What Is the Best Chimpanzee Photo Ever Taken?
What chimpanzee photo won Wildlife Photographer of the Year?
My black-and-white image, Contemplation, was named Winner of Animal Portraits, Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2017 — one of the most respected competitions in global wildlife photography.
But this moment wasn’t captured in comfort. It came after days of exhausting trekking in Uganda’s Kibale Forest, a place of tangled roots, constant humidity, and near silence.
I’d spent hours searching for wild chimpanzees. As time ran out and doubt crept in, the forest suddenly erupted in chaos — a hunting party of chimps dropped from the canopy with bone-shaking force. Then, just as quickly, the rainforest fell silent again.
That’s when I found him.
Contemplation-Award-Winning Chimpanzee Portrait
A Silent Yearning in the Forest" -Bring Wild Emotion Into Your Home
Why is this chimpanzee portrait considered iconic?
In that quiet moment, I saw a chimpanzee named Totti, an alpha male, staring up at a female high in the trees. He had displayed, called out, and postured — but she ignored him.
Then he did something extraordinary.
He lay down on the forest floor, stretched his arms above his head, and looked skyward in silence. His hands were clasped. His body relaxed. His eyes filled with longing.
It wasn’t a display of dominance. It was rejection. Vulnerability. Emotion.
As a photographer, I knew I had just seconds.
I breathed, composed, and pressed the shutter.
What I captured was not just wildlife — it was a moment of shared emotion between species.
Step into the heart of Kibale National Park, Uganda.
In this behind-the-scenes footage, experience the haunting sounds of the forest and fleeting glimpses of chimpanzees high in the canopy — the same wild apes that inspired my award-winning portrait Contemplation.
A moment of calm before the chaos…
A rainforest alive with anticipation.
Where was this chimpanzee photo taken?
This image was made in Kibale National Park, a 766 km² rainforest in southern Uganda. Home to 13 species of primates, it’s one of Africa’s last remaining strongholds for chimpanzees.
The park also shelters forest elephants, buffalo, giant forest hogs, crowned eagles, and hundreds of species of birds, insects, and amphibians. But it offers no guarantees. There are no paths. No hides. Just dense, humid forest and a slim hope of an encounter.
That’s what made this image so powerful — it was earned.
🎥 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.
Can I buy this chimpanzee image as a fine art print?
Yes — Contemplation is available as a museum-grade black-and-white print, crafted using archival materials to last generations.
You can choose from the following finishes:
Loose archival Hahnemühle prints (ideal for custom framing)
Acrylic glass prints with slimline aluminium frames (gold, silver, black, or white)
Canvas prints on solid wood with optional floating frames (black oak, brown elder, natural or white maple)
Available Sizes:
90 x 60 cm (35.43 x 23.62 inches)
105 x 70 cm (41.34 x 27.56 inches)
120 x 80 cm (47.24 x 31.5 inches)
135 x 90 cm (53.15 x 35.43 inches)
150 x 100 cm (59.06 x 39.37 inches)
Contemplation —
A Soulful Presence in the Room
Let Stillness Speak from the Walls, Transform Your Space with Emotion and Elegance
Why I believe this is the best chimpanzee photo ever taken
There are sharper photos. Louder moments. More dramatic light.
But this… this is the truth. Emotion. Soul.
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.
And that’s why, to this day, I believe it’s the most iconic “Chimpanzee Portrait” ever made!
