Maroon Langur

Gallery: WildlifePosted April 6, 201195 views9 comments

Canon EOS 7D, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM + 2x TC @ 380mm, Aperture Priority, f/5.6 (1/500 sec), ISO 2000, JPG from RAW, Cropped About 20% from Full Frame

Been concentrating my time recently on working with our new Canon printer, hence the reason I haven't posted up any photos these past few days.

To mix things up a little I thought I'd give you a little break from shots taken at my local zoo and bring you out into the wild for the next few days. I have three images lined up of three different species of primate I encountered last November while in Sabah, Borneo.

This first one you see here is a Maroon Langur AKA Red-Leaf Monkey.

Not sure of the origins of the word “Langur”, but as I understand it this is a general name used to refer to many species of Asian monkeys that belong to the subfamily of Colobinae and Leaf Monkeys in particular, of which there are thought to be around 24 different species spread throughput the continent.

Most Langurs live in tight knit social groups and spend most, if not all, of their lives in trees seldom, if ever, coming down to the ground. Unlike Orang-utans that actually build nests in the treetops to sleep in, Langurs (or at least the ones I saw) seem to have an amazing ability of sleeping upright while sitting perched on a branch, usually though with at least one hand holding onto another branch for extra support, which I guess gives them some assurance they won't be falling out of bed ;^p

Anyhow, I'll leave you with this one for now and hope you enjoy it. Thoughts, suggestions and recommendations always appreciated :^)

Comments

9 comments

Comment posted by Max Waugh on April 6, 2011 at 11:04 PM

Overall some very pleasing colors and nice detail. It's a great look at a species I haven't seen before. I like the composition as well, though if there were a tick more breathing room at the top, I might like it even better.

Max

Registered on September 26, 2008, 428 Posts, 2329 Comments

Comment posted by Ajit Huilgol on April 7, 2011 at 12:59 AM

I had never heard of a maroon langur, but thanks for the aka - I have heard of the red leaf monkey! Lovely image and the eyes are particularly 'eye-catching'

. Fur detail is great, too. However, I'd agree about a little more space on top.

Registered on December 19, 2008, 302 Posts, 2055 Comments

Comment posted by Ashley Vincent on April 7, 2011 at 5:29 AM

Many thanks for viewing and leaving comments Max and Ajit :^)

One of the most challenging things with photographing the different species of Langurs and Leaf Monkeys I've come across both in the wild and in captivity, is that they have some of the longest tails, and while the temptation is always there to get in as much of the tail as possible, there's always the nagging thought than unless one's going to make very large sized prints, much of the detail in their wonderful expressions is going to be lost.

I agree though this one's head is set a little too close to the top of the frame, and it's something I'll keep in mind next month when I'm back in Borneo again in the hope of similar encounters ;^)

Registered on March 1, 2011, 154 Posts, 2083 Comments

Comment posted by John Tobias on April 7, 2011 at 10:32 AM

Very nice Ashley. I like the color and detail you caught in the langur. The position of the head in the image is OK, but could be just a tad lower. Thanks for sharing.

Registered on September 12, 2009, 2120 Posts, 6455 Comments

Comment posted by Darren Colello on April 7, 2011 at 12:42 PM

Langurs are very interesting and amazing primates and you have highlighted them well with this image. I really like the colours, detail and pose. Your composition is very well done!

Great work.

Registered on July 27, 2009, 175 Posts, 1100 Comments

Comment posted by Vincent Grafhorst on April 7, 2011 at 1:36 PM

What to do with those horrible long things called tails when they are stretched out is always the one-million-dollar question with primates, cats and other long-tailed creatures we are after

. The fact that the tail is cut-off here does not bother me too much, but I agree that if the monkey were placed a bit lower inthe frame it would be less of an issue. I like the catchlights and how well you controlled the BG.

Registered on February 24, 2006, 504 Posts, 7203 Comments

Comment posted by Ashley Vincent on April 7, 2011 at 8:33 PM

Many thanks for taking the time and leave comments John, Darren, and Vincent :^)

Although the subject's head positioned as high as it is in the frame wasn't really an issue for me before, having read and agreed with the collective opinion on this it's enough of an issue for me now to make sure I'll correct it before making a print, thanks for opening my eyes guys ;^)

Vincent: If you think tails are a challenge, try and imagine what it's like getting a decent shot of a Gibbon. While Gibbons are apes and, as such, have no tails, I believe they do have the longest limbs of all primates, and trying to decide between moving closer with a prime lens in the hope of capturing the best detail of their expressions or standing far enough back in case they stretch out one limb or more to ensure I don't cut off a hand or a foot can be torturous ;^p

Registered on March 1, 2011, 154 Posts, 2083 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Canuel on April 8, 2011 at 4:22 PM

Nice composition and colors. A beautiful monkey and I especially like the look on it's face.

Registered on September 12, 2010, 53 Posts, 660 Comments

Comment posted by Ashley Vincent on April 8, 2011 at 8:49 PM

Thank you Steve :^)

Registered on March 1, 2011, 154 Posts, 2083 Comments