The Story of the Collection
This collection of black and white photographs is dedicated to the vervet monkeys of Ethiopia. Vervet monkeys are semi-terrestrial: they live both on land and in trees. They are found mostly in East Africa.
When I photographed them, I was surprised by how many different calls they use to communicate. When I arrived, some individuals who had spotted me gave unusual cries which sounded similar. Other monkeys replied to them with different cries. I was very intrigued by this constant communication because many females had young ones.
After spending a few hours calmly approaching the monkeys, I was able to approach two groups. I created a series of photographs which captured their expressions and behaviors, and some especially beautiful scenes of females interacting with their young.
After photographing the geladas, I was very surprised by how much the looks and posture of these primates resemble human behavior. After a few hours in their company, even if they kept their distance, I had established a friendly relationship.
In this collection, I have tried to show the beauty of their hair and the expressions of their eyes. The best photo I took is certainly the picture of a female protecting her baby when I was moving towards him.
