Animal portraits award

Winner: Warning night light.......

wildlife photographer of the year....winner of: Animal portraits award.....

for the reflection of the: flash on the lowest setting.....just enough to catch the eye shine in the alligator's eyes!

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One evening, while walking along the riverbed of the Myakka River State Park in Sarasota.... Florida......

Larry came across a group of alligators..... It was the dry season......

they had been gorging on fish trapped in the pools......left behind as the water receded from the river.......

One big alligator had clearly eaten its fill.......So he set his tripod and camera up about seven metres away......

and focused on his eyes......Just after sunset......

Larry set his flash on the lowest setting......enough to catch the eyeshine in the alligator's eyes.....

Like cats...... an alligator has a tapetum lucidum at the back of each eye a structure that reflects light back into the photoreceptor cells........ to make the most of low light........

The colour of eyeshine differs from species to species.......

In alligators.... it glows red....... a good way to locate alligators on a dark night. .......

Also: The greater the distance between its eyes...... the longer the reptile...... in this case, very long.....

Larry......incredible picture!.....the alligator from hell :-)

also.....huge distance between the eyes = RUN!

a deserved award!

enjoy!

by: Larry Lynch (USA)
for: wildlife photographer of the year contest