Vervet Youngsters

[Morkel Erasmus]

We spent almost 30 minutes with this troop of vervet monkeys in the Savute area of Chobe National Park. These 2 youngsters were very playful but also very shy, keeping behind the bushes and branches for most of their frolicking.

I was happy to get a few images when they were being affectionate and appeared quite interested in the camera's shutter sounding.

This works well as a vertical crop but I quite like this as presented (full frame), showing the OOF bark of the fallen camelthorn acacia on which they were playing.

Techs:
Canon 7D with 300mm f2.8 L IS USM + 1.4x TC-II (420mm)
f5.6 @ 1/800 SS @ ISO-800
Flash fired from 580EX as they were in the shade.

[peter delaney]

Hi Morkel

welcome back , sounds like you had a great trip... lovely image ..I just find the OOf tree growing out of vervets head... distracting..

[Pieter de Waal]

Excellent detail on the youngsters Morkel,nice image with the habitat, but I might prefer the vertical crop.

[Hilary Hann]

Morkel, love the vervets, great detail and expression. Personally don't think the oof camelthorn adds to the image as the detail is just too ephemeral for my tastes, neither showing bark detail clearly nor giving an overall oof background. If it had covered the whole of the background I would have loved it. Would agree that the branch growing out of the vervet's head is somewhat distracting.
BUT there is so much lovely detail in the monkeys which I would love to see our eyes directed to more. For instance, the fingers draping down below the bottom branch and the way the hand is positioned over the shoulder. Beautiful.

[Harshad Barve]

Hi Morkel

welcome back , sounds like you had a great trip... lovely image ..I just find the OOf tree growing out of vervets head... distracting..

Plus one here Bhai
TFS

[Grant Atkinson]

I am with Hilary on this one Morkel, I do like the two vervets, the eye contact, the subtle interaction between them....but just a tiny bit too much going on in front of them with that OOF vegetation for me.

[Ken Watkins]

Another vote for a vertical crop

[Robert Amoruso]

Morkel, I feel the vertical crop will be your stronger image here. I too would agree the diagonal limb in the BG is distracting interesting one of the heads. Flash work looks great and brought out of the details in the subject and FG.

[Morkel Erasmus]

thanks for the valuable feedback, folks...

as requested - here is the vertical crop...
:c3:

[Dumay de Boulle]

I really like this image bud and the repost is even better...lovely stuff!

[Rachel Hollander]

Morkel - I much prefer the vertical comp. Cute pose and as said above excellent detail.

TFS,
Rachel