The Lookouts

Canon EOS 7D, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM MK II + 1.4x Extender @ 102mm, Aperture Priority @ f/8 (1/800 sec), -1/3 EV, ISO 400, Handheld, JPEG from RAW, Full Frame

Before I add some text related to this photo, I just like to express my thanks and appreciation to all of you who commented on my previous picture posts as well as Vincent, Brad, Jim and Donna for selecting my “flying” Sifaka for the last WP. I'd also ask you to please understand that I'm not currently able to add comments in kind on the most recent photos that each of you have posted up (as is my usual practice), as a few days ago both my iMac desktop as well as my main external hard-drive died, and I lost ALL data, files, and photos I had stored on them ;^.

Fortunately I have a few smaller storage devices that I had the foresight to fill up with as many of my most important photos I've taken over the past year, so all is not lost, however, now that I've had a new had-drive installed in my iMac I'm in the process of transferring all the photos and files I still have and cataloging and key-wording again everything in Lightroom, which is a real pain to say the least.

Anyhow, without further ado, here's some background on the image above:

While the species of Lemur I first fell in love with was the Ring-Tailed and the main reason for me wanting to visit Madagascar at the beginning of September (2011), I also knew I would have encounters with Verreaux's Sifaka, another member of the Lemur family and one that I guessed would also win a large piece of my heart, going by the delightful photos and documentaries I'd seen them in before, and sure enough they did!

Verreaux's Sifaka (AKA White Sifaka) can be found living in both rainforest as well as drier areas of so-called spiny tree forest in Western Madagascar, which is where I came across these you see here.

They live in social groups of usually no more than 12 and, in my experience, never seem to squabble, unlike many other forms of primates I've seen living together as families.

The picture you see here is one of a number I captured shortly after sunrise … actually these are members of the same troop I've recently posted images of "flying" between branches. I was going to show you this one first but was in two minds as to whether to post it up at all. Much as I really love this picture myself, I have the benefit of being able to see it both on a large monitor as well as the A3 size print I've made of it, however, on a small monitor the main features that makes this image come alive by way of giving such wonderful expressions to the Sifakas might not be discernible enough for some of you, though hopefully the larger version brings up enough detail to make most of you smile!

These Sifaka (actually pronounced “Sheh-faka, in case you were wondering!) had just woken up together with other members of their troop located in the tree next to this. Quiet as we tried to be with our approach so as not to disturb them, the carpet of dead, dry twigs beneath our feet soon enough gave our presence away, and suddenly there were eyes shooting in all directions!

Although I still adore Ring-Tailed Lemurs, my heart is certainly big enough to encompass Verreaux's Sifaka as well ;^)

Critique and comments always welcome.