Photography on the News

No, not in the news, on the news...the evening news, that would be. The evening television news is apparently (whether out of laziness or an attempt to be hip, I can't tell) leaning ever more heavily of late on the sort of internet flotsam that makes the web such a timesink. I happened to switch from "ABC World News Tonight" to "NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams" last night, and ABC was running a teaser for an upcoming segment with the seagull security camera thief that I linked to* a couple of days ago. (I can't find a robust link for the segment, but it covers additional incidents as well, including the one below. You'll have to search for it on their website if you want to see it.)

Crested Black Macaque, Self-portrait (camera provided by David Slater)

NBC, meanwhile, did its own little "fun" feature on this viral meme proving that even a monkey can be a photographer (which at least a dozen people have sent to me, so no hat tip). (There's a little more detail and some additional still here.) Poor crested black macaque might be getting its 15 minutes of fame just prior to its own extinction, but as far as I'm concerned this is absolutely one of the best self-portraits ever in the history of photography.

Mike

UPDATE: Chris Cheesman at Amateur Photographer talked to David Slater, who says that some of the news reports about the crested black macaque pictures have been exaggerated. (Note however that even Amateur Photographer couldn't resist a bad pun in its title.) Thanks to Rex Kersley for passing this along.

*Whether out of laziness or an attempt to be hip, I can't say

Send this post to a friend

Please help support TOP by patronizing our sponsors B&H Photo and Amazon

Note: Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. More...
Original contents copyright 2011 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved.

Featured Comment by Tom Swoboda: "I keep telling people that one doesn't have to be very intelligent to be a photographer."

Featured Comment by ed g.: "So, does the monkey own the copyright? Will he hire Maisel's lawyer?"

Mike replies: It's a complicated case, but probably qualifies as a co-authored work. The monkey doesn't look like the litigious sort to me. :-)

Featured Comment by Bill Rogers: "Hey! That's my uncle!"

Featured Comment by Mani Sitaraman: "Why all the disrespect? The photographer, C.B. MacAque, clearly has more talent than many photographers. We may be having more fun with this than a barrel of humans has any right to...."

Comments

[Hans]

I wander if it "chimped" the shot after taking it. Yes, I know, you've probably received a hundred posts by now saying the same thing!!

[Tony Collins]

And I loved the honesty of the photographer who owned up to cropping and adjusting tilt.

I suggest a competition for the best human lookalike to the above.

[Luc N.]

As long as trained monkeys are more expensive than photographers...

[Sean]

I made contact with that monkey to ask for some advice on self portraits. He said you shouldn't think too much as it leads to nit picking.

I'll get my coat

[Jay Frew]

Good composition, good exposure and a nice "photo illustration" vibe - In my expert(*) opinion, the photographer must have used face-detection mode.

;~)

(*)where X denotes the unknown and SPURT is a drip under pressure.

Cheers! Jay

[Abdul Rahman]

Monkey see monkey do...

[mike plews]

Magic

[Jeff]

@ Bill Rogers...wouldn't that be your nephew?

[Jon Levi]

Jokes aside. One MUST wonder about the SENTIENCE this monkey must have baring her/his smile and eye contact in order to burn a hole right into our souls. I cannot stop staring at it.

[Scotto]

I have to know what gear he uses.*

*(insert satire disclaimer here)

[Ronald K. Johnson]

Mike replies: It's a complicated case, but probably qualifies as a co-authored work. The monkey doesn't look like the litigious sort to me. :-)

Dunno, he looks just like my Lawyer after he sent me the bill for a new will and estate advice .

ron

[Jessica Sweeney]

Wow, that macaque is increedibly symmetrical . . . anyone else notice that? He's got most mere humans beat!

[John Brewton]

The absolute best thing I've seen on National news lately. Those monkeys are beyond cool.

[Rod S.]

Mike, here's the proof - a self portrait with camera, in a mirror - that a monkey (OK, a gorilla, then) can indeed be a photographer:

http://covermonkey.blogspot.com/2011/05/national-geographic-gorilla-with-camera.html

And a manual focus film camera, at that.

Did no one else remember this cover?

[Arg]

Are there two planes of focus in this photo? The teeth, in focus, seem to be just behind the lips and forward of the nostrils, both of which are out of focus.

[Nico Burns]

@Tom Sowboda, I agree that photographers don't have to be intelligent, but who says that the monkey isn't?

[Mark Probst]

I'm very skeptical about the self-portrait. The focus is clearly on the eyes and the nose, which is in the center of the frame, is already out of focus. Did the monkey focus on his eyes and then recompose?

Sure, the focus could have been set exactly like that by coincidence. Or the active focus point wasn't the center one but one that was on the eyes, also by coincidence. Or...

[Andrew]

I don't like that the photo that you've used and that many other sites have used is an obviously cropped and rotated version of the original which is shown at the Daily Mail link you provided. Firstly, I prefer the diagonal composition of the original, but more importantly, I think the straightened photo slightly mischaracterizes the macaque's photo skills (unless he knows Photoshop too).

[bongo]

I thought that photo looked familiar - I ran across this doing some research - note even the green background??

http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/oo219/CrazyLoveh8/APE-Hode_ww258_zm1.jpg

bongo
bongolia.com

[Mike Johnston]

"I agree that photographers don't have to be intelligent, but who says that the monkey isn't?"

Well, he apparently aspires to a career in photography, for one thing. [g]

Mike

[Mike Johnston]

Mark,
...Or his nose could have been moving, i.e., he was sniffing the strange device he was holding.

Mike

[Mike Johnston]

Andrew,
I agree that the tilted version is a better picture.

Mike

[Ed]

Shoot, Rod S., I was just gonna say that with a film camera the macaque wouldn't have succeeded, and then a gorilla with a manual driven Olympus. Okay ape versus monkey 1:1 i'de say.

Greetings, Ed

P.S. that little seagull is getting hired as an arial cameraman (or woman) it only needs a union card.

[gnd]

Two of those images are now on Alamy(http://tinyurl.com/678uf4b). This proves even monkeys can take photos that can get through Alamy quality control (what some people still struggle with ...).

[ben ng]

and in the previous post, Mike, the human, waxes lyrical about taking pictures of his feet vs keyboard....
thank you for making my day!

[Robert Spoecker]

The MU-43 site is currently holding a 'portrait' contest.

I sure wish I could enter the Crested Black Macaque in this contest as it would be a sure winner.

[Crabby Umbo]

...I think I bid against him on a recent job, and he got it!

[Kelvin]

A monkey hitting a shutter release at random on a camera for an infinite amount of time will almost surely take a given photo portfolio, such as the complete works of Steve McCurry.

[Bob Rosinsky]

I agree with your assessment Mike. The the picture that you said is one of the greatest self-portraits in the history of photography is right on the mark.

[David Bennett]

I am waiting for:

David Slater, Self-portrait (camera provided by Crested Black Macaque)

[Hudson]

As I recall that Koko the gorilla did take pictures with a Polaroid camera.

-Hudson

[Isaac Crawford]

I'm pretty sure that apes baring their teeth is a sign of aggression, not a smile. Puts a different spin on things.

[Tim Medley]

I'm going to go out and get a 5D!

Oh... wait...

[Caroline kelly]

Is it possible to bjy e diagonal aspect photo as a print?