Welcome to PT Explorers, Jayprakash, we are thrilled to have you here! Do you mind introducing yourself to our readers?
I am a nature and wildlife conservation photographer, I teach photography and also work on photo stories around environment issues like waste management, recycling, plastic etc. for NGO and government organisations, and occasionally make wildlife documentaries
Where did your passion in wildlife photography begin?
I grew up in the Niligiris in Tamil Nadu, India surrounded by amazing nature and incredible biodiversity in the mountains, what started as a hobby a little more than a decade ago eventually led me to becoming a full-time nature photographer.
Would you say that your defining moment in wildlife photography was when you won the National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year Award in 2017? Why or why not?
Well from a career standpoint yes. Winning the grand prize as the National geographic nature photographer of the year in 2017 kind of put my career on the fast track. It only added more fuel to my passion for nature and photography and pushed me to tell more meaningful stories of nature and wildlife.
Do you feel like you’ve changed as a photographer since you won this award? What’s been different and what’s been the same?
Winning a big award only adds more responsibility on our shoulders, Now people look up to me and my work so it was important for me to tell stories that made a difference and use the opportunity to impact people’s lives, help conservation, help with fundraising and other activities that could make a difference.
Your work has shown that Orangutans are quite special to you. Where did that arise from?
I have always been fascinated by monkeys and primates. Growing up in the Nilgiris, My grandparent’s village in the mountains was surrounded by hundreds of Nilgiri Langurs, a species endemic to the place and is now an endangered species. I remember watching them and following them around sometimes even chasing them and playing. But my first Orangutan encounter was at the Singapore ZOO and I was in awe of this species since then.
What can you tell us about your photography work with Orangutans?
I have spent most of my last three years photographing orangutans in Borneo. I am an ambassador for two organisations namely Orangutan Allianze and Borneo Orangutan survival. My responsibility is to tell stories of the plight of the orangutans through my pictures, Photo exhibitions to raise awareness and occasionally talks in schools and colleges raising awareness. Visual media is a very strong medium to educate people on the issues, challenges and conservation stories. Education is a key aspect to bring change in the society and help people look at nature and wildlife from a different perspective. To sum it up my goal has been to help people fall in love with the amazing Orangutans and other primates.
It seems as though you’ve had your fair share of travel and wildlife experiences! What are some of your truly memorable moments to the Japan seas for food.
Other than spending time with Oragutans one of my most memorable experiences was to see hundreds of stellar eagles gather in Japan in peak winter when these eagles migrate from Russia to the Japan seas looking for food.
Do you have any iconic places or locations that draw you back for more photography?
Borneo will always be a special place for me. One of the largest rainforests in the world with amazing biodiversity.
Is there an animal that you are yet to photograph but would like to visit them this year unfortunately with the cover pandemic situation I don’t think it will be possible this year.
The golden snub-nosed monkeys from china. I was supposed to visit them this year. Unfortunately, with the COVID pandemic situation I do not think it will be possible this year.
It seems as though you’re drawn to photographing a variety of ape species. Tell us more!
A photo story book on primates of south east Asia is in the works but I am still far away from publishing since I am yet to see some of them. A lot of them are critically endangered and hard to find.
Do you have any photography dreams that you are yet to accomplish?
So many of them to mention. The mountain gorillas, chimpanzees and all the species of sun nosed monkeys would be a dream come true. Hopefully in the near future!
What is in the camera bag of Jayprakash Bojan?
Currently I am an Olympus User and predominantly use a Olympus EM1X, OMD EM1 MarkII , OMD EM1 MarkIII along with a whole range of Olympus lenses ranging from wide to 600MM. Most of my work is on foot and very rarely do safari photography, so it involves long treks in humid conditions, camping, crossing swamps on foot etc. hence I prefer a smaller light weight kit that can still give me reasonably good image quality for publications, exhibitions etc.
What are your three top tips for photographing wildlife that aren’t said enough?
Research, knowing your subject and landscape and more importantly a lot of patience!
In your belief, what poses the largest threat to wildlife conservation? As a photographer what can be done about it?
Habitat destruction is probably the primary threat across the world. Visual media is probably the most effective tool to educate people on everything that is happening with wildlife and habitats. For me, there are two aspects to my photography, one is to help people fall in love with wildlife and the second aspect is to tell stories of the animals and habitats that badly need help to sustain and survive. Strong visuals help educate a larger audience and also help with fundraising for conservation efforts.
As a wildlife photographer, how do you capture emotion and show the importance of conservation issues?
Capturing emotions is time consuming and requires a lot of patience. There are a few million images shared every day on social media and many of those images are beautiful images, but just beautiful images may not be very impactful.
In most cases you do not remember them. Images that can emote and connect with people are usually the images that people will remember for a long time and also helps with conservation messages.
Do you think that there’s a certain ethic to follow when taking photographs in the wild? Are there are any ethics/values you keep in mind when doing so that you can share with our readers?
Ethics has always been a controversial topic and there are varied perspectives, but simply put anything that can have an adverse effect on an animal or the habitat should be avoided. To sum it up I would say “Doing the right thing when you are not being watched in the field” would be my definition without getting into the details.
In the time of Covid-19, there is a rising awareness of protecting and preserving our planet. Do you have any thoughts you’d like to share in light of this recent outbreak? How has it impacted you as a photographer?
Indeed there is a heightened level of awareness under the current circumstances and there is enough evidence that proves the theory that the environment needs urgent protection. But, I also feel with the huge impact on the economies around the world, most governments may overlook the environment in favour of driving the economy to normalcy and I see a more adverse effect on the environment in the coming years. I could be wrong, but this is my personal reading of the current situation.
Do you have any final thoughts you’d like to share with our readers?
Firstly, I want to thank all the folks on the field slogging it out saving the environment, animals and habitats and secondly in these tough times request people to donate for conservation.
If you want to help me and the organisations I support for Orangutan conservation please go to https://support.orangutan.or.id/donations and make a donation, every cent counts.
