How long have you been dabbling in nature photography?

I am a relative newbie to nature photography. Started taking my first nature images in April 2007…in our great Jurong Bird Park!

What do you like particularly about it?

I have always loved nature and animals since young. Nature photography gives me a good excuse to be out with nature and capture the beauty I see on my camera. The process of anticipating the special moments in nature photography especially in action images also gives me an adrenalin rush, maybe a little like a hunter waiting for the right moment to squeeze the trigger on his prey!

How did you learn photography techniques?

Basically reading up on magazines, books, internet and learning from many of the skilful photographers in NPX! It is also very important to spend time thinking about, digesting what I read/learnt and practice, practice and practice in the fields.

Were there any photographer(s) that you like and influences your style?

For foreign photographers, I admire the works of Jody Melanson and Miguel Lasa. As for our very own local photographers, I enjoy the images of JZ, Roger and Hilary the most. For me, these guys have one common point, they all are really good in impactful bird action photography and often with an artistic element to it. This is something I admire and strive to emulate in my own photography although I still sux big time in it!

What are the stuff in your dry cabinet? If you can only bring one lens out on your trip, which one will that be?

I have my trusty 1DM2N, 600mm F4, 300mm F2.8, 70-200mm F4 and 50mm F1.8 toy lens! If I really can only bring one lens, I must say that would be the 300mm F2.8 as it’s one of the most versatile lens for me in doing nature photography. It’s lightweight, easy to handhold, fast and provide good focal length options if married with 1.4x or 2x TCs.

Which is your favourite bird species and why?

I enjoy photographing seabirds the most and out of them, my favorite would have to be terns. Terns are always full of action, behavior and antics that give me reasons to go trigger-happy!

Which other genres of nature photography you’d like to pursue in the future? Why is it so?

I would really love to do more photography of other mammals especially the large ones such as elephants and big cats. It’s a dream of mine to capture images of a big cat chasing after its prey and yes, I know some of you have done it!

While pursuing your hobby, what is your most memorable moment to date?

There were many enjoyable moments that I can remember such as first time shooting ospreys at Kahang Farm, black-naped terns at Changi and the fun company with Wilis, Ender and Remo at Kinabatangan. But the one that really stood out was my first time shooting Little Terns at NT2. Although I was using 30D and very inexperienced, the exhilaration of getting the terns in my viewfinder for the first time really got me hooked on flight/action shots.

What are the challenges you’ve faced?

Biggest challenge is to find enough time and money to go for more overseas photography trips!

Please share with us a couple of your favourite images accumulated over the years. Please describe to us why you like these images.

One of the images which is memorable to me is this diving tern that was taken at Pasir Ris. Roger and I were there the whole afternoon waiting for the terns to dive just right in front of us. Luck played a big part as the terns could dive anywhere along the long canal. After waiting for a while, lady luck smiled on me and this tern dived right a few metres in front of me. I like this particular one of the series because of the splashes and how the bird is still clearly seen among the splashes.

Another one is an image of a favorite subject of mine – the common Little Heron. This juvenile hunts regularly by SBG Symphony Lake and is oblivious to the presence of people, enabling me to get a closeup shot of the moment it got its fish. I like this image for its low perspective (although I still think it can be lower!), thin DOF and sharpness/clarity of the fish being picked out from the water.

Any word of advise for beginners starting out on nature photography?

Firstly, try out different styles of shooting and different subjects. Observe how the experienced photographers work and learn from them. Eventually, figure out your own style, stick to it and practice hard. It also makes a difference to mentally visualize the image you want to capture and plan out how you would capture it and try till you get it!

You can view Jay’s work @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayyquix/sets/72157603535391693/show/