Stills

These featured in our last Attenborough series on the BBC, much to the delight of our young grandson. So that ties in with Matt's remark! It's difficult to tell whether he is a bit somnolent or is about to turn and snap you up! I wouldn't like to test that and trust that you had a telephoto lens on!

Anyway, this portrays him/her very attractively and uses the water and reflections as a wonderful backdrop. The partial inclusion of the left front leg translates into a feeling of potential power.
 

I went on a Croc spotting trip once in Oz. Very touristy to be sure. But we got close enough. Oh yes.

I find these creatures incredibly daunting. One of the few forms of wildlife that I can't look at in a 'portrait' sort of way. Even if I imagine you in some form of photographer compound in an alligator reserve I don't come away feeling happy.

Um, the photo. What can I say. "Bite sharp". A very difficult animal shape to photograph.

Did you consider flipping this at all so that it reads left to right?
 

The green reflection subtly adds to the feeling of the environment.

Again you have picked the 'right' light in which to take the picture, as the texture of the skin is almost 3D.

Great.
 

I like the Cheshire Cat in the water... Composition works well given the lack of a full body to work with here. It slides in to the picture well with the chosen presentation. Some would say this is a little too sharp but it needs it. Perhaps a little more work on its eye to bring out a little more of the glint.
 

Thanks for your comments.

Although Florida's alligators are seldom dangerous if common sense is used, I was quite safe on a boardwalk and, yes, a telephoto lens. ;-)

Colin -- I have not tried flopping the image. Though I don't think it would hurt, I'm satisfied with the way it reads in this orientation.

Since I've had comments about over-sharpening on my last two posts, I'm wondering if I'm getting too aggressive with that aspect of post-processing. My vision is suffering quite a bit from very rapidly growing cataract in my left eye (which is also keeping me from shooting much), so perhaps that is contributing, if it is indeed a problem. Anyway, I'd appreciate more input on that aspect. I hope that a month from now when the cataract is removed I don't look at the past few months' of work with horror!
 

I do not see any evidence of over-sharpening on this image.
 

Sharp, as in ensuring perfect presentation, but not overly so - and I have my best reading glasses on!

But the cataract is not good news and I hope that the op is successful.
 

I think I may have started an accidental hare running with my comment on the previous picture. It was an attempt at humour.

Apart from any other consideration, I am the last person to be criticising sharpening. I sharpen to formula - having very little feel for the subject.

The very best of luck with the eye operation.
 

I concur that the sharpening is just about perfect for this one. Even more so given the subject matter. My comment was more along the lines of "sometimes sharpening hides defects" which is certainly not the case here.

All the best with the eye surgery and hope it all goes as planned.
 

Hmm, perhaps in retrospect my comment reads as critical of the sharpening, which was not the intent. I was actually thinking more about the kind of light needed to get something to have this much definition and how well you have used it here. Brevity, the soul of wit, the body of misunderstanding.

Hope the surgery goes well.
 

Well -- that is a relief. Thanks very much for all the comments and well wishes. One of the difficulties of internet communications sometimes is knowing the tone of a comment! Colin, I took your comment as humor initially, but coupled with Guy's on this one I started to wonder.

The very minor, "easy" eye surgery unfortunately won't take place until mid-May. The hard part is dealing with the increasingly bad vision I will have until then!
 

To quote the BBC: "a florida woman was surprised to find an eight foot alligator in her kitchen"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/7362806.stm
 

That happened in my county though quite a bit north from where I live. The local write up with more details (including the fate of that alligator) is here if you are interested:

http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/article468538.ece

That is definitely what we call a "nuisance gator". It almost always happens when they have been fed, lose their fear and learn to associate people (and apparently cats) with food.
 

I am in line with most of what is written, I just find fasinating the are area around that crooked 'smile'.

As my wife just went through her second of these out patient surgical procedures, you have my best wishes and a speedy recovery. Her second recovery is taking a bit longer than the first, but improving...