Photographer Captures Hong Kong’s ‘Night Creatures’

A vibrant green snake is coiled on a broken tree branch in a dark, forested area. Next to the snake lies a rusty old can, surrounded by leaves and debris. The surroundings are shadowy, emphasizing the snake and the discarded can.
Lawrence Hylton photographed this white-lipped pit viper (Trimeresurus albolabris) that had made its roosting site in a rusty paint can. “Some evenings she either wasn’t in the canister or she was hiding, so there were evenings that I just stood there getting eaten by mosquitoes for little result.”

Heading out into the Hong Kong night, photographer Lawrence Hylton is on the lookout for something lots of people will avoid: lurking creatures.

Hylton looks for snakes, frogs, insects, birds, turtles, moths, spiders, and mammals which can all be found in the biodiverse city.

“I started properly photographing wildlife during Covid-19 when I was out on a hike and encountered a snake,” Hylton tells PetaPixel.

“Knowing very little about snakes other than there are cobras here, I was spooked and feared for my life. But the snake just stayed put on the trail then gradually slithered into the bush.”

A close-up image of a bee clinging to a thin brown twig. The bee is facing downward with its body mostly visible, showing a fuzzy yellow and black pattern with distinctive light green eyes. The background is dark, which highlights the bee's detailed features.
Zonamegilla (bee).
A turtle with a dark, speckled shell crawls over wet rocks in a natural, dimly-lit environment. The turtle's head and front legs are partially submerged in water as it moves towards a shadowy area.
Beale’s eyed turtle (Sacalia bealei).
A small snake slithers among vibrant orange and red trumpet vine blooms against a dark background. The flowers are partially open, revealing their rich colors, while green leaves extend from the top. The scene highlights the contrast between the snake and the flowers.
Heller’s red-necked keelback (Rhabdophis helleri).
A strange, imaginative creature with the head of a snake and the body of a frog is shown on a mossy, rocky surface. It has a textured, scaled head and eyes that look forward. The creature is close to a round, dark object on the ground.
Heller’s red-necked keelback (Rhabdophis helleri).
Close-up of an orange Harvestman (daddy longlegs) against a black background. The image captures the front of its body and its long, thin legs extending outwards, with sharp details highlighting its eyes and body texture.
Pseudogagrella.

The photographer realized that perhaps he had the wrong impression of snakes and began researching the ones that reside in Hong Kong.

“Hong Kong’s wildlife, particularly the ones I’m interested in, are typically nocturnal,” explains Hylton. “The diversity of species that can be found during the hours of darkness outcompetes the diurnal species by orders of magnitude.”

Close-up image of a large insect, showing a detailed view of its face. The insect has prominent compound eyes, short antennae, and detailed mouthparts. Its body appears to have a mix of brown and black coloration. The background is dark and blurred.
Ground beetle (Pheropsophus).
Close-up of a snake with a yellow and black patterned body, poised vertically against a dark background. An insect is perched on the top of the snake's head. The snake's scales and eyes are clearly visible.
King cobra (Ophiophagus hannah).
Close-up image of a small red spider perched on the back of a larger black spider. The red spider is positioned centrally, displaying its reddish-brown body and legs. The background is dark, highlighting the striking colors of the spiders.
Golden orb-web spider (Nephila pilipes).
A close-up macro photo of a jumping spider's face. The image shows detailed features including multiple eyes, hairy pedipalps, and fangs. The colors are primarily brown and beige with intricate textures and fine hair visible on the spider’s body.
Huntsman spider (Heteropodavenatoria).
A crab covered in a parasitic fungal infestation is seen on a green leaf. The fungus has spread across the crab's body, forming clustered white growths. The crab's texture looks unusual because of the fungal presence.
A parasitic fungus called gibellula that had killed a crab.
Close-up image of the head of a stag beetle against a black background. The beetle's large mandibles resemble a pair of antlers. The detailed shot reveals the texture of its sturdy exoskeleton and small, segmented antennae extending from its head.
Epidorcus gracilis.

Working at night is no bad thing because Hong Kong is very hot during the day. Nevertheless, it remains humid during nightfall and Hylton often has to hike to find his subjects.

“I’ve had to shrink down my photography gear to also include water and batteries,” says Hylton.

“But gear wise I’ve maintained my love for DSLR, in particular a Nikon D850 that I use with a NIKKOR 60mm and a Raynox diopter for close and magnified shots. I also carry a Laowa 15mm wide angle to capture larger critters or if I want to photograph a subject in its habitat.”

When it comes to lighting, Hylton uses a Godox V1 flashgun with Cygnustech’s custom-made diffusers. It also has a handy light setting for when his torch breaks.

Having the gear is one thing, deploying it for the best shot is another, and capturing a Hong Kong creature requires a lot of patience.

“Trying to document subjects that have a tendency to steer away from humans is a challenge,” says Hylton.

“The animals go about their business and it’s my role to position myself to get a shot representing the subject whilst not disturbing them too much.”

A lifeless insect clings to a green leaf with small white fungal spores emerging from its body. The background is completely black, highlighting the detailed texture of both the insect and the leaf.
Complex ophiocordyceps australis, a type of fungi that had killed this insect.
Close-up of a jumping spider with detailed focus on its large, reflective eyes and fine, hairy body. The spider stands on a green leaf, which is partially visible at the bottom of the image. The background is black, highlighting the spider's features.
Jumping spider (Cocalus).
A close-up view of a beetle with an elongated, textured body and distinctive, feather-like antennae. The beetle is perched on a green leaf, facing up. The intricate details and patterns on its body and antennae are clearly visible.
Callirhipis.
Close-up image of a spider's face, showing intricate details of its hairy body. The spider has multiple eyes clustered on its head, along with prominent fangs and pedipalps, giving it a rugged and somewhat intimidating appearance.
A Bowie spider.
Close-up of colorful butterfly wing scales. The image shows a dense, mosaic-like pattern of vibrant red, orange, black, white, and pink scales, creating a textured and intricate surface typical of butterfly wings.
Close-up of an Atlas moth.
Close-up shot of a small orange-brown spider with long legs, standing on a green leaf. The spider is facing the camera, showing its round body and distinctive front-facing eyes. The background is blurred, highlighting the spider's details.
Ant-like crab spider.

The photographer says the aim of his work is “to debunk generational myths about wildlife and to bring in curiosity and wonder to life on Earth.”

“If it weren’t for all the life forms out there, we wouldn’t be here. Our lives are so entwined to just humanity we forget that there’s a whole food chain,” Hylton says.

“We oftentimes forget that there are over 20,000 species of flies, wasps, bees, birds, and even many mammals that accidentally maintain our crop.”

Hylton points out that even cobras play their part since their venom is used in “daily medicine including painkillers that are stronger and less addictive than morphine.”

“Without them we are nothing,” he adds. “So let’s start appreciating our wildlife!”

More of Hylton’s work can be found on his website and Instagram.


Image credits: Photographs by Lawrence Hylton.

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