A 17-year-old photographer from Beijing, China, has achieved global recognition by winning the Youth Photographer of the Year award at the 30th annual Nature's Best International Awards. Lisiqi Ye earned this prestigious honor with her breathtaking image titled "Great Hornbill in Flight," which captures an intimate moment of a male hornbill delivering fruit to a nesting female.

The award-winning photograph showcases Ye's exceptional patience and technical skill, as she spent days in a wildlife hide waiting for the perfect moment. Using professional-grade equipment including a Nikon Z9 flagship camera paired with a Z 600mm f/4 TC VR S super-telephoto lens, she captured the image at 1/2000 second, f/4, ISO 1600, mounted on a Gitzo tripod with a Sirui head. The photograph was taken in Yingjiang, Yunnan province in southwestern China.

Describing the challenging process behind the shot, Ye explained the intricate behavioral patterns she observed during breeding season in Yingjiang's Hornbill Valley. "I spent days in a hide facing a fig-rich cavity the pair had claimed," she recalled. "Each time the male returned, I made a tally: mud at the rim, a test landing, a flicked fig into the dark – rehearsals for persuading her to enter and stay."

The decisive moment came when the male hornbill returned heavily laden with fruit for his mate. "He faced the wind and bled off speed; wingbeats drummed; the casque caught the sun. He skimmed so close the camera felt his breath," Ye described. "I hit the shutter as he hung, weightless, at the mouth of the hollow. By afternoon, the female had sealed herself in, and it was time for the male to start his long shift of deliveries."

The Nature's Best International Awards, now in its 30th year, attracts photographers from around the globe across 11 different categories. The competition is open to both professionals and amateurs, with special encouragement for young photographers through free entry for participants 18 and under. This initiative aims to celebrate and promote nature photography while raising environmental awareness about wildlife conservation.

Ye's technical approach demonstrates the precision required for wildlife photography. The Nikon Z9's 45.7-megapixel stacked CMOS sensor and 493-point autofocus system proved crucial for tracking the fast-moving bird as it approached the nest. The camera's electronic shutter and blackout-free viewfinder provided the split-second responsiveness needed to capture the hornbill suspended weightlessly in mid-air.

The Z 600mm f/4 TC VR S lens, weighing 3,260 grams and featuring a built-in 1.4x teleconverter, allowed Ye to photograph from a respectful distance while maintaining remarkable intimacy in the final image. The teleconverter extended her reach up to 840mm without compromising image sharpness, essential for capturing the intricate details of the hornbill's flight.

Hornbills face significant conservation challenges due to habitat loss and hunting pressure, making images of their complex breeding behaviors particularly valuable for conservation efforts. These birds rely on intricate mating rituals, and while conservation programs have helped some populations recover, climate change and continued deforestation pose ongoing threats to their survival.

Ye's winning photograph, along with other award recipients, will be featured in the Winter Special 2025 30th Anniversary Edition of Nature's Best Photography magazine. The recognition highlights the important role young photographers play in wildlife conservation and environmental awareness through their artistic vision and dedication to capturing nature's most intimate moments.