Wildlife in Paradise

In December 2012, I was commissioned by Bali Zoo to produce a 120 page hardcover book to showcase the animals and activities at the zoo. The photographs in the book were captured over a total period of two weeks that I spent with these amazing animals. Unlike my previous nature projects that were done in the wild, the greatest obstacle was to overcome the distractions of grim looking bars and fencing both in the foreground and background, and reflections off glass to get the right image. There was a lot of hanging around and patience involved in order to best capture the animal’s character and intricate details of its body. Timing was also important to take full advantage of the natural light and increased activity of the animals during feeding times.

Cameras used for this project were Canon 5DMark III, Canon 5D Mark II and Canon 1D Mark III. Lenses included the 600mm f/4, 400mm f/2.8, 24-70mm f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8, 15mm fisheye and the 50mm f/1.8.

10% of the proceeds from sale from Wildlife in Paradise will be donated by Bali Zoo to the Friends of Nature Park Foundation (FNPF) which is well known for its conservation of the Bali mynah - Bali's emblem and one of the world's most endangered birds.

Wildlife in Paradise was launched at Bali Zoo on the 28th of May 2013 and another launch was held at Pacific Place Mall in Jakarta on the 30th of May 2013. The Malaysian High Commissioner to Indonesia did the honors in Jakarta.

With the kecak dancers from left: Omar Ariff, Jos Parengkuan, Lesmana Putra and Nik Kamil.

The book retails for Rp. 349,000 and is available from the Bali Zoo.