Coady snaps memorable shot of alligator in infield

Kurtis Coady of Coady Photography captured an unforgettable image during the running of the $150,000 Louisiana Legacy at Delta Downs last Saturday. He snapped one of the longtime residents of the infield, an alligator, sunning himself as the field ran down the backside.

To snap the photo, Coady laid on the ground about 20 feet from the alligator. The picture is an optical illusion, as the horses are racing farther away from the alligator than it appears in the photo.

Coady watched the alligator sit for a few races. He said he knew alligators were not as aggressive in the winter months because of a book report he wrote on them in the sixth grade, so he made his move for the photo, crawling close to his subject, and was rewarded with a shot that has been wildly popular on social media.

Coady, 34, is a co-owner of Coady Photography and a son of the late photographer Jeff Coady.