Photography began in the 19th century with plate photography. This method uses metal or glass plates coated with light-sensitive chemicals to capture images. Photographs produced on glass are known as ambrotypes, while those made on thin sheets of metal are known as tintypes.

An 8×10-inch ambrotype that executive photojournalist Ong Wee Jin made of his wife Jean Ong in 2019. It was made using the wet-plate collodion process. This 19th-century technique requires a glass plate to be coated, sensitised, exposed and developed in about 15 minutes, while it is still wet from the coating process. The process was prevalent in the 1850s to 1870s before being replaced by the gelatin dry-plate process. ST PHOTO: WANG HUI FEN

Film photography began in the late 1800s and became the main way people took pictures for more than 100 years. Instead of metal or glass plates, film cameras use rolls of plastic coated with light-sensitive chemicals. After taking photos, the film has to be developed in a lab to reveal the images.

In this 1996 photo, taken using Fujichrome Provia 100 slide film, a man’s right leg is seen in a dark doorway under the harsh midday sun in Chinatown. PHOTO: DESMOND FOO

Slide film – also known as positive film – produces colour-accurate images directly on the film, which can be viewed directly or projected on a screen. It offers vibrant colours, fine detail and high contrast, making it a favourite for shooting landscapes and travel photos.

Devotees preparing a fire pit ahead of the Theemithi fire‑walking ritual at Sri Mariamman Temple on Oct 24, 2005. Photo taken using Fujichrome Velvia 100 slide film. PHOTO: GAVIN FOO

Negative film produces an image with reversed colours and light, which is then used to make prints. Before digital photography, it was the medium of choice for everyday photography. Being affordable, easy to process and forgiving of exposure errors, it was ideal for casual users.

A man leaning against a stop sign at the junction of Clive Street and Dunlop Street, on Nov 27, 2004. This picture was taken using Fujifilm Superia 200 negative film. PHOTO: GAVIN FOO

People reflected in a wet surface as they walked past an advertisement outside Raffles City on July 9, 2025. This photo was taken with a disposable film camera. Single-use cameras often have cheap plastic lenses, resulting in less-than-sharp images, but are popular among those who like the “retro” aesthetic. PHOTO: GIN TAY

Film comes in different shapes and sizes.

Polaroid photos by executive photojournalist Mark Cheong of his friends in various places like Tokyo, Desaru and Singapore during skate and surf trips around 2016 to 2018. PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

In medium format photography, film larger than the typical 35mm size is used, which allows for images of much higher resolution to be produced. PHOTO: BRIAN TEO

The Tianzi Mountain in Zhangjiajie, a city in north-western Hunan province, China, photographed using a Hasselblad 500 C/M medium format camera, on Dec 9, 2024. The pillar-like rock formations inspired the floating mountains in James Cameron’s 2009 blockbuster Avatar. PHOTO: BRIAN TEO

A tourist striking a pose in Merlion Park on Jan 1, 2025. Visitors often strike playful poses – such as pretending to catch the Merlion’s stream with their hands or mouths, or wash their hair with it – making the spot a rich source of humorous photographs. This image was shot with a Minolta Autocord medium format camera. PHOTO: BRIAN TEO

Today, analogue photography enthusiasts continue to enjoy the distinct look of film and the more deliberate process of taking photos, as every shot counts when there are only 36 in a roll of film.

Skateboarder Rocky Chan at Xtreme SkatePark at East Coast Park in early 2025, photographed by executive photojournalist Mark Cheong. The photo was taken on Ilford HP5 black-and-white film with a Nikon FM2 film camera, which he has had since he was a polytechnic student in 2009. He uses film these days to compartmentalise work and play, preferring digital photography for work. PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

While digital photography began as early as the 1950s, it became mainstream only in the late 20th century. Instead of film, digital cameras use electronic sensors to capture images as digital files. This made taking, editing and sharing photos faster and simpler.

Compact digital cameras were popular in the early 2000s, but have been largely phased out thanks to smartphone cameras, although some photography enthusiasts still enjoy the experience of shooting using these older devices. In recent years, Gen Z and Gen Alpha have been driving a resurgence in compact digital cameras, with vintage models showing up in shops in trendy locations like Haji Lane and Orchard, as well as in pop-up booths.

Two men enjoying watermelon at a fruit stall near Desker Road, on July 26, 2025. There is a thrill with using a compact camera to make pictures on the street, says photojournalist Shintaro Tay, who took this photo using a Canon Ixus 275 HS digital compact camera. It is small and inconspicuous, which puts the people being photographed at ease, and the grittiness and low-fi look of the images trigger a satisfying sense of nostalgia, he adds. PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY

A shopkeeper at a provision shop in Kampong Kapor Road, on July 26, 2025. PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY Pipes strewn on a grass patch near Syed Alwi Road, on July 26, 2025. PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY A barber shop in a back alley in Little India, on July 26, 2025. PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY

Today, almost everyone has a capable camera in their pocket, thanks to advanced smartphone cameras. Photo-sharing website Flickr’s 2024 year in review found that smartphones were the top nine most popular cameras used to take images submitted to the site.

In this photo, taken with an iPhone 11 Pro Max, a motorcyclist rides along Senja Road at dusk, on July 29, 2025. Most people carry their smartphone with them almost all the time, making it an excellent option to capture fleeting moments. PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

While smartphone cameras suffice for many use cases, professional photographers still rely on dedicated modern cameras that allow them to shoot with confidence in low-light conditions and capture dozens of photos in a second.

Leong Nam Temple volunteers praying to receive the Nine Emperor Gods at East Coast Park, on Sept 30, 2024. This picture was taken using a high-end modern mirrorless camera. Advancements in digital photography technology mean photographers are now able to take clear photos in low light with minimal graininess without the use of flash, preserving the ambience of the scene. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO Birds perched on a kelong – a traditional offshore wooden platform built on stilts, typically used for fishing – with another flying by, on Oct 17, 2024. Modern cameras are able to capture dozens of shots in a second, helping photographers catch the perfect shot of fleeting moments, such as a bird in flight. PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG

Beyond typical photography, a myriad of alternative image-making methods are available for photographers who wish to experiment with different ways of seeing the world.

The pools at Toa Payoh Swimming Complex, with nary a ripple on their surfaces. Public pools stood bereft of their usual crowds on the morning of May 5, 2020, after Singapore went into circuit breaker mode on April 7. To tell the story of the Covid-19 pandemic, ST photojournalists used drone photography to capture the emptiness of usually bustling areas. ST PHOTO: BENJAMIN SEETOR AND MARK CHEONG

The Fuji Rensha Cardia Byu-n 16 sequence-based multi-lens camera, which was initially used to photograph golf swings. Images are shot vertically, with 16 smaller frames within two 24x36mm frames. PHOTO: MARK CHEONG A sequential burst of eight shots, all captured on a single frame of film, showing skateboarder Heratnor Kassanuri in a skate bowl decorated in the form of a durian in Sibu, Sarawak. Photographed using the Fuji Rensha Cardia Byu-n 16. PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Eight pictures of skate obstacles in a skatepark in Kuching, Malaysia, all taken within a single 35mm frame in early 2024. The Fuji Rensha Cardia Byu-n 16 can also be used to form unique composite photos. PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

Boats in waters off Pulau Ubin in December 2008. The Fujichrome Sensia 100 positive film used to take this photo was cross-processed, an experimental method where positive film is processed in chemicals meant for negative film. This results in a high-contrast image with random colour shifts. PHOTO: JASON QUAH

A commuter waiting for a bus at a bus stop in North Bridge Road, on Jan 20, 2006. The photo was taken with a Hasselblad XPan film camera, which produces panoramic photographs nearly twice the width of a standard frame of 35mm film. PHOTO: GAVIN FOO

Raffles Lighthouse, shot on Jan 29, 2022, using a 360-degree camera. Such cameras utilise multiple lenses to capture a full 360-degree view of the surroundings, unlike typical cameras that capture a limited field of view. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI