Two young mountain gorillas play fighting in the thick foliage of Mgahinga National Park in Uganda. These siblings are still too young to be able to determine sex. They were part of a small nine-member troop. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 175mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/1000th of a second.

The black and white colobus monkey is another of the many species graced with multiple names. You can also call this guy the Abyssinian black and white colobus, the eastern black and white colobus, the guereza, or the mantled guereza. He (or she, not sure) was photographed along the side of the road on my first trip to Uganda when we were driving to one of the national parks in the southwest corner of the country. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mmm lens (at 400mm) ISO 500, f/6.3 at 1/250th of a second.

A highlight of my recent trip to Uganda was visiting the golden monkeys high up in the bamboo forest of Mgahinga National Park. Nikon 850 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 350mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/200th of a second.

Gorilla trekking is quite a formal process in Uganda. You usually have to purchase your permit months in advance. The day of the trek, you spend the better part of a morning being briefed by park officials and guides. The trek may take half a day or more but once you find the gorillas you only have one hour to view and photograph them. It’s well worth the effort, however, to encounter these beasts in their natural habitat. That said, on very rare occasions, you might get lucky to encounter a gorilla without all the formality. Thus was the case with this guy. I was actually on my way to view golden monkeys when we spotted this young gorilla hanging out in a tree along the path. I was able to get a few quick shots before our party moved on to the intended subjects. I waited just long enough for that shaft of light to fall directly on the gorillas face. Photographed in Mgahinga National Park. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/1600th of a second.

Still going through all my shots from the Africa trip back in January and came across this one of a golden monkey that I missed on the first pass through the files. I always like when I can use a shaft of light to illuminate just the face — or in this case, the front of the body. Photographed in the bamboo forests of Mgahinga National Park in Uganda. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 240mm) ISO 3200, f/4 at 1/500th of a second.

I liked the look on this young gorilla’s face. There were two two year olds in the troop that we saw on the recent trip to Uganda. The sex of both is still to be determined. This was the last shot that I captured before our time with the gorillas was up and we had to begin our hike back down the mountain. Mountain gorillas are highly regulated due to their critically endangered status and government regulations only allow one hour per visit. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 150mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/1000th of a second.

Back to Uganda for a golden monkey. These endangered monkeys were very fun, but at time challenging, to photograph as they were continually on the move and popping in and out of the bamboo forest. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 3200, f/4 at 1/250th of a second.

I’m going to stick with the silverback-double-shot theme for one more day. Here’s another of the three big boys from the troop getting his mid-day nap. He also looks like he could use some dental work. The teeth weren’t a sign of aggression, but simply a bit of a yawn. Top Shot: Nikon D850 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 82mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/1000th of a second. Bottom Shot: Nikon D850 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 110mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/800th of a second.

This big guy was trying his best to get comfortable for an afternoon nap, but apparently having a difficult time of it. He was one of three silverbacks in this small troop of nine mountain gorillas, which is very unusual but because the three are all related, they won’t push the others out of the group. Top photo: Nikon D850 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 98mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/320th of a second. Bottom photo: Nikon D850 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 102mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/250th of a second.

Here’s another from the recent gorilla trek in Mgahinga National Park in Uganda. This young mountain gorilla seemed to be having a good old time climbing trees while the three silverbacks were resting down on the ground below. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 170mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/400th of a second.