It's been a number of years since I've first photographed the so-called snow monkeys—Japanese macaques. My first acquaintance took place at Jigokudani outside Nagano in late fall. As a result, this ensured the fact that some of my images resembled those iconic photographs of hot onsen providing the resident monkeys necessary refuge in cold weather.

This time around, smoldering summer heat and relentless humidity or Arashiyama, Kyoto area, in August seemed to offer the opposite effect. Yet my images are no worse. Take this endearing Motherhood photograph of a snow monkey and her offspring, as she stares thoughtfully (or is she fatigued?) into the distance, as the baby naps.