"It had been 20 years since we had last been to Singapore, so we approached it as if we were first-time visitors," says the retired Nestle executive. "From a photographic point of view, I wanted to capture the contrasts between the old and the new Singapore. There's that futuristic science fantasy aspect to much of the city's architecture and gardens, but I also wanted to photograph the traditional areas - Little India, Chinatown, the Muslim Quarter and the Hawker markets."

Clements and his wife were given a tailored half-day tour by a specialist Singapore Tourism Board guide to scout for the kind of picture opportunities he was looking for. However, the trip itself was only part of the prize. The Big Picture contest included a one-on-one master class with Richard l'Anson, one of Australia's leading professional travel photographers who had agreed to critique Clements'  portfolio of images.

From the hundreds of photos he'd taken in Singapore, Clements has chosen 42 images for l'Anson to look at. From those, the professional has selected 10 to appear in this Traveller gallery. As we start looking at the first photo, Clements volunteers that the images he came back with weren't  what he had anticipated before the trip.

He had been looking forward to capturing portraits of local people and the cultural aspects of Singapore street life. But for one reason or another, those opportunities hadn't presented themselves.

l'Anson sympathises. You always wish you had more time, even when you are a hardened pro, he says, pointing out ruthless self-editing is "one of the great unsung parts of photography".

When people tell him he's a great photographer, l'Anson says, he replies: "That's because I don't show you my rubbish shots. Many enthusiasts make that mistake because they are attached emotionally to every single photo they take. You have to get over that when selecting which pictures to show.

"I admit I still struggle when I'm editing my own pictures. It's much easier editing other people's photographs because you don't have that emotional dimension. You are just judging on what you see. The back story is irrelevant. All that matters is whether the picture works.

"What I look for is three things. Is the image technically correct, properly exposed and in focus? Does the composition enhance the subject? What light has the subject been shot in, could it be better? To me, it is the light the photographer shoots in that makes the difference, that allows the photographer to put his own interpretation on a subject, particularly a well known subject.

"So what I am looking for is an interesting subject that has been captured correctly from a technical point of view, that has been treated in a creative way in terms of composition, and has been shot in a light that enhances the subject."

In choosing the 10, l'Anson says, he gone for variety. "I'm looking for a good mix of images that represent the journey. They might not be the 10 best individual shots but when shown together they represent a diversity of subject matter."

The two photographers - amateur and professional - explain what they liked about each image. And l'Anson's tips for people shooting in similar circumstances...

PHOTO ONE

WHAT THE AMATEUR SAYS: The futuristic landscape of the Supertree Grove kept drawing me back to convey the scale and beauty of the structures. I felt the best way to show this was to isolate one of the Supertrees and wait until I could get a person in frame in the right position. Taking this shot from the suspended overhead walkway gave me the angle I was looking for. I like the symmetry and simplicity of this image.

WHAT THE PRO SAYS: This shot is one of Mike's best: the cleanest composition. The position of the solitary woman walking is critical. It shows the sense of scale. The whole thing is perfectly exposed and the composition is spot-on. Normally I'd argue that subjects shouldn't be centred - a mistake many amateurs make. But Mike has made it very clear he has done it on purpose, and the single tree and single person works very well.

PHOTO TWO

THE AMATEUR SAYS: I wanted to go back at night to photograph the Supertree illuminations. You only have a short window of opportunity in the dusk light before it gets too dark to capture the scene and you also have lots of people to deal with. Knowing this would be the only chance I had, I took it.

THE PRO SAYS: These two dusk shots are probably the most beautiful images in the collection because Mike shot them at exactly the right time when the ambient light is dominant but there is still light in the sky. But I find the people in this shot distracting and annoying. They're just tourists, hanging around. I think Mike should have blurred them by using a very long exposure or he should have waited until any people in the shot were more relevant to the image.

PHOTO THREE

THE AMATEUR SAYS: I also wanted to get a wide-angle shot at dusk when the Supertrees are lit up with a myriad of lights synchronised to music. There's a lot of people in the scene, but the reality is that it is a night show which people come to watch. I set my tripod into position to include the Marina Bay Sands hotel in the background.

THE PRO SAYS: I don't mind the people in his image because they are interacting with the subject. Picture editors will like it because it shows a public space visitors can enjoy. But those leaning trees are a photographic aberration. If I had to use wide angle, I'd shoot with lots of space so as to be able to correct the converging parallels when processing the image.

PHOTO FOUR

THE AMATEUR SAYS: Chinese New Year celebrations were underway. The scale of this installation caught my eye. I liked the colour and sweeping leading lines of the gold ingots strung across the road, so I stepped into the road and took it.

THE PRO SAYS: The composition is good, with the decorations dominant and the road providing context, and Mike shot from the right spot to get this pleasing curve to the decorations. I would have gone back at dusk. If Mike could have caught the dusk traffic moving with light trails below the illuminated decorations that would have looked really dramatic.

PHOTO FIVE

THE AMATEUR SAYS: This was a grab shot in Chinatown. Elaborate decorations celebrating the Year of the Goat had been set up. The wire and fabric goats stretched down the entire length of the road and this is what attracted me to press the shutter.

THE PRO SAYS: The content is good, the composition OK, and that person adds scale. But the location is really messy. Again, I would have gone back at dusk when the structure is illuminated and the traffic provides light trails. Also, knowing the road, I wonder if Mike could have shot it from an overpass, to get above the traffic?

PHOTO SIX

THE AMATEUR SAYS: The Sri Mariamman Temple in Little India is the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore. The photographic opportunities around the structures, the colour and the local people in these places always appeals to me. The Hindu priest was giving a blessing to a worshipper, and once I took the shot they left.

THE PRO SAYS: I think this is well captured, a strong image with a clear sense of space. It's tempting to go just for the statue, but the people add scale and context, particularly as one is a priest. The guy wearing the T-shirt is annoying. Mike could have waited until the perfect person came to talk to the priest, but this is reality.

PHOTO SEVEN

THE AMATEUR SAYS: The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum is incredibly ornate and peaceful. I felt photographing the detail of a wall panel might convey this. I shot it without a tripod at 1/60th of a second, which I know from experience is the lowest speed I can hold the camera without blurring the image. The low light adds to the mood.

THE PRO SAYS: It's great Mike has analysed his limitations: most amateurs don't. This would be a better image if he had stood absolutely straight on, so the lines are parallel. He could alter that perspective distortion in Lightroom or Photoshop but the aim is to get the image right in camera. If he wanted to use the diverging lines, he should have accentuated them - perhaps drop down on his knees and shoot directly up so the diverging lines look dramatic and deliberate.

PHOTO EIGHT

THE AMATEUR SAYS: Cloud Forest, at Gardens By The Bays, is a man-made mountain with its own waterfall set in a tropical eco-climate dome with suspended walkways. It's just waiting to be photographed. Using a wide-angle lens I tried to capture all these elements in the one image.

THE PRO SAYS: Mike took several images at this location, but I preferred the composition in this one. Initially I was concerned by the large hole in the centre of the mountain but I suggested he darken that section of the image and we are both happier with the result you see here.

PHOTO NINE

THE AMATEUR SAYS: The space-age architecture of the city was the reason I took this skyline. The image could have been better if it was shot with water conditions to get the building reflections and taken a little later to get a better dusk light. I would like to have had the time to go back to this location at different times to capture it in its best light.

THE PRO SAYS: The colour in the clouds is really nice, but the subject is meant to be the skyline, not the sky, and the light on the buildings is flat. Mike's right that the shot would benefit hugely by being taken at dusk when the lights come on, but I would still be concerned by that one tall, unique building being so prominently placed but disconnected to the main skyline.

PHOTO TEN 

THE AMATEUR SAYS: The first shot of the trip, close to our hotel. At 7pm, they barricade the street, put out chairs and tables, and serve satays and jugs of Tiger beer. We were excited to be in Singapore, among the people, soaking up the atmosphere and anticipating the experience to come when I took this shot.

THE PRO SAYS: The composition is good and the fact the woman is pouring beer makes it interesting. Mike caught the right moment, but she isn't sharp because he focused on the "best satay" sign behind her. I also suggested to Mike that he should do a closer crop of the image because that street light and the activity either side of the main figures doesn't really add to the scene.

THE EQUIPMENT USED

The equipment Mike Clements used for these photographs consisted of:

*Canon 5D MK II and 5D MK III bodies.

* EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L II USM lens

* EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM lens

* Manfrotto 190 tripod with 496RC Ball Head

TRIP NOTES

MORE INFORMATION: yoursingapore.com

GETTING THERE: Singapore Airlines has four flights a day from Sydney and Melbourne to Singapore, including one flight a day from each city offering its latest cabin products. From July 31, it will have an additional flight from Sydney to Singapore on Friday, Saturday and Sundays. Phone 13 10 11 or singaporeair.com.

STAYING THERE: Sofitel So Singapore hotel, near Raffles Place in the Central Business District, has 134 rooms, a rooftop pool, and is minutes away from the city's landmarks. It also has a rooftop bar with 360-degree views of Singapore's urban skyline. Phone (+65) 6701 6800 or sofitel.com/8655.