The Most Interesting Lizard in the World
May, 2014Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
The photo was take at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, CO. The monitor lizard was located in the Reptile building where there were many great exhibits with beautiful colors. The snake exhibits had marble bases that complimented the snakes colorings. This exhibit catch my eye because of the contrast between the greens and blues against the brick background.Time
The photo was taken in the afternoon after the animals had been feed and were out in the exhibits.Lighting
The lighting was great for this picture. It was mostly natural lighting from a window near the exhibit. The natural lighting really brought out the colors and was diffused just the right amount through the frosted glass.Equipment
This was shot with a Canon 5D Mark II and a 55-200mm lens. No other equipment was needed.Inspiration
I was browsing through the exhibits with the family when the brick wall caught my eye. This little lizard seemed to be posing just for me! I loved how his blue scales and brown eyes complemented the red brick. When I took the photo I wanted to make sure the expression on his face was the main focus and made sure the background was nice a blurry. He does look like a sassy little lizard, maybe even the most interesting lizard in the world!Editing
I shoot mainly in RAW format so prior to converting the image to a jpg I adjusted the contrast slightly to make sure the lizards scales popped. That was the only processing that was completed on the photo.In my camera bag
I normally carry my Mark II with the 55-200 lens, the 100mm lens, and the kit lens that came with the camera. I also carry a speedlight with the cord to take it off camera and a remote for the shutter. The other items include miscellaneous stuff such as extra batteries, grey cards, reflectors with different colors (gold, silver, white), CF cards, a tripod, and of course snacks! I also have a Samsung nx300 and a Nikon as back up cameras.Feedback
Patience is very important when photographing animals. I would have never got this shot if I hadn't sat for a while observing the animals wandering around their exhibits. The use of natural light is also important. Waiting for the proper time of day when the light is shining through the window at the correct angle to illuminate this particular location. I made sure my aperture was set correctly for the blurry background and the shutter speed was quick enough to stop any movement the lizard made. Seeing beauty in everything is my goal as a photographer. I always keep my camera ready even when I'm in the rooms of creatures most people think are repulsive. Everywhere you look, there is some kind of beauty, you may just have to work to find it.
