Chimpanzee Fine-Art Print
Contemplation
Black and White Fine-Art Print
Winner of Animal Portraits,
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2017
I can still vividly remember my first encounter with these human-like creatures. Standing alone face to face with an alpha male chimpanzee meters away was exciting and unnerving. I was acutely aware of the strength and power of these primates. The piercing eyes of the chimpanzee chilled me to the bone. But I am getting ahead of myself.
Let me introduce myself, I am Peter Delaney, a wildlife photographer. Not long ago I spent a week in Uganda on an assignment to photograph mountain gorillas and chimpanzees. The brief was about the impact of conservation tourism on local communities and wildlife. It was a fantastic opportunity to photograph mountain gorillas whose numbers are less than 1000 worldwide and chimpanzees whose numbers are under increasing threat from loss of habitat due to logging and oil drilling.
It was the latter, chimpanzees that would leave a lasting impression and one encounter in particular that would lead to an award-winning photograph.
The chimpanzees I was photographing are to be found deep in the rainforests of Kibale national in southern Uganda. It is 766 square kilometres in size and 1,600 meters above sea level. Kibale has one of the richest ecosystems in Africa and supports 60 species of mammal including 13 species of primates. One of the last strongholds for chimpanzees. Kibale is home not just to primates and monkeys but to one of the largest populations of forest elephants that live alongside buffalos, giant hogs, leopards and 325 different bird species including the African crowned eagle.
For this assignment, my choice of gear was to be essential for a successful outcome. Not just camera gear, but apparel too. Conditions, as expected, are wet underfoot and humid with the occasional rain showers. Wearing light durable breathing apparel is a must. Good waterproof boots will stop you from slipping and sliding. Remember to tuck your trousers into your socks as the last thing you want is ants in your pants. Lightweight garden gloves are needed when you are hiking through the thick undergrowth as a lot of the tree branches have thorns.
A lightweight camera system that is weather sealed is a must. As when it is not raining the humidity is high and continuous drops of water are falling from the giant hardwood leaves. Be careful not to overpack as hours of trekking will eventually take its toll and tiredness will set in and make it increasingly difficult to keep hiking.
Photographing in a rain forest with dim light levels and splashes of highlights from the overhead sun means challenging camera exposure settings. Shutter speed will be low, no tripods, monopods or flash is allowed. Having a good camera strap to hold your camera and lens whilst walking is crucial as you need both hands-free while walking through the dense forest.
There are no hiking paths or trails through these ancient forests. Trekking was slow as we walked around giant Teak trees or climbing over fallen hardwoods that now fed fungi and was now home to snakes, frogs, ants and every other creepy-crawly your imagination can conjure up. I was beginning to get a foreboding sense of doom. Finding chimpanzees even with an expert ranger does not guarantee a sighting of these great apes. We had hiked through the dense forest for hours and only occasionally catching a fleeting glimpse of chimpanzees high in the canopy. Then in a flash, they were gone. I had not raised my camera to my eye once. I was getting increasingly anxious as the minutes ticked by. I had a plane to catch later that day. I had only an hour or so left before I needed to depart.
Then without warning a chimpanzee catapulted to the ground with an almighty thud. All around me felt like a battalion of paratroopers descending from the heavens to attack me. Thud after thud. Then a shout from the ranger, “they are hunting” The cacophony of deafening screams as chimpanzees ran on the ground and flew through the trees. We followed as fast as we could but it was all over within a few minutes and then an eerie silence descended. To this day those few minutes are just a blur of shapes and terrifying screams. I will never know if some unfortunate monkey suffered a cruel fate.
I decided to take a gamble and ask permission from the ranger if I could move away from the group to look for chimpanzees on my own. he gave me permission but I must stay within shouting distance. My heart was beating erratically, the long hike and stress of not finding the chimpanzees were taking their toll on me. I decided to stop and rest on a fallen log. I took out my water canister to rehydrate. Then a feeling overcomes me, I was not alone.
I could feel piercing eyes watching me as I rested on the massive mahogany tree. I tried to keep calm and suppress the primaeval fear that was causing goosebumps on my skin. I suddenly realized how vulnerable I was, separated from my small group and the armed ranger.
Then I saw him, a mass of black hairy muscle with bright intense hazel eyes. He was sitting on the forest floor. He opened his mouth and showed off his impressive incisors used for tearing the flesh of prey or inflicting serious damage to a rival. It was then I realized I was not the focus of his attention. He stared beyond me, high in the canopy was a chimpanzee female.
Totti, as I found out later was the name of this alpha male, He was fueled by desire and lust for this female. He tried everything to coax her to come down to him. But she spurned his shouts, postures, and overtures. His desire for her was easy to see, so too was his disappointment. Then he did something so unexpected, it made my photographers heart jump.
Totti, the spurned wannabe lover, laid on his back, throws his arms beyond his head and clasped his hands and looked forlorn towards his inamorata.
My photographic senses were in overload. I kept calm, years of experience kicked in, as my eyes moved around the frame, checking composition, exposure settings, my hands moved fluidly over the camera's dials and knobs. I exhaled slowly and squeezed the shutter, a moment captured for eternity.
I call this black and white Fine Art-Print “Contemplation” Winner of Animal Portraits, Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2017. One of the oldest and most prestigious photography competitions in the world and is considered the benchmark in Wildlife Photography.
Author Peter Delaneyy