03/blog-post.html