Strobby’s photo

NPX: How long have you been interested nature photography?

Strobby: I started nature photography very recently, Dec 2008. Pick up my first DSLR around June 2008. I start shooting event and fashion show. Got quite boring after a while as it is always model coming out on the runway then shoot, shoot, shoot. Then, start to learn and love strobe (that how my nick, strobby come about) and start shooting abstract /still life. Wanted to use strobe on people and went into portrait. But my house CEO got to know I shoot Xiao Mei Mei and I nearly got “shoot” to death by her so this genre of photography went nowhere too .Went into wedding photography but was taxing ,shooting from morning to night ,the hour is too long and cannot fix into my schedule as i got to take care of the kid at home .Was discussing with colleague who is into photography too on what to shot next and he suggested bird photography , saying it is one of the most challenging kind of photography . I say why not and started looking for bird with my 80-200 mm Nikkor with a 2x but the picture quality is not there. Read about NPX Arthur article on Tamron 200-500 mm .After viewing all the great pic of Arthur and Reno, I bought the tammy and start shooting as often as my time permit.

NPX: What do you like about it in particular?

Strobby: The fresh air early in the morning when I go bird hunting. Getting away from the buzz of city life and the adrenaline rush when I see bird that I wanted so much.

NPX: How did you learn photography techniques?

Strobby: Mainly through reading from the internet and ask around whenever I face problems. I have met a lot of nice people in NPX that share their experience with me.

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

Strobby: Being sure a newbie, I am style-less…hehehe. Just shoot and see how to compose when I am back home. But I love work from Mark Chua, Ingo and Adrian whose pic is always very inspiring.

NPX: What are the stuff in your dry cabinet? What are the items in your bag during birding?

Strobby: Very basic stuff , D300 body , trusty and al cheapo 50mm 1.8, Tamron 17 -50 mm F2.8 for landsacpe. Old 80-200 mm f2.8 Nikkor for event and portrait. And of course the tammy 200-500mm. Hope to add a 500 prime someday… hehehehe
For birding the D300 with the tammy 200-500, 1.4x, sb 600 flash and always a remote trigger that save me during some low light situation.

NPX: Which is your favorite bird species and why?

Strobby: Don’t really have a specific favorite bird species, being a newbie anything that is a lifer will set me firing away ….hehehe

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

Strobby: I started macro some year ago with a canon prosumer G9, but sold it away to get a D80. Maybe I will pick up macro again. Macro world is quite interesting as you got to see detail that you will not be able to see with your naked eye in day to day life.

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

Strobby: It was when the black backed kingfisher visited MacRitchie Reservoir in Feb 2009 .Due to the tight schedule I have at that time ,was really trill to squeeze out some time to go shoot it , when I reach there, it started to rain very heavily and i have to take shelter . It is a do or die situation as I will not be able to squeeze out time for this guy soon, so i went on location when the rain got smaller. What greeted was not a black backed kingfisher but a buffy fish Owl at eye level around 10 meters away. After some static shot it gives me another bonus and went hunting. No shot of the black backed kingfisher that day but was happy to see my first owl in the wild.

NPX: What are the challenges you’ve faced?

Strobby: There is something in life that you won’t mind it to be longer …I mean focal length (what are you thinking about …hehehe) …with the tammy i am always stuck with 500mm , i rarely put on the 1.4x as this make the camera sound like a donkey…EEEEEE…OOOOOO (searching) a lot ,the bird always look small on my view finder . As i approach it, it took off….%*&#$

NPX: Which is your favorite playground and why?

Strobby: Japanese garden, Chinese Garden and Old Jurong Lake Park. Seem to me there is always new bird to shoot during migration period. Will like to venture out of Singapore, like Panti, KK if I have the chance but since I am not driving very difficult… so those reading this and don’t mind a newbie tacking along , please jio me hor …hehehehe

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

Strobby: Ok!
1) Buffy Fish Owl as state above

2)Short-tailed Babbler
Have a chance to see a Short-tailed Babbler bathing under very low light, love the sparkling water under the flash

3)Large-tailed Nightjar
The moment i see a nightjar is it always flying away from me .somehow i am always scaring it . Was happy to see my first NJ with a good perch

4)Striped Tit-babbler
Common bird but i love the colour combination with the orange on green background

NPX: Thanks for your time!

Strobby: Thanks you for inviting a newbie like me. Hope that more people will join in this genre of photography and have a great time shooting bird and make new friend along the way. Thanks again.