Did you know that there is a World Lemur Day? No, nor did I, until we happened to find ourselves in Madagascar on the last Fridy of October which is when it is celebrated. It was wonderful in any case to be able to view these beautiful animals in their natural setting, but especially so to do so on their special day!
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While a photo can tell a story without the need for words, and words can do likewise without any illustration, the combination of both can be more powerful than either. Each month Paula challenges us to find photos to match her chosen words. Some seem easy to ‘illustrate’, others I genuinely find challenging. But it’s an exercise I always enjoy!
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In addition to the national parks in Madagascar there are a number of small community-run reserves. In these local people care for and maintain their patch of forest. The money they get from visitors, e.g. for guiding and souvenir sales, is invested into both the village and the upkeep of the forest.
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It may seem contradictory to suggest that we photograph empty space. Shouldn’t a photo be OF something? But if we set our subject against a large area of relative emptiness and create ‘breathing room’ around our subject, we can help the viewer to see that subject differently.
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Of course a trip to Madagascar is always going to be focused mainly on its unique wildlife. Endemic species such as lemurs and chameleons will be top of everyone’s must-see list, ours included. But sometimes it’s nice to take a break from these and to see something of the island’s human population and their culture.
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Many of the fascinating and endemic creatures of Madagascar are nocturnal. Frogs, geckos, chameleons and lemurs all include some species that prefer the cover of darkness. So to see them you have to get out at night too, of course.
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When you first start using a camera, the tendency is to look straight ahead at a scene. We get caught up in what we see right in front of us. We may look ahead, to the left and right, down and even behind us, but many times we forget to look up.
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Madagascar is a colourful country! The landscapes are beautiful and for the most part lush and green. The wildlife is often colourful too. And in villages and towns there are lively markets, while hotel grounds are planted with pretty flowers. And yet, I can never resist the temptation to experiment with black and white edits
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There are a lot of reasons to visit Madagascar, but for most people the biggest draw is lemurs. These cute animals are endemic to the country, having evolved there separately to apes and monkeys, their closest relatives. And of all the lemurs the one I most wanted to see, and hear, was the Indri.
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In photography, when you choose to fill the frame with your subject, leaving out everything that surrounds it, you remove all distractions and by doing so force the viewer to look only at this one thing. This can be very impactful.
