Dorso-ventrally flattene

Gallery: WildlifePosted January 11, 2012270 views9 comments

-d (the 'd' didn't fit)

Okay, time to break this chain of wild cat image posts and post something a bit more exciting; common flat lizards! At rest!
Indeed not so exciting, but I liked the colors of the rock and the fact that they posed so nicely for me for a few seconds.

I simply love photographing small, easily approachable animals, be it mammals or reptiles. One reason is that it allows close interaction, which can be so much fun. Soon you become more than just an observer, and the animal is also observing you and may even start 'playing' with you once it realises you are no threat, but just something really really strange and interesting. On the other hand it can also be really frustrating if they don't want to co-operate...

Common Flat Lizard (Platysaurus intermedius)
Northern Tuli Game Reserve, Botswana
Camera Model Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
Shutter Speed 1/320 Sec.
Aperture Value f/14
ISO Speed 800
Lens EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM @ 200mm (shot at minimum focusing distance of 1.8m and I remember having to lean back to achieve that)
FF, HH

Comments

9 comments

Comment posted by Tonia Graves on January 11, 2012 at 6:47 PM

Vincent, I like this a lot...the behavior reminds me of our Chuckwallas out in the desert Southwest (USA). I'm assuming that this is a male & female of the same species?

Registered on October 29, 2011, 92 Posts, 1035 Comments

Comment posted by Max Waugh on January 11, 2012 at 6:47 PM

Vincent, nice choice of composition here. It's great how well they fit into the "landscape." Some appealing colors... I'm almost wishing the male were more bland so they blended into the landscape even better.

Max

Registered on September 26, 2008, 428 Posts, 2329 Comments

Comment posted by Vincent Grafhorst on January 11, 2012 at 10:55 PM

Male & female indeed Tonia.

Registered on February 24, 2006, 504 Posts, 7203 Comments

Comment posted by Eirini Pajak on January 12, 2012 at 7:34 AM

I really like this...the color & lighting on the rocks & the fancy colors of the guy on the left.

Registered on December 13, 2011, 216 Posts, 1671 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Archer on January 12, 2012 at 2:19 PM

I really like this one too Vincent

Love the the rock face, and the lizards resting at the edge of the opening, the colorful male puts this image over the top for me. Very Nice Work!!!

Ken Archer

Registered on October 28, 2004, 222 Posts, 6683 Comments

Comment posted by Morkel Erasmus on January 13, 2012 at 4:57 AM

Very nice perspective here Vincent, and the colours rock (pun intended)...
I would be tempted to crop some off the top and bottom for a pano look - just for kicks?

Registered on March 22, 2011, 385 Posts, 2068 Comments

Comment posted by Clinton Bauder on January 13, 2012 at 6:46 PM

Hi Vincent,

I like it. I think the image really shows why these animals are shaped the way they are. It pays to be flat when your house is a narrow crack in a rock. And they do look at home here. I like that there is just enough negative space to show off the lizards. The left foreleg of the male touching the right rear leg of the female is a nice subtle touch. My only real nit would be that I might want just a hair more room on the right side since the heads of the lizards are offset a bit to the right side.

Clinton

Registered on December 8, 2009, 31 Posts, 231 Comments

Comment posted by Ellen deBoer on January 14, 2012 at 10:13 AM

Very nice and different image, Vincent! I too like shooting lizards and other reptiles, but they are not always so co-operative. I have seen some weird ones in Madagascar I will share later on.

Registered on March 16, 2006, 419 Posts, 2076 Comments

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on January 20, 2012 at 6:52 AM

Great interest with the unusual comp and the male's colors grab the eye. And they look unusually flat for "Flat Lizards", can't figure out why

Nice job on this Vincent, well done & have a great weekend!

Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments