Kimberly Lucas Gorgeousgecko.com con artist!!

I have purchased several crested geckos from Kimberly over the last few years. Separate purchases with a couple geckos each time.
She has always shown accurate photos for the animals I have purchased. I have never been disappointed in the quality of the geckos, the color,ect...was always as pictured.
Kim has always been great to deal with. She ships her animals with care,takes good care of them and in my opinion is a top notch breeder.

As a side note, I received a gecko from a member on another forum who saw my photos after I received the gecko and could not believe how dark she was, she had never seen the gecko that dark, ever.....

Also, I had a gecko (recently sold) that fired up to a neon orange, two times! Two times only in two years. I had photos of him like this, but did not use them when going to sell him as I felt it did not happen often enough to be fair in using them for a sale.

>From: Gorgeous Gecko <admin@gorgeousgecko.com>
>To: brian butler <skitzo_xiii@yahoo.com>
>Sent: Thu, July 15, 2010 5:39:26 PM
>Subject: Re: male moonglow
>
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>Hi Brian,
>I tried to get him "fired up" but he really stays pretty much this color. Here
>are some more pictures. I tried to get his underside too.
>
>Thank you for your payment!
>I will be contacting you soon to arrange shipment.
>
>Kim Lucas
>817-657-8588


There is the email of her telling me he doesn't get darker i can take pictures of him in the same position later today, but based on what i can tell it is the same gecko, her pics were just altered. I was told he is 2-3 years old (see email below) and he weighs 44 grams as of yesterday.

>From: Gorgeous Gecko <admin@gorgeousgecko.com>
>To: "brian butler" <skitzo_xiii@yahoo.com>
>Date: Mon, Jul 19, 5:52 AM -0700
>Subject: Re: male moonglow
>
>Hi Brian,
>I purchased him from Jenny Pope. I don't have any lineage on him, sorry. He
>weighs around 41 grams and I'm guessing around 2-3 years old.
>I hope that helps.
>Thanks, Kim

[quote=AltitudeExotics;1055937 I was told he is 2-3 years old (see email below) and he weighs 44 grams as of yesterday.

[/QUOTE]

Ok, it is an adult and therefore not changing colors as it matures.

What are you seeing in the pictures that lead you to believe they are altered?

I am not a photoshop expert so if someone could comment on how they can produce a white gecko without disrupting the gecko's pattern or skin texture that would be great.

BTW, stick any crestie outside in the sun when it is 85 degrees with low humidity and watch how fast it lightens up.

Actually, what is bothering me is that the gecko in Kim's pics is nowhere near 40+ grams.....I have met Kim at a show and she is a petite woman......even if her hands were the size of my gorilla paws that gecko would not be 40+ grams. I am now getting the idea the pics are not altered but they are of the gecko at a much younger and smaller age.

For reference, here is the exif data of one of the photos she originally sent him, including original date of the photo. The data on all of them was the same and the below information is all from just one of the images. From what I can see, no photo editing took place.

EXIF IFD0

* Camera Make {0x010F} = Canon
* Camera Model {0x0110} = Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XTi
* Picture Orientation {0x0112} = undefined (0)
* X-Resolution {0x011A} = 72/1 ===> 72
* X/Y-Resolution Unit {0x0128} = inch (2)
* Y-Resolution {0x011B} = 72/1 ===> 72
* Software / Firmware Version {0x0131} = Picasa 3.0
* Last Modified Date/Time {0x0132} = 2010:07:15 06:29:44
* Y/Cb/Cr Positioning (Subsampling) {0x0213} = co-sited / datum point (2)

EXIF Sub IFD

* Exposure Time (1 / Shutter Speed) {0x829A} = 1/125 second ===> 0.008 second
* Lens F-Number / F-Stop {0x829D} = 56/10 ===> ƒ/5.6
* Exposure Program {0x8822} = manual control (1)
* ISO Speed Ratings {0x8827} = 1600
* EXIF Version {0x9000} = 0221
* Original Date/Time {0x9003} = 2010:07:15 06:29:44
* Digitization Date/Time {0x9004} = 2010:07:15 06:29:44
* Components Configuration {0x9101} = 0x01,0x02,0x03,0x00 / YCbCr
* Shutter Speed Value (APEX) {0x9201} = 456510/65536
Shutter Speed (Exposure Time) = 1/125 second
* Aperture Value (APEX) {0x9202} = 325770/65536
Aperture = ƒ/5.6
* Exposure Bias (EV) {0x9204} = 0/3 ===> 0
* Metering Mode {0x9207} = pattern / multi-segment (5)
* Flash {0x9209} = Flash fired, compulsory flash mode, red-eye reduction mode
* Focal Length {0x920A} = 27/1 mm ===> 27 mm
User Comment Character Code = not defined
* FlashPix Version {0xA000} = 0100
* Colour Space {0xA001} = 65535
* Image Width {0xA002} = 640 pixels
* Image Height {0xA003} = 436 pixels
* Focal Plane X-Resolution {0xA20E} = 3888000/877 ===> 4433.3
* Focal Plane Y-Resolution {0xA20F} = 2592000/582 ===> 4453.61
* Focal Plane X/Y-Resolution Unit {0xA210} = inch (2)
* Custom Rendered {0xA401} = normal process (0)
* Exposure Mode {0xA402} = manual exposure (1)
* White Balance {0xA403} = auto (0)
* Scene Capture Type {0xA406} = standard (0)
* Image Unique ID {0xA420} = decc54fa923ac025b52392799c74993c

EXIF IFD1

* Compression {0x0103} = JPEG compression (6)
* X-Resolution {0x011A} = 72/1 ===> 72
* Y-Resolution {0x011B} = 72/1 ===> 72
* X/Y-Resolution Unit {0x0128} = inch (2)
* Embedded thumbnail image:

Canon Maker Note

* Camera Settings
Macro Mode = normal (2)
Self-Timer = n/a
Quality = fine (3)
Flash Mode = on + red-eye reduction (6)
Continuous Drive Mode = single frame or timer mode (0)
Unknown (0x0001.6) = 0
Focus Mode = one-shot auto-focus (0)
Unknown (0x0001.8) = 0
Record Mode = JPEG (1)
Image Size = large (0)
“Easy Shooting” Mode = manual (1)
Digital Zoom = no digital zoom (0)
Contrast = normal (0)
Saturation = normal (0)
Sharpness = 3
ISO Speed = 32767
Metering Mode = evaluative (3)
Focus Type = not known (2)
Auto Focus Point Selected = 0x0
Exposure Mode = manual (4)
Unknown (0x0001.21) = 65535
Lens Type = Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
“Long” Focal Length of Lens = 55 focal units
“Short” Focal Length of Lens = 18 focal units
Focal Units = 1 per mm
Maximum Aperture = 128
Minimum Aperture = 304
Flash Activity = flash did not fire (0)
Flash Details = internal / built-in flash (bit 13) / E-TTL (bit 3)
Unknown (0x0001.30) = 0
Unknown (0x0001.31) = 0
Focus Continuous Mode = single (0)
AE Setting = 65535
Image Stabilization = 65535
Display Aperture = 0
Zoom Source Width = 0
Zoom Target Width = 0
Unknown (0x0001.38) = 0
Unknown (0x0001.39) = 65535
Photo Effect = off (0)
Manual Flash Output = 32767
Color Tone = 0
Unknown (0x0001.43) = 32767
Unknown (0x0001.44) = 65535
Unknown (0x0001.45) = 65535
* Focal Length
Focal Type = zoom (2)
(Scaled) Focal Length = 27
Focal Plane X Size = 907
Focal Plane Y Size = 605
* Unknown / Flash Information? (0x0003) = 35,16,0,0
* Shot Information
Auto ISO = 0
Base ISO = 288
Measured EV = 108
Target Aperture = 160
Target Exposure Time = 224
Exposure Compensation = 0
White Balance = auto (0)
Slow Shutter = none (3)
Sequence Number = 0
Optical Zoom Code = 8
Unknown (0x0004.11) = 8
Unknown (0x0004.12) = 153
Flash Guide Number = 65535
AF Points In Focus (Used) = none / manual focus / 0 available focus points (bits 15-12)
Flash Bias /Exposure Compensation = 0
Auto Exposure Bracketing = off (0)
AEB Bracket Value = 0
Unknown (0x0004.18) = 1
Subject Distance (Focus Distance Upper) = 27 (in units of 0.01 or 0.001 m)
(Focus Distance Lower) = 35
F Number = 160
Exposure Time = 224
Unknown (0x0004.23) = 114
Bulb Duration = 0
Unknown (0x0004.25) = 0
Camera Type = EOS mid-range (252)
Auto Rotate = none (0)
ND Filter = 65535
Self Timer 2 = 0
Unknown (0x0004.30) = 0
Unknown (0x0004.31) = 0
Unknown (0x0004.32) = 0
Flash Output = 0
* Image Type = Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XTi
* Firmware Version = Firmware 1.0.4
* Owner Name = unknown;{{EM}};;;{{SOH}};;;{{RS}};;;{{SOH}};;;(;;; {{SOH}}
* Camera Serial Number = 30e6-31063
* Camera Information
1024 zero values omitted out of 1024 values provided.
* Custom Functions = 24,1,256,512,768,1024,1280,1536,1792,2048,2304,256 0
* Camera Model = EOS Digital Rebel XTi / 400D / Kiss Digital X
* Picture / AutoFocus Information
Number AF Points = 9
Number Valid AF Points = 9
Image Width = 3888
Image Height = 2592
AF Image Width (as Shot) = 3504
AF Image Height (as Shot) = 2336
AF Area Width = 78
AF Area Height = 78
AF Area X Positions = 8
AF Area Y Positions = 64981
AF Points In Focus = 571
Primary AF Point 64605
Primary AF Point = 8
Unknown (0x0012.13) = 947
Unknown (0x0012.14) = 64981
Unknown (0x0012.15) = 571
Unknown (0x0012.16) = 8
Unknown (0x0012.17) = 504
Unknown (0x0012.18) = 270
Unknown (0x0012.19) = 270
Unknown (0x0012.20) = 4
Unknown (0x0012.21) = 4
AF Points Used = 4
Unknown (0x0012.23) = 65274
Unknown (0x0012.24) = 65274
Unknown (0x0012.25) = 65040
AF Points Used = 4
Unknown (0x0012.27) = 65535
* Unknown (0x13) = 0,159,7,112
* Serial Number Format = -1610612736
* Unknown (0x19) = 1
* Original Decision Data = 0
* File Information = 34,39004,240,0,0,0,65535,65535,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,119
* Lens Type = EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
* Internal Serial Number? = H1083769

maybe no editing took place after the photo was taken, but its very easy to turn the exposure up on the camera and make the gecko look white that way. I bet i can do it right now and post a pic of it.

If you overexposed, I doubt you would still be able to see that blush he has in her photos.

When reading through the rest of the exif data you can see if any of the other settings in the camera itself were changed. But, with that being stated, even if you do look at the photo itself, if any alteration to the colors, saturation, exposure(which would cause major bleeding and blowout of colors), contrast, white balance, etc. Then you would also be seeing those same changes in the skin tone on her hands.
Being that the pictures are very clear, crisp and precise I would say that the images are not altered, including through settings on the camera itself.
That is not to say that the gecko received is anywhere near a representation of the one originally pictured as it is clearly no where near the same.
As someone suggested earlier, taking pictures of the gecko in the same or similar poses as the original photos would help to determine if any minute pattern differences line up between the two.
I would tend to lean towards it being a different gecko altogether. But pictures showing any discrepancies between the original and what was received would definitely help.

ok my camera is dead, but i'll try this later, taking two pics of him, one right after another, changing only the camera settings, and i'll post how much of a color difference i can get.

Originally Posted by Magic Merlin

Actually, what is bothering me is that the gecko in Kim's pics is nowhere near 40+ grams.....I have met Kim at a show and she is a petite woman......even if her hands were the size of my gorilla paws that gecko would not be 40+ grams. I am now getting the idea the pics are not altered but they are of the gecko at a much younger and smaller age.

Even if this is true, i really doubt the gecko put on 15 grams and completely changed colors in the 15 hours is spend getting shipped to me, which means she deliberately sold it as something it is not, to be able to charge more for it.