TOKYO-2017 Nature / Wildlife

Chimpanzee Portraits

  • Prize
    Bronze in Nature/Wildlife
  • Photographer
    Gregoris Mentzas

Portraits of chimpanzees that show them outside of their context and allow the viewer to develop a more personal and intimate perspective of each portrait. Each animal is a unique creature that can be majestic in its wildness. I try to capture this uniqueness focusing on light, shapes, shadows, expressions and the distinct texture that emphasizes the details of each creature. All photographs were taken in the Attica Zoological Park (Attica, Greece).

Gregoris Mentzas leads a double life as an academic professor and a fine art photographer. Back in the analog film era, he attended a two-year course at the Fotokinisi (later Focus) photography school, a one-year seminar on cinematography and film directing and participated in seminars given by renowned Greek photographers. An avid black and white analog photographer, he let his passion stay dormant for years and only recently started anew his journey in digital photography. His work focuses on the concepts of time and decay, tranquility and silence.