An Iguana suns itself on the rocks in Tulum, Mexico. Canon EOS XSi EF-S 70-300mm at 300mm f/7.1 1/400 ISO 250

The animal twitches in the sun. Flies have settled on it’s tail and it lazily flicks it against the rock to dislodge them. The heat from the rocks radiates up into it’s body and the lizard settles into the warmth.

I wanted this picture to be a study in composition. I saw the opportunity to divide the picture in two with the brightly lit rocks on the left and the dark background on the left. The line that separates the two areas is very sharp and clearly defined not just by differences in tone but also by the shift in focus. The background has been thrown out of focus and this makes the sharp edge of the light rocks even more distinct. However, the element that really makes the picture effective is the fact that the focal point, the Iguana, bridges these two areas. The viewers eye is drawn either up or down the the dividing line between the two areas and towards the lizard. It’s head points out into the negative space of the shadow and is clearly defined there.

-Russell