Bangladesh · 2019 —
A record ofwhat still lives here
Wildlife photography from Bangladesh by Gazi Mahmud Al Maruf. No bait, no calls, no disturbed nests.
The premise
Bangladesh sits on a migratory crossroads — a country you can drive across in a day, with an extraordinary number of birds passing through it. Most of them have never been photographed here properly. This is an attempt at the paperwork.
- Bird species documented
- 373+Bird species documented
- Hours in the field
- 1,000+Hours in the field
- Years photographing wildlife
- 6+Years photographing wildlife
- Years of nature curiosity
- 40+Years of nature curiosity
What is in the record
Four chapters
01Birds
Aves
The bulk of the record — warblers that never sit still, egrets that will not let you within eighty metres.
33subjects · 59 frames
02Wildlife
Mammalia · Reptilia
Fewer entries, longer waits. Gibbons give you seconds of clear view; lizards a little more, if you stop moving first.
5subjects · 9 frames
03Butterflies
Lepidoptera
The smallest subjects here, and the least forgiving — they leave the moment a shadow crosses them.
6subjects · 10 frames
04Landscapes
Terra · Aqua
The country the animals live in, and the people who work the same water. Habitat is context, not background.
5subjects · 8 frames
From the index
Filed by name
Every subject gets an entry, a scientific name where one was recorded, and the frames filed under it.
Abbott's BabblerMalacocincla abbottiMalacocincla abbotti01
Asian Brown FlycatcherMuscicapa dauuricaMuscicapa dauurica01
Black-headed IbisThreskiornis melanocephalusThreskiornis melanocephalus02
Black-shouldered KiteElanus axillarisElanus axillaris01
Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopusHimantopus himantopus01
Blue-eared KingfisherAlcedo menintingAlcedo meninting02
Selected plates
A few of them, larger
Method
The animal always comes first.
A record is only worth keeping if it is honest about how it was made. If getting the frame would cost the subject anything at all, the frame does not get taken.
No bait, ever
No live bait, no artificial calls, no food lures. A photograph is not worth changing an animal's behaviour for.
Distance is the technique
Long glass exists so the subject never has to know it is being watched. Nests, roosts and feeding birds are photographed from a respectful remove.
Habitat stays as found
No cut branches, no cleared perches, no trampled undergrowth. The frame is composed by moving the photographer, not the forest.
Honest images
Processing is limited to what a darkroom could do — exposure, contrast, colour. Nothing is added to a frame or taken out of it.
In their words
What people say
Photographers, doctors and birders who have followed the work.
Wildlife photography demands immense patience, and Al Maruf has plenty of it. Their ability to wait hours for that one perfect shot is truly commendable. Every frame they capture tells a powerful, living story.
Dr. Richard MaloDhaka, Bangladesh Al Maruf shoots with a deep respect for nature. Their dedication to practicing ethical wildlife photography while delivering stunning, high-quality visuals is remarkable. A truly passionate artist with a bright future ahead.
Sreejayan NambiarBangalore, India Their eye for lighting and composition is incredible. Al Maruf has a natural talent for capturing wildlife in its truest, most candid moments. As a fellow photographer, the sharpness in their work always inspire me.
Dr. Tahmidur RahmanDhaka, Bangladesh Wildlife photography demands immense patience, and Al Maruf has plenty of it. Their ability to wait hours for that one perfect shot is truly commendable. Every frame they capture tells a powerful, living story.
Mahbubur RahmanLondon, United Kingdom Al Maruf shoots with a deep respect for nature. Their dedication to practicing ethical wildlife photography while delivering stunning, high-quality visuals is remarkable. A truly passionate artist with a bright future ahead.
Dr. Shamali ShillDhaka, Bangladesh Their eye for lighting and composition is incredible. Al Maruf has a natural talent for capturing wildlife in its truest, most candid moments. As a fellow photographer, the sharpness in their work always inspire me.
Mezbahul HaqueRajshahi, Bangladesh
Field journal
Notes on the entries
Working together
Prints, licences and time in the field
Print sales
Archival prints of any frame in the record, sized to your wall. Personal and commercial licences are priced per image.
Editorial & conservation licensing
High-resolution files for magazines, field guides, NGOs and conservation campaigns working on South Asian wildlife.
Guided field days
Small-group sessions in Bangladeshi wetlands and forest edges — fieldcraft, ethics and long-lens technique in real conditions.
Talks & workshops
Sessions for camera clubs, universities and conservation groups on ethical wildlife photography and species documentation.
Need a frame, a licence, or a species documented?
Print orders, editorial licensing, conservation projects and guided field days — all start with an email.
Get in touch