This black-crested macaque seemed to be posing for me as I snapped away. I’ve posted many shots of these monkeys before and as you can see, they can be very human looking at times. Photographed in Tangkoko National Park in Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 75mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/320th of a second

Also known as the crab-eating macaque, these monkeys have a long history of living alongside humans. In the past, they’ve been seen as both pests, and as sacred. They are now best known for their role in medical research. I met this young macaque just outside my bungalow while staying in Tanjung Puting National Park in Borneo, Indonesia. My next post will be next Wednesday as I’ll be taking a long weekend to go visit family.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/250th of a second

I met this mother orangutan and her baby on my trip to Borneo back in 2009. Within Tanjung Puting National Park, there are several former research centers so even though the orangutans are wild, they are used to human presence and quite habituated. Frame filling shots like this were relatively easy.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/7.1 at 1/80th of a second

I met this Asian palm civet late one night while wandering around outside of a small village in Sumatra. I have no good reason as to why I was wandering around in the dark outside of a small village in Sumatra, other than the fact that I was hoping to meet creatures like this Asian palm civet. Civets are sort of the raccoons of Sumatra (and many other regions of southeast Asia) although they aren’t related at all. Spotlighting alone is always a challenge, as I have to shine the light from my headlamp on the subject in order to gain focus, while working with flashes to light the subject. Luckily, this guy stayed around just long enough for me to get a few shots.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 340mm) ISO 500, f/10 at 1/60th of a second, two SB-900 flash units

This agile gibbon was just hanging out and watching me photograph bearded pigs and orangutans — both of which, I obviously took a break from to get this shot. As the name would suggest, these are very agile apes with long slender arms, perfect for moving through the thick forest.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 340mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/125th of a second

These long tailed macaques (also known as crab eating macaques) were fairly common around the hut I was staying at in Borneo. The light was low, so I decided to experiment with a few slow shutter flash exposures. This one was shot at just 1/8th of a second. The flash froze the eyes but little else.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 240mm) ISO 800, f/6.3 at 1/8th of a second, two Nikon SB-900 flash units

I have no idea what species of frog these two are. What I do know, is that that’s not a baby catching a ride on its mother’s back. I came across the amorous duo on a night hike in Tangkahan, on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 200, f/8 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-800 flash units

It’s been about a year and a half since I posted a black-crested macaque. In that time, their numbers continue to decline in their last remaining stronghold on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi and a few nearby islands. Even though they are listed as critically endangered, they are hunted by local residents for their meat, which is considered a delicacy. They are also hunted as pests because they destroy crops planted by local farmers — the same farmers who destroy what remains of their habitat by clearing the forest via slash and burn. Several international conservation groups are doing their best to save the remaining black-crested macaque populations. One of the problems is that they are so trusting of humans, as you can see from this young macaque, leaning in to get a better look at my wide angle lens.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 24mm) ISO 200, f/3.5 at 1/125th of a second, Nikon SB-800 flash

I certainly wasn’t going to get through Halloween week without posting a few bats. Not sure of the exact species here (there are so many of them) but these six boys (clearly they are boys) were roosting in a cave in Sumatra, Indonesia.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 500, f/10 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-900 flash units

I believe this to be a lizard in the Gonocephalus genus, commonly known as an angelhead lizard. This is another one from Sumatra in Indonesia and it was photographed just outside the front door of my bungalow.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 1600, f/2.8 at 1/60th of a second