Graeme Guy

Hello, I am am Graeme Guy. I am a retired biochemist currently living in Malaysia with my wife Helen. I have been interested in photography from a very early age, I acquired a Kodak box camera and sought to capture images of my family and places where we went on holiday. When I was 12 I saw a wildlife film on the Serengeti in Tanzania. I was hooked on nature and wildlife and have combined this with my love of photography. I lived in Singapore for 22 years and started the Nature Photographic Society of Singapore.

The aim of most nature photographers I know is to record as many species as possible. My aim is somewhat different. I like to record animal behavior. I aim to record various aspects of the life-cycle of chosen subjects. With a scientific background I like to research a subject to find relevant information and then record as much as possible. Examples of such projects are; the mating displays of Australian bowerbird, the behavior of Dusky langurs and the life-cycles of endemic Malaysian bee-eaters. The aim is to record novel behavior.

An image of mine should have the following characteristics; the main subject should have all parts in focus, it should be well composed, it should be exposed correctly and should show aspects of the species behavior, preferably something unique or dramatic. Backgrounds are also important, preferably not white or showing white 'holes'.

American professional nature photographers Joe and MaryAnn McDonald had a major impact on my photography. I did several workshops under Joe's tutoring and went for three safaris with them; two to Kenya and one to the Falkland Islands.

Serendipity may provide some prime photographic moments but experience and preparation is paramount. Photographic gear needs to be carefully prepared. I will also research target subjects before fieldwork is carried out. Repeated observations are made in the field until you know that is likely to happen and to be in the right position when it does. I will also identify experts and ask their advice when appropriate. Good local guides are vital.

I was on a Safari in Kenya with the McDonalds and we were staying at a lodge on the Masai Mara when our vehicle left the compound at first light. Not far from our camp was a female cheetah with her three cubs. The cubs were romping around having fun when their mother called them together. They were sitting on a small rise apparently being taught to spot game when we positioned the vehicle to take our shots.

The selected image stood out because it most showed the elements outlined above. The important aspect was the direction the cheetahs were looking towards, They were all in focus but perfection was just missed with three out of four looking in my direction. Considering everything, this was a novel image as getting any species of youngsters aligned is always a rare event.

I was happy with elements of this image; lighting, composition, focus and background. There is one factor not mentioned above and that is the cuteness factor. Three cheetah cubs are likely to induce a fuzzy feeling with most viewers. Cheetahs generally are an admired species.

Hopefully viewers would have the feelings outlined in the previous response.

All forms of photography involve observation and analysis and are involved with other people regularly. Their knowledge, assistance and advice is essential. My scientific and medical background help me appreciate others and to understand how things in my environment work.

Love and appreciate the natural world

Any recognition of my work from photographic experts gives me a buzz and the award from 12AWARDS is no exception.

I continue to work on projects towards understanding animal behavior. My long term goal is to get an award from the long established Natural History Museum's Wildlife photographer of the year competition.

The 12AWARDS competition has been run in a very professional manner, One comment I would like to make, and this applies to other competitions too. I would like the entry fee to be lower as photographic competitions should encompass all photographers and not just well-off photographers.There are many pensioners involved in photography.