This post is dedicated to Judy, one of my newest followers. We’ve been chatting about the National Geographic “Your Shot” program and my background in photography. It’s an easy transition from people portraits to animal portraits. I was a professional portrait photographer for years before I retired and switched to animals for my own enjoyment. I still take plenty of human portraits but I don’t sell photographs anymore. I now give them away.
My love for orangutans is evident in their pictures. They are so close to being human without all the shortcomings of having to deal with humans. They’re intelligent, funny, curious and their faces are loaded with expressions that can make you cry or laugh out loud. I hope this endangered species survives some coconut bonking native’s need to grow palm oil for our cooking pleasure.
so much sweetness.
I have a friend whose daughter lived for months in a tree with an orangutan. It was in a preserve where they were either retraining orangutans to live in the wild or where orphaned baby orangutans were raised until they could survive on their own. I remember it was a platform very high in the trees. I know this sounds like fiction so I must write and get the full story. I believe it was in Vietnam or Cambodia. Now this is starting to seem like a dream so I need to get back to you with the facts. I have always wanted to work with monkeys or orangutans or chimps. One life’s goal I never reached out for . More remarkable photos here.
Orangutans only come from two places, Borneo and Sumatra.
See how handy it is turning out to know you already? What other blogger would know that? I will ask her for the entire story, or perhaps I will ask her mother, for now since she has practiced on orangutans, she is busy raising triplet boys!!! I think there must be some carryover there.
Gotcha at: http://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/search/?q=Judy%20Dykstra-Brown
Just heard from my friend that it was a gibbon that she lived with, not an orangutan. Ah how the memory tricks us.
At least gibbons range further than orangutan. Gibbons are native to Borneo & Sumatra as well. Our zoo has a pair of gibbons as well. One of my alltime favorite photos is of the female gibbon there. It’s portrait is also on my NG site.
Absolutely love these orangutan photos. They are our favorite animal to visit at the Cleveland zoo, and I recently wrote a blog post about them. Don’t know if this link to the momma and baby will work, but I’ll give it a try:http://skip22037.com/2015/08/12/cleveland-ohio-a-short-tour-of-the-zoo/2015_08_10_cleveland-zoo_103/
Morning Bob.
Your love does show. What fascinating and personified faces these gorgeous creatures possess. I’d say I’d love to chat with them but I think I’d bore them.:)
Hope you’re well and all is going smoothly with the plans.
am:)
“The plans The plans”! Ys, the plans are proceeding right on schedule. Today I get with the gals at McDonald’s followed by my best friend, Warren, fetching me to drive to Salem, OR for the final get together at his parent’s home. I’ll really miss these three people a lot.