SEE TEMBURONG LIKE YOU’VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE!
In continuing the nature-landscape theme of recent posts, I have decided that I could no longer contain the urge to share these rare images of the Temburong rainforest (in Brunei Darussalam) with all you nature and photography lovers out there and in here!
| MORE AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE TEMBURONG RAINFOREST |
(Viewer discretion advised: Photos may leave you breathless!)
© Jan Shim Photography
© Jan Shim Photography
© Jan Shim Photography
© Jan Shim Photography
© Jan Shim Photography
I am happy to entertain any questions you may have regarding aerial photography, equipment usage, exposure settings and so forth so long they aren’t too technical. I am thankful for the folks who trusted me to deliver these images as much as I am thankful for the pilots who made the journey pleasant and above all else, safe! I am delighted to have been able to complete the picture, so to speak, for our national asset Temburong having combed the Ulu Ulu Resort on foot and from the sky!
| A RESORT IN THE MIST. BEYOND THE POSTCARD. |
BONUS PHOTO 1
The photo gallery contains a variety of Temburong pictures including a dramatic scene where a menacing wall of rain had formed over the Sungai Teraban area in Kuala Belait. I was able to capture a series of images starting with this below as our helicopter hoverered from a safe distance.
© Jan Shim Photography
Majority of the images were captured on Canon EOS 5D and EF24-70mm f/2.8 lens hand-held with shutter speeds just enough to overcome the ever rattling and turbulent ride of the heli. With both doors fully opened, you could only stick the lens that much out the perimeter of the body right before turbulence hits it hard. There were also some lessons I learnt from the trip such as different body-lens combination. The other camera was the 20D and ultrawide EF10-22mm … the poorer resolve of a non L is evident when you deal with issues such as variation in atmospheric aberration, etc. If I could do it all over again, I would be better prepared. In case you’re wondering, Yes, I shot RAW.
BONUS PHOTO 2
While we’re on the landscape theme, I thought it would be of interest to you to see just how majestic The Empire Hotel & Country Club looks from above. How often do you get to see the entire landscape of the hotel from anywhere except up?
© Jan Shim Photography
OTHER LINKS
I have also linked these pictures across a number of forums such as ClubSnap (Singapore) and PhotoMalaysia Forums where I’m reasonably active and it’s interesting the questions and comments members have. What I actively do is seek ways to promote our country and its national assets to neighbours and also folks who are oceans away of the serene beauty that is Brunei Darussalam—these images (IMHO) truly capture the essence of “A KINGDOM OF UNEXPECTED TREASURES.”
I am already spellbound by the photos you posted on the main page. I had to take some moments to get my eyes off one and then on to the other. I need more time w/ the flash gallery. — Kel
Colin Q 4:00 pm on September 17, 2008 Permalink |
Hey man
Great new perspective
geraldtay 4:01 pm on September 17, 2008 Permalink |
I’m gasping for air already!
Lovellynn 4:04 pm on September 17, 2008 Permalink |
Nice & Great photos!
Don’t know why, I cant take my eye off the “RainClouds” & “Temburong11″ in your gallery. Keep clicking on to see that..
Joo Hoon 4:34 pm on September 17, 2008 Permalink |
Breathe taking!
I love it.
baysidelady 5:55 pm on September 17, 2008 Permalink |
Breath-taking, yesssss! How beautiful and peaceful these photos are!
My fave of all these is the forest, with the serene river with reflections and the lone house.
Thankyou for giving me a view from another side of the world.
John 6:31 pm on September 17, 2008 Permalink |
Nice….. and perfectly beautiful
anonyjw 6:49 pm on September 17, 2008 Permalink |
Really nice shots!
ingsiang 8:15 pm on September 17, 2008 Permalink |
amazing series as I mentioned, love the first sunrise shot. The golden glow, smooth water (lol, I’m not very good in descriptive writing) and the boat the break through ‘em is very nice. =D
Jenison 9:31 pm on September 17, 2008 Permalink |
breathtaking
man those are just awesome. Be very proud.
kantalensa 11:08 pm on September 17, 2008 Permalink |
Breathtaking. How I (and maybe others) wish that there is a commercial helicopter service which takes passengers for aerial views of Brunei. Thanks for sharing.
Matt C 11:23 pm on September 17, 2008 Permalink |
Gorgeous shots man, so you now have Land and Air conquered..what about Sea?
Ginger 12:22 am on September 18, 2008 Permalink |
Hi Jan, beautiful photos as always, it’s perfect.
I’m just wondering, I’ve not been using my camera lens hood, and when I do use it, I can’t tell the difference. Do you always use yours, or what is your rule of thumb on this? Thanks.
Jan Shim 6:39 am on September 18, 2008 Permalink |
kantalensa
That’s precisely my thought too after spending a combined total of about 4 hours shooting out of the chopper door from Temburong to Kuala Belait. Being able to see all four districts is and the only word that comes to mind … exhilarating! Aerial tourism is perhaps the one aspect of the business that hasn’t been explored but surely it must have crossed the mind of the Ministry but like most things, it’s easier said than done. Liability and national security risks would be two items on high alert I would imagine!
Ginger
My rule of thumb on lens hoods—I always have them on. There are there for a reason and you probably don’t want to find out the ‘why’ bit when it comes to protecting the front element of the lens other than blocking out glare like it’s supposed to. I even got a hood for the EF100mm f2.8 Macro which is quite a protrusive item (the entire lens is 12cm and the hood is 8cm). Small lenses with hoods are easier to pack than say, when you try to fit several long teles into the bag.
Matt C
“so you now have Land and Air conquered..what about Sea?”
They have this thing called Sea Sick for a reason and it doesn’t just apply to people. I don’t mind putting my camera through heat and dust but when it comes to moisture of corrosive nature, that would be a most definite no unless the job pays well enough to cover a new camera body but you know what I mean. I’ve dropped the 20D into the Temburong river and thankfully it was fresh water and the camera was fully operational after drying out in the cabinet for 3 days. Salt water, on the other hand, would have most certainly meant shopping!
Vern 8:28 am on September 18, 2008 Permalink |
wow these pictures are divine, im sure this is wat heaven looks like lol. i have seen other pictures of nature at its finest but these are like nothing i have ever seen before. im afraid to say tht u have out done ur self this time around, becos i kno the next post i will be blown away by your magnificence. Great photos Jan truly amazing.
Syl 8:55 am on September 18, 2008 Permalink |
Jan
Your photos are AWESONE!! ..im speechless.. BIG hug for u!:-)
Maurina 10:01 am on September 18, 2008 Permalink |
Oh! uve put in my favorite Jan Shim Photo! Hehe.
eyan 11:17 am on September 18, 2008 Permalink |
Jan, that’s really an amazing series… and as most people said, its breathtakingly beautiful shots!
I’m wondering if you don’t mind sharing the camera settings – exposures, shutter speeds etc. for those pictures.
Thank you in advance! Once again, great great looking pictures! Can’t stop not looking forward to your next posts.
Hairol 12:06 pm on September 18, 2008 Permalink |
Awesome series, so when are you going to shoot over here?
JACQ 12:24 pm on September 18, 2008 Permalink |
Beautiful shots! Thanks for sharing with us
Mimi 12:32 pm on September 18, 2008 Permalink |
Jan,
Bravo! These photos should be on postcard or any tourism related web/ articles to promote Brunei Darussalam. Absolutely Bravo!
Mimi
Jeff 7:26 pm on September 18, 2008 Permalink |
WOW.. i have not seen anything like this for Brunei. Fantastic.
Pau 9:56 pm on September 18, 2008 Permalink |
I like the above the mist shot. With the rays of light coming through.
Jan Shim 7:56 am on September 19, 2008 Permalink |
Mau
Shhhh!
eyan
One of a number of challenges for aerial shoots is always the element of shutter speed and exposure (not so much aperture). The fact that I wanted to capture the glorious sunrise put me at the risk of not shooting at high enough shutter speed to overcome the turbulence. I left Seria as early as 5am in order to reach RBAF for the safety brief and we reached Temburong and fired my first shot at 6.45am (it was very exciting and although quite sleepy still, there was simply too much going on to yawn!)
The camera was practically set to Tv mode to lock shutter speed to 1/1000s and kept ISO to no higher than 400 while it’s still relatively early. I normally do not shoot RAW but under the circumstance where there’s a risk of underexposure, I shot RAW for obvious reasons. So yeah, the exposure settings vary quite a bit from the very first to the later pictures. It helps to know your camera well so that you can instinctively react as needed. There are no hard and fast rules about what you should or shouldn’t do when you’re in the helicopter other than you shouldn’t smoke or use your mobile phone!
Hairol
Interesting coincidence (or maybe not) that you asked about shooting in Oman. I have heard great reviews from fellow photographers and expats who had previously stayed there in particular, the beautiful landscapes etc. There is no immediate plan to visit but let’s hope that someday I will and our paths may cross.
jessie 8:24 am on September 19, 2008 Permalink |
My God!! It is so beautiful:) I never thought Temburong would be like this nice.. keep it up Jan!
eyan 8:41 am on September 19, 2008 Permalink |
Thank you for sharing that. Again, beautiful pictures Jan. You’re trully an inspiration for me.
don gurewitz 10:20 am on September 19, 2008 Permalink |
great shots, jan! makes me want to go back– NOW! who’s plane were you in?
JT 3:47 pm on September 19, 2008 Permalink |
W-O-W! Pulling off more magic with your camera again I see. I’ve seen this land from the plane before and it’s no where near as perfect as this
Vagabond’s Caravan » Blog Archive » My First Aerial Photography? 4:31 pm on September 19, 2008 Permalink |
[...] some serious aerial photography, check out JanShim’s. No Responses to “My First Aerial [...]
andyl 8:36 pm on September 19, 2008 Permalink |
Great shot. Make Bruneian proud of local landscape !
Justina 8:47 pm on September 19, 2008 Permalink |
Speechless!! They’re Awesome photos…
Thanks for the sharing….
wendell 6:47 pm on September 20, 2008 Permalink |
Only in my dreams can I take such great photos!
Great, awesome and breathtaking Jan!
Alan Chai 10:04 pm on September 20, 2008 Permalink |
Wendell, You can take such great photos in your dream…. I can’t even take good photos in both real world and dream..
Anyway Jan, your pictures are really awesome.. Like the last pictures, The Empire Hotel & Country Club looks from above. I have been to Empire but never get to see all of it till now.
Jin Yang 10:26 pm on September 20, 2008 Permalink |
wow the empire picture is awesome!
baysidelady 12:15 am on September 21, 2008 Permalink |
These are beyond describing how beautiful! I’m back for another breathless look!
nz.juushici 5:01 am on September 21, 2008 Permalink |
*breathless*
really nice shots uncle!
Ginger 8:18 am on September 21, 2008 Permalink |
Thanks Jan, I’ll keep that in mind. I did use it today.
Jan Shim 9:38 am on September 21, 2008 Permalink |
Don G
Jan! makes me want to go back– NOW! who’s plane were you in?
Delighted to hear from you again, Don. I hope your destinations and itinerary after Brunei were smooth sailing. You know the Abode of Peace welcomes you back with open arms (subject to the approval of the relevant Ministries, of course
)
David was shooting the scene (the real work) in HD video while I handled the stills in an Air Force helicopter for a client’s promo video. I was on board for the purpose of keeping the chopper balanced
I still cannot forget the comment a friend of yours made when she came across a “photograph of you signing a photo of yourself!” on the web. That wasn’t the intended composition or reaction I had in mind but it’s always interesting how it comes across to others. Technically, you’ve been back once already.
Wendell
Thanks! Until that morning, I had never dreamt of shooting in a helicopter much less the adrenalin rush of shooting in one with both sides of the doors wide opened. When asked, the idea was rather unnerving at first as I have a fear of heights (hence the choice of word—BREATHLESS—but as I discovered there’s a difference between vertigo and being in a helicopter hovering at much higher altitude but am glad my clients and associate persisted that I came along. So, sometimes, dreams do involuntarily come true when you least expect it (willingness to accept it also helps!).
Alan Chai
One word—stay Focused and I don’t mean keeping your finger on your shutter button.
Jin Yang, baysidelady, nz.juushici, Ginger, andyl, Justina and others whom I may not have mentioned here … MANY THANKS!
vincent 10:11 am on September 21, 2008 Permalink |
要从高空拍摄风景与鸟瞰图的确很不简单，但我们的 JAN SHIM 做到了，真佩服他的专业，让我们欣赏到了汶莱那么美丽的一幕。
sgdavid 12:15 pm on June 5, 2009 Permalink |
vincent, 我们的好朋友 Jan Shim 看不董中文。。。你晓得吗?
vincent 12:21 pm on June 5, 2009 Permalink |
sg david,我当然知道他不晓得中文，不过是他要求我在他的网站上留言的，说是要让一些懂得看中文的读者也能被吸引进来留言。
sgdavid 12:30 pm on June 5, 2009 Permalink |
ohhh…vincent, 原来是他的主意…明白明白.谢了!
Julie 7:06 pm on September 21, 2008 Permalink |
i like the Empire’s shot… its beautiful…
Justina 8:01 pm on September 21, 2008 Permalink |
Nice shots!!!
Sheila 8:22 pm on September 21, 2008 Permalink |
I like all the photos…. Undescribed in words… Very Nice pictures.
Ichinose 7:12 pm on September 22, 2008 Permalink |
Jan,
Really an Amazing Breathtaking Series… Awesome shots!! Loving all of it..
Cassie 4:08 am on September 23, 2008 Permalink |
Thanks for sharing. These photos are exquisite!
MT 5:02 am on September 24, 2008 Permalink |
wow, breathtaking views. Thanks for sharing!!
So calm and peaceful from above.
VY 6:18 pm on September 24, 2008 Permalink |
waoh! Brunei is truly beautiful!! by the way, how did you get all the bird’s view shot? you board on a heli? wouldnt that be expensive? o.o And are you a pro photographer? awesome!
Jan Shim 4:41 pm on September 25, 2008 Permalink |
Ichinose,Cassie, MT, VY — Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed them. I would love to include more but as I’ve said, there are legal restrictions that apply to aerial photographs in particular those of business districts, housing and identifiable city landmarks for reasons of national security.
MT
If you have a chance to spend a few nights at the resort, you’ll also find that it’s “calm and peaceful” with the added sound effect of the river waters.
VY
I’m not sure if birds actually see that well but I’m glad humans have access to technology that actually ’sees’ more detail than the human eye is capable of.
I’ve finally come to the conclusion that people generally visit blogs to look at photographs and disregard what has been written no matter how informative (or not)
But yeah, I shot these images from a helicopter and details of the assignment are on a need-to-know basis. I have no idea how much it costs to get up there but suffice to say, it’s not cheap esp with today’s escalating fuel prices 
CPB 1:56 pm on September 26, 2008 Permalink |
WOW! You should consider adding some of these to the Aerial Landscapes collection at:
National Geographic Aerial Landscapes Photo Gallery
Monica Yong 2:33 pm on January 21, 2009 Permalink |
To achieve the aerial pictures as such of Temburong rainforest, could you please provide an approximate altitude level this photographs were achieved at? I sure appreciate it very much if you can provide me the info.
My sister, Maria told me about you and introduced me to your website. I certainly enjoyed viewing your work. They’re profoundly crisp, sharp and breathtaking.
Thank you for taking us to places through your lenses. Keep up with your great work.
Jan Shim 11:02 pm on January 21, 2009 Permalink |
Hi Monica,
Thanks for visiting. This is the Maria Yong (the umbrella lady) who came back for your cousin Lili’s wedding?
For the Temburong aerial photography, we were hovering between 500 and 1,500 feet. I can’t say exactly how high we were with each of the shots as the images hadn’t been GPS tagged. It was an exhilarating ride and I’m booked for another aerial photography job next month.
Monica Yong 11:33 pm on January 21, 2009 Permalink |
Thank you for your prompt response to my question. And yes, this is Maria’s older sis. Umbrella lady, huh? I have never heard her being called that in the past, must be new.
Any hoo, hope this finds you and your family well and Gong Xi Fa Cai.
-Monica
sgdavid 11:58 am on June 5, 2009 Permalink |
Jan…is that lone house where you live? So cool!!!
Jan Shim 12:06 pm on June 5, 2009 Permalink |
No but you’re most welcome to stay at the lone hotel in the last picture. I’m sure it’ll nicely accommodate your visit
sarajane228 1:25 am on June 6, 2009 Permalink |
stunning pictures again Jan!! The second one is a heavenly like scene. Really want to visit there, take me with you next time, hopfully I can be your assistant $_$
Dheerj K Tyagi 2:13 pm on June 6, 2009 Permalink |
Whoa !! Your Temburong Aerial photos are indeed benchmark photos. Did not realize Temburong could be so enchanting. Simply mind blowing !!
Jan Shim 8:43 am on June 7, 2009 Permalink |
Thank you very much DKT. Glad you enjoyed them. I’ve been fortunate to have experienced Temburong on foot and from 1,500 feet high. It’s truly amazing when you’re “hanging out” the chopper and seeing these breathtaking scenes with my own eyes—nothing more HD than this.
I think you might also like my Seria sunrise collection:
A SERIA SUNRISE. THE MORNING AFTER.
SERIA SUNRISE SILHOUETTES
FOLLOW THE LIGHT