Mitchell Soh - Art & Photography

Bird and Aviation photographer and artist, Anime and Power Rangers fan who loves to eat.

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Great Egret | Sungei Buloh Wetland reserve

During my most recent visit to Sungei Buloh, I spotted a few egrets which is where Sungei Buloh is home to. I noticed this egret as mom and I were completing our walk around the Tidal Ponds just as we thought the bird activity died down quickly. I later identified it as a Great Egret and was pleased to add this as a lifer to my Singapore Bird list. Happy because it's the first time I photographed a great egret.

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Great-billed heron | Sungei Buloh Wetland reserve

The last time I visited Sungei Buloh for birding was in 2019 before the emergence of the Wuhan virus which developed into the COVID-19 pandemic. For a while, the nature reserves and parks were temporarily closed in 2020 to stop the spread of the virus and eventually fully reopened in 2023. 7 years after my last visit to Sungei Buloh, I went there now fully fledged with my Sigma 150-600mm telephoto lens and able to get better quality images of birds as well as using the right settings for wildlife. I spotted a few lifers including this Great-billed heron at the Buloh Tidal ponds which is home to many migratory waterbirds from storks, egrets and herons. We then spotted a crocodile on the way back to the carpark near the visitor centre. All in all, it was a good session considering that I'm now more full-fledged in bird photography.

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Chimpanzee | Singapore Zoo

When I was little, I always enjoyed watching elephants at the zoo and on TV through various animal documentaries. As I grew older, I grew my interest further through more animals, including primates especially apes. This little baby chimpanzee was the highlight of the Singapore Zoo for me because of it's high energy and seeing it getting a piggyback ride from it's mother. Chimpanzees, whether in the wild or captivity are still quite vocal, yapping to one another which is their form of communication. Gorillas will always be #1 with me, but seeing Chimpanzees at the Singapore Zoo is good enough for me.

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One of the most interesting things about Payday 2 is that you can customize your team with many masks that look wild and in this case, Kawaii (cute). I made my Payday 2 crew wear Kawaii masks to make them look like anime girls and all the characters are female which is hilarious and interesting at the same time, thus the name The Waifu Squad.

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White Rhinoceros | Singapore Zoo

Every once in a while, it's nice to visit the Singapore Zoo to observe White Rhinoceroses and their behavior to understand them better. Occasionally, the Rhinoceroses will snort angrily towards each other and sometimes chase and fight each other, and understandably, they need to protect their territories. If you can, always ask the keepers if you observe the animals fighting and making noises at one another.

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Labu | Bornean Orangutan (Alpha Male) | Singapore Zoo

The last time I visited the Singapore Zoo to see the animals was in 2024. Two years later, I bought my first ticket to the Zoo for the first time in two years, this time online now armed with a credit card. I mainly went to the zoo this time with a more laid back mindset, only taking out my Cameras when I reached an exhibit with animals to photograph. I aimed mainly for the White Rhinoceros, Malayan Tiger and Orangutans, particularly the Alpha Male Labu, a Bornean Orangutan. The best time to see these apes is during feeding times, so that while the keepers feed the animals with snacks, you get a good picture of the animals facing your lens.

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I added two sunbirds to my painting of me as a bird photographer. I’m likely to finish these pieces by next week or so since I’m ahead of schedule.

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Little Egret | Ulu Pandan Park Connector

The last time I shared a Little Egret was when I visited Ulu Pandan Park Connector for the first time which is near my home in Bukit Timah. Considering the time of year, our resident breeders are starting or have already started their breeding season. I decided to opt for a tighter perspective this time to showcase the beauty of this usually plain coloured bird.

Just check out the plumes. They will get longer and intensify as it completes transition into breeding plumage.

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Crimson Sunbird | Singapore Botanic Gardens

The last time I photographed a Crimson Sunbird was in 2024, when I just started venturing into bird photography. I recall walking around the Ginger Garden and spotting the bird and I could get a crisp sharp image.

Fast forward to today, I readily joined a few uncles and aunties armed with cameras and big lenses who were also photographing the Crimson Sunbird. The EOS 7D Mark II worked its capability for constant autofocus for wildlife and sports and I persistently pointed my camera at the bird and held down the shutter button and when I reviewed my shots, jackpot!

This is the male plumage and like all the other sunbirds, the male plumages are the more colourful and handsome ones compared to their plain-looking female counterparts. Truth be told, I'm happy to get a perfect image of this uncommon resident having gotten close enough to it for a crisp sharp image. Woohoo!

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Brown Throated Sunbird | Singapore Botanic Gardens

Took leave for two weekends to look after my lonely dog Paddington as he needed some company when my parents were out of town. I then went to the Singapore Botanic Gardens Heliconia Walk for a day of bird spotting, particularly Sunbirds.

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I’m more patient and attentive to detail now and added details to the birds on my painting of a bird photographer (me) and added details to the fingers and hands of my aviation photographer.

My art teacher suggested adding 2 more birds to my bird photographer painting. And she had a point because the right side feels abit empty with only 2 birds. I will be adding more birds to my painting of a bird photographer next week.