Singapore-based photographer wins Nat Geo competition

This article is more than 12 months old

LYDIA LAM

Dec 14, 2017 06:00 am

Singapore-based nature photographer Jayaprakash Joghee Bojan has clinched the 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year award, which drew more than 11,000 submissions from around the world, the magazine said yesterday.

The stunning shot, titled Face To Face In A River In Borneo, was taken in Tanjung Puting National Park in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia.

The 41-year-old full-time photographer told The Straits Times that he took the photo of a male orang utan in August this year for a book on endangered primates across Asia.

He said: "It was initially a bit scared so it hid behind the tree, but I stood behind another tree. This image that won the award was taken when it was checking to see if I was still there."

Mr Jayaprakash, who moved to Singapore from India two years ago with his wife, said his biggest inspiration was the Singapore Zoo, which he called "one of the best zoos in the world".

The photo, which earned him the grand prize of US$7,500 (S$10,100), drew more than 820,000 likes in seven hours on National Geographic's Instagram page.