Book review: Behind the Scenes – Lives of these unsung heroes

Details

Review summary

We are delighted to present this review of Ian Poh Jin Tze’s first book, produced in a coffee-table book format, to which it is well suited.

The book blends images from multiple photographic genres with accompanying narrative text. It is an easy read, supported by interesting images, although it is light on the substance of the lives of the unsung heroes featured.

This sets the author up well for future books with a more specific focus on individual subjects, such as the melon or durian farmers introduced here. where they live, what they earn, the physical and mental toll of their labour, and consideration of any socio-economic disparity that may exist between unsung heroes and the consumers of the fruits of their labours.

About the author

Ian Poh Jin Tze is described as a freelance, Singapore-born writer, who spends around 300 days per year circling the globe. His work has been featured in, amongst others,  Singapore Airlines’ SilverKris magazine, and on Le Cordon Bleu education website. This is his first, self-published book.

Review

With this, the author’s first book, Ian Poh Jin Tze has announced his arrival as a photographer and author with wide-ranging curiosity and a clear passion for working across genres with his camera.

Through the book’s chapters, he has blended aerial, architectural, environmental portrait, food, and landscape photography, giving the book a varied, visual rhythm. The book is well-suited to its coffee-table format.

Fruit farming

The chapter on melon farming is particularly engaging, presenting scenes of camaraderie, humour, and communal effort. The narrative hints at challenges such as difficult working conditions and environmental pressures, but these are only lightly touched on visually. As a result, the chapter offers more of an introduction to its subject than a full exploration.

The images lay a strong foundation for deeper investigation into how the fruit is grown, harvested, transported, and sold, and how those processes affect the people involved. The socio-economic story remains largely untold; this subject could support a more comprehensive future project.

The durian section sets a similar tone. The introduction to the fruit and its cultivation is informative and engaging, but again feels like the introduction to a related project, rather than an inquisitive exploration. Both the melon and durian chapters suggest the author’s genuine and perhaps growing interest in agricultural and human-centered storytelling. The author has created an opportunity to revisit these topics in greater depth in his future work.

Hospitality

Other chapters, such as those focusing on The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat, and Lanson Place Bukit Ceylon, shift in tone and purpose. There is a fine line between documenting a hospitality guest’s lived experience, and promoting a commercial destination. These sections are, to this reviewer, closer to promotional features than photojournalistic essays, which may jar with readers expecting a consistent documentary approach.

The coffee bean journey

The book’s final chapter is told ‘Through the eyes of a coffee bean’. The author has taken an interesting approach to this section, which lends itself well to his use of environmental portraits.

The book also reveals an editing style that favours image inclusion over informing the reader. The author has included images that are visually strong, but they lack accompanying narrative. A more selective image edit, and stronger connection between photographs and text, would strengthen overall cohesion. Expanding on locations and context should increase the appeal of the book to a wider international audience,  and strengthen reader engagement.

Taken as a whole, this is an interesting, well-presented, and approachable first book. It works well as a visually driven, easy-to-browse volume, and introduces themes that hint at the author’s developing photojournalistic ambitions. Perhaps most importantly, it sets the scene for future projects. The author might explore selected subjects, such as melon and durian farming, in much greater depth and focus, and with investigative and narrative confidence. Image captions would aid the reader.

Verdict/ recommendation

If you are looking for a coffee-table photobook that has a South-East Asia theme, this one is for you.

See also our review of Ian Poh Jin Tze’s second book ‘The Silent Song of the African Savannah‘

Disclosure

A complimentary copy of this book was provided to the reviewer for evaluation purposes.

No payment, incentive, or other compensation was offered or received in exchange for this review. The author of the book had no editorial input into the review and did not request prior approval of its content. The opinions expressed are entirely the reviewer’s own.