The Observer newspaper had a feature on a photographer Joel Sartore, who intends photographing 12,000 species of animals. He has already photographed 5,500 species and some of his photos of primates were featured in the article. There were orang utan, macaque, lemurs and gibbon, not in their natural habitats but photographed in what looked like a portrait studio setting, close up shots against white or dark backdrops, well-lit and pin sharp. Many of the primates photographed are looking directly at the camera, with expressions that range from slightly anxious to intense curiosity to mild boredom but all have expressions we could recognise among ourselves.
  A project which results in beautiful photographs of thousands of species of animals sounds idyllic except the whole concept, named Photo Ark, originates from a very sad premise, the 12,000 species being photographed all have a very high probability of becoming extinct in the very near future and Sartore has created the project to heighten awareness of the very real threat to their survival. Some of the species are only surviving in captivity, in zoos and animal refuges.
 Sartore had been photographing threatened species in the wild for the National Geographic magazine for years but found he could generate more response to their plight and more empathy between the viewer and the animal if it was shown in close up, particularly in the case of the primates. He was aware that insects and reptiles aren’t going to elicit the same response as apes with their expressions and emotions similar to our own species. But there is another very positive reason for giving the primates such prominence. As with many species they are at risk because their habitat is threatened and if their habitat can be saved it will also be saving many other threatened creatures that exist there.