Topic: Featured Artists / Featured Artist - Aussiebluey

Hi Julie and thanks. Our daughter went to the Singapore Zoo, and I’m not sure where there but she had the breakfast with the Orang Utans while there. Bev and myself are going to Singapore and Phuket in November, we plan to do the zoo ans Bev wants to go on an Elephant safari. I found it hard picking a favourite shot, due to there being so many good ones here, but I liked the very human like feel to that shot.

Tim

Topic: Featured Artists / Featured Artist - Aussiebluey

Timothy, I loved reading your interview and share your love for primates.I live in Northern NSW, but I was born and grew up in Adalaide (a lifetime ago). My favourite is Orangutans too. I’m really looking forward to visiting Singapore Zoo next month (my idea of a holiday !) I love your shot of the Gibbon.
I especially would like to thank you for choosing my shot of ‘Mother and Son.’ This shot means a lot to me and I am honoured that you like it.

Topic: Featured Artists / Featured Artist - Aussiebluey

Thanks for the comments. Both of our kids love photography as well, our daughter loves landscapes and is very good at them. Our son loves to abstract stuff a bit like Salvador Dali.

Tim

Topic: Featured Artists / Featured Artist - Aussiebluey

Congratulations, well earned. Great interview

Topic: Featured Artists / Featured Artist - Aussiebluey

Excellent interview~! Well done and congratulations on being featured Timothy :))
Congratulations Sheila also for a wonderful first interview!

Great insight into your thinking Timothy. Thanks for sharing :))

Topic: Featured Artists / Featured Artist - Aussiebluey

Fantastic interview Timothy, loved reading this and seeing what you love about primates. Well done Sheila, on your first interview and for a wonderful choice of feature.

Topic: Featured Artists / Featured Artist - Aussiebluey

For my first interview I have the honour of bringing you all, the very talented Aussiebluey

I’m sure going to take his advise on using the burst feature.

1. What is it that makes you so drawn to wildlife and wildlife photography? What makes you tick?
This is a hard one; I like to take photos of everything, but especially animals. I like to capture their eyes, try to capture their nature. After visiting our zoo so many times, I have come to appreciate that they have personalities. The one thing I have learnt is they never do what you want, when you want them to do it, so when I get the shot I have been after, the better it is. One hint if you have a burst feature on your camera use it when shooting animals, you just never now what you will get.

2. Tell us a little bit about your adventure with the the Lowland Gorillas?
I found the female Lowland Gorillas great to photograph, they were so human like in they way they interacted.

3. How did they interact with you when you photographed them?
I think they were aware of the camera, some days they just didn’t want to have their photos taken and other days I felt they were putting on a show for the camera.

4. What is your favorite primate, and why?
I like the Orangutans they seem to be so human like in their behavior; I think you can see intelligence in their eyes.

5. What is your favorite primate image in your own gallery, and why?
Sad Eyes This shot of the mother Orangutan holding her son against her with such a sad look in her eyes is one of my favorites.

6. Do you have a favorite primate image belonging to anyone else on Redbubble, if so, which one is it, and what do you love about it?
Mother And Son I like this shot of the mother Lowland Gorilla with her baby, taken by JulieM

7. Where would you go if you could go anywhere you wanted to see and photograph primates?
I would love to go to either Borneo or Sumatra to see the Orang Utans.

8. Have you ever done any conservation or voluntary work in the primate field, and would you ever consider it?
I have considered becoming a volunteer at the Adelaide Zoo, but that will probably when I retire.

9. Anything else you would like to add?
All I can say is there are a great many fine photographers in this group and I enjoy seeing shots of new primates that I have never seen before. I feel very privileged to part of the group. Also if you are ever in Adelaide drop me a line and we can go on a shoot.

Timothy Lubcke

Topic: Featured Artists / Featured Artist - Sheila Smith

Thank you all so much you are all very generous.

Topic: Featured Artists / Featured Artist - Sheila Smith

A wonderful, insightful interview which shows Sheila’s love and compassion for our close relatives. Loved the info on gorillas’ expressions))

Topic: Featured Artists / Featured Artist - Sheila Smith

Great interview. Congratulations sheila. You are a pro :)

Topic: Featured Artists / Featured Artist - Sheila Smith

Brilliant work!!!

Topic: Featured Artists / Featured Artist - Sheila Smith

Brilliant interview Julie. Wonderful insight into your love and passion Sheila~! Amazing effort and well done :))

Topic: Featured Artists / Featured Artist - Sheila Smith

STUNNING IMAGES!!

Topic: Featured Artists / Featured Artist - Sheila Smith

very enjoyable, love the photos chosen and the emotion in each!
excellent!

Topic: Featured Artists / Featured Artist - Sheila Smith

Thank you for sharing and the photography is perfect

Topic: Featured Artists / Featured Artist - Sheila Smith

Thanks Sheila for this fantastic insight into your life with primates. The interview is wonderful and makes for brilliant reading. I also love your choice of images. Well done.

Topic: Featured Artists / Featured Artist - Sheila Smith

Hi Primate friends. This week I had the honour of sharing some time with one of our most dedicated members. Having this interview in our group just makes me smile :)
This artist has contributed so much to our group. she actively tries to find those rarer shots, to help us to reach our goals and to share information about primate species.

So, please enjoy some time with Sheila Smith

1) What makes you so drawn to wildlife and wildlife photography?

As a kid we had five aviaries in the back garden. So having been brought up with an excess of 30 finches, 20 budgies and canaries, eight cockateels, a rabbit, eleven guinea pigs, a dog and a family of Chinese painted quails it was inevitable I would develop a love or hatred of animals. I loved them and loved to draw them, trouble was I couldn’t draw! As an adult I realised I wasn’t bad at photography. Eventually the two loves had to meet. Now living within a mile of a zoo allows me to spend many hours observing animal behaviour. I try where possible to capture something of the character of the animal I’m photographing.

2) Tell us a little about your adventures with gorillas.

Last year the gorillas moved back into their new enclosure at ZSL London Zoo. Zaire (the oldest gorilla) and Bobby had been together for years, Effie was being introduced to the group. That meant Effie and Bobs had to bond before all three could be allowed together leaving Zaire on her own a lot. She likes people and remembers those she sees often. I go in to the zoo most weeks so she soon became familiar with me. It’s a very strange and wonderful feeling to see a gorilla look at you, do a double take then walk over to the glass partition and sit next to you. Now that a fourth gorilla has been added to the group she does it less which is great for her, as it means she is happier with the other gorillas, but sad for me.

3. How did they interact with you when you photographed them?

Ha Zaire is so nosey she walks right up to the lens, which makes it quite difficult to get a picture particularly if you still have a long lens on. Consequently I’m always deleting photos of her left nostril, right eye etc. The others are more chilled. The great thing is they may not like to make eye contact for any length of time but they will happily stare at a camera because they can’t see your eyes.

4. What is your favourite primate, and why?

I think I may have given that away. Gorillas are the gentle giants of the primate world. That does not mean they are soppy; they have their likes and dislikes and can have some nasty squabbles, usually over food or status. They are also very playful, learn quickly and are very inquisitive.

5. What is your favourite primate image in your own gallery, and why?

Where is that going?
A photo of Mjukuu watching a plane fly overhead. Why? I think it shows the inquisitive nature of gorillas.

6. Do you have a favourite primate image belonging to anyone on Redbubble, if so, which one is it, and what do you love about it?

This is a hard one as there are so many that I love. In the end I chose
Ponder by Dave Aarons
because technically it is a superb shot; the focus, composition, colour are all fabulous but it’s the expression on the Orangs face that really made it. Dave has captured a moment, which shows the primate as an intelligent, thoughtful animal.

7. Where would you go if you could go anywhere you wanted to see and photograph primates?

The place isn’t important to me, the animals are. So I would like to go anywhere gorillas are thriving and not diminishing in number. Ideally this would be naturally but failing that, through a strong conservation programme.

8. Have you done any conservation or voluntary work in the primate field, and would you ever consider it?

I’m a volunteer at ZSL London Zoo. I know some people have a problem with zoos but when you consider that London Zoo has over twenty species that are extinct in the wild then their argument that they are a Noah’s ark for the gene pool of many endangered animals rings true. Also they work with many conservation agencies dedicated to saving endangered animals in the wild and even reintroducing some where it is safe to do so, for instance the Arabian Oryx.

9. Anything else you would like to add?

Yes. Horses and chimps for instance have a lot of facial muscles, which they use to express feelings and to communicate. Gorillas do not have many so lack expression and can look sad even when they are not.

Best Wishes
Sheila

Topic: Featured Artists / Featured Artist - Steve Bulford

Very informative interview,well done,Steve and Sal!!

Topic: Featured Artists / Featured Artist - Steve Bulford

I would just like to add here in response to this part of the interview

No, I haven’t done any conservation or voluntary work yet

Steve – you just did.

your links to help Gorillas, adopt Gorillas and just by spreading the word about the dangers they face – thats all conservation work and its voluntary as well

Topic: Featured Artists / Featured Artist - Steve Bulford

Fantastic interview, Steve! Thank you for sharing your experience with us. What an amazing opportunity, Awesome work, congratulations!

Topic: Featured Artists / Featured Artist - Apeart

Hi Jane just read you interview don’t know how I missed it when it was done . I enjoyed reading it immensely. It must have been amazing to be that close to the gorillas :-)))))))))))))) Enjoy you visit in December.

Topic: Featured Artists / Featured Artist - Steve Bulford

Thank you Steve. I really enjoyed reading your interview. Just thinking about being amongst these wonderful animals takes my breath away. You really are so lucky. Comparing numbers of gorillas in the region with the number of people on the plane puts their plight into context so well. It is so frightening. Thank you once again Steve.

Topic: Featured Artists / Featured Artist - Steve Bulford

Wonderful interview and experiences! Awesome photography!

Topic: Featured Artists / Featured Artist - Steve Bulford

Steve, I wish I could have been shrunk down and ridden in your rucksack. But your interview was so good I could see it all in my mind like I was there with you.
Congratulations.You are one of the lucky ones and very well deserved.

Topic: Featured Artists / Featured Artist - Steve Bulford

Fantastic interview – I have wanted to read this for a long time, to share in your wonderful moments spent with these wonderful animals Steve. Its been a thrill to read. Thank you steve for sharing this with us, and thank you Sal for posting it up for all to see and love.