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Eye Am Watching You - TBN 3


Eye Am Watching You - TBN 3
Photo Information
Copyright: Loot Eksteen (loot) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5652 W: 595 N: 3349] (8909)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-02-15
Categories: Reptiles
Camera: Cannon EOS 350D, Canon 60mm EF-S f/2.8 Macro USM, Digital ISO 400, UV 55mm Marumi
Exposure: f/2.8, 1/60 seconds
Details: (Fill) Flash: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Reptiles of Africa, Reptiles - Monitors, monsters, & dragons 1, A study in Herpetology, Touched by Nature [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2006-02-27 21:51
Viewed: 1388
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 24
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Water leguaan/Nile monitor - Varanus niloticus

The 3rd delivery in the "Touched by Nature" series.

This "eye" belongs to a Water leguaan and is a follow-up posting to the original upload of the "Surprise visitor" that can be viewed here.

Through the symbolic use of this eye I want to inform/warn you lovely people at TN that: Just as you are watching nature through your lenses and render your encounters via the medium of photography, so too nature is watching you.

We have a great responsibility to preserve and maintain the natural environment. Not because it is dependant upon us, but because we are dependant upon it. It is a paradise with so many wonders to be discovered within it. So many people on earth miss this while they are living right next to it. They do not see the beauty because they do not look into it. They do not get touched by it. They do not revere it. They rather rape and destroy it.

We have to do our part to stem the tide. We need to lend a helping hand wherever we can. We need to find something to do in preserving that which is precious. We need to actively get involved in some conservation programs. We need to help with the process to educate, to guide, and to create awareness. We need to be responsible and disciplined within ourselves and take care that wherever we go on our journeys or expeditions, to capture all these lovely photos we see on TN, that we leave nature in the same condition or even better than the way it was before we arrived. As it is said: "Leave no evidence of your presence other than your foot prints. Take nothing else then your photos".

May I quote something that Luc Dorocher (Luc) once said to me (I hope you have no objection to it Luc):

"The best way to change the world is to change oneself, I think. My vision of seeing Nature has changed a lot since I take photos. Many people share the same sadness about the way the things are going now. But I have confidence in Nature. Several species have disappeared from the surface of the earth. We depend on Nature, and not the reverse, as we think it with pride. Humanity lives actually a severe crisis of adolescence. Either we pass through it with courage and determination or we commit suicide, a suicide assisted under the intransigent eye of Nature".

Friendly regards.
Loot

Camera settings
ISO setting – 400
Aperture – f/2.8
Shutter speed – 1/60
Focal length – 60mm

Post Processing was done with Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0.
Nicolas, Janice, Paulosousa, klemmg, anavazao, Dyker, Miss_Piggy, Rehanna, betsie has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

An other great details picture of you Loot.
Thanks for this instructive macro.

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3400 W: 144 N: 5774] (17110)
  • [2006-02-28 0:46]

Eye can see you too Loot! Superb, wonderful macro, tyou are so close yo him. Well done,
Janice

Hi Loot,
Beautiful close up with a great sharpness. I like the darkness but with a nice reflection in the eye.
TFS,
Niek

  • Great 
  • wuta Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 870 W: 2 N: 606] (2034)
  • [2006-02-28 14:48]

Hello Loot ,Very nice macro shot ,great details colours sharpnes ,very good ,
Greeting Teunie .

  • Great 
  • klemmg Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 302 W: 40 N: 484] (1719)
  • [2006-03-01 16:53]

Great close-up, wonderful texture and colours. Could be improved to show even more of the texture by choosing a higher f/stop to increase depth of field. Difficult under light conditions, at ISO 400 and 1/60 you did not have much leeway without artificial light and/or tripod. You managed well! Great note too.
Gabi

Hi Loot,
That's very close!
Excellent macro shot, good details and sharpness.
Thanks for sharing!

Hi,
great idea, note, details, composition...
Nice work!
Ana:)

Very good picture of the reptilian eye. Great macro! Good work!
Gen

  • Great 
  • Viera Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 85 W: 0 N: 79] (484)
  • [2007-03-02 9:34]

Hi Loot,
very interesting sight at the eye of varan,
its gaze looks like it is waiting for its prey.Superb macro, good details and sharpness.
Regards
Viera

  • Great 
  • Dyker Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 137 W: 0 N: 58] (164)
  • [2007-05-15 0:37]

Hello Loot
What an important lesson you brought us through this 'watching eye'. If only people can adhere to this call then we will not see all the litter and waste around our country side and especially at our holiday resorts and nature reserves. It is absolutely atrocious to see some of these sites at the end of each day after everyone have gone home. How sad, when you speak to some people and ask them why they do it, the response is a sickening: "We are providing job opportunities for those people who must do the cleaning-up". What a twisted point of view. Anyway, a lovely close-up of this leguaan with very sharp focus and good colour definition. You were well in command of the fill-in flash to contain the light on the very shiny surface of the scales.
Greetings
AC

Hello Loot

'n Waardevolle les voorwaar en een wat juis in die huidige Suid Afrika so waardevol is. Daar is so baie mense wat hulle glad nie steur aan die natuur en as ek net byvoorbeeld kyk na die enrome hoeveelheid rommel wat die węreld vol gestrooi word dan krimp ek klaar ineen. Duidelik is daar geen respek of liefde vir die natuur nie.

Hierdie is voorwaar 'n pragtige foto Loot. So skerp en vol uiterste puik besonderhede van die likkewaan se oog, vel en skubbe. Elke enkelle skub kan getel word en is duidelik sigbaar. Ek het nooit kon droom dat daar so baie kleure op 'n gewone ou waterlikkewaan se vel kon wees nie. Iets heel besonder om te aanskou en dit sou nie moontlik gewees het indien dit nie vir jou puik foto was nie.

Groete
Rehanna

Net een woord - ongelooflik!!

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