Mountain gorilla in Rwanda

As Frans points out, mountain gorillas are very rare. “They occur only in one area in Africa, where Rwanda and Uganda and The Congo connect, and there are small populations of gorillas in all three countries. But the ones in Rwanda have received the most attention from researchers.

“It’s an extraordinary experience to be eye to eye with mountain gorillas, but technically speaking it’s difficult, because they’re black and typically under a tree canopy. Here, where it was pouring with rain, the light levels were very low.

“I decided to make a very tight portrait of this gorilla. He was sitting there hunched, not moving and just letting the rain come over him, and there was something almost melancholic about his stare.

“The highlights – the reflective parts of his muzzle, nose and eyes – help to lift the image up, otherwise it would be very dark and gloomy. I didn’t use fill flash as that’s not allowed, and it’s also not necessary. If I had used it, it would have overwhelmed the mood of the ambient light.

You’re only allowed to spend a limited amount of time with these wild gorillas, so you have to be very focused. “Most people flitter like butterflies from one thing to the next,” explains Frans. “I try to be very deliberate and say, ‘Okay, I’m going to do this and reject all the other possibilities.’ It’s usually better to stay with one or a handful of individuals, and let them reveal who they are and what they’re up to.”