Depth of Field

Vee Speers' The Birthday Party, Untitled #21 (2007) is among the work featured at the SIPF

Vee Speers / SIPF

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With the rise of affordable digital cameras, these days anyone can click a shutter and produce a technically competent picture. So it's appropriate that the first-ever Singapore International Photography Festival (SIPF), set to take place from Oct. 8 to 31, took an egalitarian approach to submissions. "Our curators went through a blind selection process, and to lower barriers to entry, we [decided to] undertake the printing of all the works," says Gwen Lee, the festival's director and founder of the 2902 photography gallery. It's a generous move by the not-for-profit festival, given that a digital print of around 10 sq. ft. (1 sq m) in size can cost hundreds of dollars to produce.

After receiving nearly 7,000 entries from 26 countries, SIPF whittled down the selection to just over 800 works by 66 photographers, both established and emerging. More than half hail from Southeast Asia. "There was a lot of debate, but the huge quantity and variety was a blessing," says Terence Yeung, one of SIPF's four curators. "The very best images stood out."

The work will be displayed in high-profile public venues including the National Museum of Singapore and the Singapore Art Museum, as well as at 2902. In keeping with the festival's democratic mission, there will also be plenty of opportunities for photographers and the general public to connect, including talks, workshops and portfolio reviews led by figures such as Frederick Baldwin and Wendy Watriss, founders of Houston's International Photography Biennial (popularly known as FotoFest). At satellite programs like View Finders, volunteers will hand cameras to people on the street and ask them to take pictures of their environment.

"We want to see what the public thinks when they look at the world through a camera," says Lee. "Whether you've got a point-and-shoot or are buying a digital SLR, it's about engaging, going out to shoot, going out to see work and create work."

See www.sipf.com.sg for more information.