TITLE: "Secret Garden "

Each Spring, many nesting pairs of Great Egrets gather at Kraft Azalea Garden in Central Florida 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 fully utilize their enchanting surroundings to obtain unique compositions. 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 before painting the light, using the digital brush 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.

AUTHOR: Fenqiang Liu (United States)

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 degree in Cinema and Photography at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. 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 nature and wildlife photography and won multiple awards from international photo contests.

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.

MAIN AWARDS AND PUBLICATIONS:

Category Winner in Nature & Landscape Category and Highly Commended Award in Series Category at the Siena Creative Photo Awards 2022.

1st Place Winner / Black & White Nature and Wildlife Series of the Year 2022 at the 6th edition of MonoVisions Photography Awards.

1st Prize Winner in Wildlife & Animals Category at the 8th Fine Art Photography Awards.

1st Prize Winner in Wildlife & Animals Professional Category at the Chromatic Awards 2021.

1st Prize Winner in Nature Category and Nature Discovery of the Year at the Monochrome Awards 2021.

One of the All About Photo Awards 2022 winners.

Finalist of the 2022 Open Call: CARTE BLANCHE, B/W Category by Lucie Foundation.

"Best in Show" at the FMoPA International Photography Competition 2022.

"Secret Garden" series has been chosen and published in the Dodho Magazine issue #21

Selected Artist by the Chelsea International Photography Competition 2022.

One of the 10 Editor's Picks at the Independent Photographer's February 2022 Black & White Photo Award.

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.