We have lots of alligators near where I live close to Houston, TX. However, 90+ percent of the time they are in the water with just their eyes showing or sunning themselves on land with their eyes closed. It is almost always interesting seeing them not in these positions. I am guessing that this gator is cooling himself off on the edge of a pond with his mouth open.
Feedback Requests
Any feedback would be mostly appreciated.
Pertinent Technical Details
Canon R5 with the Canon 100-400L rev 2 lens. Hand held.
ISO 320, 400mm, F/8.0, 1/2000 sec exposure
Processed in Photoshop
Willem, how nice to get it with the flowers blooming. They add a fine bit of color when most gator shots are not very colorful. I do think that a bit of dodging to show some detail in it’s eye would be good.
Hi William, You do not often see alligator pictures with delicate flowers. So the context and composition are already intriguing. I wish I could see into the interior of those sunken eyes. Wonderful profile of the jaw and teeth. I would probably blur the background grass to keep the focus on the foreground. Lovely capture.
Thank you @Mark_Seaver and @madd_laura for your comments and suggestions! I had tried to brighten the eye before I posted the image and the result was milky looking without any detail. This made me think there wasn’t any recoverable data in the eye. Upon seeing your suggestions I tried a different method which gave me a much better result. I posted the new version above.
