Baby Gator
by Phocal

Comment by colorcarnival:
I'm not sure if this is an understatement but I will say that this is a pretty darn amazing photo. Should finish high in the challenge.

Baby Gator
by Phocal

Comment by streetpigeon:
Remarkable study of this baby alligator, crisp, delicate and intimate. Beyond the understatement of the minimal portrayal, its head barely cresting above the water, is the sense that he/she may be so newly born that what looks like filmy vegetation to the left could even be the tatters of the egg sack from which it's just emerged. The whipped cream, sprinkles and cherry is the incredible reflection of what I take to be water, trees and sky in this little fellow's eye. This lifts the image, excellent as it already is, into a higher realm of wonder, enchantment and epiphany.

Said the Spider to the Mosquito
by Phocal

Comment by sidpixel:
Hello from the critique club

An excellent image that contributes well to the challenge

A great shot Ronnie, made even better with the quality of the light and the composition. You have done well to include the poor mosquito with the spider it completes the image. As for your self-criticism about DOF I can see your point but it is not a major issue because the rest of it so good. I like the way the light catches the web and the detail of the spider. I am not convinced that this is true macro but the voters here seem to have favoured close up images so well done with your blue.

Said the Spider to the Mosquito
by Phocal

Comment by Cyrilda:
Beautifully done. Congratulations!

Golden Gator
by Phocal

Comment by IreneM:
Wow! Excellent.

Said the Spider to the Mosquito
by Phocal

Comment by skewsme:
We don't have orbies like this here. You hurdled your challenges well (especially wind, yuck) and pulled out nice details like the furry legs. I like the warm tones. Congrats!

Baby Gator
by Phocal

Comment by kiwinick:
Big Bite ?

Said the Spider to the Mosquito
by Phocal

Comment by jomari:
Congrats on the blue. It's lucky you didn't find the baby gators in time ;-)

Said the Spider to the Mosquito
by Phocal

Comment by Lydia:
Obviously, you were sick.

This is amazing!!

Congrats on your ribbon!

Said the Spider to the Mosquito
by Phocal

Comment by Phocal:
Thanks for all the votes and comments. Guess I was wrong in how this would do in the challenge, probably because I really wanted to enter a photo of a baby gator........................For anyone curious this was all natural light with no use of reflectors. I also used my TC on this shot, so the effective focal length was 840mm.....................