MIN LI - Freeing Wildlife Photography

by Yvette Depaepe
Published the 2nd of December 2024

MIN LI is an excellent photographer and her work is very varied. She values the storytelling aspect of her images, whether it is wildlife, landscape or people photography. She believes that a compelling photograph can tell a story at first glance. But wildlife photography is both her favourite and her speciality.
Find out more about this charming lady by reading this fine and interesting interview.

'Running Zebras'

Hello everyone, I am Min Li (Lilian Li).

I started my photography journey at the end of 2012. I bought my first SLR camera, hoping that photography would give me an excuse to travel the world. At that time, my children were still at home. Although looking after them took up most of my efforts, I managed to carve out just enough time to practise with the landscape close to where I lived. In 2016, I went on my first trip with the Kenya Wildlife Photography group under the guidance of Jeffry Wu jeffreywu), a mentor. Since then, I have made over 10 trips to Africa in pursuit of photography. These amazing experiences have drawn me deeper and deeper into both the art and the travel.

Wildlife photography is both my favourite and my speciality. There's nothing more liberating than chasing the perfect shot of the animals roaming the Mara. I grew under the tutelage of Jeffrey Wu. At the same time, I learned about landscape photography from another mentor, Yiming Hu. When I got a drone, I started to explore aerial photography. It became clear that the skills I had acquired in different disciplines complemented each other and I wanted to combine them in my work. This has allowed me to develop my own style of photography, taking inspiration from every corner of beauty I can find.

At first, photography was just a hobby of mine, a by-product of my love of travel. But as I grew as a photographer, it became an integral part of my life, a new lifestyle. I would take lessons, go home to organise and post-process the photos and submit them to competitions. It was like reliving my youth: going to school, doing my homework and taking my exams.It was rewarding to get positive feedback for my work, especially when I received titles like 'Grand Master of PSA'.

I value the storytelling aspect of my work most, whether it is wildlife, landscape or humanistic photography. I strongly believe that a compelling photograph can tell a story at first glance. A textual description can often be a bit redundant.

A near-perfect work for me often comes when the lights and shadows render seamlessly in a post-processing enhancement. During a shoot, I pay most of my attention to composition, to create a logical relationship between the subjects I am interested in. I spend a lot of time sketching my desired results before the shoot, and even more time perfecting them in Photoshop after the shoot.

Choosing the right gear has been a crucial part of my photographic journey. As a wildlife photographer, I'm keen to have a camera with excellent focus and tracking, while maintaining a high pixel count and sensitivity. The Sony A1 seems to meet my needs. In addition, Sony's 200-600 zoom lens works well with my wildlife photography, where the animals are always moving relative to the vehicles I am travelling in.

My personal all-time favourite is the one below, which I have named 'Love':

'Love'

As the first golden rays of a gentle morning sun spread across the savannah, the world seemed to awaken with a quiet, serene beauty. The warmth of the light touched every leaf, every blade of grass and the graceful silhouette of a mother giraffe standing tall against the horizon. Her large, alert eyes scanned the surroundings with calm vigilance, her breath visible in the cool morning air.
A few steps behind her, a baby giraffe stumbled sleepily, its long, wobbly legs a testament to its youth. He blinked slowly, his dark eyelashes brushing against his tender cheeks as he tried to keep up. His tiny stomach growled - a hunger too insistent to ignore. He moved towards his mother with single-minded determination, a thin trail of drool glistening on his soft chin, as if even his body was anticipating the nourishment she would provide.
The mother giraffe turned her head, her movements fluid and deliberate, and leaned down to nuzzle her baby. It was more than a touch; it was an act of pure reassurance, a kiss that seemed to say, "I'm here. You're safe. Her massive yet gentle form enveloped her calf in an unspoken promise of care. As the baby sought comfort, the mother, seemingly tired but determined, prepared to nurse him.
Watching this tender moment from the sidelines, I couldn't help but feel my chest tighten with emotion. As a mother myself, this simple act of love stirred something deep within me - a poignant reminder of the boundless, instinctive connection between parent and child.

As named before, Jeffrey Wu is my favourite photographer and I also admire and enjoy the black-and-white photography of Yueheng Duan.
I’m also really inspired by the works of Alex Webb with his creativity in humanistic photography, especially in his multi-facet approach in storytelling through his photos.

I signed up for an account on 1X in 2018, and started uploading my photos there at the end of 2019. From there, it became a platform for me to both share my work and test it under scrutiny. I get invaluable feedback and strive to improve.
I have a long way to go in photography, and will continue to travel happily, constantly learning and progressing.