Metro

Monday May 13, 2013

Romancing nature’s wild side Kiwi lensman hopes to raise awareness on vanishing habitats

By JEREMY TAN
north@thestar.com.my
Photos courtesy of GRAEME GUY


Sheer power: An impactful image of a herd of Wildebeest crossing a river in Kenya. Sheer power: An impactful image of a herd of Wildebeest crossing a river in Kenya.

NATURE photographer Graeme Guy goes to great lengths to capture images of his subjects, and hopes his breathtaking shots will help inspire people to step up their conservation efforts.

A native of Wellington, New Zealand, he grew up surrounded by abundant wildlife and picturesque landscapes. And when photography piqued his interest during his high school years, both his passions converged.

“I started out shooting macro, partly because it was a cheaper setup, and also because where I lived, there were lots of butterflies and insects for me to photograph,” recalls Guy, a pharmacist and biochemist by training.

Beguiling: A white throated Kingfisher with its prey. The photo was shot in Penang. Beguiling: A white throated Kingfisher with its prey. The photo was shot in Penang.

After working in New Zealand and Britain, he moved to Singapore in 1988 were he was a professor and principal investigator with the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, and authored over 100 scientific papers.

It was then that he started taking photography seriously, and to date, he has won over 1,200 awards in international exhibitions. Now retired and living in Penang, he spends his time pursuing his passion.

“Over the years, I’ve acquired better cameras and lenses, and they’re the best lifetime investments any photographer could make.

“Though I try not to tell my wife the amount of money it costs!” he quipped at the opening of his solo exhibition, titled Our Natural Heritage, at G Hotel’s G Art Gallery on Wednesday.

The showcase features some 26 images taken mainly in Malaysia, but also in places like Kenya, Costa Rica, India and Australia. Most of them were shot with his baby, a 500mm telephoto prime lens, and a top of the range, full frame camera.

“It takes lots of patience, sometimes I’ve had to wait for hours or days, just to get the shot I wanted. I like action or behavioural shots of my subjects, so it also helps to be knowledgeable about the particular animal or bird.

“That way, you can anticipate and pre-empt your shot, and be in the right place when the magic moment presents itself,” revealed Guy, pointing to several shots of kingfishers with prey in mouth, as examples.

Although some images in the exhibition were shot in exotic locations, he was quick to emphasise that the majority of them were shot here in Penang.

“Penangites have got so much natural beauty around them, though they may not be aware of it.

“I hope my pictures can do the talking, and inspire them to preserve the priceless natural resources and species, for future generations to enjoy. Many habitats are fast disappearing, and more effort is needed,” Guy opined.

Serious work: Guy camouflaging to blend in with his surroundings on one of his photo outings. Serious work: Guy camouflaging to blend in with his surroundings on one of his photo outings.

Among his more memorable excursions were photographing wilderbeest in Kenya, as well as polar bears in Canada. But one trip to Australia, to photograph ospreys nesting, stands out the most.

“I was on a camping trip with friends when I saw those birds, though I did not have my camera then. When I returned home, the first thing I did was buy a plane ticket so I could go back and photograph them,” he explained.

Also present was G Hotel’s general manager Michael Hanratty. Guy’s exhibition runs until June 30. The gallery is located at the hotel’s 1st floor bridge link, and is open daily.

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