Singapore Botanic Gardens

There are two easy places I like to go to try out new lenses: the zoo and the botanical gardens. Singapore's Botanic Gardens provided a totally different experience than any I'd been to in the U.S., making it a perfect place to practice shooting. The gardens, founded over 150 years ago, take up nearly 180 acres in the center of Singapore, making it a great location to break away from the skyscrapers and congestion. Then again, it's like 95 degrees with 150% humidity there everyday, so it can be pretty brutal walking around. I had my share of trying experiences there. The first time I ever went there, I was walking along one of the outer paths in the jungle portion of the park. As I aimlessly sauntered about, I froze when I saw there was an enormous black tropical spider in an enormous web only inches in front of my face. After running away and crying behind a fern, I regained my composure and stumbled my way back to the front of the park. Another time I brought all my gear but forgot my memory card. On my last visit, my girlfriend and I lasted about 30 minutes before we were both drenched in sweat and delirious, seeking the salvation of a taxi and some A/C.

I have no idea what most of these crazy plants are. A good deal of them come from their world class orchid collection. Enjoy!