photos

Learning how to take photos/videos of the chimpanzees can be a nerve-wracking task. As caregivers, we generally avoid being close to the caging unless doing a chimp interaction. Therefore, learning to be close to the caging safely while trying to get great photos/videos for the blog, initially had me feeling out of my comfort zone. So much goes into it, hence why I thought it’d make an interesting blog!

Step 1: Getting comfortable being close to the caging in a safe manner while handling a very nice camera or phone

The first thing caregivers have to overcome is getting themselves comfortable with being close to the caging. It feels wrong and quite vulnerable at first, but it gets easier over time with more experience of reading chimp behavior and assessing situations (more on that in Step #2). It took me several weeks to get comfortable with the combination of being close to caging + holding the camera + snapping a clear photo, and it took me even longer before I was comfortable with getting close enough to get the caging physically out of all of my photos.

This was one of my photos on my very first blog! I was happy with the quality of the image but of course, the caging obstructs the photo because I was too far away. It all takes practice and time.

Step 2: Getting a quality photo or video while assessing and reading chimp behavior for your own safety and camera safety

Let’s jump forward to when the caregiver is comfortable with being close to the caging, holding the camera, AND snapping a quality photo on a nice camera (it’s harder than it may seem). Now, caregivers must begin to be aware of where each of the chimps are located in the enclosure, what they’re doing (activity-wise), and analyze their behavior. Thankfully, chimpanzees aren’t always good at being discreet. Sometimes, they’ll turn to look at you and the camera or give you a quick side-eye, then go back to what they were doing. For some chimps, that’s them telling you they don’t care that you are there. For other chimps, that’s them assessing the situation and now they may try to surprise you with a jump scare and/or poke very shortly.

Context is also important here. Obviously, if things are tense among the chimps or they seem agitated, putting a camera up to the caging may not always be a good idea. Chimpanzees are pretty good at showing how they emotionally feel (between vocalizations, gestures, and physical tells). I can always tell when Jamie does not want me to be taking a photo or recording her. It’ll start as a long stare from Jamie. If I don’t notice or ignore it, she may get up and charge the caging. That’s an example of a clear message Jamie is giving to me to stop what I’m doing and potentially even go away.

What’s also interesting is that different caregivers may have better luck taking a photo of a specific individual than another would. I’ve noticed that there are certain chimps who will always try to poke my camera if they’re around (cough Rayne cough Foxie). They may not do that to every caregiver, but they do it to me, so I have to take that information and keep it in mind so that I can continue to be safe. I’ve also picked up on the fact that Burrito does not try to scare me when I’m taking photos or videos of him, but he sometimes does to others. There’s also chimps who would never poke a caregiver’s camera (sweet Terry). The chimpanzee and human relationship is just another factor to consider.

As you can tell, a lot goes into capturing a simple photo of one of our residents. That is why some days we have nothing to show for it (ahhhh!) and we have to deliver with some good video footage! However, I think that’s why it makes it all that more sweet when we are able to capture an amazing shot of one of our residents to share with you all! It literally feels like an achievement to me at times.

Thank you for loving our photos and videos we post! Thank you for being here!

Foxie trying to poke the camera:

Honey B up close to the camera:

Annie with some blurry caging:

Lucky up-close:

One last thing!

You may have seen reviews of the docuseries Chimp Crazy this week. Thank you for those who filled out the survey from Diana’s blog post about the series. The first episode airs this Sunday, August 18th, on HBO and streams on Max at 10 p.m. PT.

The North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance (NAPSA) and Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest (CSNW), along with a special guest, will be hosting the discussion of the first episode. Join us on Tuesday, August 20 via Zoom at 6:00 PM PST/9:00 PM EST to explore Episode 1: Monkey Love. We will be discussing the contents of the episode as well as some history around the use of primates in entertainment and the pet trade, the legality of owning primates as pets, and the Captive Primate Safety Act. Register to join this discussion.

We understand that there may be scenes in the series that could be difficult for primate welfare advocates to watch. Our goal is to provide a space where people can openly share their thoughts and learn more about how they can help these remarkable primates.