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The Sandman


The Sandman
Photo Information
Copyright: Callie de Wet (Callie) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1252 W: 106 N: 2659] (7495)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2004-12-06
Categories: Reptiles
Camera: Nikon D70, Sigma 80-400 OS
Exposure: f/14.0, 1/250 seconds
Details: (Fill) Flash: Yes
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): African Reptiles, Reptiles - Lizards, Chuckwallas, Agamas & Tegus 1 [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2004-12-15 12:58
Viewed: 1962
Points: 36
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Agamas belong to the Agamidae Family. Their Afrikaans name is a beautiful description of their behaviour, viz, to heckle. We call them Koggelmanders which translates freely into the heckling man - this is due to their habit of moving their heads up & down in a manner reminiscent of heckling an opponent. This is a large & ancient group of lizards, found throughout Africa & Australasia. They are a sister group of chameleons, & certain researchers place them in the Chameleonidae sub family. More than 300 species are recorded, the majority found in the deserts of Asia & Australia. We have only 2 genera in SA.
Agamas are short, thickset lizards with chapped-like scaly skins & a triangular head. The head is covered in small, fragmented scales. They have a “third eye” in an indentation on their heads, the pineal organ. This registers the changes in the seasonal day-lengths. Their thin tails cannot be cast off like some of our other lizards do.
Agamas are active diurnally & eat mostly ants & termites. Many live in colonies, with well defined social hierarchies. There is a dominant male & female, with well defined breeding colours, while the rest of the group retains mainly dull colours to blend into their environment. A large number of soft-skinned eggs, with leather-like shells, are laid in a hole in the ground.

This a the male ground agama Agama aculeata . More info with later posts on this specific specie.

Over the next few weeks, I will try to share with you a little bit of the magic of the Kalahari – its denizens, the vegetation, the climate etc. So, not every post will be of a lunging beast - there will be some flowers like the Devil’s Thorn already posted, birdies as usual, & some others too, as this agama. Also, some things encountered en route to the park as well.

SHOOTING DETAILS
Venue – Kalahari Desert, Auob Road
Date 106 December 2004
Time 12h43
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 - 1/250 @ F14
Flash – Balanced i-TTL
Support – Handheld
Little cropping; H/S; levels; hue/ saturation; S/C; Some USM, , reduced to Site size.
Luc, willie, ellis49, jhm, NitzanCK, gerhardt, RAP, extramundi, milloup, marhowie, pmende, LordPotty, Lourens, red45, JeanMichel, deud has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • willie Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1023 W: 61 N: 648] (2083)
  • [2004-12-15 13:23]
  • [2]

Pragskoot Callie.
Excellent DOF and good composition and notes.
This is what I have been waiting for from your last trip.
TFS

  • Great 
  • ellis49 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3645 W: 350 N: 8890] (28681)
  • [2004-12-15 13:31]
  • [2]

Great shot Callie.
Never seen this before.
Great colours, DOF and very good composition and details.
Very good note.
Excellent work.

  • Great 
  • jhm Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 660 W: 0 N: 178] (622)
  • [2004-12-15 13:46]
  • [2]

Dank u wel voor de grote tekst Callie, maar de Koggelmander is hier wel perfect weergegeven, de camouflage van het dier is bijna zoals de boom takken, en de poten zijn precies handen, een prachtige foto, en een compliment van mij,
John.

Pragtig sy kop so groen soos ek nou is. :)

Lovely composition pose and POV. Clear and sharp. What else could a girl ask for?

Thanx for showing us this kalahari trip and it's creatures.

  • Great 
  • RAP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2524 W: 345 N: 2373] (7405)
  • [2004-12-15 15:15]
  • [2]

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

Bella presentacion... la distancia, no ha permitido apreciar mayores detalles del reptil.

Beautiful presentation... the distance, has not allowed to appreciate more details of the reptile.

Although the image is a bit small for a full body presentation (why not 800 pix. high?), the composition and lighting is very good. I like very much the tree planes made by the 2 branches and the animal. Beautiful picture.

  • Great 
  • milloup Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 538 W: 48 N: 628] (1704)
  • [2004-12-15 17:27]
  • [2]

What a funny critter, is he green with envy? ;-)) Nice alert pose and POV, unobtrusive background.

Callie, Great sharpness, compostion and I really like this frame you've used. Interesting write-up..These Koggelmanders with their bobbing heads, third eye & colorful bodies make an excellent subject! Well done!!

  • Great 
  • pmende Silver Star Critiquer [C: 38 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2004-12-15 20:44]
  • [2]

Callie, once again a superb reptile photo. Excellent composition, great info, and very handsome subject :)

Nice capture Callie. His head almost looks stuck on. Reminds me of a Jacksons chamaeleon I kept as a pet once...Aristotle.

Hi, Callie. Excellent shot! I like the pose of this critter. Mooi man.

Hi Callie. Very good catch of this beautiful and strange lizard. I guess they are shy and not easy to approach. His pose is interesting, showing very well detailed hands and a great tail texture in the sunny part. Eye is incredible! Now, did you notice you have a sort of prehistoric animal to match this one. Just look at the piece of wood under him. You can imagine a long mouth with a dark nose on top, an almond shape eye, and a round ear just at the right of his left hand. Two in one! That's great art.

  • Great 
  • Luc Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2058 W: 315 N: 4404] (14713)
  • [2004-12-16 4:27]

Salut Callie!
Un lézard sur le dos d'un crocodile, fallait le faire! :-)
Excellent ouvrage: photo et note.
Merci

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2830 W: 75 N: 8024] (26861)
  • [2004-12-16 4:50]

I think this is standard pose for agamas :-) Superb composition, pose and colours. Good choosen BG and DOF. I like it very much!

Great actor in serious part. Proud and beauty. Fine photo.

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

What can I say.... Perfect!
TFS.

  • Great 
  • japie Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1814 W: 100 N: 1904] (5187)
  • [2004-12-17 9:54]

You paid him to pose just for you!! This is beautiful and I look forward to all those shots you were telling me about. The composition is excellent and the exposure perfect.

Very well done and thanks for posting

Excellent use of DOF with a telephoto lens to make the subject stand out. The choice of frame is good also.

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