Why Did Contemplation Win Wildlife Photographer of the Year?
Contemplation-Award-Winning Chimpanzee Portrait
A Silent Yearning in the Forest" -Bring Wild Emotion Into Your Home
Why Did Contemplation Win Wildlife Photographer of the Year?
Some wildlife photographs capture action.
Others capture emotion.
Contemplation belongs to the second. Photographed deep within Uganda's Kibale National Park, it reveals a rare moment of vulnerability in a wild alpha chimpanzee. Instead of dominance, it shows longing, stillness, and quiet reflection — a moment that resonated with judges and collectors alike.
Who is Totti, the Chimpanzee in Contemplation?
Close your eyes. Now open them. You are here.
For hours we had climbed through the ancient rainforest, scrambling over fallen trees, pushing through tangled vines and thorny undergrowth. Every step echoed with unseen life, yet the chimpanzees remained hidden high in the canopy.
Time was running out. I had a flight to catch later that day, and after hours of searching I still hadn't pressed the shutter once. The assignment was slipping away.
Then everything changed.
Sitting quietly on a fallen mahogany tree, I suddenly felt that unmistakable sensation of being watched.
Only a few metres away sat a huge male chimpanzee. His powerful frame barely moved, but his hazel eyes never left me.
Later I learned his name.
Totti.
He was the alpha male of the troop.
🎥 Behind the scenes in Kibale National Park, Uganda, where Contemplation, my Wildlife Photographer of the Year-winning chimpanzee portrait, was born.
A moment of calm before the chaos…
A rainforest alive with anticipation.
🎥 Behind the scenes in Uganda’s Kibale Forest. A brief glimpse into the moment I encountered Totti, the alpha chimpanzee who inspired my most personal and awarded work.
Where Was Contemplation Photographed?
Contemplation was photographed in Kibale National Park, Uganda, one of Africa's last great rainforest ecosystems and home to one of the continent's largest populations of wild chimpanzees.
Dense forest, high humidity, tangled vegetation and almost no natural paths make every encounter unpredictable. Finding chimpanzees often requires hours of trekking with experienced guides, and even then there are no guarantees.
It is a place where every photograph must be earned.
How Was Contemplation Captured?
Without warning, the forest erupted.
Chimpanzees crashed from the canopy around us with deafening thuds. Rangers shouted as the troop launched a coordinated hunt. Then, just as suddenly, silence returned.
After the chaos I asked permission to move away from the group for a few minutes.
Totti remained.
High above us a female watched from the canopy. He called to her, displayed his strength and waited.
She ignored him.
Then, unexpectedly, he slowly lay back on the forest floor.
He folded his arms behind his head and gazed upwards in complete silence.
In that instant he no longer looked like the dominant male of the forest.
He looked heartbreakingly human.
Years of experience took over. I checked the composition, steadied my breathing and gently pressed the shutter.
One frame.
One unforgettable moment.
"I believe Contemplation captures something rarely seen — a moment of silent connection that speaks across species. That's why it won Wildlife Photographer of the Year. That's why collectors connect with it."
Contemplation | Award-winning chimpanzee portrait
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Why Did Contemplation Win Wildlife Photographer of the Year?
The photograph won the Animal Portraits category of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2017, one of the world's most prestigious wildlife photography competitions.
It wasn't dramatic action that made the photograph memorable.
It was emotion.
The photograph captured something rarely witnessed in the wild — an alpha chimpanzee revealing vulnerability instead of strength. That quiet expression of longing transcended species and invited viewers to see something deeply familiar in one of our closest relatives.
For me, the greatest reward wasn't the award itself.
It was discovering that deep within an ancient Ugandan rainforest exists a look of longing that needs no translation.
Can I Buy Contemplation as a Fine Art Print?
Contemplation is available as a museum-quality fine art print, produced using the highest archival standards.
Choose from:
- Unframed Fine Art Print — 100% cotton, museum-grade matte fine art paper, ideal for custom framing.
- Acrylic glass prints — face-mounted for exceptional depth and clarity, finished with a slimline aluminium frame in black, white, silver, or gold.(Most Popular)
Each print is produced to archival fine art standards and includes free worldwide shipping.
Kibale National Park, Uganda
Contemplation —
A Soulful Presence in the Room
Let Stillness Speak from the Walls, Transform Your Space with Emotion and Elegance
