You really gotta hand it to Singapore as they’re quickly developing a world reputation for unique and extravagant architecture. The Supertree Grove is the latest addition and all along The Gardens By The Bay, there are 18 of these supertrees, ranging from 25 to 50 meters tall. During the day they provide a nice shady canopy to sit under and at night, they come alive with a display of light and sound.

Saying that, I’d also like to add that these things are ridiculously strange to see in person. The first time I walked through here in October with my good friends from The Landscape Hunters, I had a hard time keeping the WTF look off my face. I mean look at them, they’re giant metal trees! Really?!

They are also very fun to photograph and if you’re in town for a few days make sure to check out the MBS Laser Show as well. 🙂

Technical Mumbo Jumbo

Camera: Nikon D800
Lens: 14-24 f/2.8 (Shot at 14 mm)
Tripod: RRS TVC-33 / BH-55 Ballhead / RRS L-Plate
ISO: 100 at f/8
5 Exposure Brackets (-2, -1, 0, +1, +2)

Location: Shot in Singapore – November 2012, and post-processed in Siem Reap, Cambodia – December 2012.

Hardware: 15” 2011 Macbook Pro, Wacom Intuos5 Small Tablet

Software: Lightroom, Photoshop, NIK HDR Efex Pro 2, NIK Color Efex Pro 4

Technique and Details: HDR Processing & Dynamic Blending

First, using NIK HDR Efex Pro, I blending all 5 exposure brackets together and brought the result into Photoshop. From there, I also blended in portions of a few different exposures with the HDR result to give it a more natural feel. Since there were many people in the scene, I spent a good amount of time painting them out by hand. It’s during those times when I’m extra happy to own a Wacom Tablet.

Espresso: Lavazza Rossa (I’m almost out of coffee… Scary thought)

At night, the Supertress light up for a dazzling display in Singapore.