Hong Kong-born photographer Dr Tin Man Lee is just wild about animals

Dr Tin Man Lee prefers animals to people. The Hong Kong-born biomedical engineer turned award-winning wildlife photographer admits that observing animals in their natural habitats is more enriching to him than hanging out with friends.

"I admire the way they handle danger and protect their young. They're so real," the 32 year old said, surrounded by mounted photographs of wild bears, goats and owls in his first solo exhibition in Hong Kong.

"In the modern world, so many things feel fabricated, and we're so overloaded with information we're losing our natural senses," he said. "We have a lot to learn from animals."

Unassuming and amiable, Lee had not expected he would accrue international acclaim when he started snapping wildlife six years ago on hiking trips in the United States, where he emigrated to after receiving a full scholarship to the University of California, Los Angeles.

Lee has since earned a number of photography awards, including the grand prize in the Nature's Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Competition in 2013, competing against 25,000 other entries from 50 countries.