Graham Harris
June 2026 - Basilisk
About the Image(s)
This is an image of a Basilisk sheltering in the rain in Costa Rica taken in late November 2026. The Basilisk was in a tree overlooking a river - shot from a boat using a Sony R7V with a 200-600mm lens and a 1.5 teleconverter (effectively 900mm) and hand held using 1/320s at F7.1.It was raining and quite dark - used an ISO of 12800. Image cropped and post-processed with Lightroom Classic and Topaz Photo AI (to reduce digital noise). Highlights reduced and shadows opened up.
Regards,
Graham Harris CF FAPS EFIAP EPSA GPU CR-2 PSQA
Graham Harris | Imagery
4 comments posted
Deborah Albert
Love it. I wonder if being down some of the highlights in the leaves would make it stronger. Posted: 06/13/2026 06:33:15
Graham, I'm amazed that you were able to see this in a moving boat (maybe not moving? But still moving a little), hand-hold at 900 mm, focus selectively on the basilisk, at a high ISO and still pull off the image!
At first glance, I really had trouble finding the subject. But enlarged/ full size in PS, it is much clearer and I can see where you have worked on the highlights of the leaves to emphasize the basilisk without going too far. I think you could still pull down the overall highight using LR or CR, but it works well as is. I think you will get acceptances if you enter this as is.
Lillian Posted: 06/13/2026 17:22:45
At first glance, I really had trouble finding the subject. But enlarged/ full size in PS, it is much clearer and I can see where you have worked on the highlights of the leaves to emphasize the basilisk without going too far. I think you could still pull down the overall highight using LR or CR, but it works well as is. I think you will get acceptances if you enter this as is.
Lillian Posted: 06/13/2026 17:22:45
Richard Fisher
This is a strong image and the rain streaks are a real plus. There is a bit of shine on the leaves which could have been removed by using a polarizing filter but that would have cost you 2 stops of light (in an already dark environment). Posted: 06/15/2026 09:57:05
beautifully executed rainforest portrait. Focus is excellent . Depth of fiedl is well chosen as background melts without losing environmental context. Great Work. Posted: 06/15/2026 13:05:37