Leonide Principe, Manaus, Amazonas
Member Since February 2011
Artist Statement The story began with the river pink dolphin (Inia geoffrensis). In 1988 the Italian-French photographer Leonide Principe, arrived in the Amazon for the first time in a sail trip from Fortaleza to Cayenne - French Guiana in a sailboat and which the captain, offering the most enjoyable cruise, was controlled by the watercourse and the wind. It was at that trip that he approached the base level of the Amazon River, feeling the giant’s respectful presence. Then, back to the winds and the salt saturated water, the journey continued, but missing the river and with a promise of return. Four months later, sitting by the airplane’s window in a flight from Barbados to Manaus and with a scheduled meeting at the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA), there he was, creating the foundation of a permanence that could have never imagine that it would become his roots… which born by the first news report about the red river dolphins held as a request by the French communications agency Sipa Press.
He never imagined that this would be the beginning of a long journey in the Amazon, as this report was the catalyst for a larger project: the Amazon Stock Photos, a file to describe the region as a whole, its strangeness, landscapes, flora, fauna, indigenous and folkloric context and ecotourism.
Leonide Principe had his first rock climbing lesson in 1997 with a major in the Brazilian army whom tried to adapt techniques used in climbing mountain to reach the treetops. These classes helped to conduct a scientific expedition called “Plantas Aéreas da Amazônia – Amazon’s Air Plants”, a project which its goal was to photograph epiphytes (orchids, bromeliads, etc.) and that was supported and sponsored by the Department of Culture of the Amazon State. For more information about this project, click here and read the article published in Veja magazine.
Since that time, he became interested in doing something with the gained knowledge from the tree climbing and photography and it was in 1998 that he started a new project along with his wife and children. They bought 270 acres of virgin forest in Presidente Figueiredo – AM, and started giving life to the TROPICAL TREE CLIMBING company. The purpose of this was to bring a recreational activity to Brazil for nature lovers, families and photographers. Later, in 2006, Leonide created strategic alliances, Tim Kovar (master instructor of Tree Climbers International) being amongst the most important ones, bringing this prestigious certification organization to offer courses in Brazil.
Since then, the photographer receives adventurers from all around the world to experience and capture images from the treetops, as well as to get to know the biodiversity that is in it: birds, orchids, insects, etc and at the same time, he continues to work in expanding the AMAZON STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY.
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