By Tiffanie Lau Siew Teng (26A01B, Chairperson) 

Are you someone who’s always been interested in photography, but never dared to try a professional camera? Or someone who’s the designated photographer at every function?  

Or maybe you’re someone with years of photographic experience under your belt, looking for new avenues to express your creativity and let your skills shine? 

Whatever your story or background, the Raffles Art and Photographic Society (RAPS) is where you can sharpen your skills, share your vision, and see the world through a new lens. All you need is a passion for photography and the enthusiasm to take your skills to the next level! 

Now that we’ve captured your interest, read on to learn more about RAPS! 

Not Like Other Photographic Societies 

RAPS is Not Like the Other photographic societies. After a merger with the Visual Arts Club in 2024, our CCA now has a stronger focus on taking artistic and creative pictures. 

Deck the Walls 

This is especially evident in our new and improved flagship project — Deck the Walls (DTW). DTW is our CCA’s annual photoshoot of all the CCAs in RI. These pictures then deck the walls from J block to the ISH for the whole school to admire. 

In 2025, we started making these shoots more creative, working with each CCA to capture not just their members, but also their unique spirit and energy. It’s a fun challenge, and gives us a chance to put everything we’ve learnt from CCA into practice — from planning the concept and directing the shoot, to taking the photos in a dynamic and interesting way. We even bring our art skills into the process by digitally illustrating the photos after shooting!

Our DTW photos are also used in the graduation yearbook, meaning that everyone in our batch will have a copy of our work to cherish for years to come. 

Event Coverage 

Of course, the other main focus of our CCA is Event Coverage (EC)! RAPS members are deployed at major school events, symposiums, NSGs, CCA showcases, and more. We often get exclusive access to restricted or backstage areas, as well as the best viewing spots for the most in-demand concerts and performances. EC is also a great way to support your friends’ CCAs while capturing their biggest moments on camera. 

Typical CCA sessions 

Our CCA sessions are once a week on Tuesdays, from 4:30pm – 6:30pm. The CCA environment is very relaxed, and RAPS members are similarly really chill people! During CCA sessions, we work on batch projects such as DTW, learn new skills from different instructors regarding photography and digital art, and even head for outdoor shoots. 

Additionally, we do collaborations with other CCAs where we help to take pictures for their publicity materials. Some CCAs we have collaborated with in the past are Raffles Runway and Raffles Entrepreneur’s Network (REN).  

Does all this sound exciting? If yes, then RAPS is definitely the place for you. We look forward to seeing you in 2026! 

Here’s a riddle to keep you company until then: 

I’m the thief you’re glad to host,  
Capturing what matters most.  
No sound I make, no step I take, 
I point, I shoot, and no one breaks. 

What am I?