Landscape and architectural photographer Joel Chia presents never-before-seen images through a bird’s-eye view.

PHOTOS JOEL CHIA

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hotographer Joel Chia, 25, pilots a drone over Singapore landmarks, as well as schools, homes, and communal and green spaces to capture aerial images of the island. Through his photos of places like the Esplanade (a performing arts centre) and parks such as the Chinese Garden (left), he offers a different and unique perspective of Singapore.

Chia, also known as Idroneman, hopes that his photographs will remind Singaporeans of the island’s beauty and to never take that for granted. He says: “When I fly my drone across the country and see large swathes of green, it makes me proud of how, despite Singapore’s land size and density of buildings, we still manage to integrate nature into our built environment. This makes us truly unique when you compare us with other cities. It also makes me more conscious of the need to protect our environment.”

By sharing his photos on social media channels such as Instagram, he also hopes to highlight the island’s urban planning efforts as well as its cultural diversity. He says: “I believe that Singapore’s architecture reflects our cultural diversity, especially if you look at our heritage places such as Little India and Chinatown. On Waterloo Street, you can even find a temple, a church and a synagogue, all on the same street.”

Having been surprised by the alternate viewpoints of ordinary places that aerial photography offers, Chia wants to remind people to keep an open mind, and to learn to view things from different perspectives.

Visit www.instagram.com/idroneman for more aerial photos of Singapore.