My niece, Kaitlynn, at the Virginia Beach Marine Science Center. She had quite a connection with this turtle and spent a good half an hour dancing around with him. I took several photos, but this was the clear winner from the batch.
I was lucky that the tank through enough light back on her face not to cast her in total silhouette; for that matter I was lucky for the tank lighting being exactly as it was as I had already pushed the ISO, shutter speed, and aperture as far as I dare.
I'm interested to see how this is received. I doubt that it will place very well in a challenge that is sure to be full of standout pieces, but it is my favorite shot of the year. I think I have shots that are technically better (thinking specifically of the grain in this one), but this one speaks to me the most.
Statistics
Place: 51 out of 833 Avg (all users): 6.6644 Avg (commenters): 7.8462 Avg (participants): 6.6177 Avg (non-participants): 6.8919 Views since voting: 2246 Views during voting: 676 Votes: 435 Comments: 44 Favorites: 9 (view)
Too cute. Looks like something the zoo/aquarium should have in their advertisements. Love how the turtle is looking right at her and the placement of her hand and her positioning is perfect.
I love the color of the water and the contrasting lightness of the turtle. Having the little girl adds an element of sweetness and wonder to your photo, in my opinion. Great shot! Added to my favs!
What a great shot. Regardless of how it ranks, if that little girl is yours, you should cherish this shot. If she's not yours, find her mommy and daddy and send them a copy... :)