Gorillas Without the Mist
During my trip to the zoo the only thing that bothered me (except for the large number of moms blocking the pathways with strollers hehe) was the vibe I was getting from the gorillas. They all seemed out of sorts, either angry, restless, or even depressed. Of course, I may be reading way too much into what I was seeing.
I’m not one to go overboard on animal rights, and I sense most of the zoo animals are thriving. It’s just that I can’t help wondering if the gorillas recognize what they have lost. (Freedom).
This guy in the last image was sitting in the corner with his head hunched low. When I was able to finally approach him (after waiting for the crowd to move on), he looked right at me, about 3 feet away (through the glass). I wanted for him to be able to talk to me. Am I nuts? Anyhow, they are powerful animals and I enjoyed the experience – but was left with a slight sense of unease as well. Perhaps he was just looking for a quiet spot to get away from his noisy neighbors, who knows.
From a photography standpoint, this exhibit offers a good opportunity to shoot good portraits, if only the glass were cleaner. For someone with a very long lens, there is also an elevated bridge vantage point where you would not have to shoot through glass.
Some say we are descendent’s of apes and they do seem to have a lot of human-like characteristics, so I think it’s natural to attribute human emotions to them. I, for one, think they are more human than some people I know. We hate to see these beautiful animals in captivity but yet we know it is best for the survival of the species.
These are great portraits, they do them justice. I really like the back light.
May 10, 2011 at 4:23 pm
Love the direct eye contact in the first and third photographs. With that kind of “I contact” it is easy to feel strong sense emotional connection. The use of black & white is very effective.
May 11, 2011 at 9:00 pm
Thanks for the comments. Yes, it’s the eye contact that really had an impact on me.
May 12, 2011 at 1:35 pm