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Interview with William Susanto

5 October 2009 No Comment

NPX: How long you’ve been involved in photography.

As a casual photographer, I’ve touched camera since my university days in Australia. My brother owned a photo processing shop there and sell cameras on the side. He gave me one of the trade-in camera, it was a Minolta SLR with standard lens. I cant exactly remember which model it was now.. It was my first camera, and I used it to take snapshots of myself and friends throughout my university time. It was kind of trigger happy moments, knowing that film and processing was free of charge for me..

2003 was a big year for digital photography with the launch of mass-market ‘affordable’ Canon 300D. I decided to jump into the bandwagon and got my first DSLR. As a newbie one has to obviously plough through the internet looking for tips and suggestions. I tried my hands on various genres… events, sports, weddings (for friends), landscape and even took a workshop on studio photography.. Right from the start I could tell I wasn’t very comfortable taking photos of people as I fear to intrude into their privacy. From all those genres that I tried initially, I was more inclined towards Sports photography.

NPX: If it was Sports photography that you like, why the switch to nature?

I like Sports photography partly because of 3 reasons. Firstly, I don’t feel the sense of intruding into their privacy because sportsmen and atheletes welcome the attention.. Haha.. Secondly, the fast-paced action and expressions on their face, be it joy or despair was fun to capture. Lastly, with sports the investment into lenses were not as damaging.. I relied on Sigma 70-200 and 120-300 on sports.

So I started taking taking football, rugby, polo, cycling, golf etc which I enjoyed. But there’s always a truth in the old saying don’t mix pleasure with business. I started freelancing on sports and shot for Singapore Polo Club. That is when the deadline pressure starts coming in and when it becomes a chore instead of a hobby, things are always less pleasurable.. Haha..

But in Sports I did get a lucky break. With pure luck I was able to get trackside access to shoot MotoGP and paddock access for Formula 1 at Sepang. That remains my most memorable moment from the early days..

So to shoot F1 at Sepang I got the Sigma 120-300 from Wkcheah. He casually mentioned with this lens you can actually start shooting birds.. Well, as fate would have it once I started on it, I never looked back. Hahaha..

NPX: So that’s how you got hooked on nature photography.. Tell us more..

Well starting on bird photography aint bed of roses. I experienced all the difficulties that newcomers faced. How and where to find the birds? Back in those days, information wasn’t really forthcoming as one has to be on the circle of trust to enjoy the up to date info and sightings info are kept confidential.. So it was kind of frustrating.

I am always for the idea of sharing, be it nestings or rare birds. I am happy when I see my fellow bird photographers happy and get their shots. So it was a bit disheartening at the beginning. Afterwards I can understand that things happen for a reason. So I just accepted that fact and be at peace with the politics surrounding bird photography. I take bird photography in Singapore as a platform for me to hone my skills and most importantly make friends. These would be the friends that I can count for company when I go on overseas trips. Hehe..

The challenging nature and unpredictability of nature photography is what appeals to me so much. A nature photographer does not have the luxury of a studio setup where lighting and subject are within one’s control. To make a decent photo I have to pray that all the right elements work in my favour. End of the day things doesn’t always go my way and I just have to accept it as part and parcel of it.

NPX: Where do you learn your techniques?

I obtained my Masters in Action Photography from Yale and PhD in Bird Photography from Cambridge. Nah, kidding..
Just like most people here, we all learn from the net and sharing thru the forums.. Tips and tricks here and there.

NPX:Who inspires and influences your style?

After knowing many of the fellow forum members at NPX, I get to understand their unique style and preferences. They are all a source of inspiration to me in their own way. Adrian (wmw998) , Mark Chua, Mountainman are a handful of those that produces photos with stunning details and sharpness that constantly blow me away.. I look up to Jz and Hilary Hoe for their action shots and ability to capture shots I never think possible. I admire Ingo and Ender for going all corners in pursuit of rare birds. I love the artistic flair of Roger Deng. While on trips I always enjoy the company of Eric Pooi, Starrynight and the late Dr. Remo

You’ve tried macro and bird photography.. How different are those two?

In short, macro photography is back-breaking and bird photography bank-breaking!.

NPX:Which one genre of nature photography you’d like to pursue in the future and why?

I always like to get my hands on underwater photography. The world down there is beautiful and colourful..
But before I start doing that, I have to take swimming lessons first hahaha..

NPX:Pls share with us the stuff you have in your camera bag

I’ve used Minolta, Nikon, Sigma and Canon so I don’t really have any brand affinity so long the equipment can do the job.
For birds and wildlife, I use Canon 600mm and Canon 300mm couple with 1DMk3.
For macro, I use Lumix point and shoot.
For overseas trips, I like to carry my gears onboard in 2 bags, Lens Trekker 600mm and mini trekker.

NPX:While pursuing your hobby, which is (are) the most memorable moments (happy, not so happy, scary) to date?

While pursuing the Small Blue Kingfishers in Bali, I went down to the mangrove and got stuck in the mud. I lost my sandals in the process and had to spend the next half or one hour digging myself out of it.

On the way back from Kenya in 2006 the plane we’re in had engine trouble during take-off, bursting all its 8 tyres and caught fire. I still have the phobia of plane taking off to this day.

Didn’t do proper research for my trip to Japan in 2008. I was a few weeks too late… the snow was gone, the cranes have retreated to nest and the Stellar Sea Eagles have gone back to Siberia. I will always remember what my wife said.. As our plane was approaching Kushiro airport, she said ‘ Huh, where are the snow?’ hahhaa that was classic.

And last year while in the Pinnacles Desert in Australia I accidentally locked the key inside the rental car while pursuing the crested pigeon. Hertz promised to send rescue vehicle before dark but it never came. From movies the car windows always seems so easy to smash.. But not the windows on my rental car.. Hahaha..