When I first offered to photograph the chimpanzees six years ago I was completely unprepared for these magnificent, soulful and very large primates. Fauna Foundation’s founder, Gloria Grow, introduced me to each individual and told me their heartbreaking stories. It was emotionally difficult to concentrate on shooting. Later, when I reviewed the photos, I realized that most were of hands and fingers. These first images spoke to me on some profound level as I realized my hands were so much like theirs.It has been through their hands that I have come to know them–their emotion, strength, intelligence, desire, anger, curiosity and humour. Their muscular hands with life lines traversing palms, agile fingers, knuckles creased and cracked, dried cuticles edging smooth nails; so full of power and emotion, with movements fine-tuned and precise–sometimes gentle, sometimes urgent–always expressive.
Fauna Foundation is Canada’s only chimpanzee sanctuary and has welcomed 23 residents over 21 years and currently offers sanctuary to 12 individuals. Most of the chimpanzees arrived from medical or behavioural research environments, while some arrived from zoos. All are courageous souls who were forced to develop new life skills, adapt to unnatural environments and learn to trust, or at the very least, rely on humans–their fellow primates–ultimately responsible for their lives in captivity.
Photographing the chimpanzees is technically demanding and requires tremendous patience. The light is low and very uneven, dynamic range can be extreme, all while shooting moving subjects through obstacles and enclosures.There is far more failure than success. My ego gets kicked to the curb and I have had to learn to embrace technical imperfection. The chimpanzees deserve my best efforts, but they just as easily disrupt as inspire my creative process! If they do not want their picture taken, it does not get taken. They walk away, turn their backs, or communicate in more emphatical ways to discourage my attention. I am reminded this is their choice.
My responsibility is to tell their stories with respect and dignity. I seek to reveal their remarkable personalities, deep emotions and their complex relationships with each other and with their compassionate caregivers; to tell their truth. It continues to be an education not only in image-making, but in chimpanzee behaviour, communication, and the essential and difficult work of sanctuary caregivers.
all images © NJ Wight
