Canon Elan IIe, handheld Sigma 28-105 at 70mm Fuji Superia 400 Exposure unrecorded

Mosaic

Say "Hi" to Slasher, who is one of the Komodo dragons or Komodo monitors (Varanus komodoensis) residing at Zoo Atlanta, otherwise known as the Atlanta Fulton County Zoo, in Georgia. While rare and limited in habitat to a few islands in Indonesia, they are celebrities in the reptile world, for their appearance and size, and their unique method of obtaining food – which is open to some debate, so I'll let you look it up. They were only discovered in 1912, by the 'western world' anyway, and the story of an island inhabited by prehistoric reptiles gave birth to the film "King Kong." Slasher got replaced by a gorilla, I suppose because it would be hard to accept him trying to run off with Fay Wray. That's Hollywood for you.

I liked this shot because of the casual portrait pose, the warm lighting (skylight in the reptile house) and the pebble-texture skin – he looks almost like a bit of artistic statuary here.