China Daily Global Edition (USA)
Tiny critters pose for camera
Award-winning Chinese photographer presents an intimate look at nature’s wonders. Li Yingxue reports.
The dragonfly lands on a leaf. Yuan Minghui crawls toward the insect, carefully not to startle it. He stops moving just under the leaf, where the dragonfly remains undisturbed.
Yuan is highly attuned to the dragonfly’s movements — a slight twitch of its wings and he knows what it will do next — so he finds the best angle for his target.
With a click of the shutter, Yuan takes his shot — and it becomes another beautiful image of nature’s wonders.
Yuan is a macro photographer, or someone who specializes in closeup photography, from Wuhan, capital of Hubei province. He focuses on the natural environment, plants and insects.
His work, which appears on postcards, calendars, books and other products across the globe, expresses his passion for the natural world.
“Both animals and plants have emotions, and I want to show their beauty and dignity, no matter how tiny they are,” says the 46-year-old.
For the past five years, Yuan has won numerous awards in international photography competitions, including the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Nature’s Best Photography and International Garden Photographer of the Year — he is the first Chinese photographer to receive that honor.
Photography was just a hobby for Yuan when he worked in a pharmaceutical factory in the 1990s. In 1999, he decided to study artistic photography after many of his co-workers were laid off when the factory faced financial difficulties.
“I thought of opening a studio if I was laid off, but my friends and colleagues didn’t think it would work,” says Yuan.
In 2001, Yuan obtained his first camera lens for macro photography. When he saw how China’s pioneering wildlife photographer and conservationist Xi Zhinong won Wildlife Photographer of the Year with images of the elusive snubnosed monkey of Yunnan province, he was inspired to look at the natural world around him as well.
“There is magic in nature. The same place would look totally different after days and weeks,” says Yuan.
Insects are also easily disturbed. But Yuan possesses the patience needed to study them and he takes years to observe the various habits of different species, such as their reactions to the slightest movement of the air around them.
Insects mating is one of the major subjects in his field. It is also one of the most challenging ones. Yuan once tried to shoot a certain type of dragonfly mating, which lasts for just a few seconds. It took him more than two years to finally capture the moment properly.
Plants can be just as daunting. When a pair of plants caught his eye for the way they were entwined — it took him three years before he shot satisfying photos of them “hugging” each other.
Most of Yuan’s images of flora and fauna are taken on the outskirts of Wuhan. When he was still working at the factory, it would take him just five minutes’ walk to get to his subjects.
“I don’t care whether the species is rare or not. If the subject touches me, I’ll record the moment,” he says.
He says his journey of discovery is not to find a new world, but to see it with “fresh eyes”.
Yuan certainly enjoys searching for those moments.
Once, he took a photograph of a frog sitting on the edge of a lotus leaf. It was staring at the drop of dew at the center of its chosen pedestal, seemingly waiting for insects daring enough to drink at the spot.
“He was like a gourmet waiting to be served, so I titled it Waiting for Dinner,” says Yuan. “It’s fun to ‘combine’ nature with human behavior that way.”
On one autumn afternoon, Yuan noticed some twisting, wild vines against the light after a downpour. The coiled tendrils began to remind him of treble clef musical symbols.
“I like to take pictures wearing headphones, listening to music,” says Yuan. “The symbols sparked my imagination.”
After about 100 takes, Yuan was satisfied with one photo showing the natural elements of plant, water and light, combined in perfect harmony. He named the photo Natural Harmony, which made him a finalist of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year in the plants and fungi category in 2014.
At a ceremony for the award, Yuan met his idol, acclaimed Dutch nature photographer Frans Lanting.
When Yuan showed Lanting his winning photo, the Dutchman said to him with a thumbs-up: “You are shooting better than me.”
Yuan’s photo is part of the permanent collection at the British Natural History Museum.
The photographer also likes what he calls the “simple style” of Chinese ink master Qi Baishi (1864-1957), who inspires him to combine Chinese painting with his own work.
At the end of 2015, Yuan became a professional photographer and started to teach at Wild China Film, a Beijing-based NGO founded by Xi Zhinong that aims to record and protect the country’s endangered flora and fauna.
Xi believes the mission of wildlife photographers is to record the beauty and trauma of nature. To that effect, he sees artistry in Yuan’s photos — his shot of a frog sitting on a water lily looks like the creature is wearing a little red bow tie.
“What’s more valuable is that Yuan’s work is not shot in untraversed valleys, but around his home,” says Xi, adding that “the magic of nature happens around us and all you need to do is to find it”.
In October, Yuan published his first book, Fairy Tales of Microcosmic World, in Chinese, which presents about 160 of his photos, including all his award-winning ones. It took him a year to select the photos and write descriptions for each one of them.
Whether it is the camera, its aperture, the shutter speed or light sensitivity, Yuan says he wants to help other photographers understand the various factors behind shooting that perfect image. At the same time, he wants them to know that he is just using a “normal camera and lens, without anything fancy”.
That is also because knowing how to use the equipment properly will not guarantee a good shot — the key is one’s “feeling of nature”, he says.
Yuan is justifiably proud of his international achievements.
“I hope more Chinese photographers are able to shine through the contests and show the natural beauty of China.”
Yuan says he will stay steeped in nature because that helps him find his “inner peace”.
“The images can help protect the natural environment. It’s not only a respect for life, but also a return to human nature.”
Yuan Minghui says his journey of discovery is not to find a new world, but to see it with “fresh eyes”. Both animals and plants have emotions, and I want to show their beauty and dignity, no matter how tiny they are.” Yuan Minghui, photographer