Black and White Wildlife Fine Art Prints: “Geladas of Ethiopia”

The Story of the Collection

TThis collection of black and white photographs is dedicated to the geladas of Ethiopia. These monkeys live in the highlands of Ethiopia. They feed exclusively on grass and roots. I was surprised by the delicacy with which they uproot tufts of grass with their hands and carry them to their mouths.

Geladas are very expressive monkeys. Their facial expressions and eyes are very similar to those of human beings. I was surprised to meet a large male that let us know just by his expression that I was getting too close to the group he was looking after. He did not use aggressive or animated gestures. His expression and posture were enough to persuade me to stay away from the females and their young.

In my collection of photos, I wanted to show the expression of their eyes, the beauty of their hair, and especially their body language.

The event that made the strongest impression on us was definitely what I saw one early morning as the sun rose slowly, flooding the Rift Valley with its rays. At a bend in the path, I saw a gelada sitting on a stone and looking out over the valley. I stayed there for nearly 3 minutes, watching him think. Arms dangling by his sides, looking into infinity, he seemed to be asking himself metaphysical questions, or simply appreciating the beauty of the moment.

Slowly, he rose from the stone, stretched a little, and then left to join the group in a meadow. A picture of this extraordinary moment is in this collection.