Possibly one of the most fascinating finds, these photographs come from a time when “photoshopping” took place in the dark room and were executed by skilled film developers. There was absolutely no room for mistakes, no standard filters or effects that you can choose and apply instantly.
Credits to Lim Sok Tin.
Credits to Lim Sok Tin.
Credits to Lim Sok Tin.
“Dark Room Photoshoppers”, as we shall call them, worked with actual film negatives and chemicals. Coupled with precise timing, Dark Room Photoshoppers manipulated the conventional film development process and came up with experimental effects that they applied to the negatives of their more daring customers.
Again, I was speaking with Jerome of thelongnwindingroad.wordpress.com, picking his brain for insights on these whimsical “frames” printed in the photographs, and we’re guessing that these frames were custom designs and each studio had their own set of designs.
Back in the day, photo studios were not as common as they became in the 1990s. Going to a photo studio was eventful and owning one was a big deal! Photo studios used to brand their studio names and contact details on all the photographs that they developed for customers.
Some studios embossed their studio logo onto the photograph.
Some simple stamped the back of the photograph.
Some times, the way they brand the photographs can actually damage the image. In this example, the pink stamp on the back of the image caused this to happen to the photograph, over time (see below).
Photo credits to Chang Chia Wei.
These are just some of the examples of amazing trends in photography in Singapore, during the 1960s-70s. I really wish we could find more of these treasures, as they represent a time that no longer exists, in Singapore, and in other countries where digital photography is prevalent.
If you have a photograph like this at home, please share them with us by telling us your story and any bits of history that the image inspires. You can do so by posting a as a comment, or emailing to us at [email protected]
