National Geographic’s 50 Greatest Photos at the ArtScience Museum

It’s back to school for Noey this week. While I sympathise with students having the back-to-school blues, I can’t say that I’m not a teensy-weensy bit glad that we are back to our usual routine this week.

Don’t get me wrong — we had an awesome time during the September hols. I was a bit nervous at the start because I wasn’t able to sign Noey up for some holiday programmes that I had in mind. (Alas, procrastination struck again and I paid the price.) But I guess I should not have underestimated my ability to, well, pack out our schedule. With playdates and outings, maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised that Noey wasn’t keen on going back to school!

The highlight for me was probably the day that my father-in-law took both children out on his own, leaving me with some time on my own. What a treat!

I took the opportunity to head down to the ArtScience Museum to join a media tour on one of their latest exhibitions, 50 Greatest Photographs of National Geographic. I think just the name “National Geographic” immediately makes one think “awe-inspiring photography”. The husband regularly buys issues which we all spend time pouring over. Noey in particular loves the photo spreads, and there are certain issues — like the one on the Titanic — that he’s read over and over.

So you can imagine that I was pretty excited to check out what the editors of National Geographic had picked out as some of the most compelling images published in the 125-year history of the magazine.

Regular readers of the magazine would find many of the photos familiar. Even I, the occasional reader, was able to pick out quite a few. More than just the photographs however, the exhibition seeks to take visitors beyond the image, going behind the lens of these famous photographs to learn the stories behind them and more about the photographers themselves.

We were met by a museum docent who kindly led us around and explained the behind-the scenes tales to each of the different photographs, but even if you were to explore the exhibition on your own, you will find the wall-panels next to the photos full of interesting information. 

Exhibited in three themed areas, the images reflect man and his interaction with nature, the disjunct between them, and the re-connection. Here are some of my favourites.

First up is Steve McCurry’s unforgettable Afghan girl. Here she is exhibited with a more current picture of herself, taken 17 years later.

The original picture of the Afghan girl (pictured on the right) is almost synonymous with National Geographic. I actually have a copy of the issue where Steven McCurry goes in search of this same girl to take the photograph of her 17 years later, because I too was interested to find out what had happened to the girl in that famous photo. It was an interesting read. Like me, I’m sure you will spend time looking at the pictures, asking yourself if she is or is not the same person. Well, Steve McCurry was sure that he had found the right person, especially when he came face-to-face with those arresting eyes. Check it out and you be the judge.

This is part of an amazing panoramic photo taken during an expedition to explore underwater caves in the Bahamas, some 80 feet under the surface. Definitely not something you see everyday. The photographer, Wes Skiles, tragically died in a diving accident a couple of years back. A reminder that these photographers face real dangers in the pursuit of their passions and to show the world what they would otherwise never see.

I thought this shot of camels searching for water and food in the burning oil fields of Southern Kuwait was a strong image of the effects of war, made stronger by the interesting way in which the museum decided to exhibit this piece. Surrounded by mirrors and in a darkened space enhanced by crackling noise, it made me feel like I was in the thick of it with the camels. While this photograph was actually shot in the day, you would never have guessed it, with the sky blacked out by the thick black smoke.

Would you believe that all that plastic pictured on the right was found in the stomach of the baby albatross? My heart ached when I spied the lighters, bottle caps and that disposable needle. Apparently the adult albatrosses mistake some of the plastic bits for food and feed them to their young, resulting in these clogging up the baby albatrosses’ systems. This poor bird staved to death. I think it is a strong statement about our modern lifestyle and the price being paid by the others in our ecosystem. Reduce, reuse and recycle, y’all!

This looks like an ordinary photograph of kids until it hits you that these children are all missing a left hand. These children represent with the same birth defect whose homes are clustered in a few Moscow neighbourhoods contaminated by industrial pollution. Another moment when the picture speaks louder than words.

This one is incredible — it’s a picture of the Titanic, down in the deep two and a half miles from the ocean’s surface. Brought to life only with 10,000 watts of light and cutting-edge submersible technology. Seriously wow.

And this one is possibly my favourite one of all. You might not think much of it at a glance. “Oh, it’s just a bunch of camels,” you might think. Until you realise they look a bit flat… The camel images are really shadows cast by the camels as they cross the salt flats of Lake Assal, Djibouti. So where are the camels? They are in the lines on the ground! (This is an aerial photograph.) It intrigued me to no end when the husband first pointed this out to me in an issue of the magazine that we own.

Finally, one of the strongest images in the whole collection, this incredibly intimate shot of Jane Goodall offering her hair to a chimp she had never met before, thereby making that much needed connection. 

Looking at my mini collection of photos here, I feel I have not done justice to the selection — there were so many of the 50 photographs that I really enjoyed! Do go down and check it out yourself.

And if you visit the exhibition on Sunday afternoons, you might like to register for the Fun with Photograms workshop. You get to “take” and develop your very own photogram, using common everyday objects to create your picture. It is a lot of fun.

First you select the objects that you want to use to put together your picture. There is a selection of items available but feel free to add any of your own. We were given some time to experiment and this is my draft.

The lights are then turned off and you work under red light to transfer your design onto photo paper. Then the lights are turned on for a split second, and that’s it, your photogram has been snapped! We were then brought through the developing process and tab-dah! My final picture. I snuck in the transparent half of my ruler under a flash of inspiration and I’m pretty pleased with the effect!  

When Noey saw my photogram after I got home, he started hankering after one, so I think I might have to bring him to see the exhibition just to do this! I think my little NatGeo fan might enjoy the photographs too.

I guess I don’t have to tell you that I enjoyed this exhibition! I think this quote I spied on the wall hit the nail on the head about what makes a good photograph — “something new, something that hasn’t been shown before”. That’s what you get with these pictures, which is what makes them such wonderful viewing. 

50 Greatest Photographs of National Geographic is on at the ArtScience Museum from 17 August to 27 October 2013. Ticketing details can be found on the ArtScience Museum website. You should also visit their activities page to find out more about guided tours and workshops that are available at no additional charge to ticket-holders. More information about the exhibition and other promotions can also be found on the ArtScience Museum’s Facebook page, including information on their Photo Contest, where you can stand a chance to win a stay at Marina Bay Sands and other shopping vouchers.

* This review is written based our experience during an invited media session.