The Lizard Blending In

Image Critiques Weekly Challenge
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The Lizard Blending In 05-09-2022 , Master copy.jpg
The Lizard Blending In 05-09-2022 , Master copy.jpg1400×1100 1.47 MB

Critique Style Requested: Initial Reaction

Please share your immediate response to the image before reading the photographer’s intent (obscured text below) or other comments. The photographer seeks a genuinely unbiased first impression.

Questions to guide your feedback

This guy was noticed crawling around the tree roots close to where I was taking a break from some bird photography outside of Tucson, Az.

Other Information

Please leave your feedback before viewing the blurred information below, once you have replied, click to reveal the text and see if your assessment aligns with the photographer. Remember, this if for their benefit to learn what your unbiased reaction is.

Image Description

I barely noticed a little bit of movement by this guy among the tree roots near the blind we were using for the birds. A very lucky break as he was even hard to isolate from the back round when I was staring right at him. Fortunately he was in a slow motion mood.

Technical Details

Camera: Canon EOS R5. Lens: RF70-200mm F4 L IS USM @ 200 mm, f/9.0, 1/4000 sec. ISO: 1250. Edited in Photoshop with Camera Raw and Topaz Denoise and Sharpen AI.

Specific Feedback

Any and all comments welcomed.

1 Like
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Robert, My initial reaction is that I am glad you were paying attention while taking your break and not lying in the shade with your hat over your face, like I might have done. The detail you have captured is striking, especially the slightly lifted toes on the right foreleg and that weird left hind foot. The whole scene seems prehistoric. Instead of tree bark, it could be hanging on to the side of a much larger “lizard”.

I might have cropped a bit from the top, down to the lower level of shadows, but that might emphasize the lizard more than letting it blend in,

I think the exposure is perfect for this scene, especially as it seems to have found the spotlight.

As far as blending in, if you could re-pose the lizard with its body parallel to the bark on the left, like the tail is, I think the blending would be better, but they are usually not that cooperative. I’m impressed he stayed still enough for the shot you got , which is excellent.

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Thank you, Marlin.