Black & White Category May 2020 Winner, captioned “Morning with my buddies. A boy named Syukor playing with hundred of buffaloes belonging to his father in early morning in Terengganu”, taken in Malaysia.
As ASIAN Geographic’s annual Images of Asia (IOA) 2020 Photo/Videography Competition looms closer, submissions to our IOA Monthly competition – the precursor to our annual event – are pouring in. We have received stunning photos across the categories, and are now featuring our monthly winners in an exclusive interview!
Below is our interview with one of this month’s spotlight, Mohd Nazri Sulaiman, the IOA Monthly May 2020 Winner in the Black & White category, selected from the April 2020 entries.
AG: What is the story of your beginning and journey to creating great images?
Nazri: I started photography as a hobby then it turned to be as a freelancer since 2004. Now I am a full-time photographer based in Kuala Lumpur. Alongside a “normal” job as a photographer like a wedding, corporate, and a photography trainer, I love to travel as well. I learned to create great images by adding storytelling, good composition and lighting to my photos.
AG: How would you define your style and concepts you enjoy exploring?
Nazri: My genre is ‘people and places’. I love to capture people and their lifestyles. I am not so interested in pure portraits, but instead to capture the portrait of a people set against the background of their places.
AG: What is great photography to you, and are there any photographers you would like to work with?
Nazri: ‘A photo is worth a thousand words’. A great photo for me is the single photo which has a powerful story inside, which doesn’t require the photographer to write a long caption. It is when viewers can talk about the story of the photo in their own perspectives.
AG: What is your preferred imaging gear to work with and why?
Nazri: I have been a Sony user since their first model, the A100. I am still using a Sony A7R IV with Sony GM lens. The technology of Sony mirrorless full-frame camera and GM lens is superb. I haven’t occurred problems of unsharp images, noise and soft focus, and I am able to get a good moment for my shots without much hesitation.
AG: What is the next Asian destination you’d like to explore and why?
Nazri: My next Asian destinations are Pakistan and Mongolia, because of their people and scenery. The combination of their people, cultures, lifestyles, and environment makes me itch to take photos! Sarawak and Sabah are also on my list because they include places that I haven’t explored yet – especially some ethnicities in rural areas of the states.
AG: Can you share more about your current and upcoming projects?
Nazri: Actually I planned to travel to some places in the coming months but due to the pandemic, I have to postpone my journey. However, now I focus to complete my project of Pictorial Coffee Table Book on one of the states in Malaysia.
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Congratulations once again to Nazri for being the Images of Asia (IOA) Monthly Winner in the Black and White Category! You can check out Nazri’s Instagram here!
Read about the other May Photographer Features of Images of Asia Monthly Winners:
1. Black & White Category Winner, Mohd Nazri Sulaiman, with his photo taken in Terengganu, Malaysia
2. Wildlife Category Winner, Jophel Botero Ybiosa, with his photo taken in Batu Caves, Malaysia
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Love shooting photos of the vast and beautiful Asia? Submit your entries today! More details of Images of Asia Monthly here.
