NikonGear'23
Travelogues => Travel Diaries => Topic started by: Ann on September 04, 2017, 03:30:32
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Why Borneo?
The curious thing is that the preliminary announcement of the D5, and my pre-order for one, actually triggered the entire adventure!
Having blindly pre-ordered the D5 (on only Nikon's published specs. and as yet unseen by virtually everyone), I then cruised the Internet (looking for any Nikon D5 pre-release camera testers and hoping to see some examples of their results). And I discovered Ling!
Ling is a very gifted professional photographer from Singapore and a delightful phone conversation with her convinced me to meet her in Borneo and then go on to Singapore after that. I was on the Web within minutes to look for flight schedules.
[I had arranged months before to meet-up with my son and grand-daughter in London in June so it seemed entirely sensible to take a shortcut from New York to London via Dublin, Borneo and Singapore.]
The D5, being heralded as the King of the Night suggested that Jungle-shooting (especially at night) might be a great way to test my new camera and I dreamt of photographing Orang Utans in their native forests and even of photographing a Slow Loris in the dark of night with a fast Nikon.
I was very lucky with the Orang Utans and, although I never found a Slow Loris, I also had extraordinary good fortune in having the chance to photograph other other extremely rare and threatened species which are indigenous only to Borneo in the short week that I spent in Borneo.
Orang Utans: the "Men of the Trees":
Jungle-shooting is very different from shooting in the South African Veldt: you do a lot of walking; and just waiting while hoping to see something move; and then a lot of standing with trigger-finger poised waiting to get the chance of a clear shot through the leaves because 12 fps of a solid barricade of tree leaves is not that useful!
The major obstacles are the Jungle itself because the trees are incredibly tall (often nearly 200 feet high) and thickly leafed and the under-story of bushes and vines is also very dense. Some of the Parashorea malaanonan trees (in the Dipterocarpus family) reach more than 72 m (230 ft.) in the Danum Valley.
This dense growth leads to problematic lighting conditions (either very dim or extremely contrasty patchy light); and also the difficulty of getting close enough to get an unencumbered view of the animals themselves.
Orang Utans, and many of the monkeys as well, prefer to move around high-up in the densest canopy and even a 400mm lens will seldom get you close enough. I was lucky enough to have several great opportunities to take some photographs of wild primates in the forest but these ones give some idea of the conditions with which one has to contend and just how lucky I was to get clear and close-up sightings.
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Dear Ann
I suppose you have seen the slow loris at Singapore Night Safari, haven't you? of course it is a zoo...
The orang utan shots are amazing and demonstrate what a gifted photographer can achieve with a D5 in extremely difficult conditions.
Can you please elaborate on the geographical details of your trip?
i'll go to Borneo in October and plan to visit the Mulu and Kuching areas.
Olivier
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Olivier:
I am so glad that you liked my Orang Utans.
[I have lots more photographs which I will be adding to this thread from time to time.]
I will be posting the details of the various places where I stayed but I was in Sabah Province (in the north of Malaysian Borneo) and you are going to Sarawak so my recommendations for places and lodgings won't be much help to you for your October trip although I am sure that you will visit Sabah eventually as well.
Yes, Ling and I did spend a day at the really splendid Singapore Zoo but somehow never got to the Night Safari area.
I did go walking in the Bornean Jungle at night several times and, although I never saw a Slow Loris, I did photograph some other night prowlers and sleeping small birds.
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I had even better success when I spent time at some of the feeding stations which have been set-up in protected areas and which attract the wild primates to descend to the forest floor from time to time. I was there while the forest trees were fruiting so there was some doubt as to whether any Orang Utans would come down to eat the proffered fruit or would prefer to remain high up in the canopy and pick their own .
The feeding stations in Malaysian Borneo (such as those in the Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre at Sepilok) are now of considerable importance because much of the island has been de-forested and replanted with Oil-Palm plantations which, although of considerable economic importance to the island’s human population, provide almost no food-supplies for anything much more than rodents and the snakes which prey on them.
The other down-side (apart from the loss of habitat for endangered indigenous species) to the burgeoning the Oil Palm industry in Borneo is the increasing pollution of ground-water and streams from the pesticides and fertilizers which are used for this crop.
Unfortunately for photographers, the Sepilok people have cluttered their feeding stations with ugly climbing ropes and chains (which the Orang Utans definitely do not need to reach the feeding platforms.)
Another issue is the bus loads of chattering tourists who arrive for the afternoon feeding session and who take no notice of signs which beg for their silence. Orang Utans are very shy creatures and will not come to feed under such noisy conditions. It wasn’t until just before closing time in the evening (when the crowds had left) that any Orang Utans came down to eat!
The early-morning feeding session at Sepilok is much less busy — and a much better time for photography generally.
Orang Utans are such wonderful intelligent and gentle creatures: I could stand and watch them for days and I am so glad that I was able to visit them in their own homeland.
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I like the natural color palette of them pictures.
Is this a Jackfruit in his hand? I share with him a similar taste ;D
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Dear Ann, I love monkeys. We've got plenty of them here in Holland, there is no need to travel all the way to Borneo.
Am I noticing some noise in the images, Ann? Was it due to high ISO values, or to pulling up the shadows, or to sharpening, or to resizing for the web? perhaps just my eyes and/or monitor :)
Thanks :)
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Yes, plenty of noise but I no longer care a hoot about noise if I can get the shot!
I don't use any Luminance Noise reduction at all either (until I am above 25,000 ISO) because it just turns images to mush and I would rather have the noise.
;D ;D
So I used whatever ISO I needed to be able to use fast shutter speeds (often 25,000 and 52,000 ISO!) and I am finding it so liberating to be able to shoot like that — and to shoot action absolutely anywhere both day and night.
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Ethan:
I know that fruit as a Durian (which may simply be another name for a Jack Fruit?).
They have rather a strong smell and there are printed notices on trains, buses, and in some taxis in Singapore, stating: “No Durian”!
If you buy it, you need to take it home in a properly sealed plastic box. The shop-keepers will cut it up and box it for you.
I have noticed a rather distinctive smell in markets in Asia before but didn’t know where it came from.
Actually I really don’t find it particularly objectionable and I stood very close to a stall-holder while I watched him cut up a Durian, extract the flesh and prepare it for sale.
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I may be wrong but the fruit looks like a jack fruit, not a durian. I believe durians have a harder shell and when it comes to odor, there is no competition: the durian has a strong animalic, thiol and fatty acid smell than nothing competes with...
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Ann, I don't want to hijack your thread by any means, but since you mentioned it here is a picture of a slow loris taken three days ago at Singapore Night Safari (I actually found that place more enjoyable than the zoo). The place is really dark and challenging for photography, a D5 would be of great help of cousre.
This was taken with my Fuji X-T1 with Nikon 75-150 Series E lens. It is as close as I come to having safari equipment!
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Thank you enormously for adding your photograph of the Slow Loris.
I understand that it has become quite rare to see them in the wild and they are listed as "endangered".
I don't know why we missed the Night House — possibly because I spent too long with those splendid Sumatran Orang Utans and the Gibbons.
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Well, next time you come to Singapore you will have a busy schedule, starting with a dinner at my place followed by a visit at Night Safari...
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Ann, Incredible close ups, I clearly remember this from fotozones, probably my favorite series from all the ones you have shared, really glad you are sharing them now here in NG
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Great photos! i am especially partial to the 10th (sitting on the chains) and 11th ( two together) in your series. I think they have very expressive faces and soulful eyes, which you quite skillfully captured. Beautiful images!
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Well, next time you come to Singapore you will have a busy schedule, starting with a dinner at my place followed by a visit at Night Safari...
One should never miss the opportunity to have a dinner cooked by a French friend. Looking forward to visiting Francis one day, whom I had the pleasure of cooking together in Scotland...
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Olivier:
What a wonderful invitation! I really hope to be able to take you up on it one day!
Armando, Frank and Arthur: Thank you.
[Watch this space: LOTS more pictures to come!]
:)
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Afloat on the Kinabatangan River:
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-050917041811-181684.jpeg)
Map of Sabah Province, Malaysian Borneo.
(The yellow thumb tacks show places which will be mentioned in this story.)
I flew into Sandakan Airport in the north-east corner of Borneo and Ling was there to meet me and the two other photographers who had arrived on the same flight; as was Ahmad, who owns a taxi company.
Ahmad drove us (and all our gear!) for two and a half hours to our Lodge near Sukau on the banks of the Kinabatangan River — Borneo’s longest river.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-050917041754-1661541.jpeg)
The Lodge is very small and simple but the family made us welcome and cooked meals for us even though it was the midst of Ramadan.
The family owns a small boat and they let us keep it out on the river all day, from before sunrise until after dark, so we could explore the lower-reaches of the river where it meanders across its flood-plain, changing its course from time to time and leaving Ox-bow lakes behind; and venture up some of its side-streams too.
(You can't do that if you stay in the regular tourist lodges where you get a one-hour boat ride accompanied by the entire population of the Lodge — all chattering their heads off!.)
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-050917041801-173220.jpeg)
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The land around the Kinabatangan was raised to “Wildlife Sanctuary” status about ten years ago which means commercial development is still permitted along its path although “National Park” status would have been even better and would have prevented further commercial development. The main problem is that the natural hardwood forest has been reduced to disconnected patches and there is no forested corridor linking the forested areas which would provide continuous habitat for the indigenous animals.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-050917041757-168325.jpeg)
The relentless on-march of the oil palm plantations and other human activities continue to encroach on the forest so the wild creatures have a rapidly diminishing habitable area. As a result, the animals are concentrated in the forested strips close to the river so you do see a lot of very varied wild life here.
However, photographing it from a small boat on the river is quite challenging because the vegetation on the river banks is particularly dense so you only see the creatures if they suddenly emerge to bathe or drink on the river bank (as did some elusive Pygmy Elephants); or you see the Primates and Hornbills high-up in the branches of the incredibly tall trees.
I found that even a 400 mm lens was insufficient and I often needed to use my TC-20 as well. That combination on a rocking and heaving small boat makes it quite difficult to hold the view in the frame at times and demands very high shutter speeds (meaning high ISO settings) so I was continuously grateful that I had my D5.
The highly endangered Proboscis Monkeys (another animal which is only endemic on Borneo) were among the creatures which we were able to see from the river although they were high up among the tree-branches.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-050917041759-171536.jpeg)
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Also to be seen in the trees are Long-tailed and Pig-tailed Macaques and the occasional Orang Utan too.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-050917041757-168546.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-050917041759-1701434.jpeg)
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June is normally the Dry Season in Sabah but world-wide weather patterns had been disturbed by El Niño last year with the results that we experienced some dramatic skies and a few tropical down-pours.
I had a poncho in my pockets but I used it to cover my camera gear and reckoned I wouldn’t bother about keeping myself dry when this huge black cloud suddenly towered over us and deluged its contents on us.
However, with great presence of mind, Ling grabbed a huge black garbage bag, tore a hole in it for a bit of air, and shoved it right over my head!
There was a scramble to get all of our camera gear of the floor and we soon had several inches of water sloshing around our ankles
(There are no photographs of that episode because everyone had their cameras hurriedly and safely stowed by that point.)
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Wonderful travel photography! Wow I would like to do that more,,, Time,,, Thanks for sharing ;)
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Ann, a wonderful series of a magnificent part of the world.
Also good to "see" you again.
Mark
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Erik:
Thank you.
I have to admit that I have been having so much fun during my various travels.
I place all the blame on my camera for leading me into these crazy adventures.
Mark:
I actually owe you a huge debt of gratitude for telling me about the Danum Valley — I never thought that I would be able to get there and it was so well worth the long journey to reach it.
[More about Danum will follow in a later installment.]
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Pygmy Elephants
Whereas adult African Elephants can reach 14 feet tall at the shoulder, and regular mainland Asian Elephants are normally about nine feet tall, Borneo has its own sub-species which often reach less than seven feet.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-050917223647-1871589.jpeg)
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These Bornean Pygmy Elephants are very attractive with round baby-faces (which accentuate their Dumbo-like appearance), rather rotund stomachs, and much longer and more substantial tails than the Elephants on the mainland. The Bornean Pygmy Elephant is endemic only to Borneo.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-050917223643-183409.jpeg)
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The females are normally tusk-less and the tusks of the males are quite small and rather straighter than those of other species of Elephants.
Asian elephants also have different tips to their trunks from their African counterparts with only one finger-like projection at the tip of the trunk while African elephants have two. These finger-like projections have numerous sensitive nerve endings and are capable of fine motor skills and precise manipulation of small objects.
Pygmy Elephants are normally rather placid and good tempered but do not be fooled by their cuddly appearance because an angry or threatened Pygmy Elephant can be just as dangerous as any other Elephant.
Local legend claims that the Pygmies are descended from some Javan Elephants (now extinct) which were given to the Sultan of Sulu by the East india Company and were later released on the Island of Borneo in the 18th Century but DNA testing has now shown this delightful story to be unlikely because the Pygmies are a different species from other Asian elephants and fossil evidence indicates that the existence of the Pygmies on Borneo stretches back to the last Ice Age.
The total population of Pygmy Elephants is thought to have been reduced to some 1500 over the past 60 years and they predominantly are found on the lower reaches of the Kinebatangan River. However, they are secretive forest-dwellers who move some 25 miles a day so casual visitors are extremely lucky if they see them.
Like all elephants, Pygmies need copious amounts of water so the best chance to see them is if they go down to the river for an evening swim.
We just happened to be in the right place at exactly the right time when a group of them silently emerged from the forest through a thick curtain of green vines just as golden evening sunlight was raking the banks of the Kinebatangan River.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-050917223649-189324.jpeg)
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This was when Ling’s strategy of choosing a Lodge which would let us keep their boat out on the river all day really paid off because we were able to hang-out with this boisterous group of young elephants for nearly an hour and photograph their antics as they splashed around in the water, jousted with each other and squabbled over the possession of a trunk-full of grass.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-050917223646-1861372.jpeg)
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An amazing series of images, Ann. I thoroughly enjoyed them. Thanks!
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It was amazing luck to see those elephants at all — and then to have them all to ourselves for nearly an hour was surely the cherry-on-top.
I only had a week in Borneo and saw far more than I ever expected to.
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I am enjoying this thread very much!
Maybe the head-to-head elephant shot (100_AJS4413) would benefit from a tighter crop, to show a double portrait?
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What a great series, Ann. Very enjoyable and informative.
It would not be wise to get caught up in that romp, despite the fact that they are pygmies!
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The man who was driving the boat is a Government-licensed Guide (as you have to be, by law, if you are taking people on the river) so he was very mindful of the need to maintain a reasonable distance from the elephants — both for our safety as well as to avoid stressing the animals.
I shot this series (of about 570 shots!) during the 45 minutes which we spent watching the elephants hand-holding the 200-400 mm lens on my D5. It was very hard to restrict my selection to just a few of the photographs for this thread.
Here is a cropped version (and it is rather a heavy crop) of 4413 — especially for Olivier:
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I'm overwhelmed by all these stunning images, as always, from the beautiful landscapes to the vivid documentations of the wildlife to the detailed narratives.
Thank you for posting!
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Indeed, the colors are beautiful.
Animals are better than humans.
We are merely a copy that went awry.
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Ann, impressive thread! Images, place, gear and you are back!!! ;)
Happy to "see" you and to be able to enjoy your work.
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Akira, Golunvolo and Ethan:
You are all so kind. Thank you for your most generous comments.
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Seeing the Wood for the Trees:
Mark had told me about a magical place: the Borneo Rainforest Lodge in Danum Valley but I assumed that I could not possibly get there on this trip because of the distance, lack of any direct transport and because they are always fully booked for months ahead.
I mentioned this to Ling who said: “Let’s see”, picked up her phone and made two calls.
Astonishingly, the Lodge had had a cancellation and Ahmad said that his brother in law would drive me there
Four days later, Jeffrey (Ahmad’s brother-in-law) collected me from Sukau and drove me the two and half hours to the small town of Lahad Datu where the Rainforest Lodge has an office which is the pick-up point for their shuttle car service to the Lodge.
That part of the journey takes a further two and half hours — most of it on a narrow gravel mountain road passing through beautiful forest scenery.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-070917093053-2122380.jpeg)
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The Danum Valley Forest is particularly important because it has never been logged so it contains primary-growth forest trees which are of enormous size and are many hundreds of years old.
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Many of the largest trees belong to the Dipterocarp family (meaning they have two-winged seeds) and these hardwoods have been harvested in most of Borneo but, in the National Forest in the Danum Valley they are now permanently protected.
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A very wonderful construction at Danum is the Canopy Walkway which weaves its way 80 feet above the forest floor through the canopy supported by the trees themselves.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-070917093033-195716.jpeg)
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It is a magical to be up among the tree-tops in the mist before sunrise; listening to the forest awakening and the whooping calls of the Gibbons; until the sun finally bursts through the mist in a myriad of brilliant sunbeams. The spectacle doesn’t last for long because the mist burns off very quickly but it is an amazing experience while it lasts.
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Many Dipterocarps can reach heights that exceed 200-feet but, curiously they are very shallow-rooted.
The soil is very thin in the forest and the trees only remain standing because the trunks emerge from enormous triangular-winged buttressed bases.
This Tualang or Mengaris tree exhibits a buttressed trunk. It is one of the largest species and is endowed with a very hard smooth white bark into which Sun Bears cannot sink their claws.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-070917093054-2132377.jpeg)
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Somehow the bees know this and construct their hives high in the upper branches where the honey is out of reach for the bears.
Dawn on the Canopy Walkway by itself was certainly worth the amount of driving-time (some eleven hours in all with five of those on a gravelled mountain road) that it took to get me there (and back again to Sepilok where I needed to be next).
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-070917093043-2041495.jpeg)
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The construction of the walkway is remarkable when you realise that people had to climb up those gigantic trees to a height of 100 feet to attach the ropes and cables which support the walkway. At the moment, it is reduced in length because one of the trees died (it was struck by lightning I believe) so part of the walkway has had to be taken down.
Another tree has been chosen as a new support and the missing section is being rebuilt.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-070917093030-1931910.jpeg)
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Maintenance of the long mountain road up to Danum Valley also takes a lot of work.
When we reached this bridge, my driver suggested that I would be safer if I walked across it while he very bravely risked his life by driving a heavy car over the river that flowed some 70 feet below.
There were some huge Ironwood logs lying by the side of the road which are to be used for rebuilding the bridge.
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Thanks for this lovely Borneo series. The morning mist in the trees must have been spectacular, I surely would like to experience that.
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The trees of rainforest are as fascinating as (or in a way more fascinating than) the wildlife! These images are great proves of that.
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A riveting adventure, beautifully captured, Ann! 8)
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Dear Ann
Thank you for taking the time to:
- process & post these fantastic images (as always)
- writing "the story" for us
You do realize that we live vicariously through you when you are on these adventures 8)
The Orang shots are positively gorgeous - but I'm biased towards these since I studied a lot of non-human primate anthropology while in University many years ago.
It is wonderful to see your photos again!!
Doug
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Close Encounter . . .
At dusk, just as Raybould Kouju (my Guide) and I approached the string-bridge which crosses the Danum River the branches in the tree above my head shook vigorously.
Something had landed but the foliage was too dense, and the light-level in the forest was so dim, that we couldn’t see exactly what it was.
Then I looked across the bridge and noticed a group of the very shy Red Leaf Monkeys (also known as Maroon Langurs) sitting on the hand-rail at the far end.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-080917071006-2151283.jpeg)
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Unfortunately they were too far away for good photographs and the light was fading so I just stood very still and watched — and reckoned this was just one of those moments which are “only for the eyes”.
Then something very strange happened: The creature who had landed in the tree must have been the Dominant Male. He must have decided that we posed no threat, and signalled to his troupe that it was safe to cross the bridge, because, one by one they all came loping along the railings of the bridge in that curious rolling-gait of theirs —(some of them mothers carrying babies) — until they were only a meter away from me and much too close to me for the lens to focus.
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Then each monkey leapt directly in front of me to the opposite hand-rail; and from there, jumped into the branches immediately above my head. They did not seem to be in the least perturbed by the rapid firing of my camera’s shutter.
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It was an incredibly rare, and rather emotional, encounter and Raybould (who has been guiding on Borneo for 15 years) told me that he had never experienced anything like this before.
We both walked back to the Lodge (or perhaps we floated there on Cloud Nine?) wondering whether it was entirely fair to tell the other guests what we had just experienced.
Recording Life as it actually happens, and being able to tell the whole story, is surely is what cameras were really designed and built to do?
The D5 incorporates technology which was unimaginable only a few years ago. It seems to be able to handle anything, and everything, that moves in front of it and one of the thrills of this trip was to be able to shoot action-shots of wild-life under appalling lighting conditions where I would never have been able to shoot previously.
When it’s almost dark and amazing things are happening very fast; I can switch to 25,600 (that is Thousand!!) ISO or even higher. I knew that I really needed go higher because 1/500 sec was barely sufficient for stopping the action while hand-holding a 400mm lens.
Noise?
Of course! But who cares?
I certainly don’t — I was able to capture the whole thrilling sequence only because such high ISO speeds are now available to us.
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Kjetil, Akira, Carl and Doug:
I am thrilled that you have enjoyed the photographs.
I have just added another installment to the thread of a very unusual encounter which I experienced.
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Some Monkey Business:
Long-tailed Macaques are not on anyone’s “Endangered Species” list: they thrive in huge numbers throughout Southeast Asia. They are clever, extremely opportunistic and can be quite aggressive: they will rip open a bag which might contain food or grab food right out of your hands if given half a chance.
I met this Macaque on the same bridge where I had just encountered the Maroon Langurs.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-100917070020-233162.jpeg)
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He seems to have reckoned that either I was no threat, or that he could deal with me if he needed to.
I was not carrying any food so may be that was why his cautious expression changed to one of annoyance as he got closer to me?
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-100917070022-234650.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-100917070023-2352410.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-100917070024-23648.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-100917070025-2372164.jpeg)
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He came along the hand railings of the bridge right up to me while keeping his eyes fixed directly on me every step of the way; and then he jumped into the tree above my head where he apparently intended to sleep.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-100917070026-238228.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-100917070028-239129.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-100917070030-24176.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-100917070028-2401655.jpeg)
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In the final shot, I was definitely being sworn-at and told to get lost so that he could get some sleep!
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-100917070031-242374.jpeg)
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It was getting very dark by this time so I respected his wishes and slipped away leaving him to sleep.
While I had shot the whole amusing sequence on the bridge using ISO 25,600, I had to raise it to ISO 51,200 for the last three photographs of the Macaque in his tree .
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A fine and sympathetic series of images of these rather touching creatures with their soulful eyes. In spite of the efforts of many good people in animal rescue, one has to wonder how many years the orang and man other species will exist in the wild.
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David:
Thank you.
It is horrifying when one realises just how many species are now so endangered; and the gene pool so reduced; that there is a very real threat of extinction.
There are now only three living Bornean Rhinos in existence and none of them is capable of breeding.
They are now living out their days in the safety of the fairly remote Tabin Reserve but I was not able to see them although I did spend time in the Conservation area where they lived until they were moved to Tabin to get them further away and harder poachers to find.
[More about that area next]
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Bear Necessities:
I only had two early-morning time-slots in the Sepilok area but there were three different locations where I really wanted to be at that time in the morning.
The Orang Utans and the Proboscis Monkeys were my priorities which meant that a visit to the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre was going to have to happen at a less good time. Consequently, I only managed to get to the Sun Bears at mid-day with a harsh sun directly overhead.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-140917093242-2501056.jpeg)
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The bears are more likely to be at their most active early in the morning, and then sleep during the middle of the day, but a few were still awake for me when I arrived at noon.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-140917093246-25311.jpeg)
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Bornean Sun Bears (a sub-species of the Malayan Sun Bears) are the smallest of all the bears. These pretty little bears are only about 4 ft. in length and have glossy black coats with honey-coloured muzzles and yellow V-shaped patches on their breasts. Their handsome features endanger their lives because the baby cubs are often trapped for the lucrative, but totally illegal, pet trade. Another threat comes from the illegal killing of these bears for body-parts for traditional medicine in China and Southeast Asia. Forestry-depletion is also leading to a decline in their numbers.
The authorities confiscate illegal pet bears when they find them and a safe home then needs to be found for them where they can be rehabilitated and hopefully become self-sufficient enough to be returned to the wild.
The Sun Bear Conservation Centre at Sepilok was founded for this purpose. Wong Siew Te, BSBCC Founder and CEO, was so concerned about the plight of these bears that he prevailed upon the Sabah Forestry Department to let him take-over the Rhinoceros Preserve at Sepilok (which was no longer being used because the last three known Bornean Rhinos had been moved to a safer location in Tabin).
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-140917093236-24594.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-140917093239-2472086.jpeg)
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Sun Bears have exceptionally long tongues (which are perfect for extracting termites from tree-trunks); and very long claws which enable them to climb trees, build nests in the branches for sleeping and to tear into tree trunks to raid honey combs.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-140917093225-2441547.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-140917093224-2432000.jpeg)
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The “golden necklace” — a distinguishing mark of this species.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-140917093244-252702.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-140917093241-249284.jpeg)
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One of the interesting things that I learned while talking to Mr. Wong is that his policy at the Conservation Centre is to NOT feed the bears either every day nor or at any set time but fruit is put out for them at irregular intervals several times a week.
The bears have a huge area of forest set aside for them which is naturally filled with nearly every food-stuff which they like (particularly termites, ants and other earth-burrowing invertebrates) and it is important that they continue to hunt for themselves.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-140917093248-2552112.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-140917093247-2541048.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-140917093243-251499.jpeg)
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The idea here is to eventually rehabilitate as many of the bears as possible and release them back into the wild so it is essential that they do not become dependent on humans and also that they don’t lose their natural fear of them.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-140917093237-2461109.jpeg)
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Unfortunately many of the Sun Bears which were hunted for the pet trade when they were very young cubs, (their mothers having been killed for their bile, claws and other body-parts which are used in traditional Chinese Medicine) are now too domesticated so will probably never be fit for survival in the wild again.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-140917093239-248329.jpeg)
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Ann, I can understand why people are so enthusiastic to see you and your photos here. I thoroughly enjoy reading your reports and photos. It is a good thing that the treasures of our planet are captured in this way.
Thank you for sharing.
I am wondering what you haven't seen yet on this planet?
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Wonderful scenery and animals, thanks for showing them to us.
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>>> I am wondering what you haven't seen yet on this planet? >>>
;D
So many places: if only I had an unlimited budget . . . . the Southern hemisphere remains mostly unexplored — so far.
Thank you Peter and Anthony: it thrills me to know that you are enjoying this series.
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Giants and Pygmies: The Long and the Short of it:
I learnt that Borneo is home to 33 different species of squirrels and among the different species that I saw were these two:
While I was photographing the Sun Bears, I glanced up into the tree canopy and saw this great 16-inch long tail hanging down from the branches. It belonged to a Bornean Giant Squirrel (Ratufa affinis).
These enormous squirrels grow to a total length, from nose-to-tail, of around 30 inches (78 cms).
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-160917230143-2591001.jpeg)
100_AJS6051.jpg Borneo Giant Squirrel (Ratufa affinis)
A few afternoons before that, I had been sitting under a shady tree, enjoying the river-side garden of the Borneo Rainforest Lodge in the Danum Valley, when I became aware of a minute creature scuttling around on the trunk of a tree and nibbling on lichens and flakes of bark.
It looked remarkably like a squirrel but . . . that small?
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-160917230142-2581033.jpeg)
100_AJS5401.jpg LeastPygmy-Squirrel
It was indeed a squirrel: the Bornean Least Pygmy Squirrel (Exilisciurus exilis): all four inches of it — of which half the length is its tail.
Little seems to be known at the moment about either the numbers of these squirrels in existence (they are endemic only in Borneo) or the effect which de-forestation may be having on their chances of survival.
I had the 70-200 mm lens on the camera which has a minimum shooting distance of about 4.5 feet.
Fortunately I also had my TC-20 iii which turns the whole assembly into a very useful, moderately light, hand-holdable 400 mm Macro Zoom.
This was the lens-combination which I found the most useful and versatile while I was photographing in Borneo.
Two other Bornean Squirrels:
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-160917230140-2572373.jpeg)
100_AJS6247.jpg Plantain Squirrel
and this black one (with crimson under-parts) who was interested in getting his share of the Orang Utan's fruit
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-160917230139-2562164.jpeg)
100_AJS6067.jpg Borneo Black-banded Squirrel
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Forests of the Night:
I had several chances to walk in the forest at night. Each time, my guide carried a pocket torch so that we could watch where we were putting our feet or be sure that we didn’t come into close contact with a Spitting Cobra.
The torch was our only light and all these photographs were shot hand-held while my Guide steadied the beam on the creatures which I wanted to photograph.
Unfortunately I never found my Slow Loris, nor saw the very rare Western Tarsier either, but it was remarkable just how much we did see.
Here are a few photographs of some of the smaller creatures that I found in the Bornean forests at night:
Female Lantern Moth with her lantern glowing to attract a mate.
This was a case of needing sufficient light to capture her delicately patterned wings while not over-powering her luminescent lantern.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-170917214040-2731104.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-170917214040-2731523.jpeg)
Giant 10-inches-long Millipede. Each foot can sting.
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These highly venomous Bornean Keeled Pit Vipers were coiled on low branches over hanging a stream and were waiting to pounce on any unwitting frogs which might pass that way.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-170917214037-271735.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-170917214023-260222.jpeg)
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Tree Frogs at Danum Valley.
It had been raining hard so perhaps that caused these two Flying Frogs to descend from the tree-tops (in reality, they Para-Glide down but have to climb back up into the canopy again.
Wallace’s Flying Frog is bright green with golden markings and his webs for gliding normally stay folded between his enormous toes and fingers.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-170917214035-269190.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-170917214038-272942.jpeg)
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The orange Harlequin Flying Frog also has webs for gliding folded between his fingers.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-170917214035-2691579.jpeg)
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There are more than 1000 recorded species of ants on Borneo, and 300 species in Sabah itself.
Treading on Marching Ants would be a very painful mistake.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-170917214033-267403.jpeg)
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Danum Valley Army Ants: Whole Colony on the move and carrying their larvae.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-170917214033-2672159.jpeg)
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Giant Forest Ants (Camponotus gigas) are an inch in length and devour smaller Ants
Some of the birds in the night-time forest included this very large Buffy Fish Owl ( Ketupa ketupu)
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-170917214030-26532.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-170917214030-265568.jpeg)
Hooded Pitta, (Pitta sordida)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-170917214028-2641456.jpeg)
Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher
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And scuttling around in the thick mud in the heavy shade of the Mangroves, one may find these red-clawed Bornean Mangrove Tree-climbing Crabs
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-170917214027-2631776.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-170917214026-262946.jpeg)
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The Forests are also filled with many interesting fungi:
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-170917214025-2612457.jpeg)
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Just went through this entire Borneo thread. Very impressive array of creatures all beautifully photographed. Lucky you for having been able to take the trip and taking such pictures. Thanks!
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Tom:
Thank you. I am so glad that you enjoyed the pictures and this story.
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Flamboyant Feathers
Borneo is home to a huge variety of birds including some very dramatic and brightly coloured species like these Wrinkled Hornbills and the Oriental Pied Hornbill.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-190917105407-2761962.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-190917105406-2751877.jpeg)
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Several varieties of Eagle include the Crested Serpent Eagle (this one has a dead serpent in his talons):
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-190917105422-2861442.jpeg)
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Wallace’s Hawk Eagle
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-190917105423-2872263.jpeg)
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Waterside birds include the the Asian Anhinga.
(They are different from both the African and the American species of these Divers);
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-190917105409-277390.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-190917105414-2801671.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-190917105415-2811559.jpeg)
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The Bornean Purple Heron:
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-190917105417-2821814.jpeg)
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Great Egret (Ardea Alba)
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-190917105419-2842047.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-190917105420-285384.jpeg)
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A migrant Chinese Egret
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-190917105417-282553.jpeg)
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Among the vast numbers of smaller brightly coloured birds are these Blue Collared Bee-eater.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-190917105410-2781072.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-190917105412-2791615.jpeg)
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This is a composite made by combining a sequence of a flying White Bellied Fish Eagle
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-190917105424-2881480.jpeg)
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I'm just overwhelmed by the diversity and the beauty of the ecosystem of Borneo!
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What a great series of images!
An other place to put high on my list. :)
We visited Sumatra (Indonesia) last year for Orang-Utans, it's a subspecies from the Borneo one.
In Dutch the proboscis monkey are called "Nose monkeys" and they got that name for their big reddish nose (the males) and big bellies.
Did you know the nickname in Indonesian is "Orang Belanda", which is literally translated as "Dutchie" (from our colonial history). :)
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Thank you both so much for your kind comments.
As Akira said, the enormous diversity of species in a single island is astounding; and so many of these creatures are endemic only to Borneo and are found nowhere else in the world.
Chris mentioned the Proboscis Monkeys: photographs of them will follow very shortly!
I haven't been able to get to Sumatra so far but I spent a very long time admiring the magnificent Sumatran Orang Utans who swing between the treetops of Singapore's splendid zoo.
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Proboscis Monkeys at Labuk Bay:
On my last morning in Borneo, Ahmad, who owns the taxis which I used to get around Borneo, picked me up early in the morning from the Nature Resort Lodge in Sepilok (where I had been staying so that I could spend a couple of days at the Orang Utan and Sun Bear Rehabilitation Centres) and drove me to the Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary at Labuk Bay.
Ahmad also brought his pretty little five-year-old daughter along for the ride and for the chance to see the monkeys!
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-220917060232-2891681.jpeg)
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Proboscis Monkeys are found only in Borneo and they only live in forested areas where there are copious supplies of water: either in lowland Dipterocarp forests, coastal mangroves or in riverine forests beside a major river like the Kinabatangan.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-220917060233-2902339.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-220917060235-2912443.jpeg)
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Four hundred acres of Sabah jungle have been set aside near to the coast at Labuk Bay by the owner of the surrounding plantation for these gravely endangered primates. The staff put out fruit each day to supplement what the monkeys can pick for themselves in the forest.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-220917060236-2921812.jpeg)
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Their traditional habitat has been seriously eroded by human encroachment because Primary-growth Forests along rivers and the coastal wetlands (in which grow the foods on which this species depends) have been cleared to make way for Oil Palm plantations and other commercial activities so the monkeys now have nowhere else to go because their dietary needs are rather specialised. They are primarily a fruit and leaf-eating species and they also prefer to live close to water where they can swim.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-220917060237-2931931.jpeg)
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With their numbers now reduced to less than 7000, there are even less Proboscis Monkeys left in the wild than there are Borneo Orang Utans.
The Proboscis Monkeys were still up in the tree-tops when we arrived but, as feeding-time approached, they gradually descended from the trees and I was able to take numerous photographs of them.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-220917060238-2942262.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-220917060239-295417.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-220917060240-2961270.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-220917060241-297177.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-220917060242-298776.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-220917060244-299707.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-220917060245-3002377.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-220917060246-3011066.jpeg)
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The males are famous for their prominent noses. An enlarged nose increases the resonance of their calls and it seems that he who grows the biggest nose will attract the most females to his harem.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-220917060247-3021387.jpeg)
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Females have smaller noses; and babies have little retroussé noses and black faces (which turn pink as they grow older).
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-220917060248-303696.jpeg)
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Proboscis Monkeys like to swim and to dive and they have slightly webbed toes which enhances their speed in the water.
Although their preserve is right on the shore, the Labuk Bay Preserve has also provided them with a swimming pool near one of the feeding stations but I didn’t see any of the monkeys do more that take a drink from it.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-220917060249-304975.jpeg)
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The mothers are very protective of their young
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-220917060251-305365.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-220917060251-306765.jpeg)
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And the Dads seem to treat all the members of the family with great tolerance.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-220917060253-3071484.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-220917060254-308453.jpeg)
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When another juvenile picked a fight with her precious son, this mother scooped up her child . . . and went for the offender.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-220917060255-309112.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-220917060256-3101050.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-220917060257-3111628.jpeg)
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A few more:
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-220917060258-3121613.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-220917060259-313696.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-220917060300-3142390.jpeg)
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(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-220917060302-3151821.jpeg)
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Like Akira I am overwhelmed by the diversity and the beauty. But also by the way you captured it (and by your courage).
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Dear Ann, thank you so much for sharing these lovely images with us :)
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Now I'm really sold to go to Borneo. :D
I "only" need to convince my wife as we just did a nature tour thru Uganda.
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It is now well proved that Borneo is not only one of the best place on the globe for a brave and curious photographer, but also for testing the superb (especially low light/high ISO) performance of D5!
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The Where and the How:
For those (like Chris?!) who thinking of going to Borneo, these notes might be helpful:
Borneo, the third largest island in the World, is shared between three different countries and I only visited parts of Sabah province in the extreme north of the Malaysian part of the island.
This is a Google Earth map of the complete island so that you get a general idea of the geography.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-230917221352-337814.jpeg)
Borneo-Island.jpg
Malaysia owns the section along the Northeast and Northwest coasts (formerly colonial British North Borneo; and also Sarawak in the south-west. These two provinces encircle the independent Sultanate of Brunei.
The major part of the island (Kalimantan) in the Southeast, belongs to Indonesia.
The second map shows the places where I went in more detail and the scarcity of metalled roads (shown in yellow) helps to explain why it takes so many hours to get to one place from another.
(http://nikongear.net/revival/gallery/0/1358-230917215350-3351067.jpeg)
Sabah-Northeast.jpg
For example the route from Sandakan Airport to our Lodge on the Kinabatangan river near Sukau required an extensive drive around three and a half sides of a square so that a crow’s-flight of less than thirty miles became a two and a half hour drive.
I had flown into Sandakan Airport from Singapore with a stop-over in Kuala Lumpur.
Ling was there to meet me and the two other photographers who had arrived on the same flight, as was Ahmad, who owns a taxi company. He drove us beautifully (and all our gear!) on the long journey to our Lodge on the banks of the Kinabatangan River.
We did stop to get a few snacks at this little shop on the way to Sukau
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Ling had got everything organised and had deliberately chosen this particular Lodge because they employ their own Government-licensed Guide and also own their own small boat.
The Evergreen Lodge allowed us to reserve the boat solely for the four of us and to keep the boat out from before sunrise until after nightfall.
No other Lodge on the river will do that — as far as I know.
The accommodation is fairly basic (modern loos but only cold running water) but it is very clean and the family cooked local dishes for us.
A big advantage of going to Borneo with Ling is that she is both a first-rate photographer (with work hanging in the Smithsonian); an extremely knowledgeable naturalist and a very proficient user of both Photoshop and Lightroom. She shared her knowledge in using the software between the river excursions.
Four days later, Jeffrey (Ahmad’s brother-in-law) collected me from Sukau and drove me the two and half hours to the small town of Lahad Datu where the Borneo Rain-forest Lodge (in Danum Valley) have an office which is also the pick-up point for their shuttle car service to the Valley.
That part of the journey takes a further two and half hours — most of it on a narrow gravel mountain road passing through beautiful forest scenery.
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The Lodge itself is outstanding in every way: a simply glorious location; excellent accommodation — I had a chalet with a verandah (plus a Jacuzzi — which I didn’t actually use!) overlooking the river.
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A huge collection of dishes is offered for every meal (and served buffet-style so you could help yourself to the limit of your appetite!); and coffee and every kind of other drink is available at all times.
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I only had three nights in Danum Valley but more would have been even better.
The only thing that I would leave out the next time is a Night Drive because you really see very little from the back of a truck (except perhaps a small squirrel in the tree-tops?) whereas night-walking in the forest will reveal so many creatures and you can get in really close to them.
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The Lodge provided me with a personal Guide and I highly recommend that you ask for this when you make reservations because you are then on your own schedule and can linger as long as you like along the way.
Raybould Kouju, a delightful and wonderfully knowledgeable man was my guide and, when I have a chance to return to Danum, I will definitely ask if I can have him again — although I am sure that all of their guides are excellent.
After three days in Danum Valley, I was driven down the mountain and back to Lahad Datu where Jeffrey was waiting to drive me north again to Sepilok.
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I had made reservations for a chalet at the Sepilok Nature Resort. This place is very moderately priced, and has guest chalets built in a tropical garden around a pretty lake.
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My room was very comfortable and overlooked the lake. The food was also very good and very inexpensive.
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My reasons for going to Sepilok were the Orang Utan and Sun Bear preservation programs within close walking distance from the Lodge; and the easy drive between Sepilok and Labuk Bay where I was hoping to photograph the Proboscis Monkeys.
I had booked for only two nights in Sepilok but three would be even better because you would then have an extra morning to photograph the Sun Bears soon after sunrise when they are most active.
The Lodge arranged for one of the rangers from the Orang Utan Rehab Centre, to take me there on my own for a night-walk after it had closed to the general public. That is well worth doing if you can.
Sepilok Nature Lodge can provide transportation to Labuk but their transport is a bus which runs at set times and I wanted to reach Labuk first thing in the morning when it first opens so Ling arranged for Ahmad to come and pick me (and all my luggage!) up from my Lodge; take me to Labuk Bay and accompany me all day before dropping me off at Sandakan airport for my evening flights back to Singapore via Kuala Lumpur.
I couldn’t possibly have fitted so much into such a short time if Ahmad and Jeffrey hadn’t driven me around. Both are excellent drivers and the cost works out to be less than renting a self-drive car because you will be spending most of the time either in a boat or on foot with the rented car sitting idly in some car park.
Ling could probably arrange this for you.
Two other locations which would be worth visiting if you have time would be the forests around 4000m Mt. Kinabulu; and perhaps Tabin Wildlife Preserve as well.
Unlike Danum, Tabin is mostly secondary-growth forest but I they have plenty of wildlife and you might even get a chance to see the last three remaining Bornean rhinos still living in Sabah.
Sandakan and the Sulu Sea islands are famous for watching turtles and snorkelling among an amazing array of marine life but you might want to keep an eye on security bulletins because there have been pirate kidnappings and terrorist incidents in that area.
Did I mention that this area is in an Equatorial Rain Forest?
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Many thanks for this great thread and all the info, Ann. I'll be in Borneo mid-October for 7 days and will consider myself lucky if I see half of what you saw. We won't visit Sabah but Sarawak : three days in Mulu park just east of Brunei and four days near Kuching. I'll post pictures if yours don't put them too much to shame!
My daughter will spend a week in Sabah neat mount Kinabalu later in October with her school for humanitarian action. They will participate to the building of a school with villagers.
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Olivier:
I am sure that you will have a wonderful time in Borneo and I am very much looking forward to seeing your photographs from that trip.
You may come back with pictures of some of the truly elusive creatures which I never saw (like Slow Loris, Tarsiers and Clouded Leopards) and I will be so jealous!
And what a splendid adventure and experience the Mount Kinabalu project will be for your daughter too!
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What to Take to Borneo
A few suggestions that might be helpful:
You are going to find that you need your longest telephoto lenses and TC converters too — particularly when photographing from the Kinabatangan River.
Ling uses a 500 mm lens. I had my 200-400mm but needed to have my TC-20 attached to it much of the time.
The others all used tripods and Wimberleys in the boat but I managed either by hand-holding and using my knee as a bean-bag; or with my Wimberly on my monopod. My suitcase was already quite a bit over the airlines’ limits (I had to pack clothing for Dublin and London in addition to safari clothing) and there was no way that I could include a tripod.
But you also need a lens that is shorter than 300mm when photographing at Sepilok because they charge a truly hefty fee (in excess of $100 per day) for what they consider to be professional or commercial photography. The answer is to have a TC-20 iii in your pocket. You are not permitted to carry any sort of bag into the Orang Utan Rehab Preserve so make sure that you have a jacket with big pockets.
I used my 70-200mm (plus the TC) when photographing in the Orang Utan Reserve. I didn’t yet have the 300mm PF lens for this trip but it would have been a perfect lens for Borneo.
I also took my fish-eye along for some river-scape shots.
Many of your best sightings are likely to be under dense foliage, at dusk or even at night.
You are also likely to be using ultra-telephoto lenses (often with a TC attached) on live, rapidly moving creatures.
That combination means that you need fast shutter speeds (1/500 sec at the minimum) for freezing both camera and subject movement and a three times that for flying birds.
You will also be using lenses with reduced apertures (particularly if you are adding a TC onto them) so you will benefit from having cameras which can perform at really fast ISO speeds and which can auto-focus accurately and rapidly when it is too dark for the human eye to be able to do little more than merely frame the subject matter.
I have found that 6,400 ISO is about as high as I dare to go with my D3S but, in Borneo, I frequently needed much more speed than that (25,600, and even 51,200 ISO on several occasions) so the rental of a D5 might be worth your consideration?
The difficulty is that you will find that you need to use either long glass or a TC (meaning slower lenses with reduced apertures) while still needing fast shutter speeds.
The other aspect in which the D5 shone was in the vastly superior speed and accuracy of its new AF mechanism — even under very dim lighting and with lenses that are working at only f/8.
I have to admit that I was frequently astonished by the way that the D5 responded to some fairly extreme and very varied kinds of photography throughout the trip.
When I first read Nikon’s pre-release specifications, the D5 went straight to the top of my “I need!” list and it has more than fulfilled my expectations.
Also, Borneo is on the Equator so be prepared for doing a lot of walking in temperatures which can exceed 95°F (approaching 40°C) under blazing sun and with 90% humidity and consider the weight of your equipment with the climate in mind. And, because this is a rain-forest, you would want to have a light-weight poncho and some Deet stuffed in one of those pockets.
I didn’t have much time to spare at Sepilok so I was walking and standing from dawn to nightfall and didn’t stop for more than a quick swig of bottled water from the refreshment stand.
(I don’t ever carry water — even in a desert — because it weighs too much!)
One other thing: a bench in a boat feels awfully hard after a few hours and I was exceedingly glad that I had brought a self-inflating cushion with me. (That cushion also makes all the difference during 22-hour flights in cattle class!)
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Flying Monkeys:
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Thank you, Ann, for sharing your experiences with us! Some really wonderful images! I enjoyed your stories and images a lot.
When it comes to the gear I’m impressed with the D5 regarding high iso performance here - agree that the noise doesn’t «destroy» any of the images presented in this thread! I use iso 12800 on my D4s in low light and am pretty satisfied with the performance (25600 when I HAVE to). The extra stops with the D5 must be very useful sometimes (especially here in Norway, where the sun doesn’t always shine....:-). Looks like I might have to invest in a TC 2.0 III for my 400 2.8 VR :-).
Again; Thank you!
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Hi Ann,
We are in Borneo (Sarawak) right now and had a wonderful time so far. I will post some pictures when we are back to Singapore but they will look mundane when compared to yours ... I think your flying monkeys are proboscis monkeys. We saw many this morning in Bako National Park, one was so close that I could have shaked his hand! I also had an uncomfortable encounter with a green snake. More to come soon! Thanks for the inspiration.
Olivier
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Frode:
I am so pleased that you enjoyed this little travelogue.
Not everyone has said good things about the TC 2.0 iii but when a very kind friend lent me his during an extended trip to southern Africa, I fell in love with that TC and bought one of my own as soon as I returned home. It has been so useful — including in ways which I never expected such as using the 70-200 mm for close-ups.
The sun may not always shine in Norway but there is something wonderful about finding it shining until midnight during summer (which thoroughly appealed to the night-owl sort of individual that I am).
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Olivier:
It is great to hear that you are enjoying Borneo so much.
Yes the flying monkeys are Proboscis Monkeys — I photographed them from the boat on the river.
Borneo has some very venomous snakes so one does have to a bit careful about where you put your feet and about watching out for what may be in the branches overhead.
I am wondering whether your "Green Encounter" was with one of these guys (which are closely related to the blue and cream Pit Vipers which I met in Sepilok?
http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-green-pit-viper-poisonous-rainforest-snake-sarawak-borneo-2433732.html
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They look very much alike, indeed! I don't travel with a computer so I have to wait a few more days to show you the picture of my green friend.