High above us in the canopy, this mother sat wrapped around her baby, almost hidden among the leaves and branches. For a few minutes, everything else seemed to disappear. The heat, the insects, the sounds of the jungle—all of it faded into the background as we watched them simply exist together.

The way the baby pressed close, the way she seemed completely aware of everything around her yet focused on keeping it safe—it was a small reminder that even in a place as wild and unfamiliar as the Amazon, some things feel universal.

This is one of those photographs that means more to me because of what was happening beyond the frame. We weren’t at a zoo or wildlife park. We were standing beneath the rainforest canopy, watching life unfold exactly where it belonged.