A young American Alligator (Alligator Mississipiensis) trying to remain inconspicuous in the swampy water at Brazos Bend State Park, Texas, USA.
Not real sure how this is going to do in this challenge. Unfortunately I hadn't gotten around to processing this before rollover on the Macro Challenge. I think I probably would have done better than the image I did enter. Oh well, hopefully it does well here
[Nov. 29th, 2017 10:14:32 AM]
jbirkman This was a young 2 1/2 foot gator, which I still consider baby gators because they still have the baby gator coloring and are typically still under the protection of mama gator. Getting this view is actually pretty easy. Just lay down at the edge of the water and shoot off of a skimmer pod. If you are interested I recently did a forum post about one of my techniques for photographing baby gators. It is located here
Any more questions feel free to ask.
Ronnie
[Nov. 30th, 2017 05:00:34 PM]
jbirkman Here is the original uncropped photo. This is for me a super extreme crop, but I really like how it turned out and will probably end up printing as large as I can (given the crop)
The story behind this shot is documented in this forum post if you are interested.
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Exquisitely done Ronnie! Yet again you are able to keep pushing the boundaries, another very striking ‘gator, with that amazing eye staring at you, while at the same time reflecting the world around him. The shallow DOF works well emphasising that eye even more but what I like most is the mono processing this makes the end result even more focused. The content while striking is also quite minimal and fulfils the challenge brief, good score and position well done Ronnie
Jbirkman you are welcome and glad you enjoyed the read.
I have been around gators for many years now and while it is hazardous I take no unnessaccary chances. I also don’t recommend that anyone do some of the things I do without fully understanding gator behavior.
But, gators are my favorite wildlife subject and I have spent most of the last 3 years learning how to photograph them.........which due to their size and low to the ground profile is not easy.
Thanks so much for the links to the information. Very interesting read. I doubt I would have the stones to lay down next to a pond full of baby gators and keep and eye out for the mama. Wow. Good stuff.
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.
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