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The natural treasures of Perak is showcased in a new book.
WHEN the idea of a coffee-table book on the natural attractions of the state of Perak was broached, photographer Omar Ariff Kamarul Ariffin was doubtful if he could get the job done. But he need not have worried. In the end, the book is a hefty 320-pages thick and he reluctantly had to leave out many images.
“I would have continued photographing, if I hadn’t stop myself,” confesses the 45-year-old photographer. “Initially, I was sceptical as the only well-known nature spot in Perak is the Belum forest. And you usually associate nature photography with Sabah, Sarawak and Taman Negara. But after researching, I found that the state has many interesting places.”
Perak eventually offered Omar a diverse range of landscapes to shoot at, from the archaeological dig at Lenggong Valley to the limestone caves of Kinta Valley, lowland forests of Lata Kekabu and Ulu Kenas, mangroves of Lumut and Matang, highland forest of Bukit Larut, riverine reserves of Sungai Perak, and even the mining ponds of Batu Gajah.
Up close: Photographed at the Bukit Slim Forest Reserve in Ulu Slim, Perak, the Indo-Chinese rat snake is a ground-dweller and preys on rodents and frogs. – Pics courtesy of Omar Ariff Kamarul Ariffin The result is that Perak – The Natural Heritage brims over with stunning images of birds, insects, snakes, lizards, frogs, tortoises and mammals which inhabit the state’s wilderness.
The Raja Muda of Perak Raja Dr Nazrin Shah had commissioned the book to promote the state’s unique natural wonders. In the foreword, he wrote of a childhood spent exploring the state’s stunning natural and historical features, which cultivated in him a love and appreciation of the environment.
“The book offers a glimpse into the astounding natural treasures of Perak and it is my hope that it will persuade many readers to visit this beautiful state,” he wrote.
Omar says the book gives readers an idea of the different and varied wildlife of Perak. “The landscapes are different and so are the animals. I am extremely lucky that Tuanku has given me the chance to come out with the book.”
Perak – The Natural Heritage offers readers a glimpse of the richness of Perak’s wildlife. Nature fascinates the photographer who has two previous publications – Pusaka Bumi and Corak (patterns in nature up close, compiled with proverbs from 80 countries) – on the topic, out of the nine that he has published over a span of 15 years.
“(With nature) you never know what to expect. It is not like photographing the F1 (which he has done several times) where you know what is to come, when the car will turn round the bend. You can set your camera up, chit-chat with people, and then press the trigger at the right time. In the forest, it is never the same. The scenery, the kind of animals you see, they are different with each visit and changes, before and after a downpour.”
Fresh angles
This is not the first coffee-table book featuring Perak’s natural attractions but Omar made his different by his trademark close-up angles. This renders stunning shots such as those detailing the elaborate scales of a snake’s body, the rainbow of hues on the agamid lizard and the aggressive stance of the mantis about to pounce on an attacker.
(With nature) you never know what to expect - OMAR ARIFF KAMARUL ARIFFIN “I don’t like it to be obvious, (for) then it becomes predictable. That’s what I like about nature photography,” says Omar, who honed his skills in macro photography in the marine realm when he was a dive instructor in the 1990s. He ventured into photography full-time in the late 1990s, shooting special events and commissioned projects, such as the Petronas four-wheel drive expeditions which took him to Africa and Siberia.
He started work on Perak – The Natural Heritage in early 2008, finally completing it two and a half years later. To ensure a top-notch product, he fussed over the project and made it a point to work with an acclaimed publisher and sought out quality paper and binding. So readers are rewarded with a visual feast of photos so brilliant and sharp that the animals appear life-like; you can even make out the fines lines on the Asian fairy bluebird’s plumage and the specks of dirt on the fire-tufted barbet’s bill.
Flipping through his book is like going armchair trekking: you get to see a myriad of creatures without having to don boots or work up a sweat. In fact, these are creatures you are unlikely to spot in the forest, either for lack of a sharp eye or because you just do not know where to look.
Omar has portrayed cryptic creatures which otherwise would have gone unnoticed or are too well-camouflaged to be discernible: the glow worm which is actually a stick-like beetle; the katydid that mimics a leaf; the mantis that could pass off as an orchid bloom; and the bristle-sporting David Bowie spider.
And hard as it may be to like the tiger leech, it actually is quite pretty when magnified, sporting brilliant stripes of red, yellow and green.
The long-tailed macaque at Matang Mangrove Reserve is also known as the crab-eating macaque but here, it is prying open a cockle. To best capture nature, Omar took time to study and understand animal behaviour. “That’s also what makes nature interesting. You learn along the way. And you have to let the animals get comfortable with you.”
To shoot a mangrove crab, for instance, he waited patiently in his boat for over 15 minutes until the crab emerged from the mudflats and slowly climbed up a tree.
The quest for perfection saw him seeking out different facets of animal behaviour. The Indo-Malayan bamboo rat was snapped with its mouth agape and the long-tailed macaque, while prying open a cockle. One shot has readers staring into the throat of the mangrove snake while in another, the blue-winged pitta grappled with a wriggling worm.
Helpful guides
He photographed the animals in their natural habitats, and mostly at night as that is the time when his favourite subjects, frogs and geckos, are most active. Also, the cloak of darkness gives his images a clean, uncluttered background. He explains that it is also easier to shoot birds at night as they will be perched and sleeping.
I had to pose THE question: Did he see any tigers?
“No, didn’t even hear them. You’ll have to be very lucky to see or hear them.”
The horned tree lizard from Bukit Slim Forest Reserve changes colour to blend into its surroundings. But the forests of Perak have lots of other wild and rare inhabitants to excite him, such as the green land snail that is found only in the state, the leaf insect that exists only in the vicinity of Jalan Pahang (on the way to Cameron Highlands), and other seldom-sighted species such as the vampire crab and cinnamon tree frog.
Many were spotted only because of his knowledgeable and sharp-eyed orang asli guides whom he depended on totally while in the jungle environment, which can be harsh at times. They were the ones who kept him safe and helped weed out rare wildlife for him to photograph.
“When you’re in the jungle, you really want to be with people you trust, people who can help you find your way out should you get lost. To really appreciate the place you’re going to, you need to have the sifu (expert) of the place,” says Omar.
He also has his guides to thank for reaching some really wild, obscure places, such as the forests of Ulu Slim in southern Perak, where few have ventured. There, Omar photographed the rarely-visited Menau Falls which is accessible only by four-wheel drive, and animals such as the striped coral snake, mahogany frog and banded kingfisher.
He has also entered caves with beautifully lit chambers which few have stepped into, and reachable only with the right guide. Shooting caves prove to be a real challenge.
The mangrove snake, photographed at the Mangrove Park in Lumut, is also known as the gold-ringed cat snake. This aggressive serpent has a mild venom. “You have to be there at the right time for the light to come into the cave chamber. Sometimes, after trekking for an hour to get there, you wonder if there is going to be clouds, rain or the right light.” So getting that perfect shot might entail several trips.
Unrelenting in his pursuit of new subjects to photograph and that rare species, he would rush over whenever he gets a call from his guides. So while working on the book, it was quite normal for him to leave Kuala Lumpur at 3pm, reach Ipoh at 5pm and head into the forest at 6pm. He would be in the forest until 11pm, and then start driving back to the city.
“The orang asli have many stories and myths about the forest. Once, I photographed a slow loris right up to 2am. Driving back on my own, I started recalling all the stories about how the slow loris is an omen of death and usually found in cemeteries.” Needless to say, he sped up after that.
He has had to camp out in the jungle, and sleep in his four-wheel drive, a lorry and even in caves, with only a fire to keep animals away. He has been bitten by spiders and insects but when it comes to poisonous snakes, his guides would alert him and ensure that he keep his distance.
“There were times when I wondered if my four-wheel could get back, as we were so deep in old logging trails. And what happens if it goes off into a ravine?” So he practises caution and always carries a satellite phone with him.
Much to learn
One of his favourite places to photograph is Jalan Pahang which winds up mountainous areas towards the town of Tapah in Cameron Highlands.
“It is an insects’ world here because of the climb in elevation. I like insects as they make dramatic pictures.”
Photographs of many rare species never made it to the book, however, as Omar did not deem them good enough. The selected images are what he considers his best shots.
“I want pictures that speak to you. That is why I focus on the subject’s eyes and try to get eye contact in my pictures.”
His most satisfying photo in the whole book is that of three smooth otters – part of a group of 20 – scurrying in the mudflats of Sungai Sepetang. “They’re not easily located and are difficult to photograph in the wild. I was quite far away and used a 600mm lens to shoot. I’m always looking for them and I finally got a nice image of them, in a line and with birds in the background.”
It was not always about photographing wildlife, however. It was also a learning experience for with each foray into the wilderness, he got fresh insight into animal behaviour and made new discoveries.
“Some snakes will still be at the same place when I return the next day. They feed, and then rest.” He also learnt that the trio of tailorbirds which he had photographed, huddled together and faced different directions in their slumber, for safety’s sake.
And all those claims about jungle plants and animal organs being sex-boosting? Mostly untruths. “Rarely have I met an orang asli who eats something for its aphrodisiac value. For medicinal purposes, yes,” shares Omar.
It was a tough decision when to wrap up fieldwork for each time he felt he had collected enough images, the jungle – and his guides – summoned him back. “I’d get a call, saying they’ve found something new. I could have gone on photographing and had to put a stop to it.”
Omar is hopeful that the book, apart from giving glimpses of the wilds of Perak, will spur people to preserve these natural spaces and creatures for the future. This, too, is the aim of Raja Dr Nazrin, who wrote in the foreword: “I hope the extraordinary pictures contained herein will inspire a greater appreciation of the need for sustained conservation of these spaces. We must never allow short-sighted objectives to jeopardise our priceless heritage. We must instead do all we can to ensure it is passed on to future generations in its current condition.”
The many images left out of the book will not go to waste; Omar intends to use them for future publications. So there should be more wonderful coffee-table books celebrating nature from this photographer to look out for.
