The Daily Norm’s Photo of the Week: Catalan Lizard

When I was recently in the process of choosing some miscellaneous shots of Barcelona to tantalise you all with, I came across this photo, recently taken on my weekend away to Barcelona. So beautiful is the shot (not by virtue of my skill, but rather because of the wonder Mother Nature again) that I felt it had to be featured all on its own – this beauty can’t be allowed to get lost in the pack. With its stunningly patterned scales looking like delicately applied beads, and its characterful piercing gaze looking straight at the camera, this little lizard (and it really was little) is a true beaut.

I’m still surprised that I managed to capture the shot. Using the close focus application on my Sony Cybershot, I had to hold the camera pretty close to this mischievous little lizard in order to take the shot. It was a delicately balanced game of stare-out for us both. The lizard didn’t dare to move because he didn’t know what would happen if he did. I didn’t dare to move in case he scuttled away (and these guys move fast). Slowly I took the camera nearer, closer and closer, holding his gaze until “click!”, I managed to take the photo before he shot away at lightening speed.

I love the defocus on his long curling tale, which contrasts wonderfully against the hard focus on his head and frontal body. Then in the middle, the focus ebbs away, in a kind of haze, such that you can almost feel the heat exuded by the sunshine on that wonderful Barcelonian day up on the Montjuic hill.

That is why my lizard is The Daily Norm’s Photo of the Week.

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