"I will never forget those days of dehydration and intense efforts just to get a nice shooting spot in such a dry environment under excessive sun exposure, which even got me kidney stones."-- Nature photographer: Bain Cheng

Photographer: Bain Cheng

Q: How did you get into the world of wildlife photography?

A: At first, I only took photos of insects, as they are more widely spread with a larger variety and number. They offered me a greater chance to take good photos within a limited time. I began to shoot wildlife animals in a systematic way when I participated in a program photographing the life history of some species in a mangrove wetland reserve. Now it's been 12 years since I took first wildlife photo.

Q: What is the biggest problem you have faced so far?

A:  Many places that are not classified as natural reserve continue to be exploited and destroyed; leading to the demise of numerous sites I once worked at. The good news is that the ecosystem’s integrity is somewhat preserved in many natural reserves.

Q: What is your favorite piece of work?

A: Work on parnassius cephalus(an endangered butterfly) is my favorite. I have been working on this for about five years. It started years ago when I saw a photo of a live parnassius apollo taken by a European on the Internet. At that time most of the photos were their specimens, but rarely could photos of these fairy-like living butterflies be found, which prompted me to begin planning 10 years ago.

After acquiring some information on parnassius imperator during a long break five years ago, I embarked on a journey in the middle and southern Gansu by myself. Due to lack of experience and bad weather, it took me nearly a month and numerous trips to finally run into them by the side of a highway. The butterflies were fluttering down the steep cliff, searching for nectars and mates on the rocky mountain. We finally drew a plan to photograph them in the oxygen-deprived environment of high altitude after days of trial. It took a lot of effort to climb up there since there was no road. With just water and some dry food, I stayed there for a whole day. After days of waiting, I finally captured the most phenomenal parnassius, in shape or in markings, on my camera, which was a pleasant surprise. The whole process, from the waiting and prognosis to pressing the shutter and rechecking, was incredible. I will never forget those days of dehydration and intense efforts just to get a nice shooting spot in such a dry environment under excessive sun exposure, which even got me kidney stones. From the day we went back to the next morning when I had ultrasonic lithotripsy, every minute, with both joy and pain, was amplified, which is really unforgettable.

 

Q: Do you have any suggestions for young photographers?

A: First, read more about nature, not just books, paintings or photos. Increase your base of knowledge and artistic level. You should be clear about what you want to do and what you can do. Second, continually enhance your photographic technique. Make a systematic plan to upgrade your skills. In this way, you can turn your thoughts to actions, and to real work. Third, actively participate in different kinds of environmental activities so that you can get a more complete and authentic picture of what you are dealing with in the real world, including natural and humanistic environment. This is an important basis for how we judge our situation and different things in the future.

 

A tern hovers over a lake in Ngari Prefecture of Tibet.[Photo by Bain Cheng]

 

A Tibetan gazelle gallops at dawn in Ngari Prefecture, Tibet. This creature has been an important part of the biodiversity of the plateau. [Photo by Bain Cheng]

 

A mantis at night. [Photo by Bain Cheng]

 

A red lacewing butterfly in Motuo county of Tibet. This subtropical zone, through which the Yarlung Zangbo River flows, is the habitat of hundreds of butterflies. [Photo by Bain Cheng]

 

A hoolock gibbon swings through the branches in Gaoligong Mountains of Southwest China's Yunnan province. There are now only 150-200 of the endangered species left in the wild, according to a survey in 2009. [Photo by Bain Cheng]

 

Dawn breaks in the rainforest in Motuo county of Tibet. [Photo by Bain Cheng]

 

Two mantises (Ceratohaania hainanensis) hide themselves in moss in Yinggeling Reserve of South China's Hainan province. Mantis is the master of predatory tactics and camouflage. [Photo by Bain Cheng]

 

King cobra holds its head high. The snake can grow to as long as 6 meters and is one of the most venomous reptiles. [Photo by Bain Cheng]

 

A South China tree-toad in Fenghuang mountain of south China's Guangdong province. [Photo by Bain Cheng]

 

 

Parnassius is one of endangered species in the world. [Photo by Bain Cheng]

 

A Siberian tiger(not a wild tiger) roams in Changbai Mountains of northeastern China's Jilin province. The king of forest is rarely seen in the wild these days. [Photo by Bain Cheng]

 

A white-tailed rubythroat sings in Bai-ma Mountain Reserve of Yunnan province. [Photo by Bain Cheng]

 

 

A Parnassius cephalus lands on a pine tree in Meili Snow Mountains of Southwest China's Yunnan province. [Photo by Bain Cheng]

 

A Parnassius cephalus perches on rocks in Meili Snow Mountains of Southwest China's Yunnan province. This was the first species to be protected by enacting a specific law. [Photo by Bain Cheng]

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