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The Earth Lion


The Earth Lion
Photo Information
Copyright: Gerhard Theron (gerhardt) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2225 W: 268 N: 4166] (11529)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-06-23
Categories: Reptiles
Camera: Canon EOS 20D, Canon EF 100-400mm F/4.5-5.6L IS USM, Digital ISO 200, Hoya UV-Guard (77mm)
Exposure: f/8, 1/800 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Reptiles - Chameleons 1 [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2006-06-23 13:28
Viewed: 2925
Favorites: 2 [view]
Points: 44
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Flap-neck Chameleon
Chamaeleo dilepis

It has been nearly 10 years since I have seen one in the wild. Today was a special treat and I thought I'd share it with you. Tommorrow I have my annual budget meeting where the groups budget has to be approved. Then it is year end... auditors and VACATION! So I will drop off the radar for a while... but you must be used to it by know :)

Chameleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are squamates that belong to one of the best known lizard families. They are known for their ability to change their color, their elongated, sticky tongue, and for their eyes which can be moved independently of each other. The name "chameleon" means "earth lion" and is derived from the Greek words "chamai" (on the ground, on the earth) and "leon" (lion).

Most chameleons lay eggs, which lie buried for up to 9 months before hatching. Newborn chameleons are surprisingly independent, due to the fact that their parents will have moved away from the clutch long before its hatching. Some species, like Chameleo jacksonii give live birth. Clutch size varies greatly between species, smaller chameleons typically have smaller litters. The young grows on it's own.

Chameleons have specialized cells, collectively called chromatophores, that lie in layers under their transparent outer skin. The cells in the upper layer, called xanthophores and erythrophores, contain yellow and red pigments respectively. Below these is another layer of cells called iridophores (or guanophores), and they contain the colorless crystalline substance guanine. These reflect amongst others the blue part of incident light. If the upper layer of chromatophores appear mainly yellow, the reflected light becomes green (blue plus yellow). A layer of dark melanin containing melanophores is situated even deeper under the reflective iridophores. The melanophores influence the 'lightness' of the reflected light. All these different pigment cells can rapidly relocate their pigments, thereby influencing the color of the chameleon.

I hope you like it.
Fisher, horia, jmp, wishnugaruda, TAZ, liquidsunshine, deud, soccer, scottevers7, coasties, firelord, valy67, PDP, marhowie, Athila, sAner, Luc, vanderschelden has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • Fisher Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1540 W: 309 N: 2234] (8915)
  • [2006-06-23 13:44]

Hi Gerhard,

Excellent shot and comp. The lighting is perfect, the details are excellent. Super work.

Mike

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2047 W: 212 N: 3658] (12174)
  • [2006-06-23 14:00]

Spectacular animal and equaly spectacular picture. I love everything about it: colors, lighting, sharpness, POV...everything!
Really TFS and BRAVO
Horia

  • Great 
  • jmp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1836 W: 94 N: 2338] (8400)
  • [2006-06-23 14:13]

Hi Gerhard,
A really neat image, where details, sharpness, color, composition, pov and bg are working together to make a great portrait. Composition and pose are great too. A masterpiece!
TFS, José M.

  • Great 
  • pilonm Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 542 W: 99 N: 813] (2647)
  • [2006-06-23 15:11]

Hello Gerhard,

What a superb picture with a great diagonal pose from this chameleon! Colors looks very natural to me and even the bg is like a chameleon (meaning that one side of the trunk is from one color and the other, another color!). Details are impressively crisped and you got a fantastic pov! Great work and TFS,

Michel

  • Great 
  • Aramok Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 923 W: 99 N: 1396] (4795)
  • [2006-06-23 15:38]

fantastic light, detail and colours in this picture. composition, pov, dof are all excellent.
just feel need a little more space above the tail though.

TFS

Emma

Hi Gerhard,
that's beautiful, so wonderful warm colours and excellent sharpness. Thank you very much for sharing
Sabine - wishnugaruda

Gerhard,

It is a fantastic picture. Perfect, warm light makes the picture. No nits. Well done.

Jan-Hendrik

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3414 W: 144 N: 5803] (17197)
  • [2006-06-23 20:47]

Interesting notes Gerhard, thank you - I learnt a lot...
And your Earth Lion looks great. Good composition, POV, colours and sharpness. All well done, TFS,
Janice

  • Great 
  • TAZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2395 W: 50 N: 3190] (10896)
  • [2006-06-24 1:16]

Wooow ! What a wonderful and interesting shot that you have very well done ! Great composition in diagonal with nice warm colors. Exposure, DOF and sharpness are excellent ! Instructive complementary note too...
Congratulations Gerhard and thanks for sharing.

Hi Gerhard,
Good detail, colours and sharpness. exposure and lighting are good. Good POV and composition.

Thanks for posting, Have a great weekend.

  • Great 
  • deud Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 492 W: 2 N: 460] (2083)
  • [2006-06-24 3:20]

wowch! great shot. amazing light, colors, focus, composition. fantastic background. tfs

Gerhard,

Enjoy your vacation and remember to post all the great pics when you are back!

A well composied pic that displays excellent lighting, giving the pic a warm feeling. The blurred BG, POV and sharpness make it a quality posting. TFS,
Sheriff

Hi Gerhard,
This is superb! Flawless composiion and framing on the shot. Great quality light here. Beautiful colors and tones due to the spot on exposure. Very sharp detail with a perfect OOF backround!
Excellent camera work.
Scott

Hi Gerhard

A stunning creature. You show him perfectly. His camouflage wortks well on the branch. He must have been hard to see initially. Perfect light and sharpness. Congrats on a magnificent shot. :-)

Hi Gerhardt ! I love this shot ! It is a beautiful Chameleon, with excellent camouflage. Excellent details, colors and textures on the skin, wonderful composition and great DOF and BG. Very well done !
Valérie.

  • Great 
  • PDP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2964 W: 366 N: 3848] (11751)
  • [2006-07-01 18:00]

Hi Gerhard, lovely light on this one. The pose and composition are fantasic. Very well done!

Hello Gerhard,
Perfectly composed, excellent sharp detail, color and natural color/light..Very good DOF, lovely BG and I like the tail wrapped neatly around the branch as well :)
Very well done.

Hi Gerhard,

nice shot, well worth a big green smile. TFS.

Alain

  • Great 
  • sAner Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1654 W: 79 N: 1456] (4742)
  • [2006-07-15 7:38]

Wow! This is an excellent picture my friend. Great composition, sharp focus, good colors and nicely blurred bg. Well done & TFS!

Regards,
Pieter

Awesome chameleon Gerhard, the lighting is awesome and the details are super. Well done! :)

Hi Gerhardt.

An excellent shot of one of my favourite reptiles. The details are excellent. Lucky to capture the eye!:-) Very well done.

Odette

Hi Gerhard,
I don't see anything negative.
In other words: excellent photo!
TFS
Annick

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