Interview with Ros Woodham
Chinese bird photographer Xiaoping Lin has been devoted to his craft since 1992. His work has earned international recognition, including the 2025 CEWE Award, First Place at XPOSURE 2022, a Merit Medal at HIPA 2023, the 2023 BigPicture Award and the 2024 NBP Award. His work has been exhibited in photography shows worldwide and published in a range of magazines and books. Through his lens, Lin captures vivid and intimate bird behaviours, offering not only striking visual moments but also deeper reflections on life’s meaning. His images spark philosophical contemplation of nature’s laws, reveal its quiet majesty and invite viewers to consider the essence of existence. Lin seeks not only to showcase nature’s beauty, but also foster a greater appreciation of the fragile ecosystems it sustains, encouraging a renewed sense of ecological awareness and responsibility.
RW Can you describe the moment you captured Pass By in Xiamen?
XL The photograph Pass By was taken in autumn, when the light is soft – even in the afternoon, the sunlight remains gentle. Such light not only perfectly renders the texture of the egret’s feathers, the scales of fish and the details of sea foam, but also avoids overexposing the highlights or creating excessive contrast in the frame. This results in a high-key image that better complements the theme of Pass By: no killing, only the regret of an encounter.
RW How do you prepare to capture such complex, high-speed moments?
XL I use a combination of four strategies – equipment selection, technical parameter settings, pre-shoot preparation and on-site execution to precisely freeze complex, high-speed moments. I use a Sony A1 camera paired with a 600mm F4 prime lens, along with a stable tripod and head. The camera is set to high-speed continuous shooting mode (20 frames per second) and continuous tracking autofocus mode, with a shutter speed of at least 1/2500 second. When capturing complex, high-speed moments, I must not only anticipate and wait but also be familiar with the subject. The core of on-site shooting is reaction speed; I stay highly focused and use intuition to seize the ‘decisive moment’.
RW How does your choice of camera system influence the way you compose an image or engage with your subject?
XL For shooting complex, high-speed moments, the first consideration is whether I can capture them. My camera system focuses on three key points. First, is the lens focal length sufficient? Lenses longer than 600mm are difficult to use for shooting birds with irregular flight due to their narrow field of view. Lenses shorter than 600mm result in small bird images that are lacking in detail. Meanwhile, telephoto lenses respect the subject and environment without disturbing them. Second, is the camera’s tracking focus speed sufficient? (This isn’t about shutter speed!) Only high-performance cameras can lock onto objects that move rapidly with fast-changing focal lengths. Third, is the camera’s pixel count sufficient? I need to reserve ‘cropping space’ for secondary composition, as there is often no time to consider composition during the shoot – this must be done in post-production.
RW Are you based in Xiamen, or were you visiting at the time? Did the city’s diverse birdlife and marine environment draw you there?
XL I live in Xiamen. The people of Xiamen love egrets, and Xiamen Island is also known as the ‘Island of Egrets’. Xiamen is committed to ecological conservation and sustainable development, protecting the marine ecosystem. The Yundang Lake area has a beautiful ecological environment: the lakeside is lush with greenery, and the lake surface is a vast expanse of blue, where egrets fly and fish leap – citizens and tourists linger on the lakeside trail. A natural wonder quietly unfolds: egrets compete with large fish for smaller prey, becoming a defining feature of Yundang Lake in Xiamen.
RW Do you primarily prefer to work digitally or with film?
XL Both digital and film have their irreplaceable advantages. My subject is birds, and for such complex, high-speed scenarios, I can only choose digital. It allows me to capture wonderful moments and spend more time thinking about ‘photographic expression’. In short, digital photography enables me to express myself more accurately and powerfully.
RW What role does post-production play in shaping the final image?
XL For my shots of egrets and fish – a complex, high-speed subject – post-production compensates for the limitations of on-site shooting. It is mainly applied to exposure adjustment, colour correction and secondary composition. I never add or remove subject elements through post-production, nor do I over-process the work to the point of distortion. I use post-production only to make the work more authentic, emotional and to tell a story.
RW Are there particular photographers, artists, filmmakers or writers who have influenced your perspective?
XL Henri Cartier-Bresson’s theory of ‘The Decisive Moment’ changed my perception of photography – it taught me to ‘find eternity in the ordinary’.
I learned to observe slowly and wait for that decisive moment to appear.
RW What projects are you currently working on or hope to explore next?
XL I am currently focusing on shooting the theme of egrets and fish. Due to the difficulty of this photographic subject, I need more time to shoot and look forward to sharing more and better work in the future.
- ‘Photography Competition 2025 Winner: Xiaoping Lin’ is published in Anthology Volume 25. Read more features from this volume or buy it now.
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