Orangutans are so expressive—or, rather, their expressions are so human that we relate to them far more than we relate to, say, a zebra. This makes them great fun to photograph, especially if you are alone with them. The danger in Borneo is that they often see you at the same time as a lot of other people.
The vast majority of my work isdone with no other photographer within miles of me and whenever I stray from this, for reasons of regulation or necessity, I feel uncomfortable. The previous day I had joined others at well-known sites near Camp Leakey,but it offered no joy whatsoever. With gorillas in Rwanda, it is unlikely that a photographer will find himself goingup the mountain without any other paying guests, but in Borneo, it is possible.
So the next day, my team embarked on a four-hour journey into central Kalimantan and then we were very much on our own. It made all the difference both spiritually and practically to be with this female orangutan and her son without a single other visitor within 20 miles. The journey back home seemed considerably shorter than the way there. That is always the way when you are successful.
I am often asked what degree of sacrifice I will make to be on my own in terms of comfort and distance. There is no right answer to this question, andI have no formula, but I will continue to take the road less traveled, as original content and gatherings of photographers do not go well together. The day comfort becomes the priority is the day to quit.
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