Posted by:
rainbowsrus
at Sat Jun 28 01:45:13 2008 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by rainbowsrus ]
I've been asked several times about my pic setup and what I do to get my pics. So I put together a series of pics and comments.
First off I am NO expert on taking pics. I use a nice camera (Canon EOS D20) on full auto mode.
This is the area I take pics in, right on top of a combo workbench/hatchling rack I made. On top of the taller hatchling rack behind it is a set of various sized bowls.
Note: None of the setup pics were processed other than reducing to size so most have incorrect coloring.
Lighting is via a track light with a mix of GE Reveal and normal floodlight bulbs. As you can see, several are aimed directly at the top of the workbench.
Oh look, a prime candidate for pics, this is Popeye, an anery BRB that just shed.
Remember those bowls I pointed out? I use a pair with notches in the side to get the snake calmed down for pics. I simply get one started under a pair of bowls with the notches aligned making a doorway.
As he slithers in, I rotate the bowls closing off the opening. Once he's all the way in I put something heavy on top so he can't lift the bowl and get out.
I then clean the tub or do other things for a minute or two so the snake will typically settle into a coil.
Then lift off the bowls....
And there he is all ready for pics already in a nice coil, already in the prime lighting spot.
This next pic was actually the last pic taken, wanted to show the snake in the overall setting..
Now I have the raw pics and they need a little processing to get them looking just right...
This next series is all the same pic as I work the individual changes. I use Picasa and is fairly simple to process the pics into the final image.
Step one, I click on a button labeled "I'm feeling Lucky" That does a lot to fix color and lighting...
Step two, crop away the outer areas leaving only the snake and a little border..
Color is still a little off so I click on "I'm feeling lucky" again. Now the formica top and snake look pretty close to actual color.
Then a little Sharpen....
Last a little bit of added fill light to get the colors as close as possible to actual.
Some other pics I took during the same session, various angles, with and without flash.
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Thanks,
Dave Colling
www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com
0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)
LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders 
lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats  
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 My pic setup....long and DUW - rainbowsrus, Sat Jun 28 01:45:13 2008
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