A dangerous shot

[Snakeguy101]

Hello, I am looking to get some C&C on this shot. It is one of my best shots but I feel like it is lacking that professional quality that I see on here. I just can pick out what it is that I don't like with it so I was hoping I could borrow your more experienced eyes to tell me what it is and if/ how I could fix it.
This shot was taken with my cannon s90.
Thanks in advance for your help.

[TPF Sponsor]

[Biggs88]

I think it looks good. Would you mind if I play with it in Lightroom? Although I don't really know what im doing, its fun as hell.

[ghache]

I think it looks good. Would you mind if I play with it in Lightroom? Although I don't really know what im doing, its fun as hell.

Right click, save as,

[Marc-Etienne]

Personally, I would say a bit more contrast to get more depth in the snake's mouth. More talented people would probably be able to say more, but from my noob's eye, I would say it would be a good start. Nothing you can do about it now, but if the background would be a little less busy. If you would had been able to use dark part on the left as background, the snake would capture more the attention and less would the brown wood behind it. More contrast with the background help focusing on your subject. Something to think about next time I guess!

Awesome capture by the way! How close this lovely thing was away from you?

[Marc-Etienne]

I'm new to PP, but here is what I did. Nothing I can do for the background. What I did is a bit of sharpening, color boost and put the head perfectly vertical. Don't know if you think it's better. I only took 1 min.

[Person]

I'm new to PP, but here is what I did. Nothing I can do for the background. What I did is a bit of sharpening, color boost and put the head perfectly vertical. Don't know if you think it's better. I only took 1 min.

You can try cutting the snake as a new layer, then de-saturating the background to bring out the greens of the snake; so there won't be a clashing of the bright greens against the warmer orange.

[Marc-Etienne]

I'm new to PP, but here is what I did. Nothing I can do for the background. What I did is a bit of sharpening, color boost and put the head perfectly vertical. Don't know if you think it's better. I only took 1 min.

You can try cutting the snake as a new layer, then de-saturating the background to bring out the greens of the snake; so there won't be a clashing of the bright greens against the warmer orange.

Please don't give me more reasons not to work! My master thesis won't write itself unfortunately! It would be worth it to try on the full resolution picture. It wouldn't be too hard of a cut to do. I'm not going to try on the low resolution, but at least that gives snakeguy a start point.

[Biggs88]

Heres my lightroom try:

[Snakeguy101]

okay, how is this?



For some reason when I upload them, the colors get messed up. It is much nicer looking (somewhere in between the original colors and Biggs88 colors) on my computer but you get the idea...

[Snakeguy101]

Personally, I would say a bit more contrast to get more depth in the snake's mouth. More talented people would probably be able to say more, but from my noob's eye, I would say it would be a good start. Nothing you can do about it now, but if the background would be a little less busy. If you would had been able to use dark part on the left as background, the snake would capture more the attention and less would the brown wood behind it. More contrast with the background help focusing on your subject. Something to think about next time I guess!

Okay, thanks I will definitely keep that in mind next time.

Awesome capture by the way! How close this lovely thing was away from you?

The picture was taken with the camera mounted on a tripod that I was holding out vertically and set on a timer so I did not have to get my fingers within striking range. I took about a hundred pictures of her but this is the only one that I think turned out pretty good and in focus. If I had a better camera that would allow for a decent zoom lens I think I would have been able to get some more but I am limited by my budget right now.

[daarksun]

Okay. I'll play. This is a great image to photoshop around with. I increased the texture, detail, contrast and concentrated on bring out the colors in the snake's mouth.

[contyler]

That thing could bite your head. It could even swallow you with your camera.

[Snakeguy101]

That thing could bite your head. It could even swallow you with your camera.

haha, she is still under 2' and is about full grown. She is fat but not THAT fat...

[ddbowdoin]

Okay. I'll play. This is a great image to photoshop around with. I increased the texture, detail, contrast and concentrated on bring out the colors in the snake's mouth.

I WISH I had PS skills like this, wow!

[medic24]