Teeth!
An adult male mountain gorilla displays his impressive canine teeth, which- being vegetarian- they use primarily for fighting....
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An adult male mountain gorilla displays his impressive canine teeth, which- being vegetarian- they use primarily for fighting.
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Aug, 2016Views
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Awards
Contest Finalist in Fill The Frame Photo Contest 2023
Contest Finalist in The Swag Image Project
Contest Finalist in Apes Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 6
Contest Finalist in Powerful Photo Contest
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, one of the last remaining refuges for these critically endangered mountain gorillas. I was fortunate to be working there for many years as a wildlife veterinarian assisting with their care.Time
It usually takes a few hours hike to find the gorilla groups and departing from Park headquarters after a briefing means most visits occur around midday. This day was no exception with this image shot around 10:30 AM.Lighting
This was a typical overcast day and the overnight moisture (with or without actual rain) can be seen on this gorilla's brow having been moving through wet vegetation all morning. This shot was underexposed to make it appear a little darker than it actually was.Equipment
This was shot handheld without flash (like all of my gorilla images) with a Canon 5D and Sigma 70-300 lens. Tripods and flashes are both generally prohibited when shooting wildlife such as gorillas because both can be perceived as threats to animals that are at risk of being shot and killed by armed poachers.Inspiration
As a wildlife veterinarian working with these incredible animals most of my early photos were just to document injuries and illnesses. I was inspired to tap into my artistic training when I read a quote from a photographer friend saying that most people who work with gorillas are not good photographers. I took that challenge and started looking for opportunities like this while I was doing my work, which occasionally allowed for some artistic photography. In this case I was just trying to get a nice portrait of this handsome individual when he opened up his mouth...to yawn. Yes, he was NOT charging ferociously, but gorillas, like some other animals, often yawn apparently in order to display their impressive teeth and intimidate others.Editing
I try to minimize post-processing and keep my images to what I actually saw. In this case I also only had a jpeg and no raw file capture so processing was especially minimized to just tone adjustments trying to bring out some details from the shadows, and a slight crop off the top and bottom.In my camera bag
When I took this it was only my 5D (with obligatory battery grip) and single zoom lens along with extra batteries, memory cards.... and a rain cover! I prefer to be that light but now sometimes carry that same 5D as back-up for the newer Mark III along with one of my much better zooms. When I'm out shooting wildlife I don't even bother to carry a wide angle lens as my pocket Canon Powershot and even my Lumia phone can both shoot raw files. I do sometimes use my Canon EF 24-70 L lens for landscapes and close-ups and love my Slik tripod, but rarely have the opportunity to use it. I also toy with a circular polarizer sometimes but otherwise avoid filters.Feedback
For me, wildlife photography is the nexus of opportunity, patience, and timing. Being in the right place at the right time with the right kit is half the battle, the rest is about waiting for, or better- anticipating, the right moment. I've never been one to rattle off a 100 frames hoping for one that is ideal, especially around animals that appreciate calmness and quiet. Instead I usually trust my knowledge of animals' behavior to sense how they might move, what they might do next, etc. Most importantly, the only way to have the opportunity is to go visit magnificent animals like these, which, when done right, also benefits their conservation- a proverbial win-win!
