Water dragons are fairly common, anywhere near water, where I live. They are robust, not-so-timid subjects. We were supposed to be shooting flying fox when this little fellow came out to check us over. Being surrounded by pretty fallen flowers is an unusual setting for a water dragon.
Wonderful capture Glenys. I would probably reduce the exposure but not by much. I like the alertness of this water dragon and the sharp focus on its gaze. While I like the blurred background, I think I would keep the tail sharp. Lovely colours and composition.
You really captured a great pose from a very interesting subject! I love the detail and the blurred background. I have two very minor suggestions. First, I would take a look at a composition where the water dragon is in the left one third of the image and there is negative space on the right where he is facing. Second, I would brighten slightly and perhaps sharpen slightly his eye to make it stand out a little more. I applied these suggestions along with the suggestion by @madd_laura to darken the image slightly in the image below.
Glennie, the alert pose and the fallen flowers make a great photo. Where you position the dragon depends on what you want to emphasize. With it near center, the dragon gets more attention but the view is somewhat static. With it off to the side the dragon gets a bit less attention but the view is more dynamic…artist’s choice.
