MASTERCLASS
Tanjung Puting in Pictures
Explore | Masterclass
21
Tommy Schultz
Tommy Schultz is a travel and adventure photographer who has been based in Asia since 2004 . His photography and writing have been published by National Geographic , Patagonia , The Surfer ’ s Journal , The North Face , The World Wildlife Fund , Delta Airlines , Korean Airlines and Garuda Indonesia , and he recently made his television debut as a judge on the History Channel ’ s Photo Face Off show . Based in Bali for much of the year , Tommy is inspired by the beauty and diversity of the archipelago , exploring the world ’ s best surf spots and dive destinations with his camera .
Tommy Schultz adalah seorang fotografer perjalanan dan petualangan yang berbasis di Asia sejak tahun 2004 . Karya fotografi dan tulisannya telah diterbitkan oleh National Geographic , Patagonia , The Surfer ’ s Journal , The North Face , The World Wildlife Fund , Delta Airlines , Korean Airlines , Garuda Indonesia , dan baru-baru ini ia tampil perdana di televisi sebagai juri dalam acara “ Photo Face Off ” di History Channel . Bermukim di Bali hampir sepanjang tahun 2016 , Tommy terinspirasi oleh keindahan serta keberagaman Nusantara , dan menjelajahi tempat surfing dan menyelam terbaik dunia di Indonesia dengan kameranya .
Camp Leakey was established in Borneo in 1971 by Dr Biruté Mary Galdikas to reintroduce orphaned or captive orangutans into the jungles of Tanjung Puting National Park .
Named in honour of legendary Kenyan paleoanthropologist Louis Leakey , today this tiny outpost is one of the most unique places in the world in which to have a very personal encounter with an orangutan , as well as a chance to interact with people from the local Dayak tribes , who have lived in harmony with this extraordinary environment for millennia .
Tanjung Puting is unquestionably one of the best destinations for photographers to capture the stunning biodiversity and cultures of Indonesian Borneo . From photographing orangutans in their natural environment to trekking beneath a canopy of jungle trees with a Dayak shaman , these are literally the photos that you ’ ve seen in the pages of National Geographic .
Most visitors opt for the two-night riverboat ( kelotok ) cruise for the orangutans of Camp Leakey , but we extended our visit to six nights , adding a homestay at the Sungai Delang village and jungle trek with the Dayak Ngaju tribe , as well as the Babukung mask festival in Lamandau District , filling our memory cards with photos of the incredibly vibrant local culture , people and wildlife .
Here are a few of the many highlights , with tips to create the same shots on your next trip .
1 Portrait of a Mother and Baby Orangutan
For many visitors to Camp Leakey , the first glimpse of one of the resident orangutans is Tutu , the eldest matriarch . As she is one of the most photographed of all the orangutans of Tanjung Puting , I was looking for a moment that would capture the quiet dignity of this incredible animal .
Not wanting to get too close to Tutu and disturb the interaction between mother and baby , I used a 70 – 200mm lens at full zoom to crop out any distracting background elements . I wanted to really focus on the baby ’ s eyes to draw the viewer into the emotion of the moment , so I used the ‘ rule of thirds ’ to compose the portrait .
2 Trekking the Muhur Rainforest with
the Dayak Tomun Tribe Long held to be sacred to the Dayak Tomun tribe ,
Trekking the Muhur Rainforest with the Dayak Tomun Tribe 2