Angela Poggioni
The Gentle Red Giant: orangutans of Sumatra
The talk
Angela takes us into Gunung Leuser National Park in northern Sumatra, where she has spent time photographing wild orangutans and the rainforest they depend on. Through close portraits and stories from the field, she’ll look at the bond between mothers and their young, the mostly solitary lives of adult orangutans, and the conservation pressures facing them.
She’ll also be candid about what it takes to work in dense tropical forest: steep ground, constant humidity, little light under the canopy and a bright sky above it. Her central point is that strong wildlife pictures start with an emotional connection to the animal. A technically good image isn’t enough; patience, close observation and empathy are what make a photograph that makes other people care.
About Angela
Angela Poggioni is an Italian American artist who came to wildlife photography by way of painting and philosophy. She holds an M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Florence and went on to study fine art at the Art Students League of New York and photography at the International Center of Photography.
- Her orangutan reportage won First Prize at France’s BarrObjectif International Festival of Photojournalism (2024).
- Recognized in Nature Photographer of the Year, the Siena International Photo Awards and the Golden Turtle International Wildlife Festival.
- Work held in the permanent collection of FIAP (Fédération Internationale de l’Art Photographique) and published in The New York Times, American Photographer and Wild Planet Photo Magazine.
- Nature Exhibition Standards Director and Wildlife Photography Mentor for the Photographic Society of America, and an experienced international judge.
From the series
All photographs © Angela Poggioni, used with permission. Click any image to see it larger.