Large iguana in the middle of Tamarido

This large iguana was lounging on a wall in the middle of Tamarindo.  I am sure he would startle people if they were not attentive to such sights.

In the past some people used to eat iguanas, but not any longer.  Supposedly it tasted like chicken.

Some friends of ours from Phoenix recently spent two weeks in our condo, and this is one of the photos that they took.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted  on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are again showing photos from Bhutan, focusing on the people.

An iguana in the tree

Yesterday I showed a photo of a baby iguana in the bushes that it is easy to overlook.  Today I am showing that it is easy to overlook adult iguanas resting up in the trees.

Iguanas spend most of their time in trees.  That is fine with me.  They don't bother people, but it is better for them to have their own space up in the trees.

This week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site we are showing photos of the Great Synagogue of Budapest, Hungary.

Stare down with a baby iguana

Here's looking at you, kid.  This baby iguana kept a close eye on me as I walked on the short path from our Langosta condo to the beach.

It is easy to overlook the adorable creatures with whom we share habitat.

This week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site we are showing photos of the Great Synagogue of Budapest, Hungary.

Baby iguana at eye level

The photo I posted yesterday showed me bending over to take photos of a baby iguana.  Unlike the picture I posted several days ago looking down on the iguana, this is a photo from close to eye level.  That is a much better vantage point for taking pictures of animals, and it is worth the effort even for 60+ year old knees.

This week we have photos from Rabaul, Papua New Guinea posted  on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Baby iguana perched on driftwood

The piece of driftwood that I showed yesterday was a perch for this baby iguana.

This is not a gecko.  Geckos come out at night and have pads, not claws.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos  posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing photos of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea.

A closer view of the baby iguana.

When taking photos of animals, it is usually better to try to get down to eye level.  After taking my quick photo that I posted yesterday to make sure I got a photo without the iguana darting away, I moved closer and down to the level of the iguana. He did not seem to mind.

This week we have photos from Rabaul, Papua New Guinea posted  on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Giant Green Iguana

You are probably thinking I am color blind because I have called this a green iguana, and it is orange, not green.

The reason is that when green iguanas are in mating season, they turn orange or rust color.  The coloration is especially strong in males, and particularly so in alpha males.  Iguanas will change their coloration months in advance of mating, and the color may linger for months.

We have new photos of the colonial architecture of Grenada, Nicaragua posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.

Baby iguana

This piece of driftwood on the beach provided a nice perch for a baby iguana.  The vegetation that lines Langosta Beach provides habitat for birds and iguanas.  At night we regularly see a few raccoons, and an occasional coati.

We have new photos of the wildlife and people of Tanzania our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.

Baby iguana

Yesterday I showed what I consider to be a rather unattractive brown iguana.  So today I am showing a baby iguana.

This is not a gecko, although some people mistake baby iguanas for geckos.  We have geckos, also, but they come out at night.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing photos of the Cliffs of Moher and Galway, Ireland.

Brown iguana

When I walked up to the old, abandoned cattle chute that I have showed the last two days I looked  down and next to my feet was this large, brown iguana.

I like the green iguanas better than the brown iguanas.   The green iguanas have attractive features and coloration.  The brown iguanas simply look like they are left over from the dinosaur age.

We have new photos of the architecture of Grenada, Nicaragua posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.

Iguana

Iguanas are common in the trees in and around Tamarindo.  They are harmless.  I like the green iguanas better than the brown iguanas.

This is a green iguana, of course.  In addition to their color, they have other distinctive features, such as the large scale on their jaw, the dewlap hanging from their chin, and the spikes sunning the length of their spine.


This week we are showing photos from Tanzania on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Baby Iguana

One of the things I like about Langosta beach is that even when you think that you are enjoying a quiet stretch of beach and when you think that you are alone, you often are not alone.  There are birds, and if you look closely, you may spot an iguana.

This is a baby iguana, not a gecko.  We have geckos, but they usually come out night.  Iguanas have pointed toes, whereas geckos have little round pads, which them them vertically and even hang upside down.

This week we are showing photos of the delightful Majorelle Gardens of Marrakech, Morocco, which were owned for many years by Yves Saint-Laurent, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Close up of brown iguana

I like green iguanas better than brown iguanas.  This photo, in comparison with yesterday's photo, shows why.

The scales on on brown iguanas make them look like their ancestors, the dinosaurs.

This week we are showing photos of Papua New Guinea on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  We returned about one week ago.  It was a wonderful mix of native cultures, South Pacific scenery, a total solar eclipse, a volcano erupting at night, and colorful coral reefs.

Green iguana

It has been awhile since I have posted an iguana photo.  This green iguana would be much better camouflaged in some green branches and leaves, rather than a thicket of branches.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  We returned about one week ago.  It was a wonderful mix of native cultures, South Pacific scenery, a total solar eclipse, a volcano erupting at night, and colorful coral reefs.

Baby iguana

This photo shows how much better it is to get down on the same level as a small animal, rather than shooting down on it.  I was able to get the ocean in the background.

I also tried to frame the iguana with the water behind his body rather than the darker rocks, as the rocks would provide less contrast to the color of the iguana.

The challenge of this photo was the depth of field because I was only a few feet from the iguana, and the ocean was well outside the camera's depth of field.  Also, Julie was using our good camera, and I had our older camera which, although it has a 15 times zoom, has no setting higher than f 8, so its depth of field is very limited.

But I can also pretend that I wanted to blur the background so that it does not distract from the subject.

This week we are showing photos of the Atacama desert in the Andes Mountains of northern Chile.  It is a unique landscape.

Baby iguana

While Julie was taking a photo of the iguana from the front, I changed the subject of my photos from Julie to the iguana and moved in from behind.  His tail is about twice the length of his body.

Julie and I enjoy photography together, and we often get different angles of the same subjects.  And of course we have a friendly comparison, not a competition, regarding which photos we like better.

Tomorrow I will show you my favorite angle on this baby iguana.

This week we are showing photos of the Atacama desert in the Andes Mountains of northern Chile.  It is a unique landscape.

Photographing a baby iguana

OK.  My last coupe of posts were a tease.  Here you can see that Julie has found a baby iguana exposed and posing on top of a driftwood log.  Usually we see baby iguanas under the branches and leaves around our condo building.

This little iguana must be brave to stand his ground even when large people are close by and pointing camera lenses at him.

This photo also shows Julie's dedication to getting a good photo. Julie has had several knee and ankle surgeries.  This low crouch might be good for a camera angle, but it cannot feel good on the knees.

This week we are showing photos of the Atacama desert in the Andes Mountains of northern Chile.  It is a unique landscape.

Baby iguana

The bushes around our condo are a habitat for little critters, such as this baby iguana who is resting on a branch.  It is easy to miss them as you walk past, although having a camera with me helps cause me to be more observant.

This is not a gecko. We see geckos at night.  Often a gecko will perch himself upside down from the ceiling of our patio.  Geckos come out at night and have little round pads for their toes that can grip so well that they can hang upside down on a flat surface.

You can tell that this is a baby iguana rather than a gecko because he has pointed claws, and he is out during the day.

This week we have photos of Bangkok on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  If you have not been there, I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the dazzling color and detail.

Iguana

It has been a while since I posted a photo of an iguana.  I have not meant to neglect them.  It is easy to overlook them, as they are so common.  This green iguana seems to have lost his way.  He should be camouflaging himself in branches of green leaves, not these brown twigs.

We are showing photos of Egypt this week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site, including some of the experiences that await tourists visiting the country might enjoy.  I hope that Egypt returns to stability soon so that tourism there will thrive and help the local economy.

Baby iguana

On the little path from the swimming pool gate of our condo to the beach we can often see little baby iguanas in the bushes. For some reason, I see baby iguanas here more often than adult ones. Maybe this is an area where the iguanas like to lay their eggs for some reason.

There are several easy ways to tell the difference between a baby iguana and a gecko. Iguanas have pointed toes and claws, whereas geckos have round pads on the tips of their toes. Geckos usually come out at night, where as iguanas are active during the day.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site. This week we have returned to Chicago to share more of the magnificent architecture of this city, plus a view of sunrise over Lake Michigan.