Hong Kong’s diverse wildlife, from a king cobra to a sunbird, the star of photography exhibition
- Robert I. Ferguson spends his time in the great outdoors, training his lens on the territory’s more elusive residents so that we city dwellers can enjoy them in all their hi-res glory
The fork-tailed sunbird is a tricky customer.
“They are tiny, move around very quickly,” says Robert I. Ferguson. “If they are in the direct sun, which gives you enough light to take a good photograph, the shadows and details are too accentuated by the harsh light.”
Nevertheless, the wildlife photographer had to have a good picture of one.
“I needed to find a place where I could get reasonably close, to get a high resolution photo that I would not have to crop so much. One of their favourite flowers is the “Hong Kong rose” (Rhodoleia championii) and there is a large bush of these in the Lions Nature Education Centre, in Sai Kung, near where I live. So over a period of about a month in January and February, I would stake out this tree and wait for the bird to appear, and learn from the photos I was able to take, in different conditions and at different times of day.
“This photo [above] was taken late one afternoon under an overcast sky. The bird stayed still long enough for me to compose and shoot, and it gives the details and iridescence of the feathers, while remaining sharp and full of details.”
The resulting 40 inch print will be one of 90 or so photographs taken by Ferguson that will go on display this week in Sai Kung. He’s hoping to sell a few but his first exhibition is aimed more at showing off the city’s biodiversity and connecting people with the natural environment, he says.
“Wildlife in Hong Kong has a huge amount of territory to live in, but where we come into contact with wild creatures, they always lose. I would like to see more education about our natural environment and more protection and love for all our species.”
Visitors to the exhibition will see two images that have already won awards, from Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden and the Hong Kong Society of Herpetology Foundation, and three that have been selected for the final round of the British Natural History Museum’s prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
Ferguson, who grew up near Geneva, in Switzerland, arrived in Hong Kong in 1991, following his future wife, a specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology, from Britain. He has worked in the media – for The Economist magazine and Reuters news service in particular – and has long enjoyed taking snaps of wildlife, he says. His passion didn’t become his main occupation until last March, though, when Ferguson began adding pictures daily to his blog, www.wildcreatureshongkong.org.
“I make a small amount, and could make more if I really wanted to make it more commercial, like pet photography – but really I do it for the love and passion of nature and photography, and getting feedback on my photos and writing.”
Regular viewers of the website will have seen a steady stream of birds, insects, owls and – what many logon for – snakes. A favourite photo of his, and one that is included in the exhibition, is of perhaps Hong Kong’s most feared creature.
“The king cobra is a highly alert and deadly snake, so we had to track and then wrangle this one [right] with great care in a narrow stream. I had a telephoto lens to keep a safe distance while an expert snake handler stood between me and the snake, with special tongs – just in case. The light rocky banks of the stream reflected light back and onto and under this snake, and a fast burst of shots meant I could capture this gorgeous snake with his tongue out, sensing the air particles as he hunted.”
To find his quarry, “I do a lot of walking, also in late evening and night time, when you can find and see a whole range of species,” says Ferguson. “We are so lucky in Hong Kong to have so many wonderful country parks, with easy access and great transport, so I combine my time in these areas, where the animals are habituated with people, with more remote areas.”
Despite the biodiversity in areas such as Tai Mo Shan, Shing Mun and Tai Po Kau, though, mammals remain elusive and “I would love to find a pangolin on my adventures,” says Ferguson. He has, however, found and photographed a Hong Kong otter, in Mai Po.
“While not an endangered species overall, there are very few in Hong Kong, and their main threat is the feral dogs.”
It’s not just Hong Kong’s wildlife that Ferguson trains his lens on. “I have just returned from the Okavango Delta [in Botswana], which was fantastic for the large and abundant wild creatures they have – and the protection and respect [they give them].”
A life now spent constantly tuned in to the natural surroundings must get tiring. Does Ferguson ever have to say to himself, “Just put the camera down, Robert”?
“Not really, as I enjoy it so much,” he says. “I love looking around, all the time. On walks I will spot so many things, and I love to share these discoveries, hence the blog. But, after 10 days in Africa I was a bit photoed out, as I was constantly finding new things, angles, species, light to photograph – and you end up with hundreds of great photos. The trick is then selecting the 10 that really, really stand out.”
The Portraits of WildCreatures in Hong Kong exhibition opens on March 23, 5-9pm, and runs until March 27 at the RAH Gallery, 1/F, 11 Man Nin Street, Sai Kung Town.