I am a...
Professional/Serious Amateur

Photograph Description
I photographed this Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata), or as they are commonly referred to snow monkey, in the alpine area near the Japanese city of Nagano in the winter. Snow monkeys are covered in a thick fur, which protects them from the frigid temperatures that they have to withstand in their mountain habitat, which are only somewhat tempered by thermal springs in which the monkeys love to bathe and warm up. The snow monkeys’ most distinctive feature is the color of the skin on their faces, which is generally bright pink-red due to a system of blood vessels that runs under their skin. The overcast day provided naturally soft, diffuse illumination of the monkey and their expressive face.

Photograph Place
JAPAN, Jigokudani Yaen-koen, Nagano

Photograph Date
02/26/2011