Great Escape Publishing

Posted December 14th, 2011 by Bonnie Caton & filed under Travel Photography.

Veiled in jungle vines and moss, scattered with mysterious temples and pools, humming with insects and, some say, powerful energy… The Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud, Bali is a travel photographer’s dream. It’s filled with photo opps. And it’s absolutely covered in monkeys. They greet you out front, lounging on the sidewalk, scratching their heads and inspecting their tails. Inside the forest, mother monkeys cradle their young, who climb and play. Big daddy monkeys drape themselves across temple walls, up in the trees, and right across the path. They don’t mind if you step in close for a portrait… and they never ask for a modeling fee (though they do love bananas). See a few of them here: Bonnie, here, writing to you from our photo expedition in Ubud, Bali. I’m here with seven of your fellow readers soaking up the atmosphere, taking loads of photos, and learning how to sell them for cash when we get home. Our instructor, professional photographer Rich Wagner, has all kinds of shortcuts up his sleeve that make it super easy to take spectacular photos. I’ll share a few of those shortcuts with you throughout the week. At the end, Rich will tell us the easiest way to sell our shots as fine art, so we can make a profit from all of this fun when we get home. I’ll share that with you, too. Today, here’s a video from Rich on how to get your focus right when you’re out photographing monkeys. (No monkeys nearby? Don’t worry, it works on kids, too!) [viddler id-127ddbb3 h-370 w-437] Tomorrow, we’re headed to the stone-carving village of Batubulan where we’ll watch the traditional Barong Dance. We’re going to get there a little early to photograph the dancers as they prepare. Stay tuned for more tips tomorrow. [Editor’s Note: Learn more about how you can turn your pictures into cash in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel. Sign up here today and we’ll send you a new report, Selling Photos for Cash: A Quick-Start Guide, completely FREE.]