Throughout the years in university, every undergraduate should have experienced at least one photoshoot in school.
For those in my faculty, it was almost a rite of passage for freshmen to take OOTDs. But, not only do you have to werk your look, you have to find a location that looks good too.
Fast forward a few years, we’ve lost our vigour for dressing up for photos. But hey, you can still benefit from our experience. Besides the ubiquitous white wall shots, here are eight photo spots around Nanyang Technological University (NTU) that you can shoot at!
1. Walkway At South Spine, Towards Student Affairs Office
What’s special about this walkway is that the arch and the pillars frame your subjects perfectly. It also helps that the colours are pleasing to look at.
If you stand in the centre of the frame, the leading lines at the sides will naturally direct the viewers’ eyeline towards you. If you’re OCD, obtaining that perfect symmetry would be so satisfying too.
Besides, the location is easily accessible — just a slight detour away from Koufu or a 3-minute walk or less from your lecture theatres at South Spine.
2. School Of Art, Design And Media (ADM) Building
I’m not sure if the school was designed to reflect the creativity of its students or if it’s just a happy coincidence but the ADM building is a treasure trove for creative photoshoots.
One photo op is the gray wall right at the entrance into ADM. This provides the perfect sleek and minimal background and you can alter the look and feel of your photos by shooting from the side or from right in front. The wall is wide enough for group shots too.
Another location is at the lockers along the hallway at level B1. Add some depth into your shots by taking it from the side so the lights will give a nice bokeh effect.
Otherwise, just use the lockers as your background and it’ll look like a shot straight out of a college movie. (You know how confrontations always seem to happen at the lockers?)

Of course, when you mention a photoshoot, one of the places that will always pop up is the ADM rooftop. Here you can run across the vast greens or leap into the air. It’s like the Marina Barrage rooftop, but in school.
3. Wee Kim Wee School Of Communication And Information (WKW) Rooftop
In WKW, photo ops are pretty much everywhere, which is perfect for weekids who love taking photos. Start at level one, where you can take a shot in front of the mural, which was hand-drawn by some of the students.
Afterwards, take the lift up to level four for some shots at the rooftop. I’m not entirely sure what the blue structures are supposed to be but hey, they add a vibrant pop of colour to your photos. You can even dress in denim to match the background.
4. Staircase En Route From WKW To Koufu
Head towards Koufu from the WKWSCI bus stop and you’ll come across this long staircase.
This is one of those random locations that somehow looks great for a photo op. It’s like the never-ending stairs are a symbol for the never-ending assignments and projects students face each sem.
5. Entrance To National Institute Of Education (NIE) Building
My friend insists that this place, right outside the NIE building, looks reminiscent of Hobbiton, the Hobbit village.
To me, it looks as though you’re on vacation somewhere tropical. Maybe you can throw on some shades and a hat to dupe your friends that you’re on a holiday mid-sem? It’ll only work if they haven’t been to the NIE building though.
6. Level B1 & Above Of The Hive
Besides the ADM rooftop, another super common photoshoot location is the Hive.
I’ve even seen tourists popping by and taking photos of students in lessons. Also, it’s a common sight to see countless people leaning over to get this shot and a few couples have even chose to take their pre-wed photoshoots here.
Admittedly, with the rough industrial design and the pops of green, the Hive looks almost futuristic and it sure looks great in photos.
7. The Hive Rooftop
When you’re at the Hive, take the lift straight to the top floor for another good location to take photos at, besides the typical #topdown/ #fromabove shots. You can get a panoramic view of NTU and the surrounding estates here and it’s a great place to chill at too.
8. Any Space With Greenery
Students often refer to NTU as “Pulau NTU” because of its isolated location and the abundant greenery everywhere.
Seriously, you can find so many areas that’ll look as though you’re in a forest if you frame the shot creatively. For instance, the two shots above were taken at completely random locations while walking around the university.
So, you really just need to flex your imagination and most locations can turn out looking great. Get creative with your shots, strike up a pose and have fun exploring!
Nanyang Technological University: 50 Nanyang Ave, Singapore 639798 | Website
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