Fall Copperhead

[rdodson]

One of my MANY snake images...

 

[photogoddess]

Awesome shot. He's scary looking.

 

[Harry99]

Good shot. very unusual colour eyes, although I am no expert on snakes.

 

[nomav6]

love this picture, do you have any of a copperhead's full body, these are some of my fav. snakes

 

[rdodson]

The eyes of all the copperheads I have seen match the head of the snake. I use a 105mm macro which allows me to get just a few inches away for good eye shots. Quite pretty.

If you're intererested in seeing some full shots of coppers you can see them on my reptiles page at, http://www.photoservancy.com/reptiles_and_amphibians.htm

Thanks everybody for looking and the nice comments.

 

[nomav6]

I love copperheads but this pic is my fav.
http://www.photoservancy.com/DSC_0097speckled1.JPG
Great work, I hope to get out and do some herping when summer comes back around

 

[Himalayan]

Cool! is it a wile snake, or home keeping snake?

 

[rdodson]

All my snake images are of wild snakes photographed in the field.

I have a zoo page on my site, but the vast majority of all my images are of wild animals on location. I always specify if it's a captive animal.

thanks for looking!

 

[Harry99]

The eyes of all the copperheads I have seen match the head of the snake.

Thanks for the info. We don't have many snakes here in the uk, I have only ever seen 2 in my life, grass snakes I think!

 

[rdodson]

I love copperheads but this pic is my fav.
http://www.photoservancy.com/DSC_0097speckled1.JPG
Great work, I hope to get out and do some herping when summer comes back around

That speckled rattlesnake was a very lucky find.. It's probably the least seen of California rattlesnakes. I only had a couple of days on that trip, so I kind of lucked out finding that snake.

I hear ya on summer... Herp pics are my favorite to take, they don't make much money but they are still my favorite to work with by far. Can't wait for spring!

 

[Big Mike]

What is your technique for getting macro shots of wild venomous snakes?

I would think it would be very hard/dangerous to be that close while trying to get the narrow DOF just right.

 

[rdodson]

What is your technique for getting macro shots of wild venomous snakes?

I would think it would be very hard/dangerous to be that close while trying to get the narrow DOF just right.

It has it's risks. I get a lot of "dude, you're effing nuts" but honestly it's somewhat safer than it looks. Before I take the extreme closeup pics I take plenty of time to understand the dispostion of that specific reptile and I give it time to calm down and become accustomed to my presence.

The reality is that biting is the last resort for the reptile, using it's venom is in fact a negitive consequence for the animal. They don't use it lightly.

But basically it boils down to patience and understanding the snake and it's limits. Really, one can list dozens of little things to do to make it slightly more safe. I have litterally taken thousands of venomous snake images and have yet to get tagged. The closest I've come to taking a hit, I didn't even have my camera in my hand. In all honesty, I expect one day I will be bitten, it just sort of comes with the trade.

One specific thing to remember when photographing pit vipers, it will not always strike at the lens, but will often aim for the hand. Unlike most snakes that strike at the closest object, pit vipers strike at the warmest object.

Obviously I love doing this and accept the risks. If this is something you want to get into as well feel free to e-mail me with any other questions.

 

[Big Mike]

Thanks.

I do have an interest in photographing reptiles, snakes in particular. There are not many around here due to the climate though.

I have a few "pet" reptiles of my own (all captive bread) that I try to photograph from time to time. Also, I'm a member of the Edmonton Reptile & Amphibian Society so I have access to a number of captive reptiles that I could photograph as well.

When doing an extreme close up like this...do you use a tripod? Do you rely on the animal to move into your DOF or do you move the camera? Any other tips?

 

[Trig]

Fantastically clear macro shot! Also, that last post you did was really interesting, thanks for that.

 

[rdodson]

Thanks.


When doing an extreme close up like this...do you use a tripod? Do you rely on the animal to move into your DOF or do you move the camera? Any other tips?

When photographing WILD snakes a tripod is a luxury one often doesn't have. I have two macro lenses, 105mm and 180mm. 95% of the time, I use the 105mm, largely because it is easier to hand hold. I just move with the animal. If it's too dark to get a decent shutter speed, one can use a bean bag. I some times use the pouch that my sb-800 flash came in. Mobility/flexibility is the key.

If possible it's really nice to have a "helper" to wrangle the snake in front of you and hand different peices of equipment. It's a lot safer too. I wish I had that luxury more often.

You mentioned having access to captive snakes, that is helpful. You can photograph in a studio environment. Honestyly, you'll probably get better images that way.... but it's not as much fun!