Hello! My name is Nurul Yazid and I’m an Underwater Photographer from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. For as long as I can remember, I have always always been fascinated by the ocean. I learnt to swim at the age of 3 and was already snorkelling with fishes by the time I was 5. When the kids at my elementary school wanted to become firemen or doctors, I wanted to be a dolphin trainer. That was how much the ocean meant to me.
After giving the corporate world a try, I decided it was not for me and followed my dreams to become a dive instructor. I worked on various paradise islands including the Perhentian Islands, Mabul, Sipadan and Pom Pom Island, where I won multiple awards for my outstanding achievement as a PADI Instructor.
At some point, I decided to pick up underwater photography as a new challenge and immediately fell in love with it. Fast forward 10 years, I have been featured in several diving magazines and websites and have won multiple awards for my work.
I enjoy shooting both macro and wide-angle as I find that they both have their own different challenges. While this may be the toughest question for me to answer but if I had to absolutely choose only one marine animal species to photograph, I would choose sharks. I’m always so intrigued by their mysteriousness and how they are always so shy. There’s never a dull moment when photographing them.
I’m currently using a Nikon D750 in a Seacam housing with Seacam Seaflash 160D strobes. For macro, my go-to lenses are the Nikon 60mm and 105mm. For wide-angle, I use the Nikon 8-15mm fisheye lens.
I try my utmost to document and create stories through my photography. So whether I am swimming with sharks in the Bahamas or fighting against the strong currents in Indonesia, it is always with a camera in one hand and my eyes wide open. you never know what might pop up and surprise you.
Caribbean reef sharks Tiger Beach, Bahamas
Juvenile sea lion La Paz, Mexico
Juvenile pinnate batfish Pom Pom Island, Malaysia
Juvenile harlequin sweetlips Lembeh Straits, Indonesia
Leopard anemone shrimp, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
Schooling jackfish, Sipadan Island, Malaysia
Lemon shark Tiger Beach, Bahamas
Cling fish Alor, Indonesia
Turtle-headed sea snake Dauin, Philippines
Lemon sharks Tiger Beach, Bahamas
Green turtle Shipwreck Post, Mataking Island, Malaysia
Lemon & Caribbean reef sharks Tiger Beach, Bahamas
Coconut Octopus Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
Peacock mantis shrimp with eggs Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
Shallow coral reef Pom Pom Island, Malaysia
Find more from Nurul on her Instagram @nurul_yazid
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