A NATURE LOVER with a passion for photography, Fakrul Jamil once waited for up to 20 days in Iceland, just to capture the magical moment the stunning Aurora Borealis appeared during a geomagnetic storm.
The talented Fakrul, 31, who is also a business development executive, has travelled to over 20 countries including Norway, Germany, New Zealand, France and Austria, discovering beautiful landscapes, capturing photos of untouched waterfalls, lakes, mountains and seas through his lens.
“I am inspired by the beauty of nature and great natural light. When it comes to nature, [no two days] are alike. Every day will be different,” said Fakrul, a self-taught photographer who picked up his skills through the internet.
“Landscape photography brings me close to nature, and lets me view the world in new ways. Getting out to shoot landscapes also helps clear my mind and makes me relax from my every day routine,” said Fakrul, who specialises in landscape and travel photography.
“I enjoy the process of taking photos and being out in nature with my camera and tripod,” he added.
“I just want the viewer to feel inspired and get out there and enjoy nature as much as I do.”
Amazing adventures
Fakrul’s favourite photograph is a self-portrait of himself with the Aurora Borealis during a geomagnetic storm. “I set my camera on self-timer mode, ran into the frame and stood still for 15 seconds,” he explained.
The photograph is stunning and spectacular, but the story behind the scene is just as interesting.
“I travelled around Iceland for almost 20 days and chased the Aurora every single night, only to get disappointed either by thick clouds, rain and low Aurora activity.
“On the last three nights in Iceland, there was an unexpected geomagnetic storm, which caused the Aurora activity to increase dramatically.”
Challenging but spectacular view
Taking a good photograph is not as easy. Sometimes, a photographer has to face many challenges and hurdles just to get a perfect picture.
“The most challenging moment was when I had to hike up Reinebringen mountain in Lofoten, Norway in 2016. Back then, there was only around 15% of the mountain’s stone stairs [compared to today], which was laid by Nepali Sherpas,” he said.
“There was no obvious route or path to get to the peak. I was climbing through the bushes with my 15kg photographic equipment and the climb was really steep,” Fakrul added.
The result is priceless. A view showing a deep blue sky with clouds and mountains on the calm waters.
A moment in time
One of his own photographs which made the biggest impact on him is Kelanang Sunset, showing tree branches on a beach backgrounded by the beautiful red and orange sky of Kelanang Beach in Banting.
“The day that I took the photo, I learned it had rained heavily a couple of hours before sunset. The weather can change in a split second,” said Fakrul, whose photographs have been published in advertisements and publications by Lonely Planet, CIMB Bank, Singapore Airlines and others.
Iceland is his favourite location, while Arnar Kristjansson is his favourite photographer, currently.
“I really like the photo of a crater he took from Iceland’s highland,” said Fakrul, who described himself as an enthusiast photographer.
Fakrul plans to continue exploring the world, as well as hold photography workshops and courses in the future. His dream in life is to become a full-time landscape photographer.
