By Rebecca Drew
HILARIOUS close up portraits of some of the world’s most unusual primates show their uncanny resemblance to humans as they enjoy their moment in the spotlight striking a pose for the camera.
The stunning series of photographs show two proboscis monkeys; one seemingly enjoying a spot of peaceful mediation, whilst the other looks deep in thought as it rests its face on its hand in Sabah, Borneo.
Other shots show a cheeky black crested macaque flashing its pearly whites for the camera in Sulawesi, Indonesia, and an adorable snow monkey sticking its tongue out to taste the falling snowflakes in Jigokudani, Japan.
The images were taken by photographer, Mogens Trolle (50) from Denmark as part of his photo series, Eye Contact, which was born after he spent a year in South Africa capturing animals on camera.
Mogens has included primates from Gabon, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Borneo, Sulawesi, China, Africa and Japan in his series.
He likes to photograph the animals when they are relaxed, as he believes this is when they start opening up to him.
“I was becoming more and more drawn to taking portraits of animals. I wanted to get closer to them, get to know them better, see their eyes and see their personality,” he said.
“Photographing primates was a natural next step. Like us humans, they communicate a lot with their facial expressions and eyes and I think they are the most expressive animals.
“I try to capture special looks that show the individuality of each animal. Each species has their own characteristics. Often my photos show expressions that are very similar to human expressions.”
