Meet Mark Teo!| TEMPO | Tampines Town Council

It goes without saying that the people who make up our photographic community are our eyes to the world. They inform us, amaze us, and enable us to see our world in beautiful ways

Mark is a Singapore-based professional photographer with a degree in film/video and photo media from Edith Cowan University in Western Australia. He graduated with flying colors, landed on the Dean’s list, and was invited to the Golden Key International Honor Society.

Mark and his past works

During our sit-down interview, Mark shared various insights about his photography journey. With an abiding interest in extreme sports and urban substructures, Mark’s passion for photography stemmed from his childhood memories skating with his friends: “I was around 15 when I was skating with my friends and we took these cool photos”, and the rest is history! His talent and ambition has led him to become one of the first photographers in Asia to work at the Red Bull headquarters in Austria. Mark hones his dedicated craft through his love for music and skate culture—two things he described to be catalysts for his channels of creativity.

His works have been widely recognised worldwide; he was among the top 250 finalists in the esteemed Red Bull Illume competition, which attracted more than 22,000 submissions from over 5,000 photographers around the world!

In addition to his many accomplishments, Mark was also one of the judges for Canon’s PhotoMarathon in 2018. In his interview with Canon, he described photography as a means to “examine life through his lens in unguarded portraiture and paused moments”. When asked for his interpretation of what the ‘art’ of photography means to him, Mark described it as “capturing moments through a frame”.

His collection of exquisite landscapes and portraits framed in his studio, truly embodies his interpretation of what photography means to him and his surroundings.

Of course, you do not need to be a professional photographer to take beautiful stills! During our sit-down interview, Mark shared useful tips for any aspiring photographer on how to capture the perfect shot!

Photo Tips From Mark

Always have your camera or photo-taking device READY! You never want to miss out on the opportunity to take the perfect shot!
Understand your camera settings!
Be aware of your surroundings at ALL TIMES!
Be polite, smile at people and don’t be afraid to engage them!

Bonus Tip:
Always ask for permission when taking photographs of others! Be vary that you are subject to arrest if you take photos of children without consent!
Try not to over-process and edit your photographs! Keep it natural!

Words of advice from Mark: Have fun with it and don’t second guess yourself. At the end of the day, the whole experience will be something worth remembering.

Wondering how to take part? Say no more…

Take a photo of your preferred category (e.g. Facilities/Food/People) according to the contest’s theme of “#iloveTAMPINESbecause…”
Photos submitted are to be taken in Tampines
Tell us in less than 100 words what you love about your photo subject (facilities/food/people), starting with the hashtag “#iloveTAMPINESbecause”
Email your photos and accompanying write-ups to: comms@ttc.org.sg