I went out with my camera in Tiong Bahru, Singapore after work. The city is a puzzle of glass, concrete, and color-always shifting, always alive. I wanted to pay attention. Not just to what’s in front of me, but to how I see it.

Layering

Start with something fixed. A wall, a statue, a person standing still. Build around it. Fill the empty space with a foreground, a midground, a background. Each layer is a constraint-a way to add complexity without chaos. Complementary colors, contrasting shapes, a sudden gesture. The story isn’t in the subject, but in the space between.

The trigger

Wait for something to happen. A hand raised, a glance exchanged. The best photos aren’t stolen; they’re anticipated. You make your own luck by being ready, by staying put when everyone else moves on.

Patience

Find a spot. Stay there. Let the city move around you. The first photos are never the best. Wait until people stop noticing you. That’s when the real moments appear-unfiltered, unposed. The myth is that good photos are luck. In reality, patience is a tool.

Move closer

Physical distance is a constraint. Get closer to your subject, closer to your viewfinder. The frame is a boundary. Use it.

Edges

Don’t center everything. The edges of the frame are where tension lives. Let things spill out. Imperfection is more interesting than symmetry.

Keep it simple

One camera, one lens. Fewer settings, more attention. The fewer decisions you have to make, the more you can see.

Every photo walk is a study in constraints. The city gives you too much. The camera viewfinder forces you to choose. That’s where the story is.