#003 - Zen

Hell's Valley, Japan - 2023
 
In early 2023, I led a group of enthusiastic photographers to Japan with the aim of capturing images of Japanese winter wildlife. One of the most iconic species we sought to photograph was the Japanese macaque, commonly known as the 'snow monkey.'
 
Native to Japan, the Japanese macaque is famous for its unique behavior of soaking in hot springs to stay warm, a phenomenon popularized by media worldwide. Interestingly, they only exhibit this behavior in one specific location in Japan.
 
Anyone who has visited this site knows it can be quite hectic, with crowds of both monkeys and people. Amidst all the hustle and bustle, the monkeys often manage to "zoom out" and enter an almost zen-like state. One of our main goals on this trip was to capture that mesmerizing moment of tranquility amidst the chaos.