Barking Gecko portrait

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

I love walking alone in the forests at night looking for wildlife. I spotted this at its usual hang out in a local woodland. These geckos are about 120mm long. I used my 100mm macro and 30D. ISO400, f/16, 1/125th, HH, 430EX at - 2/3. Just cropped a little from the top for a more of a pano crop. I did a bit of patching of dust spots, but I think I missed a few. :(

[Jerry van Dijk]

Hi Ákos, very nice portrait of this little guy! I like the colors and DOF very much. I also like your more panoramic crop and the long perch at the bottom. I would consider cloning out the flash highlight in the eye, if your in for that kind of manipulation

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Thanks Jerry. I will try that suggestion, I think it's not over the top. Not sure how I'll get on though. :)

[Stu Bowie]

Hey Bro, I spoke too soon ;) Great detail, and good choice of aperture. Head and feet falling in your DOF, and sharp where it counts. I like the overall colours, and you must have been fairly close, and lucky for you, he didnt move. I would leave the eye as is. Well captured mate.

[Julie Kenward]

I really like the translucency of the skin here - nice angle and good details. I'm not too keen on the dark shadow below him but I don't know how you could have gotten around it. I'd clone the bit in his eye and his nose - I think when we have a creature in a natural setting the last thing we want to do is leave evidence of flash - it tends to make the viewer feel like they are looking at a photograph instead of viewing a natural setting. That's just MO, though. ;)

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

I really like the translucency of the skin here - nice angle and good details. I'm not too keen on the dark shadow below him but I don't know how you could have gotten around it. I'd clone the bit in his eye and his nose - I think when we have a creature in a natural setting the last thing we want to do is leave evidence of flash - it tends to make the viewer feel like they are looking at a photograph instead of viewing a natural setting. That's just MO, though. ;)

Thanks Jules. I photographed this at night, with a spotlight, all on my own. I only have one flash that I mount on the camera since I don't have a bracket. I am happy to take donation of the Canon twin macro flash. :D Of course, the image would be able to be taken in the daytime if the animal was dirunal, but they hide in crevices hence a daytime shot would look far more unnatural if one wants to remail authentic about capturing natural behavior.

[Julie Kenward]

YOU AND ME BOTH, AKOS! :D

[Vida van der Walt]

Hi Akos. This is a beautiful image. The detail and patterns in that eye are wonderful. Love the textures of the skin and a great comp. I would never have guessed that this was taken at night.:)

[Indranil Sircar]

Excellent image, mate! Great use of flash to get this image at night.

[Ken Childs]

I would clone out the spot in the eye and the white flecks on the head that you missed. Other than that, it looks great IMO. I agree with the others that it's hard to believe this was taken at night.