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Magazine
Liwen Tao - Landscape & Wildlife photography to preserve nature

 

by Yvette Depaepe
Published the 12th of May 2025

 

Liwen Tao travels a lot with her husband and 1x member HJ Yang. To her, the influences and learning from photo travels are endless. She quotes: I love nature!  Nature is my soul!  The wilderness is so pure! Nature heals us and provides us with the essential elements. By photographing landscape and wildlife, I can enjoy the wonder, peace and happiness and share it with others to achieve the same goal - to respect and preserve nature.'
Let's travel with her and learn in this this interview how she uses good light, colour, tone, emotion and atmosphere to create images that tell a story.

 

'Glory2!'

 


Dear friend, first of all I would like to thank you for taking the time to answer this questionnaire! First of all, please introduce yourself and tell us more about yourself, your hobbies or other projects you are involved in!  
My name is Liwen Tao. I grew up in China. I have been living in the USA with my husband HJ Yang - also 1x member - for 40 years. We have two grown children. I have been a dental specialist (endodontist) for 33 years to relieve people's dental discomfort. In addition to photography, I enjoy playing tennis and pickleball, travelling and hiking.
I love all wildlife, but polar bears and emperor penguins in polar regions are my favourites as they are more vulnerable to climate change and human interference. In 2024, I published a children's book called "Yukio's First Day Out", which is filled with my original photographs of polar bear cubs and their mother, taken in Churchill and Baffin Island in Canada and Svalbard in Norway. By telling the story through the real photographs, I hope that future generations will appreciate what our generation can preserve for them.

 

My photo "We are A Big Family" taken in Antarctica has won the Highly Honoured/Polar Passion in Nature Best Photography 2024.

 

'WE ARE A BIG FAMILY'

 

“Everyone wants Mom’s Love” also taken in Antarctica won Polar Passion in Share The View in 2023. 

 

'Everyone wants Mom's Love'


When and how did your photographic journey begin?

Ten years ago I had no knowledge of photography. I liked travelling as a family activity and for my own relaxation. When we visited Egypt, we couldn't get our programmed camera to work. I decided to learn! Then I took photography classes at the community recreation centre, where I learned the basics of ISO, shutter speed and aperture. With a busy job and family, not much progress in 2 years. Then one of my friends introduced me to a local camera club (Tampa Bay Camera Club). The monthly photo show opened my eyes! Mr Robert Rostick became my teacher. His guidance and critiques are the most important in my photographic journey.  At the same time, my husband (https://1x.com/hjyang/overview) has always joined me to learn and travel together. My family and friends always appreciate and encourage my photography.

 

'madly in love'


For many of us, photography is either a hobby or a way of life. How would you define your relationship to photography?

In the beginning, photography was just a challenge to myself to learn something new. Then it became a hobby to relax and enjoy outside the work environment. Now I feel that photography is part of my life! In my spare time, if I am not out shooting, I will be doing post processing or learning from others by watching YouTube, videos or other media related to photography.

 

'Lovely Moment'


What would you say is the most important experience that has influenced your steps in photography?

Every time we travelled we met different photographers. Each photographer has their own unique experience. So many exchanges from many trips have really influenced me, no matter if they are famous photographers or average amateur photographers, from small technical tips to inspiring presentations and stories. The influences and learning from photo travels are endless.

 

untitled


You have a very unique style. Why are you so drawn to landscape and wildlife photography?

I love nature!  Nature is my soul!  The wilderness is so pure! When I smell the fresh air, listen to the birds singing, watch the loving interactions between mother and baby, I feel like I am in another world! Nature heals us and provides us with the essential elements. By photographing landscape and wildlife, I can enjoy the wonder, peace and happiness and share it with others to achieve the same goal - to respect and preserve nature.

 

'ice sprouts'

 


What is more important to you, the mood/story behind your images or technical perfection?

The mood/story behind the images is more important than technical perfection.  However, technical perfection can help the mood/story. The painter has to know how to use the brush in the right place with the right colour to tell the story.


What is your relationship to your subject matter in general, beyond being an observer?
Do you carefully prepare the places you want to photograph?

I am a visitor to my subject. I have to respect my subject when I observe it.
All my wildlife photographs have been taken in the wilderness with guides.  There are rules we have to follow, such as 100m from polar bears, penguin highway, etc.  I often wish I could get better angles.

 

untitled

 


Describe your overall photographic vision.

To use good light, colour, tone, emotion and atmosphere to create images that tell a story and influence others.

 

'sunset and sand dune'

 


What do you think are the main characteristics of a successful landscape photographer?

The main characteristics of a successful landscape photographer are that they love and respect nature and inspire others to love nature through their heart touching images. They are willing to go to the most remote and difficult areas and overcome tons of obstacles to get the eye-opening shots. They are also able to find amazing beauty in their own backyard.

 

'Morning at Florida Coast'

 


Could you please tell us more about your workflow from idea to final product?

My normal workflow is quite simple. After downloading the images from the memory card to the external drive, I import the images into Lightroom. Most of the post processing is done in Lightroom, especially for wildlife. For landscape I use Photoshop more.  I don't use any plug-ins except for the Topaze sharpening tool.

 

'Going'

 


Where do you look for inspiration and what inspires you the most?

1X is the first place I look. I also look at Marc Adams and Paul Nicklen's Instagram. What inspires me is that there are so many great images with their own personality and creativity. I have to keep learning and practising.

 

'storm is coming'

 


Many people think that the equipment is not very important when the passion for photography is strong. But could you please tell us what equipment you use (camera, lenses, lighting, tripod, etc.)?

I use Nikon Z8 and Z7ii for landscapes, Z9 for wildlife.  For wildlife I use Nikon Z 400mm with 1.4 TC f 2.8 and Nikon Z 100-400mm f 4.5-5.6. Nikon Z 14-24mm f 2.8, 24-70mm f 2.8 and 70-200mm f 2.8 are used for landscape. RRS tripod is my first choice.  I don't use any light source other than natural light.

 

untitled

 


What is your favourite photo? Please tell us the story behind it.

"We are one big family" is my favourite photo.   The day started with a sunny blue sky with no wind at Snow Hill, Antarctica in 2018. It was an easy walk to the emperor penguin colony. We were informed that we could spend the whole day at the colony. In a few hours the wind got stronger and stronger. The snow was blown from the ground in a heavy blizzard. The sky came down quickly. "White Out" was announced. Everyone had to leave the colony at once. At that moment I went to the tent for a cup of hot drink, because my fingers were so frozen that I could not work. I had to walk over 1km against the crazy wind back to the colony to get my gear.  Before I packed my gear at the colony, I saw this big family. I could not resist clicking the shutter.

 

'We are a big family'

 

'A big family'


Who are your favourite photographers or mentors whose work has influenced you and your photography?

My favourite photographer is Marc Adams.  His philosophy and vision of photography has influenced me a lot. I have been on his photo tour a few times.  It has helped me a lot.


Now that we are almost at the end of this interview, I would like to ask you to tell us about any plans or photographic projects you would like to be involved in.

I have collected a lot of pictures of emperor penguins.  I am planning to publish another children's book with my own photographs to bring the South Polar region closer to more people.  I would like to be involved in any wildlife conservation photographic project.

 


Is there anything else you would like to add and what do you think of 1X as a home base for your work?
I would like to thank the 1X team and the 1X community for supporting me in my photographic publishing journey. It is a great honour and encouragement for me to have my images published and awarded on 1X. I love the critiques. 1X will always be my home base. I would also like to thank my local community for their support and love.  I am grateful to Yvette for giving me this interview to share my photographic journey.

 

You're welcome, dear Liwen Tao ...

 

 

untitled

 

'A Big Family'

 

'I can stand the wind storm'

 

'Alert'

 

 

untitled

 

 

'Glory2'

Write
Beautiful works with the quality plus the inspiring article! Best compliments!
It's a Light Show With the Sun and the Moon as the Stars


By Editor Kimberly
Edited and published by Yvette Depaepe, the 9th of May 2025

 

'End of the Day' by Shunsuke Sadakata

 

We all recognize that true photography is more than just capturing what we see—it's about the ability to capture images that can each tell a story. And few subjects bring more natural drama, emotion, and symbolism into an image than the Sun and the Moon.

These celestial bodies aren’t just light sources—they're characters in your frame. They rise and fall, reveal and conceal, and they bring with them moods that can turn an ordinary photo into something impactful and unforgettable. An image with a narrative.

 

The Bold Storyteller

 

'Evening by the sea' by Erik Engström

 

The boldest storyteller is the sun and when it enters your frame, it's rarely subtle. It shapes the entire emotional tone of an image—whether it’s casting a long, golden shadow at dawn, lighting up the sky and washing the scene in brilliant shades of red, yellow and orange at sunset or washing everything in a brilliant light during midday.

 

'Morning at Mt. Begunjscica' by Mirko Potocnic

 

A sunbeam slicing through trees can evoke hope. A backlit silhouette at sunset can speak of mystery, change, or farewell. The sun doesn’t just light your scene; it writes a story for you to capture.

 

'Dreamy light' by NingYun Ye

 

Golden hour, with its rich warmth and forgiving shadows, is especially powerful for storytelling. It can add softness to a portrait, nostalgia to a landscape, or romance to a city street. The colour and angle of sunlight give you control over tone—whether you're telling a story of adventure, serenity, or transformation.

And sometimes, the absence of the Sun—just after it sinks below the horizon—tells its own kind of story. Blue hour brings cool, quiet hues that slow everything down. There's a sense of reflection, of things winding down, of waiting.

 

A Quiet Narrator

 

'Another new day' by Andreas Agazzi

 

Where the Sun is expressive and direct, the Moon is subtle and symbolic. It speaks in whispers, and invites you to shoot more than just a scene—it asks you to capture a feeling.

 

'Lonely Silence' by MingLun Tsai


The Moon can be mysterious, lonely, romantic, even eerie depending on how you frame it. A lone figure beneath a full moon might suggest isolation or wonder. A sliver of moon above the ocean can be the start—or end—of a journey. Its presence doesn’t dominate the image, but it adds depth, a sense of time passing, of something bigger happening. The presence of a large full moon rising highlights the relative insignificance of our world within the vastness of the universe.

 

'Night hedgehog' by Hamad

 

Its phases even offer visual metaphors—growth, fullness, letting go. And photographing the Moon well requires slowing down, planning ahead, and embracing the quieter moments of the night. In storytelling, that’s where a lot of its meaning lies.

 

A Shared Language

 

'Orbit' by Koto

 

The beauty of using the Sun and the Moon in your photography isn’t just visual—it’s symbolic. They can represent beginnings and endings, cycles and change, warmth and distance. They add narrative layers to your image without saying a word.

 

'Planet Rising' by Kimberly

 

Photographing a sun-drenched landscape tells one kind of story—maybe about vitality, hope, or clarity. A moonlit forest tells another—perhaps about solitude, dreams, or the unknown. The light they offer is more than just exposure; it’s emotional context.

 

When They Share the Stage

And then there are the rare, breathtaking brief moments when both Sun and Moon are in the sky together—during twilight hours, or on those magical days when a full moon rises just as the sun sets. These moments are like poems in motion, full of contrast and balance. In storytelling terms, they offer complexity: light and shadow coexisting, past and future overlapping.

 

'at night' by fotomarion

 

Eclipses, too, are cosmic drama at its peak. They’re fleeting, intense, and unforgettable—like the climax of a great story you’ve been waiting to capture. Some of the most breathtaking moments happen when the two meet. Think of a pale moon hanging in the pastel light of dawn, or a solar eclipse where day briefly becomes night.

 

'Solar & Moon' by Jianshu

 

Capturing these rare phenomenon gives us a sense of experiencing something much greater than ourselves and the little blue planet we share.

 

 

Let the Sky Speak

Photographing the Sun and the Moon isn’t just about getting the shot—it’s about listening to the story unfolding above you. Every sunrise hints at a beginning. Every moonrise suggests a chapter turning. If you let them, they’ll give your images more than beauty—they’ll give them meaning.

 

Here are just a few more wonderful images from our 1x members.

 

'Morning light' by Yuan Su

 

 

'Peace at night' by Tracy Lee

 

'In the moon that is always rising …' by Steven T

 

 

'Bell Tower' by Fan Lin

 

'Sunlight Through Ice' by Þorsteinn H. Ingibergsson

 

 

'Solitude at Sea' by Kenneth-Wei Zeng

 

'Dancing in the Moonlight' by Steven Fudge

 

'Moonlit desolation' by Jie Jin

 

'dead sea by night' by Ilan Amihai 

 

Write
Wonderful! and interesting article with Beautiful! images.
Beatiful photo collection!
Thank you, Kimberly and Yvette for a fascinating selection of photographs on this theme.
Wonderful collection and very good article.
Excellent works presented! So beautiful!
Dear Yvette and Kimberly, Thanks for curating! What a wonderful article and collection of artworks!
Thank you so much for the inspiring article with very beautiful and great photos, dear Yvette and dear Kimberly!
Bellissimo articolo, con fotografie eccezionale e non convenzionale. Grazie per autori.
Excellent article and wonderful work. Congratulations to all the authors and editors.
Excellent article and stunning collections. Congratulations to all authors.
Excellent article and great artwork! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for posting the photos! It's a great magazine!
Enorme trabajo! una colección increíble. Enhorabuena
What an amazing article and photo gallery! Thank you!
Thank you dear Kimberly that I'm part of this great collection !
Thank you very much, Yvette and Kimberly! Great collections!
Thanks for your appreciation, Fan Lin!
Excellent well presented subject, collection of most beautiful photos, thank you Kimberly, thank you Yvette and many thanks and appreciation to all contributing photographers.
Thank you, Miro!
Very nice collections, contrats to all the artists.! Thank you dear Yvette and Kmberly for your hard work +++
Much appreciated, dear Larry !!!
Thank you very much, Yvette and Kimberly!
Our pleasure, MingLun Tsai ;-)
The perfect combination of light and shadow
Stunning collections, congrats to all the photographers!
Sun and Moon, vital and romantic! Congrats to all the Artists!
Thanks a lot
nice and thanks
Result contest: 'New life, new beauty ... That's spring'

by Yvette Depaepe
Published the 7th of May 2025

 

'New life, new beauty ... That's spring'
In spring, nature is in full bloom, making it the perfect time to go outside and take pictures. A forest, a green meadow, a field under a blue sky: numerous subjects that allow photographers to express their artistic sense.
All the submissions are celebrating the most loviest season of the year. See by your self ;-)

The winners with the most votes are: 

1st place : Hilda van der Lee

2nd place : Craig McGowan
3rd place : Hiro Tanaka

Congratulations to the winners and honourable mentions and thanks to all the participants in the contest 'Humour in Photography' 

 


The currently running theme is 'Staircase photography'
Using a staircase as a photographic background or as its main topic will lead to an unexpected result. It will shine bright like sunlight or fade like sunset, add a tremendous contrast between the surrounding elements, or emphasize a detail of the favorite part of the location.

This contest will end on Sunday the 18th of May at midnight.
The sooner you upload your submission the more chance you have to gather the most votes.
If you haven't uploaded your photo yet, click here

Good luck to all the participants.

 

1st place:  by Hilda van der Lee
 
 
 
2nd place: by Craig McGowan
 
 
 
3rd place: by Hiro Tanaka
 
 
 
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
 
by Piet Haaksma
 
 
 
by Clas Gustafson PRO
 
 
 
by Antonyus Bunjamin (ABE)
 
 
 
by KOHAGI
 
 
 
by HuongHoang
 
 
 
by Martin Kucera AFIAP
 
 
 
by Claudio Moretti
 

You can see the names of the TOP 50
here.
 
The contests are open to everybody except to crew members.
Submitting images already published / awarded on 1x is allowed.

AI. GENERATED IMAGES ARE NOT ALLOWED. 
Write
Beautiful! images. Congratulations! to all winners.
Congratulations to all winners. Beautiful flowery scene.
Very beautiful images you presents. Fantastic light and colors. Congratulations!
beautiful images! Congrats to all!
Congrats, great results.
Beautiful images! congrats to all.
Congratulations to the authors, nice work!!
Beautiful work. Congratulations to all the authors!
Beautiful work . Thank you for sharing.
Wonderful images !
Beautiful images! Congrats to the winners!
Susan PRO
Gorgeous images !
Beautiful collections, congrats to all the winners and participants!
How beautiful and refreshing! Congratulations to all the winners!
Featured exhibition: PUPA

by Yvette Depaepe
Published the 5th of May 2025

 

This months' featured exhibition is titled  'PUPA - It is the Soul that Dances, the Body Follows It'  by PacodlaCorte


To introduce his exhibition, PacodlaCorte quotes: 
"Turned into a grotesque, deformed caricature, it must suffer the pain of metamorphosis, tearing off the stigmata from itself until it finds, sailing in the sea of ​​its own emotions, of its battered feelings, of the disturbance that terrifies its senses, the simple purity of nature until it becomes air, earth, water, fire. Dance is the body and the body contains all dance, there is no need for colours, nor more costumes than the skin, and the spirit must move 10 cm and 7 cm from the body. In those minutes of dance, the dancer can be a flower, a stone, a chair, or a word. She jumps, rolls on the floor, gets into a fetal position, stands up and opens her arms as if she were on the edge of a cliff, about to fall."

 

I invite you to explore this extraordinary exhibition and admire the methamorphosis of the dancer ... No colours, nor costumes, just the skin and the spirit of the body.
This exhibition which will be exposed on our opening page  / 
Gallery during the whole month of May 2025. 
Click here to see the entire exhibition: [323] PUPA by PacodlaCorte

 

To trigger your curiousity, here is a small compilation of images out of this splendid exhibition.

 

the beginning

 

 
metamorphosis
 
 
 
shout
 
 
 
light
 
 
 
feel
 
 
 
touch
 
Write
Excellent pictures congratulations!!
Fantastic work!!
Very artistic, love it...congrats PacodlaCorte for this beautiful featured exhibition!
Great work! Amazing pictures!
It is very amazing ... Thanks for sharing this session with us.
Lusman PRO
excellent album
Cool. Extremely amazing.... Thanks for showing the pictures and sharing the collection.
Thank you
Amazing collection! Congratulations PacodlaCorte! Many thanks, dear Yvette, for featuring it!
Thank you
Excellent!!!
Thank you
Poetry and simplicity


by Editor Lourens Durand
Edited and published by Yvette Depaepe, the 2nd of May 2025


'calmness' by Damijan Sedevic

 


The idea of simplicity in the composition of a photograph.

It can be compared to showing your home with the intention of selling it. In the case of the show house, it takes a lot of preparation to not only present a clean house, but to strip it of everything that personifies you. The idea is for potential buyers to see the bare bones and use their own imagination to fill the space with their own personality and history before deciding whether they can see themselves fitting into the space.


The same idea applies to Poetry.

Photographer Oriana Ivy wrote “I think it’s safe to say that the greatest poetry uses the simplest words, the simplest syntax, a child-like parallel construction. To be or not to be? And if not that, then: Can I make it more simple? It is one of the most important questions a poet needs to ask during revision. Paradoxically, depth resides in simplicity.” Atticus Review, a literary online journal.

Her thoughts are reflected in this poem by Una Hynum:

ORIGAM

Yesterday I laundered a mouse —
wash, rinse, spin cycled.
She came out a little damp,

lying on her side as if asleep,
tiny whiskers, claws folded,
thin tail, exquisite ears, so complete

 as if sculpted from Japanese Kami paper.
If there were children in the house
there would have been a funeral —

match box coffin, bouquet of weeds,
Boy Scout version of taps.
But they are gone and I am old —

I scooped her into the trash. 

~ Una Hynum

 


But how can this be achieved in photography, you may ask?
The short answer is by simplifying the composition down to its bare bones, allowing viewers to use their own imagination and life experience to fill in the story.

* Use a simple background to isolate - homogenous, neutral, black, white, out of focus, sky, lightly textured, anything that focusses the viewer    onto the subject and removes distractions.
* Fill the frame with the subject, isolating it
.
* G
o really close up, even to extent of cutting off edges of the subject, forcing the viewers’ eyes to look where you want them to.
* Take out any clutter that has nothing to do with the story.
* Use lighting to isolate the subject or to force the viewers’ eye to a focal point.
* Remember the rule of thirds and leading lines, as well as perspective tricks to lead the eye to where you want it to look.

 


The story itself

This is the difficult part. You need to decide what the story is that you want to tell with your photo; is it the beauty of a landscape, a tale of poverty, a beautiful person, a still life depicting loneliness, ……..



Only you can decide

Take the picture, then cut out the clutter, write the poem in your head, reshoot and let your masterpiece tell your story.

 

Lourens Durand

 

 

'Kung Fu Master' by Lina Gunawan

 

 

'Bonding with god' by Carmit Rozenzvig

 

 

untitled by Mikhail Potapov

 

'Le contrebassiste' by Strugala Didier

 

 

untitled by Antonio Grambone

 

 

'The Floating Island' by Albena Markova

 

'Kseniya' by Sergey Khalemsky  

 

 

'wishful' by Hari Sulistiawan

 

 

'something to grab onto' by Antonio Bonnin Sebastià


 

'Water conversation' by Phillip Chang

 

 

'Red Tailed Shrike!' by Sina Pezeshki

 

'Prunis Avium N°3' by Christophe Verot

 

'Simplicity' by Stephen Clough

 

 

light and darkness' by Gilbert Claes

 

 

… by Shihya Kowatari

 

 

'Out of the fog' by Bor

 

'Lily Grace' by Annie Whitehead

 

 

'The Name of The Rose (Umberto Ecco)' by Heike Willers

 

 

'Symphony unfinished...' by Thierry Dufour

 

 

'Little secret' by Wil Mijer

 

 

'Lost' by Jimmy Hoffman

 

 

'Asian elephants' by Pedro Jarque Krebs

 

 

'My New Baby' by Kim Lennert Simonsen

 

 

'Like a Family' by Louie Luo

 

 

'Focussed' by G. KIRAN KUMAR REDDY

 

 

'Bokehlicious Parakeet' by Abhisek Bagaria

  

Write
Great article and selection of pictures !! Congratulations
Wonderful! article and selection of images. Congratulations!
Excellent subject with interesting learning session and beautiful photos, thank you Lourens and Yvette
Thank you Mira.
Great article and beautiful pictures!Thanks for publishing.
Thank you.
sublime !!!
Thank you.
Great collection of outstanding photos, thank you
Thank you.
Perfect article and beautiful collection to help explain the concept! Thanks a lot! Learning.
Thank you.
The ideas and approach, in my opinion, are absolutely correct. And an excellent embodiment of these ideas.
Thank you.
Perfect presentation, a beautiful selection of images, thank you!!
Thank you.
Excellent images! Thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you.
Thank you so much for including my photo in such a wonderful selection.Thank you,Best regards..
Thank you.
Thanks a lot dear Yvette and Lourens !
Thank you Phillip.
very amazing and a great selection of images, thank you Yvette
Thank you.
Wonderful magazine!
Indeed.
Thank you so much for the inspiring article with very beautiful and great photos!
Thank you.
Great choice of images. Thank you Lourens.
Thank you Michel.
A very interesting article and a beautiful selection of images. Congratulations!
Thank you so much.
Minimal in so many photographic genres is art, deciding what to leave out can be part of the journey to successful minimal work
Indeed.
Nice selection... Thank you very much for pubishing... Cheers
Thank you
Beautiful series
Thank you
superbe collection ... congrats
Thank you.
Thank very much Yvette and Lourens for choosing my image. Best regards !!!
Thank you Thierry.