Sandakan lad's passion for landscape photography pays off
Published on: Monday, April 06, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: When shooting landscapes through the lens, no one would have the passion of Jonathan Tan, 31, from Sandakan. Sixteen years into photography and he still gets butterflies in the stomach from searching for the "golden hour" of natural light to illuminate his subject. "It's that one moment that we know could never return anymore in time," he said just minutes into the launching of his first exhibition in the city.
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Tan has already made quite a name for himself as a photographer after becoming one of two photographers to star in Bio Channel's "Shoot for the Sky" series in 2011. A series based on two photographers trying to capture aerial shots of Sabah while learning to fly the paramotors, which had multiple airtime in Singapore. "It took us two weeks to learn how to fly when it normally takes three months," he said. Stories behind the Bio Channel was that Tan was handpicked for the series after words over their idea to take aerial shots of Sabah was heard by show producers."
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Tan soon received the good news although he had initially scrap the idea for being too costly. "I asked them how, and they suggested the paramotor," said Tan.
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Tan started in photography as a hobby after receiving his first camera at the age of 15. His interest grew while studying in Australia where had become inspired by the works of Aussie's pioneer landscape photographer, Ken Duncan. In Australia, he visited Duncan's gallery every week to get inspiration and after trying taking some shots like his idol, he was finally convinced that it would become his niche. "Of course I was also doing a bit of photography then, but it was more on the portraiture which I was doing for friends. However, landscape (photography) has given some sort of satisfaction," he said. Tan runs his own gallery in Sandakan called Jonathan T Fine Print Gallery apart being a State Rugby player. But it was from running an organic farm and taking care some of the family business that has fuelled much of his photography projects in the early days, he said. While his best shots are on Sabah, his effort has taken him to countries like Australia, New Zealand and Iceland to "capture the moments of the golden hour". "There are many beautiful sites in places like Iceland, so everyone can take good shots there. "But Sabah is different. It's not like it's out there, you have to explore to find the good shot," said Tan of his best shots. His masterpieces on Sabah had always been a boon to the foreigners, unlike most "Sabahans who are already used to such images."The money he generated had been supported by a growing photography market in Asia, and it would be okay if he could earn an additional RM300 his normal photographs and up to RM3,000 on his exclusive photos. Despite a deep interest in landscape photography, Tan admitted that none of his work has made it on the walls of his home, as it would made his work bland if it was seen all the time. "I believe in seeing them less. Seeing too much of something will made its value depreciate and everyone will become complacent to appreciate," he said. Tan also released his first acclaimed pictorial book on Semporna titled "Moments of Tranquility", which is a book depicting the lives and sites of Semporna about five years before the Lahad Datu incursion, which he considered as his masterpiece."The book is a memory of what Semporna was before progress took over. The place now polluted and everywhere you go its no longer the same. It changed."I fell in love with Semporna although it was underrated," he said. On the book, Tan said he had wanted to show a side of Semporna no one has ever seen, as not many people are not so keen about the district, except for dive site Sipadan island, and the Sulu intrusion in 2013. "Actually, Semporna is more than that, there are many islands equally as scenic as Sipadan, and I wanted to explore them more than just the blue waters and white sandy beaches," he said. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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