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Two Ancient Beasts


Two Ancient Beasts
Photo Information
Copyright: Callie de Wet (Callie) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1101 W: 95 N: 2610] (7555)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2004-12-06
Categories: Reptiles
Camera: Nikon D70, Sigma 80-400 OS
Exposure: f/10.0, 1/500 seconds
Details: (Fill) Flash: Yes
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): African Reptiles, 40-49 Points (Chapter 2) [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2004-12-16 6:53
Viewed: 7221
Favorites: 2 [view]
Points: 46
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This is another shot of The Sandman posted HERE . The Family info is given with that post.

It is the same male ground agama Agama aculeata . I posted a WS too so you can have a look at its ugly mug - another shot I took later.

Thanks to Jean-Michel (Ornis) for pointing out to me the dinosaur in the dead branch Mr Sandman is using as his perch – it really looks like another creature hiding in the wood.

These agamas are sexually dimorphic, the female being a drab, dull greyish colour with a brown head. However, when say has to lay her eggs, she mimics the males by changing into the blue head. This allows her to go about undisturbed by amorous males when she digs her nesting holes in the sand. The process can take a whole day.
She normally lays between 10 and 18 eggs during the summer.

These agamas are found right trough the sub-continent and can be identified by their short heads and the large ear cavity – refer to the WS. They are quite sturdy critters with short tails. In order to escape from the hot sand, they climb into shrubs or trees, this deadfall being an ideal perch for our intrepid Mr Sandman. They spent the night in a hole that they dig in the sand near the base of a tree or bush. They rely on their camouflage to remain unseen by dropping down flat on the sand when perceiving danger. If this proofs inefficient, they will make a bee-line for the nearest shrub or bush, were they will hide, or bolt down their holes. I saw them getting caught on our trip as well!

SHOOTING DETAILS
Venue – Kalahari Desert, Auob Road
Date 106 December 2004
Time 12h42
Camera - Nikon D70
ISO 200 & ↑± 0 EV.
Sigma 80-400 F4.5- 5.6 APO OS
Filter – Cokin UV
Focal length - 400 mm
Exposure mode - Aperture Priority - 1/500 @ F10
Flash – Balanced i-TTL
Support – Handheld
Little cropping; H/S; levels; hue/ saturation; S/C; Some USM, , reduced to Site size.
JeanMichel, willie, marhowie, Fisher, Janice, jhm, gerhardt, RAP, Signal-Womb, Lesley, extramundi, milloup, coasties, Luc, sandpiper2, dsidwell has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To gerhardt: Zero InligtingCallie 1 12-16 23:52
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Critiques [Translate]

Composition: ****
Sharpness: ****
Color: ****
DOF: ****
POV: ****
Note: ****

Another great shot, very very good!
TFS.

This even better than you first one (you know how to prepare surprises, Callie!). I love his pose, the way his head seems to come out from an old sweather :-). Lot's of personality in this shot, beautiful desert colors.
Luc(Arjuna) has imagined a crocodile shape in the wood piece. It his the closest. So, two reptiles for the price of one :-).

This dude is quite a poser Callie.
Great composition. Good work once again

Callie, I like this improved version even better. Great POV with this sandmans eye on the camera it seems. Very good sharpness/detail on this hand-held shot. Now this dinosaur can be imagined to be a fossil, albeit a very "gumby" lookin' one! ;-))

  • Great 
  • Fisher Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1540 W: 309 N: 2234] (8915)
  • [2004-12-16 12:45]

A 1000 points. :)

Beautiful picture of the Agamas. Incredible colors. Excelent composition, Callie.

Mike

Great Callie.
Even better than the other.
Excellent post.

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3277 W: 148 N: 6163] (18832)
  • [2004-12-16 14:00]

Thanks Callie. I am seeing so many new things since TN days began for me. And as Ornis said, 'two for the price of one' with this shot of the Sandman and the dinosaur. Your composition is excellent, as usual. Thankyou, Janice

  • Great 
  • jhm Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 893 W: 0 N: 507] (1853)
  • [2004-12-16 14:15]

Callie, het is een juweeltje om naar te kijken, mijn vrouw wil zeker zien wat u weer op geplaatst heeft, want de kleuren en de houding en het ene oog spreek boekdelen, de natuur is voor u een hemel om in te leven door de mooie beelden dat u daar ziet!
Groeten,
john.

Excellent, what an animal !
The dragon and even the wood seems an animal, nice colours, great sharpness !

I love 'em. they are great critters. This shot shows more of him than the previous one. Grewat compo with a shoothing backdrop. Well done Callie.

Het die inliging oor romans en skerpioene gehelp?

  • Great 
  • RAP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2524 W: 345 N: 2373] (7405)
  • [2004-12-16 16:51]

Composition: ****
Sharpness: ***
Color: ****
DOF: ***
POV: ***
Note: ****

Otra interesante perspectiva de este maravilloso reptil.
Es una lástima que no se aprecie su cola en la imagen.
Imagino que por la distancia focal, el foco parece un tanto soft.

Another interesting perspective of this wonderful reptile.
It is a pity that is not appraised its tail in the image.
I imagine that by the focal length, the foucs seems somewhat soft.

Excellent capture and composition Callie. Sharp details and good colour. Great note.

  • Great 
  • Lesley Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 297 W: 13 N: 913] (2988)
  • [2004-12-16 18:09]

What a great shot. I love the mood to this and the composition is super. Great looking lizard.

Although nothing to say about the general effect, I liked the previous one. Very nice colours. Why did you reduce so much?
Thanks!

  • Great 
  • livios Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2150 W: 319 N: 4263] (16942)
  • [2004-12-16 18:31]

Callie, I do enjoy the attitude of our fellow above. Great POV and colors here - they are so vivid. And, as usual, another great note.

I don't agree with calling this chap ugly, compared to some of your scavenging feathered friends he's quite a beauty ;-))
Great capture with good colours and DOF and nicely separated from the bg. Actually, I like this one better than the one from yesterday.

Hello Callie
Not sure which I like best, the lizard or that fantastic branch. Aw, gosh it's gotta be both! Wonderful image. Great looking charachter with awesome colours. TFS

  • Great 
  • Luc Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1835 W: 301 N: 4287] (14767)
  • [2004-12-17 4:21]

Une autre image ŕ la hauteur de ton talent, Callie. Rien ŕ redire.
Merci beaucoup.

This is better than the first shot, spectacular colour combination for a lizard. The composition is very good and yes we can see the dinosaur in the tree. the mugshot in the workshop allows us to see the lovely colours even better. This is a great shot.

  • Great 
  • japie Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1814 W: 100 N: 1904] (5187)
  • [2004-12-17 10:10]

This is stunning. I like the angle and composition very much. Two ancient beasts, You and the sandman :)

Very well done and thanks for posting

I really like lizards, and so was attracted to this image immediately. I do like the previous one just a bit better, perhaps because of the long sleek body being displayed. However, this image is also of great value! The composition is very effective, and your light and use of it is marvelous here.

  • Great 
  • deud Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 438 W: 11 N: 534] (2540)
  • [2004-12-20 8:13]

this is better! here we have two in one shot! and both are great!

  • Great 
  • edji Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 83 W: 8 N: 22] (426)
  • [2005-01-04 15:53]

Very nice photo. I like it a lot particularly because I like lizard a lot. The DOF is very good and the colors too.

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