Her photos and writing ability became her tools to speak for orangutans. Gaining access to local residents and communities took her further into the world of the apes.
By
Riana A Ibrahim
·5 minutes read
ARSIP PRIBADI
Foto sosok Regina
It’s true that the power of love overwhelms many things. Any doubt that arises can be dispelled right away, and barriers of even great magnitudes are able to be overcome. Photographer Regina Safri, 37, has proven this. Her profound love for nature has made her move with determination to explore many forests for the sake of their protection.
“I’m not a child of nature, just an alay [tacky] kid,” said Rere, as Regina is affectionately called, with a laugh on Tuesday (10/8/2021).
Before convincing herself to penetrate the forests of East Kalimantan to photograph orangutans in 2011, she had no experience roaming in the wild whatsoever.
But a television broadcast about orangutans that she watched by chance prompted Rere to delve deeper into the apes. With a permit granted by her office at the time, Rere left for East Kalimantan at her own expense.
She used her savings to fund the journey. For eight months, the Jakarta-born woman traveled back and forth between Kalimantan and Jakarta to fulfill her desire of analyzing orangutans.
Orangutan hunting, among other problems, was found to humans’ fault.
Her photos and writing ability became her tools to speak for orangutans. Gaining access to local residents and communities took her further into the world of the apes. Orangutan hunting, among other problems, was found to humans’ fault.
The habitat of orangutans has turned into concrete structures and oil palm plantations. The food source of this primate has been exhausted as a result of shrinking forests. The protected apes have thus been entering residents’ settlements and plantations.
“[Orangutans] are seen as pests that harm the economy. In fact, they are beneficial for life. They spread seeds, which functions to form new life and maintain forest conservation,” said Rere.
ARSIP PRIBADI
Regina Safri
Her eight-month exploration was published in a book in 2012 along with solo photo exhibitions. She visited several cities to tell the story of orangutans through the book, titled Orangutan Rhyme and Blues.
Rere later started a tour of Sumatran forests. Her expedition covered forest areas from Aceh to Lampung.
She again used up her savings, while also selling her ornaments and camera to fund her project. Entering and leaving forests for three years became her routine until the publication of her book describing Sumatran forests.
Breaking limits
Rere wants rare animals and forests in Indonesia to be conserved. Many campaigns are conducted to protect forests that lack an intimate understanding of the habitats and their wildlife.
Through photos, Rere feels it easier to campaign for forests and their wildlife. “Visuals make a stronger impression. People watch and perceive directly. Green, beautiful forests, wildlife like birds, rivers, appear in gorgeous colors. Being aware of all this, they appreciate the reason why forests should be safeguarded,” she said.
However, she has struggled against prejudice. Some people don’t believe women should spend long periods of time in forests. Rere’s family, particularly her mother, once prohibited her from embarking on long forest expeditions, more out of apprehension. But the work Rere, the third of four siblings, produced placated her mother.
The high cost and risk involved cause many people to withdraw from this activity.
Rere’s entry to the male-dominated world of photography is a breakthrough. She has gone beyond her confines by choosing the avenue of wildlife photography, which is engaged in by very few people. The high cost and risk involved cause many people to withdraw from this activity.
Photography can also face challenges because the locations encountered are not as predicted. “The [artistic] battlefields are different from those of city coverage,” Rere said.
She said many more stories had yet to be shared to make people willing to protect nature. She declines donations or aid if they threaten to intervene with her work.
KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI
Orangutans in the conservation area of Salat Island, Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan.
In order to enrich her knowledge, Rere pursued master’s degree in environmental science at the University of Indonesia. She submitted her thesis, on environmental education for young people in forest buffer villages, inspired by an incident in which a child fired shots at an orangutan. “When asked, the child didn’t know that orangutans were protected. So I want environmental education to be instituted,” she said.
In her view, nature has lavished resources on humans. “Therefore, never break its heart,” she said as a speaker at an event called Kompasfest on Friday (20/8/2021), which had the theme of photography.
Regina Septiarini Safri (Rere)
Born:Jakarta, Sept. 23, 1983
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree, Communications, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Pembangunan Nasional University, Yogyakarta
- Master’s degree, School of Environmental Science (SIL), University of Indonesia, Jakarta
Experience:
- 2005-2016, journalist and photographer, Antara Photo Bureau
- 2019-2020, member of Satgas 115, a task force formed by the President to eradicate illegal fishing
- 2020, communications head for Pandu Laut Nusantara
Eleven photo exhibitions from 2007 to 2015, including:
Orangutan Rhyme and Blues, Antara Gallery, Jakarta, 2012
Six books, including:Sumatran forest photobook “Before it’s too Late”, 2019
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