Photography Tips for Gardens by the Bay, Singapore

Arrive Early for Better Photography

For photos in the Supertree Grove you should arrive by at least 8am, it access is available from 5am. Mornings are the best time to take photos here, while the light is soft and not yet harsh. As Singapore can get very hot and humid, mornings are also a great option for keeping your cool while taking your photos. Arriving at 8am will also ensure that you beat the crowds, allowing you to capture images without other people on them. This will help take your photography to the next level and capture stunning memories of the Gardens by the Bay!

Once you have captured some stunning images in the Supertree Grove, head on over to the Conservatories. The Conservatories are open at 9am and will cost you S$28 (adult), for the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest together. You can book your tickets online or simply buy them there.

Read More: Family Friendly Itinerary for 3 Days in Singapore

If you are looking to capture photos without any other people on them, be sure to arrive upon opening time. I knew I wanted some photos without other people on them so I convinced my family to leave early to make it happen! We arrived just after opening, and there were already a few people inside. If you are just a little patient, people will clear out of the entry and you will have the perfect photo opportunity. If you arrive early, you might also get lucky and see sunlight streaming into the conservatory. You can use the light to have stunning sun flares in your photos!

I suggest going through the Cloud Forest first; it has a lot more large-scale photography opportunities where the crowds might get in the way. Just remember, you can always get a return stamp when you exit and come back to the conservatories later in the day.

Be in the Photo

I was completely mesmerized by the Supertree Grove. Trying to accurately capture how huge these structures are can be a challenge. Simply being in the photos can help add a sense of human-scale to your images. It is one of the best ways for friends and family to truly envision where you were! Also, it will make the photos much more personal and memorable to you!

Be in your photos to add personalisation and a sense of human-scale!

Use a Wide Angle Lens for Better Photography

As everything at Gardens by the Bay is gigantic, it can be difficult to capture the whole structure on your photo. This is where a wide-angle lens can help you! I didn’t take one when I was at Gardens by the Bay, and as you can see, most of my photos are missing a part of the structure. In the Supertree Grove, I couldn’t quite capture to the top of the tree. In the Cloud Forest, we weren’t able to stand far enough back to capture the entire structure. 

If you do not have access to a wide angle lens, there are alternative ways to improve your images. Taking your images from a low angle can really help improve your photography at Gardens by the Bay!

Tip: When capturing a large scale structure, make sure you set the aperture relatively high to retain the detail throughout the image.

Capture the Finer Details

There are so many stunning flowers in both the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome. Make sure you take the time to capture some of the finer details to help you remember all of the exquisite flora. This can be anything including a beautiful flower, intricate leaves or tiny fingers exploring nature! Capture the finer details also demonstrates skilled photography… what better place to do this than at Gardens by the Bay!

Let me know in the comments if you would like any of these photos to use as your phone wallpaper – I can share them through Instagram!

Photography During the Night Show

Come back to Gardens by the Bay at night for the magical Garden Rhapsody Show, in the Supertree Grove. It is usually on twice, at 7:45pm and 8:45pm, every night. Before you go, make sure to double check their website for the current schedule.

It can be quite difficult to photograph the night show at Gardens by the Bay. Here are a few tips to help every type of photographer:

DSLR: Use your manual settings. You will need to bump your ISO up to at least 400. Put your Aperture as low as possible, my DSLR goes to F/3.5. Finally, open up your shutter speed to approximately 0.4 seconds. This is long enough to let in enough light, while being able to hold the camera steady yourself. If you want to open the shutter speed for longer, think about using a tripod!

Android: You can use ‘manual’ or ‘pro’ mode on the newer Android phone models. This will allow you to set the shutter speed and the ISO, just like you would with a DSLR.

iPhone: If you are using an iPhone with iOS11, you can use the ‘Live’ mode to capture the lights. Once you have taken your live photo, use the effects menu to select long exposure. Your phone will then layer the three seconds of live footage to create a new image!