When Dinosaurs Battle

[PhilCook]

Eastern Water Skink and Dragonfly. I was sitting alongside the local river watching several of these very alert Skinks seemingly lazying around on the rocks at the waters edge, seems that if truth be known, they're real motive was not so much rest, but hoping to snatch up one of the Dragonflies buzzing around. This little lizard got lucky and leapt up and grabbed his lunch on the wing, sadly I didn't get that action, but did manage to get a couple of shots before he/she disappeared into the reed beds.

Nikon D300 + Tamron 90mm.....90mm, f8, ISO 400, 1/500sec, no flash fired, handheld


http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/4927/skinkwithdragonfly1.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/189/skinkwithdragonfly1.jpg/)

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[Allen Sparks]

Hi Phil, wonderful behavioral capture. Nice sharpness right where it needs to be. Love it that the head of the lizard and dragonfly are both captured so well. You may want to do some toning down of the reeds in the BG and maybe some cloning to declutter the left BG but regardless this is a very well caught behavioral shot.

[Steve Maxson]

Hi Phil. This is an excellent behavior/action shot and you have good sharpness on both of your subjects. Allen has given you some good suggestions to consider that would make your image even stronger so I won't repeat. :S3: Very nicely done!

[kostas nianiopoulos]

My this looks a bit scary , and im glad im a lot biger than those guys , but u made a pretty good image , very sharp great color !!!

[Ken Childs]

Hey Phil, this is a wonderful "nature in action" shot! I have a hard time imagining any species of skink leaping up to catch a bug in flight so that must have really been something to see! Allen covered the critique well so there's no reason to repeat his words.

[PhilCook]

Thankyou everyone...aint nature grande ?