View from above

MANY of us have seen New Zealand's beautiful landscape captured in films like the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Now, award-winning Malaysian photographer Jeffry Lim is giving us a rarely-seen perspective of that country in his first solo art photography book.
Aspiring New Zealand is essentially the result of a special aerial project Lim undertook last winter. It features 40 ­aerial shots that capture New Zealand's ­spectacularly ­beautiful ­landscape, including its many mountains, valleys, rivers, islands, and shoreline.
In an email interview, Lim, who holds a marketing degree but has never worked in the corporate sector, said: "I like to travel to see new things [and] meet new ­people, and I am curious about [their] unique ­stories.
"I ­started working as a ­student journalist with a ­Chinese ­newspaper when I was in school (in his hometown Kuantan).
"I love to take photos as it brings me real job satisfaction. Photography has since become part of my life and passion. I have been doing photography for over 22 years."
Calling himself a "visual storyteller", Lim's key strength is in aerial, industrial, offshore and marine photography, making him one of the most sought-after specialists in these fields.
Lim has also produced photo books for the Petronas ­Adventure Team, National ­Geographic, and Discovery Channel.
On the New Zealand project, he said it came about because he had ­wanted to try out a new aerial ­photography skill using a fixed-wing plane in New Zealand.
Prior to the shoot, Lim made sure he had all the right ­photography equipment, safety harnesses, and warm clothing.
He also had to prepare a basic flight route to ensure that the plane had sufficient fuel to complete the journey.
"We couldn't specifically ­visualise the actual location until we flew to the target area, as nature is highly ­unpredictable and easily affected by elements such as the weather, wind and sunlight conditions that can change rapidly.
"(We also had) to shoot very fast, as a plane is unable to stop in mid-air and hover like a helicopter."
Lim said the entire trip covering various parts of New Zealand took 23 days resulting in about 20,000 ­photographs in total.
"(Ideas) started to come together during the review ­process," he added. "I decided to showcase these stunning aerial landscape views for a photo project".
His series of photos went on to win the International Photography Award 2016 in the fine art, landscapes and aerial shots category.
His photos were also put on display at an Aspiring New Zealand photo exhibition at Bangsar Shopping Centre in Kuala Lumpur, from April 26 to May 1, which the 38-year-old cites as one of his career highlights.
The launch of the Aspiring New Zealand ­photography book in July was planned to ­coincide with the 60th ­anniversary of friendly ties between New ­Zealand and Malaysia.
Lim explained: "We approached the New Zealand High Commission after returning from our trip last year.
"During our ­meeting, we learned that the New Zealand High ­Commission in Malaysia would be ­celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2017, which was timely for (a collaboration)."
There is a strong sense of lines and composition in Lim's pictures.
He explained: "I call it forms and patterns. These breathtaking aerial views are all natural creations.
"It is a matter of how I see them in different perspectives, and how they can capture and touch the viewers' hearts.
"These aerial (views) are ­uncommon and rarely seen by the public, making them truly unique."