Each Spring, many nesting pairs of Great Egrets gather at Kraft Azalea Garden in Central Florida, the United States to begin their nesting rituals. I was inspired to share with the world the beauty of the Great Egrets.
I made countless trips to the location to capture the most beautiful moments. Their true beauty is best reflected in their natural living environment. I wanted to utilize their enchanting surroundings to obtain unique compositions, combining with capturing the beauty of natural light, I tried to bring the viewers into a poetic mood. I carefully chose the camera positions and patiently waited for the best opportunities. During post-processing for some of these photos, I selected the sky to make it darker, and then I painted the light using the soft-brush tool to create a more dreamy and artistic impression. Throughout two Spring seasons, I finally finished the series to display the beauty of wildlife in natural Florida.
About Fenqiang Liu
Fenqiang Liu began studying drawing while attending middle school in China. During college, he took an interest in photography. After finishing his BA degree in Chinese literature, Fenqiang worked as a cameraman for geographic educational videos. He later came to the United States to obtain his MFA in Cinema and Photography at Southern Illinois University. After graduation, Fenqiang worked as a computer animator and motion graphic designer. He and his wife later opened a business that provides behavior analysis services for children with autism.
In recent years, Fenqiang has been devoting his time to wildlife and nature photography. While capturing the beautiful moments of wildlife, he also includes their living environment in the picture and uses the surrounding natural scenery to help him achieve better composition. Fenqiang has been awarded in multiple international photography contests. He is one of the 2022 All About Photo Awards winners. He has received a 1st Prize at the Fine Art Photography Awards 2022, 1st Place at the Chromatic Awards 2021, Nature Discovery of the Year and 1st Place at the Monochrome Awards 2021, Category Winner of the Year, Platinum and Gold Winner at the Muse Photography Awards 2022, Platinum and Gold Winner at the London Photography Awards 2022, “Best in Show” at the FMoPA International Photography Competition 2022, 2nd Place at the 2021 Int’l Photography Awards. His works were selected by the 2022 Chelsea International Photography Competition and will be shown in the Competition Exhibition in Agora Gallery in New York. He has also been chosen as a finalist for the 2022 Open Call: CARTE BLANCHE, B/W Category by Lucie Foundation. His work is one of the 10 Editor’s Picks at The Independent Photographer’s February 2022 Black & White Photo Award.
Fenqiang’s cultural influence from both the East and the West, his artistic background, and his photography mastery allow him to express his thoughts and emotions in a unique style.
