Her photos of her father weren’t shot with the intention of holding an exhibition, Dr Chua says. The majority of the photographs on display were taken over the last three to four years, after Dr Chua’s mother, the oil painter Lee Boon Ngan, passed away in 2017; with the Covid-19 pandemic curtailing the social engagements of Dr Chua’s father; and with Dr Chua spending more time at home.

“Sometimes, sticking a camera in his face really makes him smile,” she says. “It makes me want to keep at it, so I have a huge collection of photographs of him.”

Photography has played a major role in Dr Chua’s life; she has always had a camera in her hands, she says. Starting from snapping photos on compact cameras, she grew more serious about photography when she started travelling overseas for missions, because the mission trips took her to pristine places that boasted vibrant culture and were not the usual tourist spots.

A photograph does more than serve as a record of a moment in time. “Even I learned something new,” Dr Chua says. “When I look back at the photographs, I see something that I may not have seen before, because now I can have a frozen moment to study it so much better.

“I think photographs do that for us. We can see something over and over again and realise that was how [the subject] was, what his emotions might have been or what my emotions might have been when I took the photo. That’s quite precious.”

In particular, her father’s attitude towards ageing shines through Dr Chua’s photographs. “It continues to surprise me how resilient he is,” she says of her father, who suffered a stroke last September. “As a medical professional, we see people who have strokes get really frustrated and grumpy … [but] I see how he doesn’t give up.

“He’s always smiling and persevering.”

Witnessing her father’s positivity towards his physiotherapy sessions and his dedication to his habit of taking a daily morning walk through Botanic Gardens is a source of inspiration for Dr Chua. “It’s okay not to shy away from that ageing process and to show it in some format that is not going to scare people away or make people feel averse to the aged, and it’s not going to make the aged feel embarrassed or shy,” she says.

“Looking at how he ages, I have learned so much about how to age gracefully.”

When it comes to the art of photography, Dr Chua holds the same appreciation for realism as her father does in his oil paintings; her ethos is based on truth and reality, and her snapshots capture scenes from day-to-day life. And she strongly believes in forming meaningful connections with subjects to create powerful images.

“It’s a symbiotic relationship: If you want to be cordial, you have got to know your subject matter,” she explains. “And if you’re taking a photo with a loving heart, the photos will show you a much more loving image, because that person looks back at you the same way you’re looking at them.”

While the quality of the tech equipment matters, it’s not the only factor in creating images worth revisiting. “Photography should not be viewed as getting a good camera and instantly you will have earth-shattering shots,” Dr Chua says. “It’s how observant you are of what’s around you. I go back to saying that one should capture things that are meaningful to them.”

Lamenting the prevalence of smartphone photos nowadays, Dr Chua encourages people to be more intentional about photographing significant moments: Using a camera would mean images need to be exported, organised and backed up, so that can be something to be passed on.

“I hope people can take photographs not just of their grandparents but of the birth of their children – people go into the operating theatre during my C-sections and dare to take out their phone to [document] the birth of their first child, and I would scold them!” she says with a laugh.

“So yes, take more photos, but take better photos too,” Dr Chua adds. “If you find a new angle, meaning or perspective, there’s a joy in that discovery, which is fun and self-motivational.”

Text: Zara Zhuang/HerWorld

Read Next

“Airbrushing Makes Me Feel Bad About Myself” Jameela Jamil Dishes On Self-Love, Muting People And The Perils Of Photoshop

10 Self-Photo Studios For Professional-Looking Photos From $30

16 Singaporean Photographers To Look Out For On Instagram