Three's A Crowd

Best shot of my life :o) Thanks for your comment :o)

Hi Mindarella, Thx sooooo much :o)
I just couldnt believe my luck when these 3 guys headed for the swing. I had one shot with two of them on the swing and the other one close by and then a 4th one made a noise in the trees above and number 3 grabbed the rope and all 3 looked up and click :o)

Hi Sheila, My best ever photo of all time – well this and a shot of a group called Simple Minds in the 90’s. I couldnt believe my luck when all 3 headed for the swing. Then two of them sat on it I got the shot but when the 3rd one with his two hands held the swing I focused on the 3rd ones eyes and just hoped I got his feet in bottom of shot as it was all over in a fraction of a second as they all sped off again.
Cheers for the Featured :o)

Hi there, Thank you for your nice comment on my favourite pic.
This was taken in Takaskiyama Monkey Park in Beppu, Kyushu, Southern Japan. It is an open zoo with no cages or fences. The reason the monkeys stay around is cos they get fed their favourite food twice a day which is bananas for one meal and sweet potatoes for the other.

Yep, they know they are on a good deal – certainly. You wanna see them at feeding time :o) Especially the sweet potatoes, they start stealing off each other – except for the leader who has 3 and everyone else has two but no-one steals from the leader :o)

Thank you Arletta, it was a shot of a lifetime. Non-moving objects are easy – but these little fellas were only here for a fraction of a second and I got the shot :o)

Cheers Arek, I couldnt believe that the focusing and the framing and the exposure had all come together for me on this shot. The right time and right place helped ;o) I nearly lost the shot due to a guide trying to talk to me but I keep on the task in hand and magic happened :o) So pleased you love the shot :o)

Hi Angel, Best and luckiest shot of my life – no doubt. There were the 3 average shots which led up to this one where they were fighting a bit for the swing and then the one on the right separated and took this stance and then the monkey above them made a noise and this was a the classic pose result :o)

Hi Deborah, Thanks for such a wonderous comment. I couldnt believe my luck. A real moment in time – one I will never forget. I just won Best Shot in Beginners Group – which I am very proud of. Out of 105 pics – this shot was given most votes.

Cheers John, its the best shot I have ever taken and has created a lot of interest wherever I post it. I couldnt believe my luck as I stood in front of these three monkeys and then when they all looked up at the same time – its was the photo op of a lifetime. Cheers again :) Paul.

Hi Deborah, Thank you. It is certainly my shot of a lifetime. All of the monkey shots I have posted on here are all my favourite shots of my travels. If I could just win the lottery then I would live in Japan :o))))) and buy a Nikon D3x and take photos every day :o))) Then I woke up LOL

Hi RiSH, LOL See what you mean :D it was the shot of a lifetime. The fraction of a second shot came and went and in the meantime I pressed the shutter. I will just put them back in my rucksack now :D

Hi Josie, Thank you.I certainly take this to be the best shot I have ever taken and will ever take of these monkeys. Right time, right place and a bit of luck :o)

Hi Nickolay, You certainly put a smile on my face with your comment.
I like one of the comments that says ‘Do I take these three guys with me wherever I go ? :o) Thank you for taking the time. I liked it so much I put it on a tee shirt and we will see how that goes :o)

Hi Colleen, They are :o) I can safely say its my best animal photo ever and forever.
No-one is gonna replicate this shot. Not even me. As one compliment said : Do I take these three everywhere I go ? :o))))))

Oh, bless ‘em – my fave three little ‘funny kritters’ in all the world :o)
Thank you so much for the Feature. As always – the little guys take some of the credit. A little luck with my timing (right time, right place)
and making sure them and their feet were all in frame.
I believe its the best photo I have ever taken and will ever take.

Oh so very true !! When a person is striving for something – any possible goal – 1/2 of them says they will never achieve and and the other half says ‘they might. When they have – they have a new
target – mine was to capture a bee in flight – I achieved that yesterday. :o)

HI there,
Thank you. This shot was one in a million chance. Right place right time.
Yep they are certainly cute at this size – but a bit like lion cubs – they are cute this size – but at adults size – they are aggressive and not to be messed with.

Thank you very much indeed.
The answer is: ‘the cutest you’re ever gonna see’ :o) Three little guys ‘fighting for the swring’ :o) Two got on and one had to be the one to steady them on the right :o) I nearly lost the shot with the guide speaking to me as I pressed the shutter. All I could think was ‘Dont lose the bottom of the frame with his feet and pressed the shutter :o)

Cheers Lillian, I dont think the shot could be replicated. Not if I went back for weeks and weeks. I hope to go back this year and I will present a copy to the staff there for all their hard work :o)

Hi Sheila, You’re a star :o) Thank you very much. It was a trip of a lifetime in Japan and to see these guys in the wild with no glass and no cages was magical :o) P.S. Love the ‘heart’ at the end of your message :o)

Thank you Em. I really appreciate all comments on my photos from the first to the last. This photo has been in so many groups and gained a lot of comments through being Featured. This photo shows their true size – about 50cm in height Super small and super cute.I hope to bring this photo back to the sanctuary to show the staff some time very soon.

Hi Teresa, This is the best photo I have ever taken – I can safely say that. 7,000 photos taken last year and if I could only keep ONE then it would be this one. Thank you ever so much for the SPOTLIGHT -
I am truly honoured – considering the company I am in.

Hi Lurch, Its the best photo I have ever taken and prob will ever take,
luck + timing = lucky photographer :o) I will claim the framing though – which I did just about have time to make sure either side of the swing was in shot, the bottom of the standing ones feet and focusing on the eyes of the one standing up for the focus.

Hi VanillaDolphin, Thank you very much for dropping in a nice comment to me :o)

Cheers Bill, Best shot of my life, focusing, framing, composition, exposure and the little guys all in a line – I just couldnt believe my luck with this one. A bit like my OPEN WIDE photo – sometimes luck just puts the icing on the cake to a shot.
My happiest photos I have ever taken is between Sunglasses Girl
and Having a Laugh 2 and She is Number One. Each of these captures the fun and laughter and enjoyment of my time in Japan.

Thank you so much Aquarelle. The more I look at this shot – the more I cant believe I captured it :o) It seems to ME like it was photoshopped or edited in some way – BUT ITS REAL. I was very lucky indeed and was photographing them running about and then this happened :o)

Hi Gabbielizzie :o)
Thank you very much. A case of right time, right place and trying to focus and compose the shot as fast as I could – so as not to lose the shot. Kind regards, P

Cheers Chris, I was just in total amazement that the focus was spot on and that I had not cut the feet offf of the monkey that is standing up. I focused on his eyes and took the shot. I can safely say its my best photo ever.

Cheers ClaireBear, They were so super small and just a little group of friends that were playing. I have never been so close to monkeys in the wild before. No cages, no glass, just free to go where they want – it was fab :o)

You ‘got me’ Lorena -
I was reading the ‘the only thing I dont like’ part
of your comment and was wondering what it would be – and BANG –
you got me :o))))) LOL
One of the best comments I have read in ages :o) Cheers !!!

My three little friends deserve all the praise for being great little ‘models’. I was following them with the camera and suddenly for less than 10 seconds they stayed like this. To get focus lock and compose to make sure they were all in frame at sides and at bottom was thankfully quick thinking at the time. Certainly am proud of this shot and many others from my monkey photos. Regards, P

Thank you very much indeed Tanya. A shot of a lifetime – I dont think it will be bettered by me :o)

Ah, I see you’ve found my best shot ever, Tania :D
These guys were super small on a super small swing. About 1 ft tall.
To get the focus and to get them all in frame in a fraction of a
second before they all ran away again was sooooo lucky.

Hi Sharon, Best shot of my life !!! No photographer on earth will ever repeat this shot. People can photograph flowers and buildings all day long and get the same shot – but this shot is UNIQUE and INIMITABLE. I focused on the one on the right’s eyes, then made sure his feet were in shot, then made sure of the one on the left and pressed the button. HAPPY DAYS and thank you for your comment – it really made me SMILE !!! They were only about 40cm tall – very small indeed :o)

Re-reading it – I didnt mean to sound like ‘worlds best photographer’ :o( I am proud of the few best ones that are right time, right place and a bit of luck added into everything.
This place in Southern Japan is so amazing and such a wonderful chance to be one metre away from these little guys – no fences, no glass, free to roam about – they are fed twice a day and so far away from confined areas of cages of any sort. A real inspiring sanctuary for these guys – 700 of them.

A big thank you to you Sharon and my three little friends in my photo. Japan is a place everyone should visit if they get the chance.
To photograph culture, animals, nature, architecture – 7,000 photos in three months :o) As they say in Japan Arigato Gozaimasu – which is their kindest level of thank you – literally – ‘thank you for that kind thing that you do’.

As is your comment Colleen.Thank you very much.
Right time, right place. The moment of this photo was but a fraction of a second with a £300 camera. I still wanna go back and show this photo to the people who run this sanctuary which is open air – no cages, no fences, no nuffin !!

Hi Lois, They were so completely darling and soooooooo small.
To be this close to these little guys and not disturb their little game was a priceless photographic moment. I love the seriousness of their little faces :o) and his tight grip of the one steadying the swing.
The swing is about the width of a laptop to give you an idea :o)

WINNER!! I love those letters and how you have put them together
to make such a nice sounding word. WINNER. Yay !!!
They are the prize winners – these little guys – I wonder what they look like now – 18 months later :o) Cheers my dear !!!

Hi Sonia, I just couldnt believe when I looked on the back of my camera to see that this shot had all of them in focus and the feet of the one standing up in frame. I shouted out YES !!! in the middle of the sanctuary. Everyone looked at me – I didnt care. They had heard a friend of theirs jumping around in a tree above them and they all looked up at the same time – which gave me time to get the shot. Prob wouldna got it without his help :o)

Thank you Stelo, Must appreciated. Officially my best and luckiest photo ever with my shot called Open Wide in second place.
Kind regards and have a good weekend.

Hi Teresa, thank you very much.
I couldnt believe my luck – one minute, these guys were runing around chasing each other and the next minute all three wanted to go on the swing – priceless !!

Hi Sheila, Thank you very much indeed.
Its my best photo I have ever taken – such good fortune, such timing to be in the right place at the right time and to have got them all in frame and focused was SUBLIME.I hope to go back to the place where I took this and present the monkey sanctuary with a nice copy of it. I hope they will smile as much as I did when I saw the result on my camera.

Hi Teresa, Thank you very much indeed, cheers for your message!!!

Hello Steppeland, Thank you very much, I was so glad I was there to capture this moment :D

Hi Stewart, Cheers kind sir, the best shot of my life. Kind regards.