Ground Agama

[Gabriela Plesea]

Dear Friends,

Here's a little fellow I managed to photograph during my recent trip to the Kalahari. This is a Ground Agama, also known as Sun Agama. The species love to climb on top of ant hills as well as tall bushes where they sit still for hours waiting for prey (usually an insect) to land close-by. They move very fast and are very weary of certain birds of prey (like Pale Chanting Goshawks) who snatch them easily.

I was lucky to find this chap quite relaxed, the background looked good, so did the ant hill... Let me know what you think?

Nikon D5
Nikon 500 F4
ISO 320
F6.3
1/2000s

Hope you all enjoyed a lovely and relaxed evening. Many thanks for viewing and comments on my previous images

[keith mitchell]

Gabriela agree with you the bg does look very good and the rock all make for a very nice setting for this colourful Reptile,cannot see a lot I would change only perhaps to see a little more of the Agama but as you pointed out bet they are very weary so very well done getting this,very nice work.

Keith

[John Mack]

Pretty neat looking never heard of one until now. Small in the frame works well here. Excellent background.

[Geoffrey Montagu]

A cute creature checking you out, Gabriela. I like that you kept this tiny one small in the frame. You also captured his markings very nicely. Like the perch as well as that lovely BG.

Geoffrey




http://500px.com/geoffreymontagu

[Steve Kaluski]

Yes, good call in going small in frame Gabriela, is it RoT's?

Like the pale environment, but I think you can tease out a bit more detail & depth from the subject.

TFS
Steve

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Gabriela - I love the way you photograph all the little things but recently said you have few images of the big stuff except the cats. With most of us, it's likely the other way around. Love the colors of the agama and it brings back fond memories of seeing one in the Serengeti for me. I agree with Steve about bringing out a little more detail and also would apply a little more sharpening to the head. Comp works well for me too.

TFS,
Rachel

[Jonathan Ashton]

Desperately trying to ignore previous comments, must admit I spotted something relating to size so I will say its small in the frame but very eye catching. I am having a really good stare at it now. There is a shadow so some detail will be lost but I think you could do a little more there as you could with the bright eyelid. The eye could do with a little eye doctor work (its what they say in the Avian forum!). The detail on the shoulder is good so I think it could be equally so around the eye. The darker areas will be limited but I reckon you could get more playing with screen and multiply masks. Composition looks good I don't know if the golden ratio would enhance even further??

[Gabriela Plesea]

Hello everyone, and I really appreciate all the feedback here!

Steve, it is indeed RoT's, but also RoSteve (thank you) Let me see if I can try tease more out of this little chap...

Rachel, I backed off on sharpening a bit, maybe too much. Was afraid I was going over the top again. Will fix it. And I promise to post something different tonight, LOL. Not one of the big cats, not one of the small cats either Maybe a mouse...Maybe a bokkie, will see...

Jon, whew, thank you for this - I remember "doctoring" the eyes of my avian subjects on occasion (adding a catchlight, etc) but for some reason I never thought of doing it here. I just think the eye is too small? The scales on the shoulder are slightly raised so they do look sharper than the rest of the body - I will try get more detail on the face and sharpen a tad further, when done I will RP Burning to post something so I will give this one a break for a day or two, if that's ok

Warmest regards,