"In the past three years, I often spent weekend nights in the spring and summer photographing frogs，snakes, insects and so on in remote mountains. Unconsciously, I have taken pictures of more than 20 different frogs in Ningbo, among which some are even newly recorded in Ningbo," -- Zhang Haihua, photographer from Ningbo, Southeast China's Zhejiang province.

Zhang Haihua

Q: How did you get into the field of photogrphing wildlife?

A: I got into photography in 2003. Initially, I shot anything, just like an ordinary enthusiast. But at the end of 2005, I became interested in photographing birds after pictures I took of large flocks of sparrows in suburban fields were published in newspapers. At the beginning of 2006, I joined the Zhejiang Wild Birds Association on someone's recommendation. Since then, I've got to know many enthusiasts of wild birds photography, and fell in love with shooting birds. Since then, I've never looked back.

In the past three years, I've read a lot of works on natural science, and began my interest in taking photos of other species, and tried some unusual ways of photography, such as shooting photos at night.

Q: What's the biggest challenge you've ever met ?

A: Challenges for me come from two sides. First, the limited time available. A huge proportion of time has to be spent shooting in the wild. In addition to time needed for shooting, we have to spend additional time exploring and searching. So, to someone like me, time is quite limited as I can only shoot on weekends or holidays. Second, in this country, ecological conservation has not been given enough attention. In the past, there were many places with a great ecological environment, but now it's facing great pressure from development. And, at some places, we were no longer able to shoot photos.

Q: Can you recount a story that made a deep impression on you?

A: During my annual leave this July, I took a long journey to Xishuangbanna. One night, I captured the reproductive process of Reinward's Flying Frog (a distinctive species with a small population) near a roadside pool on the edge of a tropical forest. It was midnight, after a rainfall, and I found a female frog resting on a leaf. Nearby, there were a lot of male frogs moving around. At that moment, I had a hunch that a “show" was about to be put on. Just as I'd expected, after roughly 20 minutes of waiting, three or four male frogs closed in, in an attempt to hug the female and complete the reproduction process. The scene was messy, yet funny. After the in vitro fertilization, the female frog wrapped the leaf around her eggs. I thought that would be the end of the story, but a male frog seemed to come from nowhere and began to cling to the female, flirting around. But this time, the female showed no interest. Eventually, the late-arriving male frog could only leave in disappointment.

Q: What's your greatest expectation or plan for your future?

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A: As to future plans, I want to build a relatively comprehensive film archive about the local (Ningbo) ecological resources, and gradually expand it to cover the whole province, or even the other places in this country. So that we are able to show the public those appealing films about nature through exhibitions, books, lectures and other different means. In this way, I hope that more and more people will actually care about nature and aboriginality.

Q: What advice to those young photographers who want to join this profession?

A: First, you should start shooting photos of local species in a down-to-earth way, and try to be a photographer and natural science enthusiast who cares about native soil. Second, you could first try to focus on one category, and once you've got more experience, you can then stretch to other categories. Third, read more and learn more about natural science, especially knowledge related to the photo-shooting categories of species. Moreover, you should try your best to make the photos you are shooting a combination of science and art.

 

A Fujian Green pitviper gazes fiercely in the outskirks of Ningbo, in Southeast China's Zhejiang province.

 

Black-webbed treefrogs spawn on a leafy branch in Xishuangbanna of Southwest China's Yunnan province.

 

 

A South China Torrent frog hunts a month in Ningbo. The South China Torrent Frog is a species unique to China, inhabiting Zhejiang, Anhui and Fujian provinces. The species was first discovered in Chong'an county, in the Wuyi Mountains of Fujian province in 1964, earning it the name South China Torrent frog.

 

A Chinese Tree toad climbs and leaps in the bushes. The frog usually lives in the branches of bushes, reeds, canes or other foliage. They are most active at dusk and dawn.

 

A Short-tailed Fu snake, shown above, is the most common venomous snake in Zhejiang. In summer or early autumn, they are likely to creep through the fields or ditches feeding on mice, lizards, frogs, fishes, and other snakes. The snake will hibernate from November to March.

 

The Beijing Gold-striped Pond frog, above, is a skillful swimmer, not only making the standard breaststroke, but also swimming underwater for a long distance. They are also famous for jumping, sometimes leading more than one meter away. When frightened, they jump into the water with a beautiful display of fancy diving.

 

A Fujian Green pitviper swims through a stream with its body erect. The snake has red eyes set in a bright green body. The snake's pupils look like vertical lines, bearing resemblance to the eyes of cats. It's unique characteristics make the snake that is well worth watching.

 

Female and male Piebald Odorous frogs, a species unique to China are shown here mating. The color of their skin is very similar to that of the surrounding environment.

 

 

Along the rushing streams, a South China Torrent frog quietly squats on a rock. The frog normally lives in the streams or ponds, sometimes going ashore during the night.

 

A Pale-shouldered Horned toad rests on some rocks between May and June. It often lies on a small leaf, or withered bamboo or stones along a river bank. To signal others it gives out more than 10 consecutive short cries at night, with sounds starting low but becoming a high-pitched whine.

 

A Piebald Odorous frog dives to the bottom of a stream.

 

The Tiantai Rough-skinned  frog is a native Chinese species, often inhabiting a mountain stream.

 

A Spot-legged treefrog perches on some leaves.

 

A Spot-legged treefrog guards its eggs in a trees. Spot-legged frogs lay eggs outside the water, but when the hatch is coming the sack drops into the water to let the young frogs grow.

 

The Giant Spiny frog has become increasingly rare due to heavy hunting.

 

 

A young Orient Fire-bellied newt shows off cool afro-like gills in this picture. This species is listed as a Beneficial, Economically Important and Scientifically Valuable Terrestrial Wildlife Protected by the State released by the Forestry Bureau of China in August 2000.

 

 

Long-nosed pitviper, also know as a 100-paces pit viper, is one of the most dangerous vipers in the wild. It earned its name because humans and livestock will pass out within five paces after they are bitten.

 

 

A cicada that has just peeled off its shell, dries its wings and gets ready for flight. The cicada has for many years symbolized the resurgence and immortality for the Chinese people. Its life cycle extends from a larva to a cicada pupa and at last into a winged insect.

 

 

A hedgehog searches for food in the night.

 

 

A school of tadpoles are photographed underwater.

 

 

A collared scops owl is trapped by an illegal net. It was later rescued and set free.

 

 

 

Most of the photos in this group are taken in Ningbo, Southeast China's Zhejiang province.

 

 

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