Photographer Page

Ian Teh

The Langur Way Canopy Walk traverses a timeless rainforest on Malaysia’s Pinang Island. Restoring complex forests could help bridge the gap to a healthier planet.

Photographer Ian Teh spends much of his working life on the road—so the pandemic allowed him to stay home with his wife, Chloe Lim, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “My partner and I are lucky that both our families are safe,” he says. “The pandemic has been an opportunity for us to connect with our loved ones, virtually.” He took this self-portrait of the couple in a favorite spot in their apartment, looking out on nearby houses and greenery. “It’s peaceful,” he says.

A man stands in a pool of water beside the Jakarta Bay seawall which protects shops, homes and mosques from being inundated by the sea. Due to rising sea levels and the over-extraction of groundwater, the capital is considered as one of the world's fastest sinking cities. Creation Date:

IN LOCKDOWN, A CHANCE TO GET CLOSE 03.30, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Photographer Ian Teh spends much of his working life on the road. The pandemic allowed him to stay home with his wife, Chloe Lim, in Kuala Lumpur. “My partner and I are lucky that both our families are safe,” he says. “The pandemic has been an opportunity for us to connect with our loved ones, virtually.” One day he took a self-portrait: “We are sitting by our favorite spot in our apartment, looking out to the nearby houses and greenery. It’s peaceful.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: "In the late afternoon, rolling thunder marks the arrival of a tropical downpour as lightning illuminates the darkened sky and all below it momentarily," says photographer Ian Teh. "After the rain, the sweet scent of wet leaves drifts through the window, its lingering air cool against the skin."

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Staff at this local supermarket in a Kuala Lumpur mall wear masks, face shields, and gloves for protection. Public hand sanitisers are strategically placed at checkouts while grocery cart handles are cleaned twice after each use.

Kuala Lumpur: "I climb onto a bench to gain a better view of the world from the glass panes of my living room on the ninth floor," says photographer Ian Teh. "Fragrant sweetness lingers in the air from nearby trees after a recent tropical downpour."

”I love this view out of my window,” says British-Malaysian photographer Ian Teh. ”But it doesn’t sound as peaceful as it looks: The hum of traffic from a nearby highway permeates. [But during] our national lockdown, birds chirp outside or there is just silence. Both are a reminder of this grave situation. We only go out for food or medication. Jobs and projects have vanished or are on hold. I feel fortunate that I can share this time with my partner at home. I’ve tried to see this as an opportunity to do things I sometimes struggle to find time for, from connecting with faraway friends and family on video chat to cooking and meditation.”

Rats, stripped of their fur, are smoked on a bed of hay before being sold to waiting customers in Co Dung, Vietnam.