Gelada monkeys in Ethiopia
High in the mountains above Lalibela, Ethiopia, a large troop of these monkeys sat and played near where we stopped to have breakfast, and provided great entert...
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High in the mountains above Lalibela, Ethiopia, a large troop of these monkeys sat and played near where we stopped to have breakfast, and provided great entertainment. I used my best tricks to get within a few metres of them, and then was in photographer's heaven, as they performed for me. This family was by far the best of the bunch, with the baby staring straight at me, his hand resting on his mother's leg, and the moody father looking pensively off into the distance. I can't recommend Ethiopia enough as a destination - the magic of the place absolutely blew me away.
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Apr, 2016Views
2755
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Awards
Member Selection Award
Contest Finalist in On The Wild Side Photo Contest
Featured
Contest Finalist in Animal Kingdom Photo Contest Vol 1
Spring Selection Award
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Superior Skill
Genius
Virtuoso
Emotions
Relaxed
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 2Top 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
NatureLoverJJWal
May 14, 2016
Wow this is really the most beautiful money in the world. I love the red in the chest. kind of that is their attraction! Congratulation s on your award!
Johnny_G_Photography
May 15, 2016
Wonderful capture! Well done and thank you for sharing it with us here on VB :-)
HaliSowle
May 15, 2016
This is such an expressive image. It tells a story as does your narrative. Congratulations!
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I visited Ethiopia last year for about ten days, and this photo was taken in the mountains above the town of Lalibela. The town is known for its incredible churches, carved by devotees from sheer rock over hundreds of years, but the surrounding mountains are absolutely worth a visit too.Time
8:34am (according to EXIF data). I remember there being some threatening-looking clouds passing through. We'd had breakfast around 7am, and were having a relaxed morning, waiting to see whether it would be possible to press on and walk higher and further into the mountains.Lighting
The light was far from perfect, with harsh sunlight poking through the clouds on occasions. Although I took other photos during the moments the light improved, the one I've shared was the best moment of all, with great expressions on the faces of the family of monkeys.Equipment
Canon 60D, Canon EF 70-300 F/4-5.6 IS USM lens set at 130mm, f6.3. I was lying down, elbows on the ground to stabilise the camera.Inspiration
The amazing animals I was privileged enough to be seeing! These monkeys are like nothing else you'll see anywhere else in the world, found only in the mountains of Ethiopia, and their markings and behaviour are fascinating. I was living in the region, and was already planning to move away in the coming months, so was extra-motivated to make the most of my remaining visits to the countries on my doorstep.Editing
Yes. Raised the contrast, added gradation to the background, and reduced the saturation slightly.In my camera bag
I'd love to invest in some better lenses and even a better camera. I'm a strong believer in starting simple and only rewarding myself with better equipment as I outgrow what I have - there's little sense in going straight to a 5D Mark III when you're starting out! - I always have at least one extra fully-charged battery - Extra SD cards - One camera body containing SD card and charged battery - Telephoto lens for wildlife photos and portraits - Wide lens for landscapes and close portraits - Often a lightweight tripod and IR shutter release - Sometimes a circular polarising filterFeedback
For any wild animal, you need to be aware of its sensitivity to a human presence, and how that functions and triggers. By default, you can't get closer to these monkeys than perhaps fifteen to twenty metres. I studied their reactions and worked out that there were two triggers for their flight response: my perceived size, and whether I was facing them or not. With that ascertained, it became fairly easy to get closer: I sat down on the ground with my back to them, and then (slowly) slid backwards on my butt until I was perhaps four or five metres away. I never once turned to face them during my approach, though occasionally glanced under my armpit to check the monkeys' position and demeanour. Once as close as I needed to be, I very slowly lay down on my side, leaning on my elbows, and turned towards the monkeys, shifting my weight to lie flat on my stomach, my face covered by my camera, which was already switched on and held in place, ready for photos. I was now lying about four metres from the nearest monkey, and surrounded by them - a troop of about thirty. They groomed each other, argued, fought, mated, all around me, without feeling at all threatened by my presence.
