However, Alexander John, a 21-year-old bird professional photographer, is an exception.
When the author spoke with Alexander on the phone to do the interview, he couldn’t help however be impressed by the eloquence radiated by this boy in the method he speaks.
Alexander began birdwatching when he was ten years old.
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“I got hooked into bird photography during a trip to Kathmandu, Nepal. That was when I started my journey as a birdwatcher.
“When I got into the field and I got more involved in bird photography, I started to venture into conservation and wildlife and nature photography,” he said.
During his journey, he photographed a wide array of birds, from typical types to the rarest ones that can be discovered.
His personal favourite is the Whitehead’s Trogon – among the most in-demand birds in Borneo.
“The Whitehead’s Trogon is endemic specifically to the montane forests of Borneo. It is commonly found in Kinabalu Park – just an hour and a half away from the city centre,” he explained.
Orange-breasted Trogon: A trogon with orange and yellow underparts (left). Bornean Banded Pitta.
According to Alexander, another bird that must be on every birder’s list is the Bornean Bristlehead.
“This species favours the canopy of the rainforest making it a difficult species to spot or photograph.
There’s only one Bristlehead in the world and that is the Bornean Bristlehead,” he said.
It took him 9 years to snap an image of the bird. He has actually likewise photographed the Blue-Banded Pitta – among the most stunning birds in Borneo and is endemic to the hill-slope forests of Borneo.
Pittas in basic feed upon the ground and favours leeches as their meal. Hence, the regional name “burung pacat” was provided to them.
“This was one of the hardest birds that I took a picture of – not in terms of time but in terms of hiking uphill and trekking the jungle.
“I took the picture in Tabin Wildlife Resort. It was one of my most memorable adventures. I got into the mud a lot,” he shared.
Another favourite of his is the Bornean-Peacock Pheasant – the rarest peacock pheasant on the planet.
“This mysterious and majestic pheasant is extremely shy and sensitive to humans. The Bornean Peacock-Pheasant is also endemic to the island of Borneo,” said Alexander.
The Bornean Peacock Pheasant – the rarest pheasant on the planet.
When asked whether bird photography can be a financially rewarding profession, Alexander said that if you wish to make money, you need to have the best platform.
However, he confessed that doing bird photography or wildlife photography as a full-time job here in Malaysia is tough.
“I don’t want to sound political but it’s a bit hard to make a living with wildlife photography here. It’s more of a passion and a hobby here.
“But there are a few very known photographers who were featured on National Geographic and so on. Having the right contacts is the key,” he said.
Alexander is presently working as a Professional Conference Organiser (PCO) for a regional business called Place Borneo.
Alexander explained that it is much easier for wildlife professional photographers to make money in nations such as the United States given that they have a great deal of wildlife publications there.
“I’ll be truthful with you, I can’t earn money simply by offering pictures. I’m doing this as an enthusiasm. But if there are individuals who wish to purchase my pictures, I would offer them.
“The understanding of individuals is that when you get an unusual bird or animal, you absolutely require to offer the picture. But that’s not how it works.
“I don’t mind the rarity or how typical the bird or animal is. As long as you get a good picture of that bird, there’s an opportunity you can offer it. It doesn’t need to be the rarest bird.
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“For instance, even if a bird is common here, it may not be so common to someone in the United States.
“It’s not about the rarity, it’s about the composition of the photo,” he stressed.
Furthermore, bird professional photographers likewise delight in the satisfaction that includes catching an evasive bird topic, giving them well-deserved bragging rights.
Bird professional photographers would generally offer their pictures to equip picture service providers such as Shutterstock to make money.
He said that getting acknowledgment from huge organisations such as National Geographic and Discovery Channel would help bird professional photographers in getting their name out there.
Therefore, he restated that everything come down to having the best contacts if you wish to make money in wildlife photography.
Alexander has actually offered his pictures to the similarity Sabah Tourism Board (STB) and Canon.
He likes to contribute his pictures particularly if it’s for nature and wildlife preservation.
In bird photography, Alexander said perseverance is whatever as one would need to await hours and often days simply to take the best picture.
“It takes a lot of patience. I’ll explain it to you in something that you like. Just imagine you want to get a nice car or a nice bike.
“It’s something that you’re willing to spend years working for because it’s your passion. You want it no matter how long you’re going to wait,” he said.
Alexander John (left) and Nenita.
Meanwhile, being caged at home throughout the pandemic provided Nenita Tan a newly found enthusiasm for bird photography.
As remaining at home was the only choice throughout the Movement Control Order (MCO), Nenita needed to turn to her environments to fill her time.
She constantly had a soft area for photography, especially landscape photography, however she had actually never ever attempted bird photography prior to.
One day, she saw some birds flying outside her house and she chose to start shooting. The rest was history.
“This was back in 2020 when the pandemic first started,” Nenita informed Daily Express.
Initially, she just took pictures of typical birds near her house.
As it stands, she has actually photographed more than 300 kinds of birds.
Some of the more special birds that she has actually photographed consist of Crested Wood Partridges, Bulwer’s Pheasants, Bornean Peacock-Pheasants, Orange-breasted Trogons, Whitehead’s Trogons, Whitehead’s Broadbills, Bornean Banded Pittas, Black-crowned Pittas, Helmeted Hornbills, and more.
To her, bird photography, or wildlife photography in basic, is intriguing since it is instructional.
Crested Wood Partridge: This short-tailed bird, decorated with a red crest, is approximately 25cm in size.
Bulwer’s Pheasant: This bird is endemic to Borneo. Nenita considers this as one of the most magnificent pheasants out there.
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Whitehead’s Broadbill: Only discovered in Borneo. Nenita said that this is among the “star birds” of Kinabalu Park.
She confessed that in the beginning, she did not understand much about birds. She even had difficulty recognizing typical birds such as sparrows.
“I don’t even know the names of most of the birds around my compound. But when I started (bird) photography, I started learning a lot of things,” she said.
Nenita never ever understood that there is a lot to find out about birds, from their names to which branches they come from.
She said that bird photography is rather a tough task and it needs perseverance.
“Birds will not wait for you (to take a shot). You really have to be patient and find your time. This is the challenging part,” she said.
She explained that given that the birds can fly off in an immediate, the professional photographer needs to be on his/her toes.
In explaining the technical elements of her photography, Nenita said that she would generally utilize either a 400mm or 600mm lens for her pictures.
“But it all depends on the aperture, one is 2.8 and the other is 5.6,” she said.
When asked whether bird photography is a pricey pastime, Nenita said that it would depend upon the kind of equipment you select to acquire.
If one were to purchase the quality ones, the rate would absolutely be more pricey.
However, she said that there are more affordable alternatives out there which would still work.
Driven by her newly found enthusiasm, Nenita took a trip all over Sabah to even more explore what nature needs to use.
She has actually been to Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Maliau Basin Conservation Area, Sukau, Sandakan and more.
Interestingly, she chooses to do her own driving.
“I drive around. I would drive for 10 to 12 hours. I do this with a friend, of course.
“I just enjoy nature. You are so at peace when you are in the jungle with the birds and the fresh air,” she said.
Nenita journeys almost each month. She simply returned from a 20-day journey to Iceland.
She wants to see more youths get bird or wildlife photography as a pastime and she prepares to arrange roadshows in schools to promote the activity.
She likewise wishes to see more ladies in the scene given that there are not that lots of here in Sabah.
Nenita worried that Sabahans are really lucky as Borneo is abundant in stunning and vibrant birds.
She suggested that there is a big capacity for bird seeing and bird photography in Sabah.
Nenita’s love for wildlife is exhibited in her function as the Past President of The Lions Club of Kota Kinabalu.
