As the sun set over the coast of Guangxi, more and more tourists appeared on the shoreline, patiently awaiting the arrival of the Chinese White Dolphins, an endangered species. As the photographers prepared their cameras, the tourists exclaimed – an elegant dolphin leaped out of the water, diving back down quickly, gone as abruptly as it appeared. Among the lucky few who managed to capture a picture was Erick Sun ’24.

Sun, the head photographer for The Hill News, took up photography four years ago. Initially, he only used his photos to document his travels; however, he quickly discovered the joys and magic of professional photography. “I got into professional photography because there’s so much to learn about,” Sun said, when asked about how he became so interested in photography. “The shutter speed, the lighting … you can turn anything into art.” 

This summer, Sun visited Guangxi, China for a photography trip. The photo featured here  was one of the many pictures he took there. Any image of the Chinese White Dolphin is a precious photo. The rare and majestic animal can only be found in certain parts of the South China Sea. “This dolphin is in its teenage years,” explained Sun, who had done extensive research on the species before attempting to document them. “Newborn dolphins are grey, while adults are pink. This one is somewhere in-between.” 

According to Sun, capturing these photos was all about patience, a skill useful in much more than just photography. “Sitting for hours on end just waiting for a dolphin to appear where you point your camera really does a lot for your mentality,” he said. “Doing something you love teaches you more than just a skill. What you learn could be applied in any aspect of life.