Singapore Powerlifting Open 2022

I was very lucky to be able to get a spot in not just competing for my very first meet at SPO 2022, but also as a photographer! I was initially going as a photographer for Days 1 and 3 (I was competing on Day 2), but I had to leave just before the morning session ended on Day 1 as I had to take my husband to the hospital for dengue. I feel really sorry about missing the second session of Day 1 and Day 3, but dengue is a very scary disease to deal with!

Powerlifters are amazing bunch—and a lot of the ones competing in the morning session of Day 1 were sub-junior and junior youngsters demonstrating incredible feats of strength that belie their years. The sheer display of strength and the dynamic expression during the lifts make for great photography subjects!

Even more than the actual lifts, I’m very fascinated by the moment just before the lift. As a powerlifter myself I can empathise with the mental battle that rages on the moment we walk up to the weight. We only have 60 seconds for each lift, but the few seconds we contemplate the bar and make silent prayers—those are so beautiful.

There are also other moments that I love and wish I had taken more of, such as backstage moments that truly show the bond between athlete and coach/handler, the hard work of the volunteer and behind-the-scene organisers, as well as candid moments between athletes that truly exemplify close-knit spirit of this community.

I shot mostly with a 135mm Sony F1.8 GM lens which I rented for this event, changing it from time to time to an 85mm lens (Samyang AF 1.4) as needed. Sometimes I feel the temptation of the convenience of zoom lenses, but I love fast primes too much, and at least for this venue I had free range to zoom with my feet as necessary.