Yong Teck Lim 1/3/17 Yong Teck Lim 1/3/17

Year 2016

Looking back at 2016, I didn't really think I could survive as a freelancer but it turned out alright. I'm thankful for all the opportunities and trust given by the respective agencies, editors and clients, which helped make the year a pretty good one.

Looking back at 2016, I didn't really think I could survive in the industry here in Singapore, but it turned out alright. I'm thankful for all the opportunities and trust given by the respective agencies, editors and clients, which helped make the year a pretty good one. Never in my life would I dream of getting my work featured, and this year I had two - an interview by the FEI, and two of my frames made it into AP's list of Asia's best sports photos of the year. Thank you FEI and AP.

Compared to back when I graduated in 2015, I think 2016 was good, but it could be better. I was more prepared for assignments, and I learned how to plan for pictures better. And I asked questions. Asked colleagues and people around for help with stuff. Naturally, some didn't really work out, but I still had some stroke of luck, such as the celebration by now-retired F1 driver Nico Rosberg during the Singapore Grand Prix, which has become my all-time favorite.

I'm daunted by what 2017 has to offer, because as a freelancer, there are several things that constantly bugs the mind. There are some who think that I'm doing well, but in actual fact, I think I'm not, and still scraping, but the situation is definitely way better than it was back in 2015. In Singapore, where the market isn't desirable for editorial work, trying to make the cut as a freelancer is as good as courting death. But hopefully, things will take a turn for the better, and I pray for a good year ahead.

Here are some of the events that I covered through the year, along with my favorite frames.

FEI World Cup Jumping - China League

Feng Zhiqi of China shares a moment with her horse, Juicy, during the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping - China League at Chaoyang Park on May 7, 2016 in Beijing, China. (FEI/Yong Teck Lim)

This was my second assignment for the FEI, and this was one assignment that I really enjoyed. My assignment was to look for quiet moments, interactions and stories behind the competition and there were simply too many.

ASEAN University Games

Sometimes, you just walk into a bigger event, and end up getting only one frame that you like. This was very much the case at the ASEAN University Games. Super fortunate that the sun was setting and the rain clouds were coming in as well, giving me a bit of that contrast in the sky.

Singapore National Games

Muhammad Noh of Toa Payoh West Balestier B competes against Marsiling CSC B during the sepak takraw competition of the Singapore National Games on August 5, 2016, in Singapore.

This wasn't exactly a big event, but more of a community sports event that I was assigned to cover. Similar to my experience at the ASEAN University Games, I only found one frame that I like. Because of clutter in Singapore venues, getting clean backgrounds is challenging and I was fortunate that this particular venue had a second level viewing gallery that I could photograph from.

F1 Singapore Grand Prix

Debris flies off Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg of Germany's car after he crashed into the track wall at the start of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix on the Marina Bay City Circuit Singapore, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Yong Teck Lim)

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany steers his car during the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix on the Marina Bay City Circuit in Singapore, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Yong Teck Lim)

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany jumps off his car as he celebrates after winning the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix on the Marina Bay City Circuit Singapore, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Yong Teck Lim)

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany celebrates with his team after winning the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix on the Marina Bay City Circuit Singapore, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Yong Teck Lim)

My virgin F1 experience left me wanting more. I can't describe it proper, but this is my favorite assignment of the year. I was lucky to be in the right places at the right time - catch a crash; catch a super Nico Rosberg celebration. Beginner's luck I guess? Super thanks to Charlie, Maye-E and Crusty for the guidance, tips and trust on this assignment. Sadly, Singapore may have its last F1 race in 2017.

Hong Kong Cyclothon

Cycling is one of my favorite sports to photograph, but in all honesty, I've only photographed the sport once. But of course, reading up on how to photograph the sport and understanding the sport made me fall in love with it. The competition route was fantastic, providing several environmental elements that I could add to my frames.

FINA Swimming World Cup

Chad Le Clos of South Africa swims in the men's 200m butterfly heats during the FINA/airweave Swimming World Cup at the OCBC Aquatic Centre on October 21, 2016 in Singapore.

Emily Seebohm of Australia swims in the women's 200m backstroke heats during the FINA/airweave Swimming World Cup at the OCBC Aquatic Centre on October 21, 2016 in Singapore.

I've shot a lot of swimming, and because of that, sometimes, it's not so easy to get something different. But sometimes, you get nice light filtering into the venue and thinking fast helps. Also this event is fresh off the Summer Olympic Games in Rio, so maybe that's why South African Chad le Clos appeared extremely relaxed, both in and out of the pool.

WTA Finals

Tennis - BNP Paribas WTA Finals - Singapore Indoor Stadium - 30/10/16 Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova celebrates during her final match Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Yong Teck Lim Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY.

The WTA Finals, while not as prestigious as the Slams, to me, is still fun to photograph. This year, Dominika Cibulkova was an absolute pleasure to photograph - her joy, frustrations, and all other emotions were all left on court. Also, compared to the previous two editions held here, I found myself thinking about my frames, and making use of my environment. Super thanks to Edgar for sharing and guiding me along as well, especially for the mirror-image.

BOUNCE After Dark Party

This wasn't exactly a major event, but it wasn't something that I was looking forward to cover initially, because photographically, the pictures would not look good. But it turned out that the organizers had special lights installed just for the event, and voila. Despite a poorly lit venue, which in most cases warrant higher ISO values, why not turn the situation to my advantage?

Singapore Snooker Open Final

Noppon Saengkham of Thailand competes in the final during the Singapore Snooker Open at the SAFRA Toa Payoh Clubhouse on December 23, 2016 in Singapore.

I've never photographed snooker or any other cuesport, and this was a good and challenging experience at the same time. It was difficult to get a nice clean background with people and banners around, but there was this black backdrop that I got lucky with. All I needed to do was wait and eventually it paid off.

Yong Teck Lim 11/2/16 Yong Teck Lim 11/2/16

POME!

In any sport, action aside, knowing how to read the game play and predict reactions of players are equally important. At this year's WTA Finals, that really paid off and I managed to get some frames of jubilation that I didn't have much of in previous editions. I used to think that in sports photography, only action matters. But no. Moments are big too. From quiet moments to injuries to epic celebrations. All that defined this year's assignment for me.

"POME!"

That's newly crowned WTA Finals champion Dominika Cibulkova's signature expression during game play. The Slovakian term translates to "come on" in English, and it caught on me during the week-long WTA Finals. It was a little catchy, and also because of Cibulkova's spirited and lively demeanor.

For me, I make it a point to give every assignment my all, and try my best to make different pictures from everyone else. While the Finals isn't as big as the Slams in the tennis fraternity, I still treated it as a major assignment for me, because such events don't come around often here in Singapore.

This is the third edition of the Finals, and I've covered the previous two as well - the first as a student photojournalist with Red Sports and the second with Lagardère Sports, the local organizers of the event. Looking back at some of my frames from the previous editions made me feel a little happy with how I've improved, yet at the same time not so, and that's probably due to the high bars I set for myself.

This was one single frame which I liked a lot last year - a pan of Garbiñe Muguruza which I got really lucky with.

In the past, I never really planned for images and I usually just try making something right there and then. Just as in any form of art, as you grow, you tend to do and see things differently so I started planning images in my mind prior to assignments.

Planning early helps put you where you need to be to take the picture, but of course, sometimes, you need a little stroke of luck for magic to happen. I had a handful of frames in mind - some of which I managed to achieve, some which I didn't - but I'm not disappointed, because I know a single solid frame can take decades to achieve.

Sporting action aside, knowing how to read the game play and predict reactions of players are equally important. This year, that really paid off and I managed to get some frames of jubilation that I didn't have much of in previous editions. I used to think that in sports photography, only action matters. But no. Moments are big too. From quiet moments to injuries to epic celebrations. All that defined this year's assignment for me.

Tennis - BNP Paribas WTA Finals - Singapore Indoor Stadium - 24/10/16 Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova reacts during her round robin match Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Yong Teck Lim Livepic

Tennis - BNP Paribas WTA Finals - Singapore Indoor Stadium - 25/10/16 Spain’s Garbine Muguruza in action during her round robin match Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Yong Teck Lim Livepic

Tennis - BNP Paribas WTA Finals - Singapore Indoor Stadium - 25/10/16 Spain’s Garbine Muguruza reacts during her round robin match Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Yong Teck Lim Livepic

Tennis - BNP Paribas WTA Finals - Singapore Indoor Stadium - 25/10/16 Germany’s Angelique Kerber in action during her round robin match Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Yong Teck Lim Livepic

Tennis - BNP Paribas WTA Finals - Singapore Indoor Stadium - 25/10/16 Romania’s Simona Halep in action during her round robin match Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Yong Teck Lim Livepic

Tennis - BNP Paribas WTA Finals - Singapore Indoor Stadium - 25/10/16 Germany’s Angelique Kerber celebrates during her round robin match Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Yong Teck Lim Livepic

Tennis - BNP Paribas WTA Finals - Singapore Indoor Stadium - 26/10/16 Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova in action during her round robin match Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Yong Teck Lim Livepic

Tennis - BNP Paribas WTA Finals - Singapore Indoor Stadium - 27/10/16 Romania’s Simona Halep clutches her left knee during her round robin match Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Yong Teck Lim Livepic

Tennis - BNP Paribas WTA Finals - Singapore Indoor Stadium - 27/10/16 Romania’s Simona Halep with a bandage on her left knee during her round robin match Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Yong Teck Lim Livepic

Tennis - BNP Paribas WTA Finals - Singapore Indoor Stadium - 27/10/16 USA’s Madison Keys reacts during her round robin match Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Yong Teck Lim Livepic

Tennis - BNP Paribas WTA Finals - Singapore Indoor Stadium - 29/10/16 Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova in action during her semifinal match Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Yong Teck Lim Livepic

Tennis - BNP Paribas WTA Finals - Singapore Indoor Stadium - 29/10/16 Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova celebrates winning her semi final match Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Yong Teck Lim Livepic

Tennis - BNP Paribas WTA Finals - Singapore Indoor Stadium - 29/10/16 Germany’s Angelique Kerber in action during her semi final match Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Yong Teck Lim Livepic

Tennis - BNP Paribas WTA Finals - Singapore Indoor Stadium - 30/10/16 USA’s Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Czech Republic’s Lucie Safarova in action during their final match Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Yong Teck Lim Livepic

Tennis - BNP Paribas WTA Finals - Singapore Indoor Stadium - 30/10/16 Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova celebrates winning the final Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Yong Teck Lim Livepic

Tennis - BNP Paribas WTA Finals - Singapore Indoor Stadium - 30/10/16 Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova celebrates winning the final with the Billie Jean King Trophy Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Yong Teck Lim Livepic

Yong Teck Lim 9/30/16 Yong Teck Lim 9/30/16

Hong Kong Cyclothon

After covering cycling for the first time last June at the Southeast Asian Games, the sport became one of a handful of favorites to photograph. Thanks to Reuters, Lewis and Jeremy, I got the opportunity to cover cycling again, and this time in nearby Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong Cyclothon, organized by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, is in its second edition and the road closures were massive. The popularity of the event among the locals was one to behold as well; even casual participants came decked with professional cycling gear and bikes.

We had a good 3-man team going - Jeremy, Vivek and I - a combination that was dynamic enough for us to get different angles covered. And it was definitely fun working alongside Jeremy and Vivek again. Both of them are amazing, seasoned photographers and great people to hang around.

Word has it that Hong Kong is similar to Singapore, where I grew up, in many ways, and while some aspects hold true, the country stands out on its own as well. The food, the language, the people and more importantly, beautiful cityscapes which helped me capture some nice frames during the assignment.

And cheers to the good weather, which allowed me to snap some of my favorite takes from the one-day event.

Cycling - Hong Kong Cyclothon 2016 - Hong Kong - 25/09/16 Competitors in action during 50 km Ride. The Hong Kong Cyclothon is the biggest cycling event in Hong Kong and features four races and five cycling activities. REUTERS/Yong Teck Lim

Cycling - Hong Kong Cyclothon 2016 - Hong Kong - 25/09/16 Competitors in action during 30 km Ride. The Hong Kong Cyclothon is the biggest cycling event in Hong Kong and features four races and five cycling activities. REUTERS/Yong Teck Lim

Cycling - Hong Kong Cyclothon 2016 - Hong Kong - 25/09/16 Competitors in action during the Men's Open Race. The Hong Kong Cyclothon is the biggest cycling event in Hong Kong and features four races and five cycling activities. REUTERS/Yong Teck Lim

Yong Teck Lim 9/21/16 Yong Teck Lim 9/21/16

My maiden F1 experience

The F1 circuit is back in Singapore for its 9th year, and I've always longed for a chance to photograph it one day, given that the event is literally the most prestigious among all the other sporting events held locally.

Thanks to the AP, I finally got the chance to photograph the event this year. Covering events of such scale require lots of planning and teamwork, and credits really go to Maye-E and Mark, who gave me lots of pointers and helped set me up for the coverage.

To me, F1, unlike other sports, was daunting and had an extremely steep learning curve. Prior to event days, I did as much research as I could on what I could do, what I could not do, the types of pictures that could be made, the different photo positions, and getting to and fro point A to B. Despite preparations, things can also happen unexpectedly and one has to adapt accordingly.

In my mind of course, I just wanted to do the job properly, but at the same time, I wanted to make sure that I could take away one decent action and jubilation picture. While I did want to try shooting some feature stuff at the pit lane areas, stuff like these takes some good planning and practice and the time wasn't right. Still, I was really glad to be in the positions and situations that I got to be in.

Throughout my assignment, I'm also extremely grateful to Edgar, Jeremy, Wallace, Mark and Diego for their daily valuable tips. If it weren't for them, I would not have been able to pull it off either. To top it off, shooting with friends, and many newfound friends made the whole experience even better.

During the first and second practice sessions, I found myself really learning and trying to get used to everything and needless to say, it was difficult.

As the days went by, things were slightly better and I gradually got the hang of it. And to further add to the experience, I was extremely fortunate to have witnessed and photographed Nico Hülkenberg's crash right at the start of the race. Beginner's luck I guess! Overall, the experience was an unparalleled one and I would definitely love to do it again. It is honestly quite addictive!

I know I've said this countless times, but thanks again to Charlie and Maye-E for trusting me enough despite my absolute zero experience in motor sports.

And of course, thanks to Matthew and the Canon Professional Services team, who were always super kind and patient with whatever that I needed.

Here are a few of my takes from all three days. To see more of AP's coverage of the event, visit: http://bit.ly/2de1WBe

The Singapore Grand Prix's Marina Bay City Circuit taken with a fish-eye lens at dusk from a hotel suite in Swissotel The Stamford in Singapore is seen on Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Yong Teck Lim)

McLaren driver Fernando Alonso of Spain steers his car during the second practice session for the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix on the Marina Bay City Circuit in Singapore, Friday, Sept. 16, 2016. (AP Photo/Yong Teck Lim)

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during the second practice session for the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix on the Marina Bay City Circuit in Singapore, Friday, Sept. 16, 2016. (AP Photo/Yong Teck Lim)

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany steers his car during the third practice session for the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix on the Marina Bay City Circuit in Singapore, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016. (AP Photo/Yong Teck Lim)

Renault driver Jolyon Palmer of Britain steers his car during the third practice session for the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix on the Marina Bay City Circuit in Singapore, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016. (AP Photo/Yong Teck Lim)

Haas driver Romain Grosjean of France steers his car during the third practice session for the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix on the Marina Bay City Circuit in Singapore, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016. (AP Photo/Yong Teck Lim)

Manor driver Esteban Ocon of France steers his car during the qualifying session for the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix on the Marina Bay City Circuit in Singapore, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016. (AP Photo/Yong Teck Lim)

Sauber driver Felipe Nasr of Brazil steers his car during the qualifying session for the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix on the Marina Bay City Circuit in Singapore, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016. (AP Photo/Yong Teck Lim)

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany sits in an open top car during the drivers parade ahead of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix on the Marina Bay City Circuit in Singapore, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Yong Teck Lim)

Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg of Germany walks from his car after crashing at the start of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix on the Marina Bay City Circuit in Singapore, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Yong Teck Lim)

Track marshals clear debris from the track after Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg of Germany crashed at the start of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix on the Marina Bay City Circuit in Singapore, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Yong Teck Lim)

The car of Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg of Germany is taken from the track after he crashed at the start of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix on the Marina Bay City Circuit in Singapore, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Yong Teck Lim)

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany, followed by Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain, steer their cars during the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix on the Marina Bay City Circuit in Singapor… — Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany, followed by Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain, steer their cars during the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix on the Marina Bay City Circuit in Singapore, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Yong Teck Lim)

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany sprays champagne as he celebrates after winning the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix on the Marina Bay City Circuit in Singapore, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Yong Teck Lim)

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany celebrates after winning the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix on the Marina Bay City Circuit Singapore, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Yong Teck Lim)

Yong Teck Lim 9/11/16 Yong Teck Lim 9/11/16

Best of 2015

As 2016 heads into its fourth quarter, I decided to look back at some of my favourite pictures in 2015, and use these as a motivation to see and shoot better.

Garbine Muguruza of Spain in action against Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland during their singles semi-final match during the BNP Paribas WTA Finals at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on October 31, 2015 in Singapore.

Katinka Hosszu of Hungary swims during the women's 200m butterfly final on day two of the FINA/airweave Swimming World Cup 2015 at OCBC Aquatic Centre on October 4, 2015 in Singapore.

George Rico prepares for his workout at La Habra Boxing Club on November 6, 2015 in La Habra, California.

Yanuar Dwi Priasmoro (#15) of Indonesia goes for the layup against Singapore on day 3 of the 11th SEABA Championship at the OCBC Arena on April 29, 2015 in Singapore.

Competitors in action during the men's 110m hurdles final at the 28th Southeast Asian Games at the National Stadium on June 11, 2015 in Singapore.

John Rondash trains at the VELO Sports Center on November 5, 2016 in Carson, California.

Ibrahim Hamadtou of Egypt in action during the Unified Table Tennis Tourney 2015 at Marina Square on July 5, 2015 in Singapore.

Luthfi Nico Abdillah of Indonesia in action during the men's 10m platform final on day three of the FINA Diving Grand Prix 2015 at the OCBC Aquatic Centre on October 18, 2015 in Singapore.

George Rico works out at the La Habra Boxing Club on November 6, 2015 in La Habra, California.

Competitors in action during the men's 3000m steeplechase final at the athletics competition at the 28th Southeast Asian Games at the National Stadium on June 12, 2015 in Singapore.

Caroline Garcia of France and Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia in action against Chan Hao-Ching and Chan Yung-Jan of Chinese Taipei during their doubles match during the BNP Paribas WTA Finals at the OCBC Arena on October 26, 2015 in Singapore.

Emelia Tan of Temasek Junior College shows her frustrations after her team lost in the final of the National 'A' Division Girls' Water Polo Championship at PESEB on April 7, 2015 in Singapore.

Maria Sharapova of Russia reacts during her singles match against Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland during the BNP Paribas WTA Finals at the OCBC Arena on October 25, 2015 in Singapore.

Darren Lim of Singapore swims during the men's 50m freestyle heats on day three of the 5th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships at the OCBC Aquatic Centre on August 27, 2015 in Singapore.

Charmaine Lee of Singapore Chinese Girls' School performs her routine during the National School Games Trampoline Championships at Bishan Sports Hall on March 23, 2016 in Singapore.

Kevin Jerrold Chan (R) of Singapore in action against Wilfred Richard Curioso of the Philippines during the men's team foil finals of the fencing competition at the 28th Southeast Asian Games at the OCBC Arena on June 7, 2015 in Singapore.

The peloton in action during the men's mass start road race of the cycling competition at the 28th Southeast Asian Games at Marina Bay South on June 14, 2015 in Singapore.

Peng Jian Feng of China in action during the men's 3m preliminaries on day one of the FINA Diving Grand Prix 2015 at the OCBC Aquatic Centre on October 16, 2015 in Singapore.

Year 2016

POME!

Hong Kong Cyclothon

My maiden F1 experience

Best of 2015

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