Wildlife photographer and naturalist from California and based in Sarawak, Borneo, producing images that help to inspire a deeper understanding and respect for our natural world.
Chien Lee 李乾
I am a wildlife photographer and naturalist based in Kuching, Sarawak. My goal as a photographer is to produce images that help to inspire a deeper understanding and respect for our natural world.
Having grown up in the the Bay Area of northern California, my childhood was spent chasing insects and following animal footprints around our local parks, always wondering what lay beyond the next mountain ridge. After completing a degree in ecology and working as an environmental educator in the East Bay Regional Parks District, I moved to Sarawak on the island of Borneo in 1996, fulfilling a lifelong dream of living in the tropics, and this has been my home ever since.
The great majority of my work is spent in the Indonesian archipelago, a region of incredible biological richness and a source of countless undocumented species. I am particularly fascinated by the intricate interactions and adaptations of rainforest organisms that showcase the wondrous complexity of these ecosystems. It is impossible to work in these forests without being witness to the catastrophic environmental threats that they are now facing, and using photography to tell these amazing and often hidden stories as a catalyst for conservation is the inspiration that gets me out of bed every morning. Towards this end, I have been honored to work collaboratively with a number of organizations and have undertaken assignments and expeditions for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, and the Heart of Borneo Initiative.
In addition to my photographic work, I am also frequently engaged as a guide for specialist biological tours and film projects across Southeast Asia and around the globe, e.g. our cancelled expedition to Ecuador.
All of the photographs available on my portfolio are available for rights-managed licensing or fine art prints. My work is also represented by the stock photo agency Minden Pictures.
Also remember to check out the photographs by my beloved wife, Pearl, over here.
