portraits from the heart learning curve.

As she grows, Dewi is becoming stronger and more adventurous. Here,

she was climbing a rope heading away from her mother (Maimunah) to

explore and learn. Apart from humans, the Orang-utan has the longest

childhood dependence on a mother of any animal in the world (9 years).

Thanks for your thoughts

very good ,my friend

Beautiful shot. Great focus and detail. I like the way you have treated the background and the expression is priceless. Part of me wants a tighter crop to see more of the subject, but that would change the total story in the shot.

Most wonderful image of the little Dewi. Lovely moment so well captured. I find it quite moving, but still and all, a great joy to look at. Thank you Art for using your terrific photography to bring attention to the plight of these majestic creatures.

Thank you all for your visit and comments, they're much appreciated. Charles, I see your point in wanting a tighter crop to help bring Dewi closer to the viewer, but as you rightly pointed out this would have changed the dynamic and story in the frame. Anabela, its nice to see you and I share the same passion for these magnificent creatures. Tragically, their numbers are dwindling in the wild. Just today, I was reading a newspaper story about how palm oil plantation companies, in Indonesia, have been deliberately setting fire to surrounding orang-utan environments resulting in illegal deforestation, so that they can use the land for more palm oil plantations. An area that was once home to over 7000 orang-utans now supports  no more than 300 !

Dewi is so charming when at play. The crop is good in that it also shows how small Dewi is compared to her surroundings. I was quite amazed to learn the 'babes' are dependent on their Mothers for so long! That makes it even more 'tragic' when the Palm Plantations are disappearing, there must be many ORPHANS, loosing a parent would be very traumatic I'd think. Do you know if in these cases, another Mother will 'adopt' a little one? Thanks to you I have been looking at my 'lablels' more and was MORTIFIED the other day to find 2 different kinds of Palm Oil in a product my husband had purchased. Needless to say, he learned of their plight in a hurry! Excellent capture Art.

thanks Gail, as always I appreciate your thoughts. I think you meant to say that its tragic that the forests are disappearing BECAUSE of the palm oil plantations...:), as to whether other mothers would adopt an orphan, I'm not sure, but I suspect no which makes it all the more tragic. thanks again as always your support is most welcomed

Art you are right, I 'wixed' my 'mords'. ;-)  Thankyou for correcting that , others would 'think me daft'!!!! sincerely, Gail

Now if this doesn't make you smile nothing will.

Great job Art

Ill be back

After seeing its mother I became attracted to Dewi as well, thanks for the information which is very important to understand the situation.I like it as is and the light is great!I love animals in nature and your work with them is a wonder-full!

Thanks Chris, thanks Pnina. As always I appreciate your views on my work. Pnina I'm glad to see I've been able to create an awareness of the plight Sumatran orang-utans face.

An appropriate title for this image but not appropriate for Art X. You are the master of this genre and you have another winner on your hands. My immediate reaction is that I wished that the 'baby' represented a larger part of the image but this works for me also. A seven from me!

Thanks Tony, appreciate it mate