Tender moment
An intimate moment between this group of Long Tail Macaques
An intimate moment between this group of Long Tail Macaques
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Jan, 2017Views
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Contest Finalist in Small Wildlife Photo Contest
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Ckayphotos
December 01, 2017
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment and your feedback, it is much appreciated, I was very lucky with this shot, as I had been shooting macro so had to use my 100MM macro as a prime lens, which dictated my distance, they quickly though seemed to become relaxed with me being around them.
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Behind The Lens
Location
This shot was taken in Admiralty Park - Singapore, it is a nature reserve in the north of the Island, the monkeys are wild and there is no fencing to contain them, they do though tend to form groups that live in defined territories.Time
Guesstimating the time, from a working backwards perspective, I had been in the park shooting macro images from 7 AM for about an hour and a half when I spotted this group of wild macaques - so 8:30 AM give or take.Lighting
I didn't need to use any artificial lighting, I did have my speed light and diffuser on as I had been shooting macro, the advice from the parks board being to not use flash photography around monkeys, these are wild animals and as such unpredictable - strobes and flashing lights would therefore not be advisable. One of the benefits of living near the equator is the constant light source, sunrise and set times vary by maybe 10 minutes throughout the year.Equipment
This was shot with my Canon 70D and my 100 MM f2.8 Macro L Lens - this is my goto macro lens and I didn't have time to change so used it as a prime in this instance, the only challenge there being the extra attention needed with regard to framing the shot.Inspiration
Whilst shooting in the park I noticed this group of Macaques congregating on a bridge, when I walked towards them they didn't seem overly concerned at my presence so I decided to try and get some shots. as they settled around me I then noticed these two females with one nursing her infant, I was especially taken with the expression of the macaque looking at her companion nursing the infant and then look on the infants face. A very expressive and emotion packed image. the rest of the group started to surround me and I was conscious of not losing any equipment or having my bag ransacked. I had to finish shooting and leave when the alpha male started to close in and assert his presence.Editing
Very little, I shoot in RAW so had to process the DNG file in Photoshop, I adjusted the contrast and colours slightly but no more than that, I did not crop or adjust the image more than this.In my camera bag
I have shared previously that my bag seems to be getting bigger and bigger - I am now up to a canon professional backpack I always take a body and at least one lens - I shoot macro mostly so would have my Canon 70D and 100MM macro lens, speed light, diffuser hood, spare batteries, bug spray, brushes, cloths and blower - I have started to shoot more landscape so try to combine my outings, hence I often also carry my tripod, Zeiss Distagon 21mm 2.8 lens and Canon ef 15-55MM f2.8 lenses - my Nisi Filter Set 3,6,10 stop NDs and Soft, Hard and Reverse Graduated filters, Polariser and holder and if I think I might come across wildlife I will also pack my Tamron 70-200MM f2.8 lens for good measure - I get the points made around not carrying too much gear, but my backpack is super comfortable and my thinking is that if I am getting out and about it makes sense to make the most of any shot opportunities that may present themselves -I'd rather carry a lens and not need it than not and miss a shot opportunity.Feedback
Timing is key when shooting macro and wildlife, understanding the nature and routine of the subjects that you are looking to shoot, as mentioned when shooting wild animals flashes and lighting is not advisable. Be conscious that these are wild animals and as such unpredictable and potentially dangerous. Take your time, remain calm and try to minimise your posture, movements and overall presence. if possible work out your settings before you get close to your subjects so you can then focus on getting your shots and not adjusting your settings, I would not shoot much lower than f8 ideally, possibly 5.6 if the light is forcing the issue so as to have a reasonable depth of field whilst hopefully blurring out the background so as not to distract from your subject. If you camera does have a silent shutter release option, definitely select this, all noises being likely to alert or alarm the subject. it is of course a trade off, but wherever possible as low an ISO as possible but be conscious of the need to ensure that your shutter speed is fast enough to remove any motion blur and or capture movement. And be patient, insects and animals in the wild are unpredictable and uninterested in setting up a good shot for you, you need to be patient and wait for the shot to occur certainly don't try to interact or influence your subjects, this could lead to staged and unnatural looking images not to mention the potential for the subject to become distressed and trigger its fight or flight responses.
