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Galapagos Lava Lizard
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Galapagos Lava Lizard

by Cam Held

Gallery: WildlifePosted January 4, 201074 views6 comments
This is a photo of a Galapagos Lava Lizard I took this past summer in Ecuador. I wish I had shot with more DOF, and included the end of the tail, but I still like it. I should have used my macro lens, but I had my 70-200 on, so I used it instead. Not the greatest macro lens! Oh well, another learning experience! Hope everyone had a great holiday season. Thanks in advance for your comments and critiques!
-Cam

Tech:
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi
Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8 IS @ 200mm f/9
1/200 sec
ISO 200
-0.3ev

Comments

6 comments
Comment posted by Hali Sowle on January 4, 2010 at 9:33 PM
I think it's a fine image, you've stated the things that I think would have helped the image out (the tail and the dof) but it's still a good image, and with the head and body being the main point of the image the tail really doesn't even bother me that it's not all there. My only critique would be that there is almost too much space on the right side I think I would have cropped it in just a bit closer.
Registered on January 9, 2008, 36 Posts, 582 Comments
Comment posted by Joseph Balcken on January 5, 2010 at 7:00 AM
Cam, love the detail in the geometric scales and I think the comp is spot on, Great job! :toast:
Registered on November 29, 2009, 48 Posts, 249 Comments
Comment posted by Jorne de Bruin on January 5, 2010 at 8:31 AM
Nice pose and bg, you areadly covered all the little nits yourself :wink:
Registered on June 26, 2008, 178 Posts, 2136 Comments
Comment posted by Brad Hill on January 6, 2010 at 9:40 AM
Hi Cam,

I like what you've presented here and I'm in agreement with the "nits" you've already pointed out. I do like how the rock the lizard is angled and the position of the lizard on the rock and I quite like the colour scheme. I'm thinking that if the lizard were positioned a little higher in the frame the image would suit my taste a little better (and the tip of the tail might end up in the frame!).

Cheers...thanks for sharing this...

Brad
Registered on May 29, 2007, 431 Posts, 6061 Comments
Comment posted by Clinton Bauder on January 7, 2010 at 5:26 PM
The diagonal of the rock the lizard is sitting on combined with the nice smooth out of focus area really makes this image and helps emphasize the lizard's head. Regarding the tail the fact that it is cropped bothers me more than that it's out of focus. I suspect you would not have wanted to move to the right to get the whole lizard in the same plane as then the head might not be offset against the nice background. Probably wouldn't have wanted to stop down any more either as it might have compromised the nice background. I agree with Brad that I'd like to see him higher (and maybe have the head more to the right with a bit less of the background.) Now on the other hand the best part of the out of focus background is the blue bit in the upper left so maybe not.

In my own photography I'm amazed at the number of times I think about putting the subject's head somewhere other than smack in the middle of the frame and yet - the head ends up in the middle of the frame. :rolleyes: I have to constantly tell myself to move the focus point of the image off center.

Cheers,

Clinton
Registered on December 8, 2009, 31 Posts, 231 Comments
Comment posted by Sam Rua on January 9, 2010 at 8:54 PM
Nice comp and detail, Cam. You've already accurately critiqued and I can't see any other nits. :smile:
Registered on September 9, 2006, 130 Posts, 2281 Comments