I love this! I was so struck by the beauty of the lizard that at first I didn’t notice the rider at all. (Full disclaimer: I am a Lizard Lover.)
At first I thought the rider was too much in the shadows. But then again, I think you I don’t think you intended for the rider to steal any attention from the lizard and his gear. It was all about the lizard, all along. The rider seems like afterthought in the image.
Just one person’s opinion, but I don’t think the image needs the rider at all. It could just be the empty saddle, shining in the sun. I think it might be more intriguing if the viewer had to wonder what manner of being would have a lizard as their ride.
Very good work, I like the atmosphere and the details on the lizard. I think I would like it better without the thing over the lizard’s eye, as eyes give it a lot of life. That’s just personal preference, though.
Top-notch render and very professional result. Amount of details in the scene, work on textures, nice soft lighting, DOF… everything fits together just perfectly. You have quite a good eye for it. It remains me the Rango movie a bit.