Capturing a continent

His grandfather spent two years working as a volunteer doctor in Somalia in the 1960s and he believes his special bond with Africa comes from that.

"Now I have my career here. I found my wife here and I fell in love with photography here. It's a magical land for me," he says.

Artists show off their work in the Go Down art zone in Kenya.Photos by Zi Ran / for China Daily

As a project manager, Qi does a lot of traveling but wherever he goes he always takes his camera with him. He says the camera is the eye through which he sees the place and its people.

Chen Jianxin is the only HSH member who concentrates on photographing animals, specifically lions.

Chen works for Tanzania National Parks. He gave up a well-paid position at the Chinese embassy in Tanzania to devote himself to a career in animal research. "I love lions and animals. I want to arouse people's awareness of animal protection in Africa via my photos," says Chen.

No matter what they photograph, the members of HSH are eager to draw attention to Africa, says Zi, who uploads their photographs to the Internet.

"Professional photographers prefer magnificent photos of war, poverty and animals in Africa. Tourists love taking sightseeing photos. We want to be different, to photograph the people here, to show the real Africa, but not for profit," says Zi.

Zi Ran, one of HSH's founders, tries to show the world the true picture of Africa with his camera. Photos by Zi Ran / for China Daily