[ad_1]
SINGAPORE – Founded by the Covid-19 pandemic, two photographers who typically spend most of their time traveling outside of Singapore decided to document wild residents at Pasir Ris Park in September.
On Christmas Eve, they released a video titled Residents Of The Park, which was praised by Minister of State for Home Affairs Desmond Tan on Sunday.
“When I saw the video for the first time, I was impressed by the content and quality of the production and it was only towards the end of the documentary that I realized that it was shot in its entirety in Pasir Ris Park, and by two residents of Pasir Ris, “said Mr Tan, who is also Minister of State for Sustainability and Environment and MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, in a Facebook post.
The short film follows the results of a survey on wild animals at the Pasir Ris farm released on December 8 by Chief Minister Teo Chee Hean.
The results indicated that the majority of the residents wanted wildlife to roam their neighborhood.
Fighting mud jumpers and mating horseshoe crabs are just a few exciting sequences captured by professional nature and wildlife photographer Jayaprakash Joghee Bojan and artist Dan Ng, who spent almost every day following the animals.
“We wanted to help people fall in love with nature by showing them a different perspective. We also did it for free because nature should be for everyone,” said Jayaprakash, 46.
The 11-minute clip marks the first collaboration between Jayaprakash and 26-year-old Ng, who met just four months ago in Pasir Ris Park.
The unlikely partnership began when a dazzled Ng asked Jayaprakash, who was awarded National Geographic’s Nature Photographer of the Year in 2017, for a selfie at Pasir Ris Park on Sept. 1.
Mr. Jayaprakash said: “Dan said he was a fan of my work on Instagram when he asked me for a selfie. I met him again at the stoplight. After taking a look at his work, I asked him if he was interested in meeting us at 5.30 am at Pasir Ris Beach to take some photos “.
That kickstarted the project, in which the duo spent around half a day shooting footage for about three months.
“Most of it was waiting for things to happen. Everything is first hand when shooting animals, so there is no room for error,” said Ng, who is also a creator of travel and lifestyle content. .
“Travel photography can be arranged, but for nature and wildlife photography, you need to have the patience to wait and find it,” added Jayaprakash.
They attributed their success in recording unusual images in part to residents who live near the park.
“We relied heavily on residents to inform us about wildlife sightings in the park. One resident, Peter, has been observing these creatures for about 20 years,” Jayaprakash said.
Beyond the sightings, making the video has also brought them closer to frequent park visitors.
“I really appreciate all the genuine connections we have made while filming at Pasir Ris Park,” said Mr. Ng.
“There is a dog named Summer who is credited with the video. She is like a therapy dog for everyone in this park,” added Jayaprakash.
The budding partnership between the two is set to continue, with at least two episodes about wildlife in Singapore in the pipeline.
“Dan was my 2020 find. He is an amazing storyteller. Considering the fact that he was new to the wild, he amazed me with his ability to learn so quickly in a short span of three months,” Jayaprakash said.
To which Mr. Ng added: “All this would not have happened without him. Teamwork makes the dream work.”
[ad_2]
