Snappy

On my way into work yesterday, I pedaled past this guy resting alongside the Waubonsie Creek Trail.

The path runs between a creek and a pond, and I’m not sure if he was going from one to the other or was just out to stretch his legs. I stopped and pulled out my camera for a few pictures, which I put up on Flickr.

The nice thing about shooting a turtle instead of a bird is that you don’t have be stealthy or quick about it. I did make sure to take one photo from a distance so I could capture him before he pulled his head in, but otherwise it was like shooting an interesting rock.

He was pretty big: his shell was about 10 inches across from side to side, and 12 inches long from front to back. I don’t carry a tape measure with me on my bike, but I can use my hand to give a sense of scale.

I wanted a clear view of his eyes for this portrait, and briefly considered clearing away some of the grass in front of him. But I decided my fingers were more important than an unobstructed photo.

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