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Jasper Doest's Image
For 17 years Riku has performed skits three times a day in front of large audiences in a theatre in Japan.
The appeal of these traditional and popular performances lies in the anthropomorphic appearance of the trained macaques. It took Jasper a long time to gain permission to take pictures of the performance, and he was appalled that an animal once considered a sacred mediator between gods and humans was now being ridiculed for commercial gain.
Behind the lens
Jasper Doest
The Netherlands
Jasper is a photographer who creates stories that explore the relationship between humans and nature. He’s a contributing photographer for National Geographic Magazine, a Senior Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers and a WWF Netherlands Ambassador.
Image details
- Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
- 24–70mm f2.8 lens
- 1/160 sec at f10 (-1.7 e/v) • ISO 2000
- Japan
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.
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