It’s often been said about opossums, “They’re so ugly they’re cute!” Not the case here. This one is just plain cute! Look at that face! The Virginia opossum (often just called 'possum) is the only marsupial found north of Mexico.
Type of Critique Requested
Aesthetic: Feedback on the overall visual appeal of the image, including its color, lighting, cropping, and composition.
Technical: Feedback on the technical aspects of the image, such as exposure, color, focus and reproduction of colors and details, post-processing, and print quality.
Specific Feedback and Self-Critique
I just really like opossums. I have a handful that hang around the property. I thought this was a fun look at this one.
He is so cute, Terry. Do you know if this is a joey or an adult? Also, I thought they are more nocturnal than daytime? Or am I miss reading the photo? Great shot.
Pogo redux!! You have a lovely stage here, with good lighting, a pleasing FG, the BG nicely subdued and a nice low vantage point. Very nice sharp focus and a nice pose! Looks like a young’un?
You could make a wildlife book for your area! You get such a variety of animals in your yard, it’s great! And you have such nice little photo studio areas for them! I think opossum’s are cute too! I’ve only seen them a few times and once there was one at night hanging on our bird feeder! It was so funny!
Thanks @linda_mellor and @Diane_Miller. To your questions, I don’t knw how to tell one 'possum from another when it comes to gender/age. But I would agree it’s probably a youngster, judging by it’s appearance.
It’s true, @linda_mellor that opossums are mostly nocturnal, but I see them often at dusk, which was when this photo was taken - about 6:30 yesterday evening. I just happened to have good light on that spot in the yard.
Thanks @Vanessa_Hill ! Yes, I’m blessed with a good amount of wildlife. A deer pranced across the front yard about 7:00 this a.m. while I was filling bird feeders. Btw, I had a possum scare about three years off my life many years ago. I always brought the bird feeders in at night, and went out after dark one night to gather them. I was busy with a ground feeder, next to a feeder hanging from a tree branch about head high. When I straightened up, the hanging feeder was about a foot from my head, and there was a possum sitting in it which hissed loudly at me. I jumped straight in the air, and looked like one of those cartoon characters trying to run while in midair, but can’t get any traction! I always take a flashlight with me, now…
Oh I love this portrait. They are so interesting and I am jealous that you have such close contact with them (the hanging bird feeder incident aside). I think people get a bit weirded out by the naked tale. Far too rat-like. As a matter of fact, if you watch the Dracula movies with Bela Lugosi, pay particular attention to some of the castle interior scenes. Opossums were used as rat stand-ins during some scenes. Very weird, but I bet people hardly noticed.
Thanks @Kris_Smith. Yeah, I get the aversion to the tail. They do resemble a large rat. I didn’t know that about the Dracula movies! Learn something new all the time. Here’s another fun shot of the same possum.
That’s hilarious! That would be a scary sound at night, not knowing what it was! I love the second photo too! It looks like he is posing for you. The two photos together make me think of graduation photos!
