Contemplation

Peter Delaney's Image

Peter had spent a long, difficult morning tracking chimpanzees through dense undergrowth. ‘Photographing in a rainforest with dim light and splashes of sunlight means your exposure settings are forever changing,’ he says. Keeping his camera at its optimum ISO setting meant a slow shutter speed, so it was hard to keep a sharp focus without a tripod.

The troop of 250 chimpanzees had spent the morning high in the canopy. Totti, named after an Italian footballer, is a favourite with the rangers, but perhaps not the ladies. After trying everything to entice a female to join him on the ground – posturing, gesturing and calling seductively – he gave up and flopped onto the forest floor.


Behind the lens

Peter Delaney

Peter Delaney

Ireland / South Africa

In 2001, Peter decided to quit his career in finance to pursue his dream of travelling Africa in a four-wheel drive. He has spent years in the African wilderness looking for unique photographs to showcase the rich variety of wildlife and the beautiful landscape that Africa has to offer.

Image details

  • Fujifilm X-T1
  • 50–140mm lens at 140mm
  • 1/75 sec at f2.8 (–1.3 e/v)
  • Kibale National Park, Uganda
Copyright in WPY competition photographs remains the property of the respective photographers. You may not copy, share, reproduce or republish the photographs except as expressly permitted by copyright law. For media image usage enquiries, please contact us.

More images from Peter Delaney

View all

Support our important work


Help us harness the power of photography to advance scientific knowledge, spread awareness of important issues and nurture a global love for nature.

Donate now

Discover more

Sign up to our newsletter

Receive email updates about Wildlife Photographer of the Year news, events, science, products, services and fundraising activities. We may occasionally include third-party content from our corporate partners and other museums. We will not share your personal details with these third parties. You must be over the age of 13. Privacy notice.