Cede Jesus Prudente

The award winning professional photographer, conservationist and author speaks of being in control and his love for nature and we markets.

Behind the camera or in front of it – which is better? Behind the camera: I rather be in control.

Which country/city is the most photogenic in your opinion? Japan has some great landscape in the far North in Hokkaido and well-preserved historical buildings in Kyoto. But for wildlife and nature photography, Sabah is tops.

Tell us a bit about your photography style and the kind of subjects you prefer taking on your travels. I like to document the colours of the local culture and its people, the historical and the contrast of modern buildings. I love dawn in the we market and dusk in the outdoors in particular. Rarely do I bring my tripod on the street; I mostly take photos handheld with 70-200mm and 14-24mm lenses. Occasionally, I end up shooting time-lapse images at popular landmarks.

Which destination surprised you the most? I think Singapore makes the biggest surprise in many ways For a small island, limited natural resources or none at all, it still manages to attract foreign investors, and it has a fantastic tourism strategy that entices visitors.

Where do you always like to return to? The mountains in Kinabalu National Park and the lowland of Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary in Sabah. As for cities, I love Penang and Manila.

What is one thing you will never fail to do when visiting a new city/country? Walk about at dawn and visit a we market.

What is your take on eco-tourism? It’s almost a norm to travel responsibly nowadays, so be aware, be educated, participate and be concerned with the environment.’ I would also advise that you travel with tour operators that support nature conservation or collaborate with environmental NGOs and lastly, contribute to the local economy by staying longer around the Parks and Wildlife Reserves.

What is your biggest travel annoyance? When luggages get lost!

What is nest on your travel diary? Semporna Island, Imbak Canyon, and Mount Kinabalu in Malaysia; Maligan in Indonesia. 

Together with fellow photographer Jonathan Tan, Cede embarked on a journey to photograph one of the world’s oldest tropical rainforest from the air. In shoot for the sky, watch how these two lensmen master the skills of flying a paramotor and simultaneously capture the beauty of Sabah from a bird’s eye view.