Snapping Turtle

Not quite sure about this one Bruce, I love your thinking outside the box but it doesn't quite work for me although it is fun - is that baleful eye looking at you - or that fly! 

I think the problem for me is that light coloured oof area immediately in front of the face, and a bit too much oof area above the turtle too -but that's just my 2 cents worth.

@ Carol,
I appreciate the honest critique. You hit the intent of my post, as I was trying to turn a familiar subject into something a bit different. The photograph was inspired by a watercolor piece that I had seen a few days back of a dear. The image was very impressionistic with just enough detail to make the subject identifiable. The image posted was taken at the minimum focus distance of my 300 f2.8 and I stopped down 1/2 stop to get enough detail in the eyes and nose. I was lying on my stomach and the foreground rock obscured the face a bit.

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts. I'm an educator and I understand the value of an honest critique.
cheers,
bruce

Thanks for the additional explanation on the image Bruce. I really like the overall composition, and the sharp fly on the rock could be seen as the object of attention of the turtle. I'm with Carol on the oof area in front of the face. If you could've worked around that, and maybe just 1/2 stop more DOF to get the claws slightly sharper, would've made this more successful in my book.

Bruce

I agree with the critiques so far but I really like people who think out of the box. Keep doing that


Graeme