Top 10: 10. Colobus Monkey

by Darren

In all things, but particularly in my photography, I’m a hard taskmaster on myself.

It’s often said that the key difference between an amateur and a professional is the size of the waste bin. It’s essential for those who wish to sell work that they only select and submit the very best images.

Perfection is rarely attainable. It’s not often that any of us can say “I couldn’t have done that better”. And yet sometimes I look at the back of the camera and the hair on the back of my neck stands up. I can’t wait to get the image onto a computer screen so that I can check if it really is true.

I’m talking about the times that I take an image that I’m truly happy with. I took one of these yesterday.

It was of Thomas, our cat.

I go to great lengths to avoid emotional decisions when selecting ‘keepers’. I deliberately allow some time between making pictures and selecting/editing to allow the thrill of the moment to pass, after all those seeing my images or even buying them won’t have that memory to call on.

This image of Thomas is different. It feels special. I feel like it’s No. 1 in my top 10. Is it my emotional attachment?

I want your opinion. Should it be No. 1, or even have a place in the top 10? But first I need to show you the other 9. In the meantime, I’d be delighted to see your top 10 if you should wish to post a link in the comments, or indeed receive your comments on the images I’m posting.

So, No. 10. I took this while Photography was still a hobby, on my first trip to Kenya. It’s an Angolan black and white colobus monkey, taken in a little town just south of Mombassa.

They are the gentle giants of the local area, unlike the smaller sykes and vervet monkeys who are the local trouble makers! Last time I visited I awoke at sunrise one morning and went onto my balcony to see two colobus’ grooming on the tree right next to me, exhibiting the most tender and loving respect for each other that you could ever imagine. Indeed it was so intimate a moment that I took few images, preferring instead to just spend time in their company.

Locally they’re threatened by cars on a busy road and by power lines which run through the trees. Road traffic accidents and electrocutions are common and it doesn’t help that forests are constantly being squeezed for development.

As with all of my top 10, I can recall the exact moment I squeezed the shutter release. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy. But also a little sad ….