Gorilla and Child

As much as I love Zoos and appreciate the conservation they promote,

at times I feel a profound sense of guilt over the animals'

captivity. Truly I have no idea what this gorilla was thinking, but

when I saw this moment I felt compelled to take the shot.

So the kid was kidnapped by gorillas?

Ed, I hope you are kidding...or perhaps you didn't bother to read my intro.

Whatahell Ed, even I get this. Powerful image!

Mark, I really enjoy your pictures. Good eye to see the story here.

good story but i can't digest the PS work on the boy -- can we see the original shot?

Maria,

I'll attach the original slide scan for comparison.

To address your comment: The image is unmanipulated...the child is blurred from selective focus in favor of the gorilla and possibly distorted as she was standing up next to the display glass.

Couple of reasons why I shot it this way...first, 85mm was the prime lens I had mounted at the time. Second, working with that focal length I decided I wanted the child to be non-descript...to represent essentially "anybody" on the outside looking in.

Thanks for your observations

hey, thanks -- it already looks better because she isn't so brightened up in your color slide (of course the chimp isn't making the point so clearly now). i still think that blur is either too much or too little & it doesn't work, too bad because I really dig the idea. Sorry for remaking your shot but what would you think of making one step back, exposing for a chimp and have her more in focus but a silhoutte?

Maria,

I think that's a cool idea. This was someone else's kid so I was only able to pop off a couple of frames before they abruptly moved off...but will recruit my own kids next time to do something a little more staged! Thanks for placing some credence into the idea. MJ

This photo is great. Without any other approaches of this idea you had and I probably would have been like "wow!"

 

However, unfortunately I have seen this approach before. What I like of your version is the distance created between man and animal. And the man made logs help to magnify that as they lead the eye in. The look of the gorilla, not turning the body, just turning the head with a gaze, is an interesting concept. The division of man and animal is the major theme/idea. The speration between glass, the yearning look in the gorilla's eyes to be set free away from the man made world which is all fake to them.

 

INteresting. But look at the other approach Im showing you.

Thanks for sharing your impressions and Schultz's image, much appreciated. I haven't decided whether or not this is a theme I'll actively pursue in the future, if I do, I'll study up. I'm primarily drawn to more static situations...there was a lot of shuffling of people in front of this exhibit, within the seconds this moment transpired it was rewarding to "see" the image and react quickly enough, I felt a bit of growth as a photographer.

Well you have certainly done well to react upon those instincts. let the photographer within to emerge! hehe (sounds all anamalistic :P)

 

Keep up those spur of the moment shots, they are usually worth gold.

 

cheers for your comments on my pics.