Gu Ying -- not only a wildlife photographer

Guying, a wildlife photographer, was given the Excellent Photographer Award at the 16th Pingyao International Photography (PIP) Festival, one of China's most important photography events for her depictions of endangered animals in the Earth's "three poles" -- the North Pole, South Pole and the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Once a four-time national champion professional glider, she retired from that sport after an accident.

One of the curators of the recent China (Sanmenxia) White Swan Wildlife International Photography Festival, Gu granted an interview to People's Photography, a professional publication in China, in which she shared her ecological opinions.

Sun Zhenjun (host): You started as a photographer of birds, and have shot about 1,000 species around the world. After a mere five years you have had some of your photos included in The Handbook of the Birds of the World. What is the secret that makes you stand out among the numerous bird photographers?

Gu: I am used to sparing no efforts in doing anything. Insistence is quite important for wildlife shooters. You can't communicate with the wild animals so you need enough patience to search for them and wait for an excellent view. I wait much longer so I get more rewards.

A strong thirst for knowledge is also indispensable if you want to reach a certain level of professional standards. It's best to make the acquaintance of a good teacher.

Sun: Your photos, taken in the tough environment of the North Pole, South Pole and the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, have caused a sensation at home and abroad. What kind of photography method did you use? Why didn’t others capture the scenes?

Gu: You need to treat yourself as an animal if you want quality photos of wildlife. When I was shooting the Tibetan antelope's breeding process, I spent over ten hours every day hiding in the tent, eating food with no smells to stay close to them without disturbance.

I think it's the photographic ideas that matter. Most of the cameramen pursue the "good-looking moment" in a desire for novelty, but I prefer to show the real living state. Continuous storms kept me for 18 days in the inland South Pole due to the El Nino effect during my shooting of emperor penguins. But I was excited because that’s where they live.

If for no other reason, I really enjoy field shooting for there are always possibilities of coming across the animals.

Sun: What do you think is the most obvious shortage in wildlife photography in China compared with your international counterparts?

Because the education methods are different, aesthetic animal images are more common in foreign countries than here, which can be observed in the thematic approaches in the Sanmenxia exhibition.

Foreign countries boast more professionals in wildlife photography and conservation; their technical levels are higher, too. There are a lot of organizations and agencies focusing in that area. Those differences too are vividly shown in the exhibition.

Sun: China's nature reserves cover an area of 1.47 million square kilometers, accounting for nearly a sixth of the country's land area and providing an ideal shelter for many wild animals. Do you think this is the best era for wildlife photography?

Gu: Many of our wildlife photographers prefer to go abroad to work. In fact, China is blessed with rich wildlife resources, for example, Qinghai's Hoh Xil and the Sanjiangyuan region (the source of three rivers - the Yangtze, the Yellow and the Lancang). I would like to call on photographers to take more photos of China's wildlife.

Sun: It is fair to say that you have made great achievements in the past five or six years, but do you think what you have done can really change the status of wild animals?

Gu: I believe that if you work hard, something will change. After all these years' of shooting, my thoughts are also changing. A close-up picture of a dying Tibetan antelope with my figure mirrored in its eyes has made a stir at the wildlife exhibition in Sanmenxia. As long as you do the hard work, a sense of wildlife protection will be further promoted.

Gu Ying, a wildlife photographer and curator of the China (Sanmenxia) White Swan Wildlife International Photography Festival. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Edited by Peter Nordlinger