My passion for photographing birds-of-paradise first grew from a desire to document some amazing birds that few people have had a chance to see in the wild, and share them with the world in the pages of National Geographic. As I have made 30 expeditions to the region where they occur (Papua Indonesia, PNG, and N. Australia) over the past 15 years, I came to realize that they are the best ambassadors for conserving the rain forests of the New Guinea region, the third largest remaining block of rain forest in the world (after the Amazon and Congo).
The local people of Papua realize that protecting their forest for the birds, and hosting visiting birders and other tourists to see them, is a way for them to receive a livelihood from the forest. So my hope is that my photography and films of these birds can contribute to greater appreciation and thus conservation of Papua’s forest. But at the moment, international travel to Papua is on hold. The local guest house owners and birding guides that we work with there have no income.
I know you’d like to help, and so would I. So if you’d like to help and also own a Tim Laman print to brighten your home or workplace, please visit my online store at www.timlamanfineart.com. You will find prices and sizes for all budgets and spaces.
