Peloponnesian wall lizard

[Dvir Barkay]

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A Peloponnesian wall lizard (I believe) standing in the midday sun. I liked the background with the thorny flowers so I think that really helped to add to the shot. This was taken in the ruins of Palamidi, good that I took the longer lens to back up my 16-50.

Sony A700, Tamron 70-300@230mm, F/7.1, ISO 400, 1/1250s, Nafplio in Greece, 2014

[Jonathan Ashton]

The lizard is good, the detail in the skin is apparent, the tip of the tail is soft but that's ok given the settings. The environmental aspect to the image is very pleasing and I think you had a good idea. I like the OOF flowers and twig but the big blotchy areas in central background are very distracting to me I would try to blend them in by either toning down the highlights or brushing over them.

[Dvir Barkay]

The lizard is good, the detail in the skin is apparent, the tip of the tail is soft but that's ok given the settings. The environmental aspect to the image is very pleasing and I think you had a good idea. I like the OOF flowers and twig but the big blotchy areas in central background are very distracting to me I would try to blend them in by either toning down the highlights or brushing over them.

Thanks Jonathan, the Bokeh of the Tamron is rather horrid, and so I think its contributing to the nervy look of the background, my Canon 300/2.8 or Tokina 300/4 would have done much better, but they are no carry around lenses weight wise. Is the brightness a problem or the shape of the highlights?

[Jonathan Ashton]

Thanks Jonathan, the Bokeh of the Tamron is rather horrid, and so I think its contributing to the nervy look of the background, my Canon 300/2.8 or Tokina 300/4 would have done much better, but they are no carry around lenses weight wise. Is the brightness a problem or the shape of the highlights?
I would say it is the brightness and contrast with adjacent areas.

[Dvir Barkay]

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updated it, lowered the highlights in the background.

[Diane Miller]

I like the spiky flowers but the UL quadrant isn't working for me. Not so much poor bokeh as contrast.

[Dvir Barkay]

I like the spiky flowers but the UL quadrant isn't working for me. Not so much poor bokeh as contrast.

Can you explain a bit?

[Diane Miller]

I find the bright areas in the upper left to be distracting. I don't think the problem with them is bad bokeh, but just too much contrast in the light on the foliage there.

[Dvir Barkay]

I only worked on the highlights above the lizard, are they ok, I didn't on the highlights on the left hand side, and I can still work on them a bit.

[Jonathan Ashton]

How about along these lines - not perfect by any means but you will get my drift, I just used the patch tool.

[Diane Miller]

Yes, that fixes my issue with the bright spots, very well.