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Snow Monkey
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Snow Monkey



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Portrait of a Japanese macaque, aka a snow monkey.

Portrait of a Japanese macaque, aka a snow monkey.
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cameraNIKON D7100

settings Aperture 56/10 ISO 100 Shutter 1/125 Focal Length 850/10 

upload_dateMay, 2016

Views

6269

Likes

Awards

Action Award
Zenith Award
Top Shot Award 22
Creative Winter Award
Curator's Selection
Legendary Award
Lucky 3 Award
Contest Finalist in Apes Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Celebrating Earth Day Photo Contest 2019
Contest Finalist in An Unforgettable Adventure Photo Contest
Honorable Mention in Wildlife Photo Contest 2018
Contest Finalist in Our Natural Planet Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Covers Photo Contest Vol 38
Contest Finalist in Composing with Textures Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Celebrating Nature Photo Contest Vol 2
Amateur Winner The Animal Eye Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in The Animal Eye Photo Contest
Member Selection Award
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Peer Award
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Top Choice
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Superb Composition
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Absolute Masterpiece
aanniikkaa20 asiasurtee Amymarshman lianghongke AGonzales Wheela Shahid_S +49
Outstanding Creativity
millie_rey Cschank tawonga isobelgreening Ajaii maryferringtonvegas takeapictureofit +13
Magnificent Capture
mylilja Vitaliy_SN h2odean catherinesaville daiglepa0908 rayhunt3 UPbyVeronica +12
Superior Skill
AgnieszkaM FeatherstonePhotography Paulacook144 paulettemattingly Effess caitw WolfEyesPhotography +2
All Star
jamesjohnston_3471 EJGJRobyn jerzyrowinski Lisa2021 DerrickSteeves D_Soumen danalouwho +1
Genius
DaisyButtercup LondonMcCormick
Virtuoso
DWOZ

Emotions

Impressed
crisperez WAWArtfulPhotography sterretje ruicampos VHiggins Steve_Thomas
Sad
darleneschopmeyerhayes

Top Ranks

The Animal Planet Photo ContestTop 10 rank
The Animal Planet Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
A ViewBug Logo Photo ContestTop 30 rank
A ViewBug Logo Photo ContestTop 30 rank week 1
Picturing Other Species Photo ContestTop 10 rank
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Around The World Photo Contest Digital Camera WorldTop 10 rank
Looking At Faces Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Looking At Faces Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Celebrating Nature Photo Contest Vol 6Top 10 rank
Celebrating Nature Photo Contest Vol 6Top 10 rank week 1
Animals In The Wild Photo ContestTop 10 rank
artFix Exhibition ProjectTop 10 rank
artFix Exhibition ProjectTop 10 rank week 1
Animals In The Wild Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Favorite Travel Memory Photo ContestTop 20 rank
Favorite Travel Memory Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 2
Favorite Travel Memory Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 1
Change Of Seasons Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Change Of Seasons Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Apes Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 1
Celebrating Earth Day Photo Contest 2019Top 10 rank
Celebrating Earth Day Photo Contest 2019Top 10 rank week 1
The Magic Of Japan Photo ContestTop 20 rank
The Magic Of Japan Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 1
An Unforgettable Adventure Photo ContestTop 10 rank
The Swag ProjectTop 10 rank
The Swag ProjectTop 10 rank week 1
The Wonders of the World Photo ContestTop 10 rank
The Wonders of the World Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Unique Sceneries Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Unique Sceneries Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 2
Unique Sceneries Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Anything People Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Anything People Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Wildlife Photo Contest 2018Top 20 rank
Wildlife Photo Contest 2018Top 10 rank week 1
Everything Nature Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Everything Nature Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Explore Asia Photo ContestTop 30 rank
Explore Asia Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 1
The Talent AwardsTop 30 rank
Our Natural Planet Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Our Natural Planet Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
ViewBug Photography AwardsTop 10 rank
ViewBug Photography AwardsTop 10 rank week 1
Celebrating Nature Photo Contest Vol 3Top 10 rank
Celebrating Nature Photo Contest Vol 3Top 10 rank week 2
Celebrating Nature Photo Contest Vol 3Top 10 rank week 1
Monkeys And Apes Photo ContestTop 20 rank
Monkeys And Apes Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 2
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 3Top 10 rank
Monkeys And Apes Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 1
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 3Top 10 rank week 2
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 3Top 10 rank week 1
Wildlife Photo Contest 2017Top 10 rank
Wildlife Photo Contest 2017Top 10 rank week 1
Amazing Nature Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Amazing Nature Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
World Photography Day Photo ContestTop 10 rank
World Photography Day Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 2
World Photography Day Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Compositions 101 Photo Contest vol3Top 20 rank
Compositions 101 Photo Contest vol3Top 10 rank week 2
Compositions 101 Photo Contest vol3Top 10 rank week 1
Covers Photo Contest Vol 39Top 30 rank
Covers Photo Contest Vol 39Top 30 rank week 2
Covers Photo Contest Vol 39Top 20 rank week 1
Wildlife Portraits Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Wildlife Portraits Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Covers Photo Contest Vol 38Top 30 rank
Covers Photo Contest Vol 38Top 20 rank week 1
Earth Day 2017 Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Earth Day 2017 Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 2
Earth Day 2017 Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Social Exposure Photo Contest Vol 7Top 20 rank
Covers Photo Contest Vol 37Top 20 rank
Social Exposure Photo Contest Vol 7Top 20 rank week 1
Covers Photo Contest Vol 37Top 20 rank week 2
Covers Photo Contest Vol 37Top 30 rank week 1
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 2Top 10 rank
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 2Top 10 rank week 2
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 2Top 10 rank week 1
Isolating The Subject Photo ContestTop 10 rank
The Animal Kingdom Photo ContestTop 20 rank
We Love Animals Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Composing with Textures Photo ContestTop 20 rank
We Love Animals Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Composing with Textures Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 1
Around the World Photo Contest By DiscoveryTop 20 rank
Around the World Photo Contest By DiscoveryTop 20 rank week 1
Celebrating Nature Photo Contest Vol 2Top 20 rank
Celebrating Nature Photo Contest Vol 2Top 20 rank week 1
Image of the Year Photo Contest 2016Top 10 rank
Image of the Year Photo Contest 2016Top 10 rank week 1
The Animal Eye Photo ContestTop 10 rank
The Animal Eye Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 2
The Animal Eye Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Freshmen 2016 Photo Contest Vol 2Top 10 rank
Freshmen 2016 Photo Contest Vol 2Top 10 rank week 2
On The Wild Side Photo ContestTop 30 rank
Visual Poetry Photo ContestTop 20 rank
Visual Poetry Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 2
The Battle Of Amateurs Photo ContestTop 30 rank
The Battle Of Amateurs Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 2
Visual Poetry Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 1
The Battle Of Amateurs Photo ContestTop 30 rank week 1

Categories

2 Comments |
debhall Platinum
 
debhall December 24, 2016
Congrats on your win...beautiful expression.
michaelneinast
michaelneinast December 31, 2016
Thanks so much Deb!
darleneschopmeyerhayes
 
darleneschopmeyerhayes June 07, 2019
Oh my, this is so emotional and heart breaking and beautiful, it just touches my soul so deeply. Amazing capture and presentation ....just perfect! Thank you for sharing this, i just love it. Congratulations on your well deserved awards and acknowledgements.

Submitted to Photo Contests

Tags

#portrait #snow monkey #nature
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Behind The Lens

Location

I took this photo in Jigokudani Monkey Park in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.

Time

This was taken at around 11am as we travelled around four hours to get to the park from Tokyo.

Lighting

I really wanted to bring the details of his fur and facial features out while creating an aura that further lends to the deep expression he was giving me.

Equipment

For this shot, I was using my Nikon D7100 with my standard 16-85mm lens - no flash or tripod necessary.

Inspiration

This is one of the pictures that I come back to time and time again because it essentially captured why I travelled to the park in the first place. When we were setting up our itinerary, we debated a while on whether or not to travel so far north as it was considerably out of the way (we spent upwards of 7-8 hours on the trains and buses to spend about an hour and a half at the park). The park is renowned for its Japanese macaques that bathe in hot springs during the winter; our trip was in late April, so while we didn't see many hanging out in the hot springs, we did get to experience lots of newborns (I have a few other pictures). The park rangers don't let you get too close to the monkeys for their safety, despite it being a completely open park (no fences or anything anywhere), but this guy walked right up next to me and sat down, camera ready! I can stare at this picture forever - his deep, longing look speaks volumes to so many things - I absolutely love it.

Editing

This picture only required some basic editing that included clarity boost, some variable vibrancy boosts to certain colors, and tweaking of the curves graph. I added a bit of a focal blur to the face to further emphasize the focal point.

In my camera bag

I'm pretty simplistic when I travel - I have my Nikon D7100 and my 16-85mm lens. This setup typically fulfills all of my needs for travel and landscape photography. I do have my nifty 35mm which is great, but I find myself using it less and less despite the clarity it provides in many situations. I find having the standard zoom lens is easier to tweak landscapes with, especially if I don't have a lot of time to search for different perspectives. If I'm shooting in the mornings/evenings/nights, I'll carry my external flash and tripod with me - my tripod also comes with me in certain locations. For instance, if I know I'll be photographing water or something I'll want to work with a long exposure.

Feedback

One of the biggest advantages of the digital age in terms of being a photographer is the essentially limitless ability to take photographs on location. There is an absolute beauty to film photography, but being able to let loose and choose the right picture that fits what you have in mind certainly has its perks in my opinion. Patience is also a huge factor in most on-location photography. I rarely have anything in my mind about a spot before heading out other than it's overall beauty or attraction, so I have to emphasize the importance of waiting to find that perfect light or framing that will set those alarm bells off in your head alerting you to that picture you imagined before you even knew it was what you were looking for. This picture was taken in the last 20 minutes of being at the park, and while I have plenty from my hour and a half there, this is easily my favorite. Not to mention that he walked up and sat down a few feet away from me and began posing like this, I'd say sometimes it's just best to go with the flow and keep your eyes and mind open!

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