gator yaaAAAaawn Photo

Photographer’s Note

as a teen I was so taken by the books of Gerald Durrel that I ended up working in the Riga Zoo on weekends and summers, and have been fascinated with animal world ever since. no wonder my friend had hard time getting me out of the Everglades during our recent trip to Florida :)

this is the american alligator (alligator mississippiensis) in the Everglades Alligator Farm. american alligator is one of the two living species of alligaators and native only to the southeastern United States. the inside of their mouth is so sensitive that the moment something touches it (like a very small branch the farm worker gingerly brushes against the gator's mouth), it snaps close instinctively with what I could best describe as a very terminal sound.

zmey, Piwowarski, scroller, gunbud, plimrn trouve(nt) cette note utile

Critiques | Translate

zmey (7282) 2007-06-13 10:00

I like this shot a lot. The alligator's face is crispy in focus and the expression is "a killer". Funny, how it appears as if the "model" is about to bite another gator's head... :)

sowhat (981) 2007-06-13 11:05

Great shot, with a well controlled DOF to create a dialogue between the foreground and the second plan while the blured background still gives an indication on the alligator pupulation there. Excellent texture and well chosen composition, very dynamic.
TFS,
Ioana

melmcree (2261) 2007-06-13 14:02

Excellent timing. I've seen a gator snap like you mentioned and its a sight to see. Your light is very good on the main focus.

Piwowarski (169) 2007-07-11 7:31

Beautiful shot, nice DOF, well lighten frame.

Regards, Tomasz

scroller (2883) 2007-08-01 7:49

Need for a good dentist?

Nice cath and a good angel.

Thanks

/Stefan

aofl (1085) 2007-10-02 11:45

Good shot
The aligator is it hungry or yawnning?
How knows.

gunbud (28107) 2008-06-14 19:49

Hi Kristine,
You have capatured a beautiful toothy smile on this handsome dude's face. The sharp derails are particularly scarey with that pink opening to his large gullet so well seen.
Regards, Tom

goodwill (4033) 2008-09-26 3:27

Its a terrible shot Kristine...........indeed a close shave. He is posing for you................while enjoying the Sun.
Great observation

Rajeev

plimrn (19688) 2008-12-16 9:01

Hi Kristine,
This popped up in random and I really couldn't resist. It's quite an amazing work with the sharp detail of that formidable mouth agains literally layers of alligators.

Speaking of terminal sounds.....The first beach I visited in Australia seemed strangly empty for such hot weather. As I was considering where to enter the water, I spotted a sign, "Warning Danger! Crocodiles, sharks, poisonous jelly fish." Needlessa to say I didn't enter the water in at that beach, north of Port Townsend!! I didn't even see one, but somehow, I could hear that snapping in my mind.

HLJ, Pat

smarcell (14541) 2009-02-11 5:22

Funny moment, and also funny "background".
Very crowded place !
Regards Stefano