Echoes of the Living and the Lost
Melvin Tan documents the Lunar July Traditions with Leica MP + Leica Summicron-M 35mm F/2.0 ASPH
When the Hungry Ghost Festival arrives, Singapore transforms. Smoke curls through humid air, neon stage lights breathe colour into quiet heartlands, and voices from getai performances echo between HDB pillars like memory itself. People gather — elders with folded arms, children tugging at plastic stools, neighbours sharing snacks under fluorescent void deck light.
For one month, the night becomes alive. In the midst of it all stands Melvin Tan, Leica MP in hand, capturing not just what is seen — but what is felt.
"The Leica M is an extension of my hand and eyes," - Melvin Tan
Slowing Down in a Fast Night
While most pass through the festival as spectators, Melvin chooses to linger. His Leica MP loaded with Leica MONOPAN 50 film forces him into a different rhythm — slower, observant, intentional. Every frame is earned.
Every shot demands presence.
Film grain glows against rising incense smoke.
Stage spotlights carve faces from shadow.
Moments of devotion and joy unfold quietly in monochrome.
Without the distraction of colour, gestures, textures and light step forward. What remains is emotion — raw and unfiltered.mindful.
The Leica M EV1 feels like a natural next step in the M family — modern but still true to its roots. It keeps the emotion, discipline, and soul of the M, while adding the convenience of digital precision. Even without the mechanical rangefinder, it’s still unmistakably a Leica.
Using the M EV1 reminded me that photography isn’t just about seeing — it’s about noticing. And when you start noticing, even the everyday streets of Singapore reveal stories you’ve never seen before.mindful.
A Community in Light
For Melvin, the Hungry Ghost Festival is more than ritual — it is community.It's where strangers laugh together, where culture feels familiar and alive, where tradition meets pop music under fluorescent glow. These photographs are not just documentation — they are conversation. Connection. Memory.He pushes ISO 50 beyond its comfort zone, trusting the bright stage lights and the character of film to speak. Imperfection becomes character. Contrast becomes story. Black and white becomes bridge — between the living and the ones we honour.
Where Faith Meets Film
Melvin’s series reminds us that photography is not always about speed — sometimes it is about breathing with the moment, listening to the scene, and letting the image arrive.His photographs feel like standing there yourself — hearing the drums, smelling incense, feeling the night thicken with spirit. They invite the viewer into a space where celebration and remembrance coexist, where light and shadow carry quiet faith.In Melvin’s hands, the Leica MP is not just a camera — it is a way of seeing.
“I love the quiet shutter, the clarity of the viewfinder — I can see everything happening around me and wait for the right moment.”
Through this series, Melvin hopes people not only see the festival —but feel it. The warmth of a familiar culture. The reverence of prayer. The shared humanity in celebration and remembrance. The Hungry Ghost Festival lives in many hearts — and through Leica film, it lives on in each frame.
Melvin Tan (@melvin_hj_tan)
As a practicing architect, Melvin Tan (@melvin_hj_tan) approaches photography with a refined sense of space, proportion, and light. His architectural background informs the way he frames the world, observing not just what is seen, but how it is experienced.
Beyond photography, Melvin often expresses his observations through urban sketches, where line and structure reflect the same precision and sensitivity found in his images. Together, these practices reveal his ongoing exploration of composition and form, and his quiet pursuit of balance between people, place and emotion.
Each photograph, much like a drawing, becomes an interpretation of space and memory, distilled through his instinct for the art of seeing.
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The Classic Focal Length for Capturing Moments in Transition
The Summicron-M 35 f/2 ASPH. is one of the most versatile Leica M-Lenses. A genuine all-rounder for the documentary perspective. It creates intimacy without intrusion and adds dimension to each scene without overpowering it. Whether travelling, capturing street scenes or composing serene portraits: this lens consistently balances breadth and intimacy with each shot.
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