A snow monkey stares over the edge of a hot spring (Japanese macaque, Macaca fuscata). Jigokudani Yaen-Koen in Yamanouchi, Japan.

During our honeymoon, Pam and I spent a full day in the snowy mountains near Nagano photographing Japanese macaques. The so-called “snow monkeys” are a troupe of around 160 macaques that soak themselves in an onsen (hot spring) about 40 minutes up a mountain (on foot) from Shibu Onsen, a historic hot spring area in Yamanouchi, Nagano prefecture, Japan.

Although I had seen images of these macaques for years, actually being there to photograph them in person was really special. The macaques I’ve interacted with in other places of the world seem to be focused on getting food (and hats, and sunglasses, etc.) from tourists, but these macaques completely ignored us. Sure, there were one or two aggressive individuals who didn’t like eye contact, but we could literally stand a few inches away from the rest of them without incident.

When we arrived at Shibu Onsen, I was worried because very little snow had fallen. Luckily, snow poured out of the heavens overnight and throughout the entire next day. We awoke to more than 6″ of fresh snow on the ground — perfect, for photography.

I plan on writing a comprehensive guide on photographing snow monkeys soon. Until then, enjoy these photos! (read more »)

• Would it be wrong to put Metallica into my wedding banquet slideshow, which will be played to a room full of older Taiwanese people? #
• @henrik_pejer I listened to Metallica when I was younger. So anyone who really knows me wouldn't be surprised! #
• @henrik_pejer I think I'm too chicken to do it. #
• @henrik_pejer Oh, I think the elopement challenged comfort zones. :) I'm almost done with the show. Years of making them have paid off! #
• I liked a YouTube video — Rare Bird Humps Photographer's Head http://youtu.be/4YwbHqTSlh0?a #
• I've had good luck selling on eBay until this year. Suddenly, I'm getting winning bids from people who never pay. #ebay #fail #
• SNL: A message from Mark Zuckerberg http://ech.cc/faUZRR #
• I love it when all 24 virtual cores are maxed out. http://yfrog.com/h86hcp #
• @corbosman So what are the options for 23andme shipment to US Virgin Islands? #
• The moon is visible through a thin cloud layer in SF. Wonder if it will remain visible through the eclipse… #
• The United International person has asked the guy in front of us to take 1 lb out of his 51 lb bag. #
• We are seated across the aisle from the aftermath of a vomit explosion. 9 hrs to go. #unitedcleanaircraftfail #
• Arrived in Tokyo to find that our JR pass vouchers are no good (and you can't buy them in Japan). Massive travel #fail #
• Pam is talking to the Japanese toilet. #
• Rejected from a restaurant because we don't speak Japanese. #
• Does CDMA or 3G draw more mobile phone battery in Japan? #
• @johnolilly I love my Scansnap 1500 for documents! Not as good for photos (suffers from streaking). #
• Going to ticket counters and using cash. Japan is behind in some ways… #
• @gilesshaxted whenever I switch to 3G, my battery starts draining quickly even if I'm close to a tower. #
• Shinkansen bound for Nagano! #
• Worst rolling shutter artifact I've ever seen! (From shinkansen train — we are going fast!) http://yfrog.com/h48fqbj #
• I'm getting lots of reports of AA playing Vienna Teng's Harbor on the plane. #
• A stranger in Yamanouchi just picked us up (car) because it was obvious that we were lost. People are so nice here! #
• Furusato curry house at Shibu Onsen. Only 3 tables; cute place with great curry! #
• Ok. Switched to Docomo 3G to see if it yields better battery life than "1X Roaming" CDMA. #
• A cute Japanese mountain town… with Lady Gaga as background music. Puh-puh-puh-poker face! #
• What is the best Blackberry -> Instapaper path? (Specifically, Twitter on Blackberry) #
• I have the Instapaper app installed, but still have to open a link in the browser before I can send to Instapaper. #
• Woke up to hard snowfall and hopped in the private onsen just outside of our room. Perfect way to start the day! #
• Leisurely morning walk… http://yfrog.com/hsk52fj #
• En route to snow monkeys! http://yfrog.com/h7t3fbj #
• Snow monkeys! Easiest photography opportunity evar!! #
• We spent 7 hours out in the snow today with snow monkeys (and 40 min hike, each way). Pam was a good sport and played photo assistant. #
• @andybiggs Enjoying using the #Guragear Kiboko bag to cart camera gear around snowy Japan! Please design more bags. :) #
• @johnolilly I scan and shred everything. Scan straight to DropBox for instant backup + sharing across machines! #
• @johnolilly I scan to searchable PDF and rely on Spotlight / YEP to find content. I put things I need everywhere in Evernote (like manuals). #
• Goodbye, private onsen! http://yfrog.com/hsj5orj #
• @vwishna we would have joined you if we had been there! -jew eric #
• Oops — I just filled a 32GB card shooting timelapse. #
• @Wetpixel Happy holidays, Wetpixel! (and @adam_hanlon) :) #
• Receiving a landslide of e-holiday cards. Was only on Blackberry before the slow internet I'm on now. Love the cards! (catching up 1 by 1) #
• e-Holiday card will head out in 40 mins. If I know you personally and you want to make sure you get one, send email address to me privately! #
• Over 1000 orange gates at Fushimi-inari-taisha, Kyoto. http://yfrog.com/hsf81sj #
• Blackberry page fault and forced reset = 15 min downtime. Why can't Blackberry boot quickly?? #
• Nishiki Food Market, Kyoto! Incredible! http://yfrog.com/hsfkhwj #
• Ippudo Ramen, Kyoto. I am going nuts here!! http://yfrog.com/h2h9qjhj #
• Anyone want a Starbucks pancake? http://yfrog.com/h2jyeej #
• RT @tonywu: US shark fin restrictions carry little weight in Hong Kong http://twu.tw/hdvdmm (http://ech.cc/gTg64i) #
• OK, this apple was $2.50, but it is better than any apple I've ever had in the States!! #
• @dweekly bonfire!! ;) #
• Excited to take the Nozomi N700 Shinkansen from Kyoto to Tokyo! #

Pam, me, and snow monkeys @ Jigokudani Yaen-Koen, Japan

Happy holidays! Pam and I spent 7 hours on Christmas eve in the snow hanging out with Japanese macaques — the so-called “snow monkeys.” It was awesome. Will post photos as soon as can. :)

I love food in Japan. The kaiseki at our hotel in Shibu Onsen was incredible. Even the rice was delicious — the best rice I’ve ever tasted: perfect mouth feel. We had some rice at a restaurant in Kyoto just now which paled in comparison, so the variation in quality is extreme. (read more »)

There will be a full lunar eclipse tonight — a rare occurrence on the winter solstice. I photographed the full lunar eclipse three years ago, which was an interesting photographic exercise because I didn’t have access to a proper tripod that night.

total lunar eclipse on august 28, 2007

I was planning on staying up to photograph tonight’s lunar event, but it appears that San Francisco has other plans for those of us who live here…

• Downtown Mountain View is quite beautiful in the fall (all yellow and red!), although it is in deep transition to winter. #
• The leaves all dropped over the weekend. http://yfrog.com/h4bhhmj #
• There is an army of bagpipers going down University Ave in Palo Alto. #
• I liked a YouTube video — Waterdrop shot in 10000 frames a second http://youtu.be/6KKNnjFpGto?a #
• I liked a YouTube video — Cat Diaries: The First Ever Movie Filmed by Cats! http://youtu.be/k0PduP7PXx0?a #
• Gawker breached: user passwords stolen. http://ech.cc/eYudd4 #
• By the way, the Gawker Media breach is the perfect example of why you shouldn't use the same password everywhere. http://ech.cc/eYudd4 #
• I'm currently changing 80+ website passwords. Finally going to have different password for every site. 1Password is the only way. #
• 1Password is on MacUpdate's December bundle. It's a ridiculously good deal. http://www.mupromo.com/?ref=8992 #
• Facebook profile test … ready… MARK. #
• Thank you for all your congratulatory messages. I wish I could reply to everyone individually! #
• Had a totally normal day of work. No one even knew it was my birthday! Sorta nice, actually. #
• Great read about FlipBoard;s launch (from July): http://ech.cc/ezCq2F #
• The driver side window of my car is stuck all the way down. It is going to be a great drive back to SF! #
• it's raining! And I have no driver side window! Car #fail #
• Glad I moved from Del.icio.us to Pinboard.in. http://ech.cc/ifpPqw #
• Don't normally like Porches, but this is a thing of beauty! http://yfrog.com/h2w7rmj #
• @ronin carrera gt #
• Off to pam's company's holiday party! http://yfrog.com/h4knbwj #
• Canon CanoScan LiDE210 #fail Install software on Mac OS X. Scanner does not work. Also, CanoScan Toolbox X is terrible! #
• Ahhh. CanoScan LiDE210 uses MP Navigator EX instead of CanoScan Toolbox. Why does all driver software suck? #
• Scanning old photos for wedding banquet slideshow. This takes forever! #
• @cindypon I'm not sure if I will be able to! We're leaving on Tuesday morning… #
• Why Your Mobile Service Sucks, and Will Continue to Suck: Blame NIMBY Neighbors and Your San Francisco… http://instapaper.com/zsmirhc1j #
• http://yfrog.com/h8icqj #
• I think I have another 8 hrs+ of scanning old photos, selecting, editing… #
• Having the dreaded "Not enough room in Heap Zone" error in iMovie 11. Joy. http://ech.cc/gKDkTZ #

Geoff and Livia at Chez Panisse

Geoff and Livia took us out to Chez Panisse tonight to celebrate the events of the last week. We went to the restaurant downstairs, which was wonderful, as expected. Highly recommended!

Incredible dessert at Chez Panisse: Cognac and bittersweet chocolate ice cream meringue tartlet

Jack’s happy brush is sad!

I think we’re a good match!

Also, I promise the new married couple thing will end at some point here on ECHENG.COM. ;)

Is it me, or does the San Francisco “souvenir” marriage certificate look like it was designed for grade schoolers?

“Look, Mom! I got ‘most likely to stay together’ on my marriage test!”

An official marriage record costs $14 and must be ordered by mail. Still, it would be nice to leave City Hall with something you’d actually want to keep!

MY WIFE at holiday party

Pam and I went to her company’s holiday party tonight, and for the first time in my life, I was introduced as someone’s husband. It felt perfectly natural (awww — feel the love…).

Every year, I get a lovely holiday card from Catherine and Jaxie Gowen, who live in Geneva, Switzerland. Catherine spices up a group photo we take each year with glitter and stickers; this year, it was based on a photo of us after dinner at the Ferry Building in San Francisco.

Thank you for the wonderful card!

I have a new ring on my finger! Elopements rule.

A Russian TV station used my GoPro Underwater Shark Experiment in a news piece about a shark attack.

It’s no wonder videographers use huge watermarks in the middle of their videos (like I do with my stock video).

• Upgraded to the new profile on Facebook. It's the first Facebook change i've liked immediately! (others grew on me over time) #
• Jetlagged and awake. Currently ranked 249 on Angry Birds Seasons HD. Will never likely do better. #
• I heart MPEG Streamclip. #
• @manukumar I saw your parallel travels on teh Twitter. Welcome back! #
• How an RC airplane buzzed the Statue of Liberty, with no arrests http://ech.cc/fwPLD5 #
• Evernote for Mac beta gets in-app notebook sharing. This will change everything! http://ech.cc/f9zntu #
• @meen I'll check it out! #
• My friend Livia Sohn is playing Barber Concerto in Budapest tomorrow. Listen live at 10:40am Dec 7: http://ech.cc/fZLTlK (click on ELO ADAS) #
• @manukumar @cardmunch I still want a la carte card transcription by email! #
• Anyone want a 15%-off AA flight booking discount? Have to book by 12/31/10. #
• @davekim 11/29/10 – 4/1/11. Some embargo dates apply. min base fare of $200, no coshare flights. #
• @gilesshaxted Well, Cor may be booking during embargo dates. If he doesn't use it, it's yours! #
• @henryyhj No. #
• Las Vegas Hilton pulls shark fin soup after DEMA protests! Way to go,evryone! http://ech.cc/hKWzMM http://ech.cc/eSWfx4 http://ech.cc/hq5q2m #
• Shark Savers article on the impromptu anti-shark fin soup campaign at the Las Vegas Hilton http://ech.cc/hnIjCm #
• eBay: Blackberry Tour 9630 for Verizon (CDMA and GSM) global mobile phone http://ech.cc/h85gkF #
• eBay: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX7 digital camera (still under warranty) http://ech.cc/h82sB1 #
• @bneedhamStudio Canon S95. #
• Listening to live recording of my friend, Livia Sohn, playing Barber Concerto in Budapest earlier today. She sound(ed) great! #
• My travel schedule is relaxing next year – don't need a 17" MBP anymore. Should I sell mine? Anyone interested? 2.93, hi-res, 8GB, 2xSSD. :) #
• I liked a YouTube video — Sea Pig Slow Dance http://youtu.be/x3dvs6C8c7g?a #
• Sea pig (Scotoplanes) http://youtu.be/x3dvs6C8c7g (bizarre, deep-sea sea cucumber) #
• I absolutely hate registered mail. Will call at my SF USPS location is barely open. And there is no one here. Just waiting… #
• The Ribbon! It burns! (Office 2011 for Mac) #
• "Journalism is not an Attack, Wikileaks is not Warfare" http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…..94159.html #
• Wow. I'd love to photograph something like this. http://ech.cc/dEwR7j #
• Working day and night before a weekend away. Stress! #
• How #FollowFriday is SUPPOSED to work http://theoatmeal.com/comics/follow_friday #ff #
• Engadget gets a Google Chrome OS laptop http://www.engadget.com/2010/1…..p-preview/ #
• Location of Misool Eco Resort in Raja Ampat, Indonesia, where I was for the second half of November: http://bit.ly/bundles/echeng/2 #
• I liked a YouTube video — Best squirrel video ever made http://youtu.be/Ec5TY-Z6nl8?a #
• @tonywu Next? white squirrel skillz. #
• I liked a YouTube video — Gliding snake http://youtu.be/3vhgC_g1cmU?a #
• Something is taking all of my new calendar events and duplicating them onto my work calendar. Mac? iPad? BB? I suspect BB. Sync #fail #
• Here I go! See you on the other side… #
• @atow and Rae, Photographers extraordinaire! http://yfrog.com/h4ctjij #
• @atow Aperture problems? Say it isn't so! ;) you were lucky this time — glad you didn't lose data… #

I’m trying to update CS5 using Adobe Application Manager, and I’m getting the following errors… (read more »)

• I photographed and took video of a blind alpheid shrimp (and partner shrimp goby) from 1mm away yesterday. Footage is good!! #
• Fresh water! For washing up! It has been 2 weeks. #
• Wrangling divers to get everyone to a restaurant. It is harder than it should be! #
• My sacrificial Heidi is doing her job! Not many mosquito bites tonight. :) #
• Overnight in Sorong, flight to Makassar, flight to Bali, overnight, then flight to Singapore and SFO. Long couple of days coming up… #
• Misool Eco Resort held our hands all the way to the departure gate! Too bad our plane hasn't arrived yet… #
• Went down the luggage belt of Lion Air baggage handling at Makassar airport to find 6 mistagged bags. Indonesia travel is fun! Whee! #
• Shampoo: 1; Gigantic Cockroach: 0 #
• @uwfotog oh, in Indonesia. Never seen a cockroach in my place in SF. :) #
• Super easy check-in and boarding on SQ in Bali. So grateful for Star Alliance Gold and 3-bag international (USA) baggage allowance. #
• I knew this trip was going too smoothly. Gigantic woman next to me on long haul, sealing me into my window seat, and baby directly in front. #
• In Hong Kong. Is it bad that I now associate a Hong Kong accent with Russell Peters? :) #
• @gilesshaxted appreciating race humor and being "slightly racist" are different. Plus, there us, unfortunately, a double standard… #
• @gilesshaxted I don't remember who put me onto Russell Peters; it may be that I didn't know you were quoting someone! #
• I came back from 30 days in Indonesia with 355 GB of media (I actively cull imagery while in the field). Not bad! #
• An article featuring images from Raja Ampat by Douglas Seifert: http://ech.cc/hRs1fK #
• "While you were gone, I learned grep!" -Pam #
• Downgraded to Skype 2.8 for Mac. Hated the new beta interface. #
• Hmmm. Compressor doesn't deal with audio on muxed MPEG2 streams in VOB files. Lame. #