Taiwan nature photographer shares thrilling stories behind his photos

自然攝影師在照片背後分享激動人心的故事

'Taiwan is blessed with rich nature and diverse ecology, which we should not only admire but also take action to care for': Hsu Jen-hsiu

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Nature photographer Hsu Jen-hsiu (徐仁修) was invited to be a guest on the latest episode of the I-Fun Learning website's Celebrity Interviews unit.

I-Fun Learning is part of the National Academy for Educational Research (NAER), which provides resources for teachers and students.

In the episode, Hsu shared the stories behind some of the photos he has taken over the years.

He gave a thrilling account of what happened when he took pictures of a Chinese moccasin. “I watched it approaching through the wide-angle lens. It was horrifying, but I couldn’t move because venomous snakes are very sensitive to moving subjects; a moving object is either the snake’s food or enemy," he recounted. "So when it came, I snapped two photos and stayed there motionless, and it slid by under my hands while they held the camera.”

He went on to talk about the essential elements required to take a good nature photo. He said that the first is to achieve a visual effect that attracts people to watch. The second is to "have knowledge and experience about the subjects you are going to shoot because they are difficult to find." The third is that the wildlife has to be photographed in their natural habitats, not in a zoo.

The photographer also gave behind-the-scenes accounts of when he took pictures of a ferocious Taiwan Blue Magpie and a leopard cat he had come across on two separate occasions.

Hsu advised people who would like to try their hand at nature photography that they must be fond of animals. They also need to have passion and care about ecology, he added.

“Taiwan is blessed with rich nature and diverse ecology, which we should not only admire but also take action to care for,” he added.