How photographer Chien C Lee captures the natural wonders from the East

As a biologist, environmental educator and wildlife photographer, Lee uses photography as a means to document the captivating wonders found within the Borneo rainforests and drive conservation efforts. His photos have been published in nature publications such as National Geographic and he’s recently released a book that showcases the extraordinary abilities of how animals and plants disguise themselves to influence how other organisms perceive them, either as predators or prey. Lee is also a highly sought-after guide for specialist biological tours and consultant for nature film projects by entities like the BBC and Sarawak Tourism Board. He’s even undertaken assignments and expeditions for the Heart of Borneo Initiative and the Southeast Asia Rainforest Research Partnership programme in the name of conservation awareness.

“A lot of the conservation issues we face today, such as wildlife poaching, loss of habitat, climate change, could be approached more effectively if the general public were more receptive,” he explains. “And sadly, I think a lot of Malaysians do not get exposure to a lot of these conservation issues; at least not as much as what I’m used to in California where you’re constantly bombarded with such topics. In that respect, photography can play a significant role in changing perceptions. If you aren’t aware of what’s happening out there in the environment, you don’t understand it. And if you don’t understand it, how can you possibly love or cherish it? These are fundamental prerequisites before we can even start caring about the environment. So hopefully, that’s an avenue for how photography can make a difference.”

Having left California where he was born and raised for the rainforests of Borneo was a life-changing experience for Lee. In 1996 soon after graduating with a degree in biology, he came to Kuching to work with pitcher plants. “It started as a hobby for me,” explains Lee.

“A lot of of people, including myself, were so fascinated with these carnivorous plants thinking they’re so bizarre, and they eat animals. I discovered a nursery in California that exclusively sold carnivorous plants and when I saw these pitcher plants for the first time, I quickly got interested in them. I began cultivating a small collection of about a dozen plants that I bought from the nursery. I was also part of a carnivorous plant club at the time. When a friend of mine [from the club] travelled to Borneo, he met a nursery owner in Kuching who was looking for someone to help set up a propagation facility for pitcher plants. He introduced me to this guy, we had an interview over the phone, and the next thing I knew, I bought a one-way ticket to Kuching. I dropped everything and moved out here.”

He remarks, “I probably would have kept up with my career in environmental education [working in parks in California]. But the decision to come here definitely changed all that.”

Even though he loved working with pitcher plants, he soon realised that his interests extended beyond them. The diverse natural wonders of the rainforests captivated him, from insects to birds, frogs and more. Over time, he noticed that many of these remarkable species lacked proper documentation or photos. This prompted the hobbyist photographer to eventually turn professional in 2003, allowing him to combine his passions—the best of both worlds, as they say. “I realised that photography was a means for me to embrace all my interests in nature and be able to share all the incredible things I’m seeing in the rainforest.”

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Although he is no longer actively involved in biological research, Lee still finds himself collaborating with biologists and their teams, which he considers some of the most intriguing projects he’s had the opportunity to work on. “These are always rewarding experiences because you get to learn so much from the specialists. Being part of their research teams has also provided unique opportunities to capture photos of subjects that I would never have been able to do otherwise.”

He then relates a particularly memorable project he was involved in, studying an extraordinary interaction between a tree shrew and a pitcher plant. “Tree shrews are actually related to ancestral primates,” he explains. “We spent two weeks camped at the top of a mountain. It was cold, it was wet but we were able to document the first-ever case of what we call in biology a ‘mutualism’, which is a mutually beneficial relationship between this mammal and a pitcher plant previously believed to be carnivorous. Basically, what happens is the tree shrew is attracted to the pitcher plant and drinks the nectar on the underside of the lid, while the pitcher plant serves as a toilet for the tree shrew—it defecates in the pitcher and that’s how the plant gets its nitrogen.

“This was the first time such behaviour has ever been recorded for a pitcher plant and a mammal, and I got the first photographic evidence to prove this. That single picture was probably the most published photo of my entire career. It was really fascinating because it revealed a groundbreaking behaviour that no one had imagined before this. We used to believe that pitcher plants were 100 per cent carnivorous, but it turns out this particular plant doesn’t even eat insects!

“So projects like that, where I have the opportunity to be part of a discovery and gain a deeper understanding of behaviour or interrelationships in the rainforest—I think it’s amazing to be able to do that.”

Despite having over two decades of experience in the field, Lee’s enthusiasm for the work that he does has never waned. When asked about the important qualities and skills that a wildlife photographer should possess, he responds, “To be a good wildlife photographer means having a desire to be the voice of nature. Essentially, as a wildlife photographer, you become a naturalist and a spokesperson for the natural world, representing those that cannot speak for themselves. You’re showcasing the truth about nature—its fascinating behaviours, incredible species and adaptations, and conservation concerns. If your focus is solely on capturing a pretty photo at the expense of the subject, it contradicts how I believe a wildlife photographer should approach their work. Patience is also crucial; sometimes it takes days to capture the perfect shot, but I never consider it wasted time because there is so much to enjoy and photograph.”

He emphasises, however, that “no photo is worth more than the welfare of the subject”. It’s important to cultivate ethical practices in wildlife photography, including showing respect towards the wildlife and the environment, leaving the habitat undisturbed, conducting research and acquiring knowledge about the animals and plants being photographed, being cautious about sharing information when publishing photographs of endangered species, and refraining from manipulating subjects for the sake of a photo. Lee says, “I won’t claim that I have never manipulated a subject; I think every photographer has done it to some extent, like adjusting the branch so you can get closer to your subject, or moving insects from here to there. Looking back, I would have preferred not to have touched my subjects. Today, I truly value photos that are in situ—this means zero manipulation, zero touching or moving your subject at all. To me, these photos are the most meaningful because they exhibit completely natural behaviour.”

Having said that, there exists a broad spectrum within the “in situ” scenario, as he explains: “On one hand, you have subjects that remain completely untouched, blissfully unaware of the photographer’s presence. That’s as pure a nature photo as you can get. On the other end, there are photographers who attempt to sell images with fabricated stories behind them. We’ve seen animals suspended by strings, which are digitally removed later in Photoshop, or putting two incompatible animals together with a contrived narrative behind it, which, as a biologist I know to be completely false. These qualify as animal abuse in my opinion.

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“Then there are the grey areas in between. For example, many nature lodges in Central and South America have bird feeders out on their decks. Every day they provide nectar for hummingbirds, and sometimes bananas for other bird species. The birds come and feed on them, providing photographers with a great closeup. Admittedly, this practice is slightly manipulative to the subject as you’re altering their natural behaviour to some extent. As a rule of thumb, what photographers can do to self-judge whether they are being ethical in their practices is to ask themselves, ‘Are you comfortable sharing the information on how you approached the subject?’ If you feel reluctant to disclose that information, it’s likely because you know what you are doing is unethical.”

For Lee, what he loves about photography is the ability to tell a story captured within a single, still moment. Over the past two decades, his work has unveiled the wonderful biodiversity thriving in our rainforests. Now, it is time to take action and do everything we can to protect, preserve and conserve these natural wonders. If we don’t, then who will?

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