The copyright exists the second the photo is made.
Your understanding of copyright seems to be misunderstood. No, you cannot copyright a photo of Half Dome with an attempt to exclude anyone else from making and selling a photo of it.
However, tell Ansel Adams’ estate that his photos of Half Dome are not copyrighted.
“The copyright exists the second the photo is made.”
If it’s a copyrightable work, yes. If the work isn’t copyrightable, then no.
“Your understanding of copyright seems to be misunderstood. No, you cannot copyright a photo of Half Dome with an attempt to exclude anyone else from making and selling a photo of it.
However, tell Ansel Adams’ estate that his photos of Half Dome are not copyrighted.”
Yes, your example is correct, but only because Adams’ photo contained enough creative work of his own to make it a distinct work. There is no such creative work to be found in this case with the monkey photo, besides perhaps cropping the photograph after it was taken.