Croc Stare

Gallery: WildlifePosted February 17, 2015250 views9 comments

A juvenile Nile Crocodile on the banks of the Chobe river in Botswana, photographed from a customised photographic boat as we drifted right up to it.
Full frame...

Techs:
Nikon D3s
Nikkor 500mm f4 VR-II
f14 | 1/1000 SS | ISO-2200

Comments

9 comments

Comment posted by Jerry Austin on February 18, 2015 at 7:54 AM

Very nice Morkel. I like the low perspective and the nice background. Well done.

Registered on January 6, 2012, 651 Posts, 3448 Comments

Comment posted by Mike Ramy on February 18, 2015 at 10:12 AM

Hey Morkel,
It's always better by Boat, especially Crocodile Portraits !
Wonderful detail and light with a complimentary BG makes this image sweet but, that glancing stare along with those teeth really makes this composition 1st rate.
Well done . . .

Registered on June 16, 2012, 567 Posts, 2809 Comments

Comment posted by Sandipan Dutta on February 18, 2015 at 11:02 AM

Wonderful portrait with impressive detail .... I like the fact how the croc stands out from background..... and yes , the stare is quite interesting.

Registered on March 9, 2009, 171 Posts, 493 Comments

Comment posted by Swathiraj G on February 19, 2015 at 12:03 AM

eye catching...nice work...

Registered on April 26, 2014, 71 Posts, 153 Comments

Comment posted by Brad Hill on February 21, 2015 at 2:53 PM

Hi Morkel,

Tough, tough animal to compose an appealing portrait of, but you did found a way to do it - well done. This image works well for me technically and creatively - love the DoF, the detail, the "sideways" glance the croc appears to be giving you and, of course, the teeth are amazing. I like the grasses just under and in-front of the tip of the lower jaw, but wish the the single thicker strand in the BG (under the jaw) wasn't there...but that's a tiny issue at most.

I looked at this one on several different displays - on my high-res displays (220 ppi) the image looked great and properly sharpened, but on a more "standard" monitor (100 ppi) the skin of the croc looked just a tad over-sharpened (and, of course, the majority of viewers of this image will be using a monitor closer to 100 ppi).

Nicely done!

Cheers...

Brad

Registered on May 29, 2007, 431 Posts, 6061 Comments

Comment posted by Nate Chappell on February 26, 2015 at 7:46 PM

Sweet portrait of this toothy critter Morkel, nice dof and bg.

Registered on February 1, 2006, 1158 Posts, 19528 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on February 26, 2015 at 8:22 PM

Love the POV and framing on this one Morkel and your choice for DOF is perfect. I really do love this so feel like I am nit picking here, but the only thing which I might change is clone the thin brown blade of grass under the front part of his mouth. It is the only thing which kind of pulls the eye away from your subject IMO. Anyhow great work!

Registered on June 19, 2008, 1005 Posts, 8028 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Fach on February 28, 2015 at 11:58 AM

Morkel: Looks like he is sizing you up for lunch!!

Terrific portrait; congrats on the WP. >=))>

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1805 Posts, 26981 Comments

Comment posted by Morkel Erasmus on April 3, 2015 at 1:10 PM

Thank you all so much

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