I wear many hats: a (largely) self-taught graphic/web designer, digital image manipulator, layout artist, desktop publisher, editor, storyteller, copywriter, and part-time but avid birder. My latest obsession, DSLR photography–which I live, breathe, and sleep–combines my passion and respect for wildlife and the natural world with a need to tell the stories behind my images as compellingly and creatively as possible–with both the visual and written mediums.
Wildlife photography has its challenges, but those challenges notwithstanding, it is truly humbling and awe-inspiring to be in the presence of creatures with whom we do not speak a common tongue or share a common shape, but will let me experience a part of their lives and connect with them–if only for a few hundred or thousand heartbeats–at a closeness than I could never dare to believe or hope for. You cannot put a price on the magic of those moments.
I believe that every image has a significance and story to tell, as long as I am patient enough to discover what they are. These photos represent a new journey, passion, and chapter in my life.
One of the most beautiful compliments I continue to receive about my photographs is how they evoke childhood memories for my viewers. The power of an image to touch our lives–in a positive or bittersweet way–more than the spoken or written word, can never be underscored or taken for granted.
I am of the belief that the camera does not make a great photographer; it is a tool, albeit a very powerful one, to help make a picture worth its proverbial thousand words. It has been something of a “family tradition” to shoot with Nikon lenses and cameras, and by shooting with Canon plus a combination of Canon and Sigma lenses, I suppose I am being a bit of a rebel (an in-joke for those of you who are acquainted with Canon branding). 😉
I also dabble in macro photography, which in many respects, may be even more challenging than wildlife photography because of the narrow depth of field involved in photographing subjects. A sneeze or a slight breeze is enough to send an image that’s been composed to your desire into the dreaded blurs.
My only formal education in photography was in Grade 10 with black-and-white 35mm film cameras and the unforgettably odoriferous development baths in the darkroom where one painstakingly transformed precious negatives into positives. In the past year and a half, I have become extremely acquainted with terms like ISO, aperture, focal length, flashgun, RAW, diffuser, and post processing in a “two steps forwards, three steps back” manner of learning.
Thank you for visiting my recently redesigned photoblog, whsimphotos.wordpress.com. This “reboot and rebrand” was the inevitable direction that my previous WordPress blog (lilmisspoutinessegues.wordpress.com), was heading in, and that blog has now been archived.
Through these new posts, I hope to share with you the progress I’ve made in photography, the backstories behind the images, as well as tips for better photography. As always, thank you for your support, comments, and likes. Enjoy!
Cheers and Happy Shooting! W. Hui Sim (aka lilmisspoutine / walkswithnature)
MORE OF MY PHOTOGRAPHY CAN BE SEEN AND/OR PURCHASED THROUGH MY ZAZZLE, SOCIETY6, AND REDBUBBLE WEBSITES. PLEASE VISIT THE SHOP PAGE FOR MORE DETAILS.
Thanks for following my blog, it’s a pleasure to look at your photographies. Wishing you a lovely day from Belgium
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thank you, Hillechien! 🙂
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Thank you for visiting and following my blog! I appreciate it very much. 🙂
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you’re welcome, Jackie! I love the theme you’ve used and wildlife/nature, of course! 🙂 Hui
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Hi, nice to meet you. You have some fabulous photographs!
Thank you so much for following our blog. I hope you enjoy the stories of our journey.
Cheers,
Alison
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thank you, Alison! likewise! 🙂
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Hey thanks for stopping by my blog and the follow, Hope you enjoy my blog, you have a great blog here.
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thank you, rigmover! likewise! 🙂
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thanks for stopping by and following my blog. I checked out your site and you have some very nice shots. A great variety of birds.
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thank you, Eddie 🙂
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Hi W.H. Thank you for visiting and following HoB. Much appreciated!
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you’re welcome, Herman! Hui 🙂
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Thanks a lot for visiting & following my blog, it means so much to me!
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no problem, Bipasha! 🙂
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Thanks for the follow — and I love your photos and the stories you’re telling! Very inspirational.
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thank you, Louise!
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Thank you for following Storyteller. — Ray
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Thanks for following my blog! I hope if you can find the time that you will stop by my page called “Reasons to Smile” and leave a comment. It’s a list of things people are thankful for, just to encourage each other. I’d love to hear your thoughts!
I must add…your photos are INCREDIBLE! Great work!
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I will do, Merry Hearts! thank you so much for the compliment!
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It is a well-deserved compliment just from what I saw on your blog in less than five minutes of exploring!
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thank you again! 🙂
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Soyez très bienvenu dans ma vitrine Non Conforme …!!!
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Thanks for the visit, the like and the follow. I find your photographs really awesome. And yes, I agree with you, camera is a mere tool. It’s the skills and the eye of the person behind it that make a photograph to be a good or a bad one.
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thank you, my, er, furry friend! 🙂
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« C’est qu’elles sont cons ces cr&nqques&tbsp;iraiuo;quand les révélations de la septième saison sont des réévaluations au chalumeau, elles sont souvent des moins que liens .Mais il s’est déjà vu qu’on prenait l’ oeuvre originale de main de maître pour un tronie de super faussaire!
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Thank you for subscribing to my blog! Here you’ll fiund more than 4000 ‘fulls creen pictures’ from Norway and/or Norwegian nature. New pictures will be posted on a regular basis. Please enjoy!
And if you really do appreciate what you find, please tell all your friends! 🙂
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you’re welcome! 🙂 Norway is such a beautiful country, and I hope to be able to visit it one day!
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Love your striking and colorful wildlife banner!! Very pretty!! I appreciate your visit to my neck of the woods and am enjoying exploring yours too!!
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thank you, Judy! your blog and photos are absolutely beautiful and such a pleasure to explore!!
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OH thanks much!! Nice we can share our worlds here!!
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🙂 🙂 🙂
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You are self-made which way better than having a formal education and that is the beauty of being creative. I do believe that these creatures that you photographed have allowed you in their life for they can sense your true nature. A lover of nature.
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self-made and self-taught is the harder row to hoe (and generally takes longer), but ultimately, it provides a greater sense of personal fulfillment and accomplishment.
I could spend every day with wildlife and animals. it is truly relaxing for me to be in their presence, even though they cannot speak to me in human, I feel a special connection with them that has and needs no words. 😀
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You just found yourself. That is wonderful. Time for me to follow and talk to you soon. Good evening, Hui. Perpetua. 😛
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thank you, Perpetua! good evening and TTYS 🙂
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Thank you for popping over to visit my blog; I thought I’d pop you right back 🙂 Beautiful photos, and I like the embedded text layout; is Visual a premium theme? Looks great.
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thank you, Michelle.
Visual is a free theme. I like the Raleway font and the layout was perfect for annotating photos with a story.
Cheers! Hui
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Thank you for following our adventures in sailing and photography. We share your passion for birds and wildlife! Chris & Wade
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thank you, Chris & Wade! 🙂
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Incredibly compelling banner – love it! I’m an avid birder and photographer, but my camera is seldom all that great at catching the detail of birds. I do better with flowers that stand still! Enjoyed brosing your shots.
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thank you, Jazz! bird and wildlife photography requires a lot of patience.
sometimes my subjects will surprise me by checking me out, as “my” Anna’s hummingbirds are apt to do–sometimes at distances of six inches from our faces!)
true, flowers don’t run away … but they still require a steady hand, especially if you like to do macro photography like I do.
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Thanks for stopping by and following my photo and travel blog. I hope you continue to enjoy my photography. After sampling your site, I know I will enjoy following your posts as well.
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thank you, John! likewise 🙂
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Hello there!
Thanks for following my blog, hope that you enjoy the ramblings. I love your photo’s, your capture of colour is brilliant. I was wondering what lens(es) you were using?
I look forward to seeing your photo’s in the future and wish you a good day.
Page
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Hello Page,
Glad to hear you like them!
I shoot with a Canon 24-105mm F/4L IS USM (my original kit lens), a Canon 100mm F2.8L IS USM Macro
(my favourite walkaround lens), and most of the time, for wildlife, a Sigma 150mm-500mm F5-6.3 AF APO DG OS HSM super telephoto lens.
Cheers,
Hui
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Hi, thank you to connect with my blog. I hope that the French discussions are not a problem for you. See you again, and maybe have a chance to exchange on different things!
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no problem, Gilles. images transcend language barriers, and I did take French in high school. 🙂
cheers, Hui
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hello hui,
greetings from kuala lumpur!
many thanks for taking an interest in my photography and following.
much appreciated.
(sorry for the belated response)
best regards,
ken
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no problem, Ken!
hey, you’re from my (former) home country! 😀
Hui
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Really? When did you migrated?
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oh many, MANY years ago … I was but four! 😀
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You did not leave much behind, then 😉
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no 🙂 but every time I went back for a visit, the place looks so different! much, much more cosmopolitan. less green, more cement. but I guess that’s the way most places are tending to go towards. 😐
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hi hui,
absolutely, all in the name of development!!!
when was your last visit?
ken
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1997! how time flies 🙂
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Omg! A visit is way long overdue. You will not recognise Kuala Lumpur much at all.
Ken
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it is, but every time I go back there, it seems to be hotter and hotter, and I usually go during the tropical winter. 🙂
I’ve gotten used to having four seasons in Canada, and look forward to fall and spring more than the other two seasons! 😐
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Different strokes for different folks 🙂
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and a bit of an irony, considering my birth country! 😀
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People change
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true. I might visit Peru and Ecuador in the future. 🙂
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Great! Your bird photography is great too.
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thank you! trying to build up my portfolio in that department. 🙂
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Thank you for stopping by Storyteller. — Ray
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Beautiful pictures! Love your header!
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thank you, Pam! love your avatar! 😀
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That little owl baby was in a nest in our yard. Later on it won a national photo contest! 🙂
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ohhh, so SWEET!! congrats, Pam!
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Thanks for the follow. Great ducks!
Best wishes, Pete.
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Hi
Thanks for following my not so spectacular pictures and stories. I wanted to say I love your story, pictures and attitude. We also love birds and now that we live in SE Asia we hope to take some great birding trips although the good places are a bit pricey for early retirees. Have you ever been to Borneo? We had an awesome guide that’s also a bird specialist and we keep in touch but he works at a very expensive wildlife reserve in Danum Valley and therefore has no personal time to help us identify great birds. Anyway, thanks again for following
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Hello Rob and Diane,
Despite being Malaysian-born myself (have been a Canadian since I was four) and my dad being from Borneo himself, I have never been to Borneo! 🙂
There is a great deal of diverse and interesting birdlife in S.E. Asia, Australia, and South America, and I hope to be able to see many more species in the future!
see the shortlist here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_birds_of_Malaysia
you can also check out the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Neotropical Birds website
http://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/portal/home
Cheers,
Hui
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Diane and I recently discovered the Cornell site right before we left and thought it was great. Andy knew you were Canadian because you said Grade 10 Nd not 10th grade as Americans say
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haha … that’s so funny, I never knew that the use/non-use of ordinals was the difference between Canadians and Americans!! 🙂
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I also use ebird.org to see what birds are being reported in my region. this link may help you with Malaysian birdlife:
http://ebird.org/ebird/country/MY?yr=all
PS. I just remembered that I had been to Borneo once MANY years ago, but I was quite young … not even able to drive yet :). Lots has changed since then, I’d imagine!
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You have some beautiful photos.
Phyllis
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thank you, Phyllis!
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Thank you for following my blog, because now I can follow yours. You are an amazing photographer!
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thank you for the compliment, gahlearner! I have been a student of DSLR photography for just a little more than a year.
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Me encanta leer tu comentario de que una buena cámara no lo es todo para hacer buenas fotos. Mi cámara es una compacta y eso me da muchas esperanzas de llegar a conseguir algún día una foto estupenda.
Gracias por pasarte por mi blog y seguirlo.
Saludos.
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muchas gracias por su visita!
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You are an inspiration! I am a Jenny-come-lately 😉 to DSLR photography, having dabbled now and again over the decades but sadly never really applied myself. However, just last month I took the DSLR plunge with a Nikon D3300. Still trying to get used to having a viewfinder, LOL, and literally just added a prime lens (another new adventure!).
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thank you! and congratulations! 🙂
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Thank you for following and liking 🙂 my journey just begun feel free to give me feedback when u see something wrong:)
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oh ho! I don’t think I have enough expertise in blogging or photography to say otherwise! 🙂
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Hehe 😉
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Thanks so much for stopping by my blog. I’ve just been scrolling through yours and your photography is brilliant. So glad I found it and will definitely follow. Love your header too!
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thank you, Pat! have a great day. 🙂
cheers, Hui
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All the best on your storytelling journey~ both through images and the words. Appreciate the follow and looking forward to your story sharing!
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thank you, ksh! 🙂
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Thank you for following me! I love your photographs. I’m a Nikon user but understand the rebel in you!
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😀 😀 😀
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Happy Sunday! Thanks for visiting and following my blog. enjoyed visiting yours in turn – love the photography!
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thank you, Suzette! enjoy your Sunday, too! 🙂
cheers,
Hui
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Thank you for following my blog. I look forward to reading yours.
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you’re welcome, Jovina! likewise! 🙂
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PS. I really love eggplant, but I had no idea how many ways there were to cook it! (especially aubergine fries!) thanks for sharing!! 🙂
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Hi! I wanted to just say thank you so much for following me at ‘Stop & Focus’, I really appreciate you talking the time. Thanks again. 🙂
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no problem. have a nice day! 🙂
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Thanks for following my blog.
Allan
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Wow you are all rounder! Designer, photographer, copywriter and on.. ! Your photographs are really really Amazing!!! Top eagle is just awesome can I paint that ? Can’t resist my temptation 🙂
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Snehal,
thank you for asking! your paintings are beautiful. if you mean the Peregrine Falcon (the middle photo), yes, you may paint it as long as I get a credit on your blog post and a link back to whsimphotos.wordpress.com
thank you and have a nice day,
cheers,
Hui
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What a fascinating blog you have, and your photographs are truly amazing, very sharp and the setup is also really artistic! Thank you for following my blog! Really appreciate it! 😀👍
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thank you! always happy to see and follow others with a keen interest in wildlife and the natural world! 🙂
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The first photograph of the parrot is amazingly beautiful.
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thank you! Clyde the Eastern Rosella is so cute. it’s all I could do not to take him home with me! 🙂
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Hello! Just wanna say hi and thank you for following my little blog. And your photos are awesome! 🙂
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you’re welcome and thank you, Rachel. looking forward to reading about your travels! 🙂
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Thanks for finding and following my blog. I love your connection to nature, your respect for and love of the birds, and your philosophical approach to photography. I’m more of a writer than a photographer, but like you I truly love capturing the moments I’ve been able to spend with these wondrous, winged creatures. Your images are outstanding, and the stories you tell around them are emotionally and spiritually compelling. I look forward to reading and viewing more.
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Thank you for the compliments, Devin! As one who loves to write, I love to (i.e. cannot not) tell the backstories behind my photos. 🙂
Thank you for creating a blog that blends both your gift of the written word with your digitally documented experiences of the natural world!
cheers,
Hui
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Thank you for the recent follow. I admire your photography. I am also self taught and have much more to learn. There is so much to learn here in the world of bloggers!
I look forward to following your page and learning more about photographing wildlife.
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thank you, Treerabold!
cheers,
Hui
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Thank you for stopping by my blog and for the follow. After just a quick peek at your blog, I definitely need to look at more of your posts. You have so many wonderful images on your site!
M.
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Mary,
Thank you for your kind words! I was hooked the moment I saw the post on Mr. Fox, and the WP theme you use is just so clean and inviting!
cheers,
Hui
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I love your photography. When you have a chance stop by my blog to see if anything amuses you. You have won over another follower with your talented eye.
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thank you! those with a gift for storytelling amuse me! I say this because I wrote first, well before I picked up a camera! 🙂
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Hello Mr Sim. Very nice photos! I’m thinking you must be the guy who takes the pictures for those Audubon bird guidebooks. Fantastic work!
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it’s actually Miss Sim, but thank you very much for the compliment! 😀
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Look forward to exploring your blog, I think we have much in common and a similar appreciation for nature and photography.
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thank you, Laura! likewise! 🙂
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Superb Work ! Congrats
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Your photography is superb and lights my day!
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thank you, Noelle!
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