Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I see lots and lots of great photos of snakes in trees, around flowers, winding through various plants and scenery. I tried, I mean really tried, to take Belle outside for some nice photos around some flowering plants we have, and I just can't do it. She's not even that squirmy, but holding her, holding the camera, getting everything lined up, just didn't work. This was as good as I could do. I couldn't get her to face me with the plant in the background.

I think a second person might be helpful.

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0.1 Lampropeltis Getula Floridana
1.0 Elaphe Guttata Slowinskii

A second person, or you can use a plastic dark colored bowl and put a little handle on it. Cover the snake with the bowl or box get your camera ready, and then remove the cover and start shooting. It's a trick that's widely used with fast, uncooperative animals. Good luck.

Part of the problem too is that I am so very afraid that they'll get away from me. So I don't really give them enough room to wind through the plant like so many of the great pictures I've seen here. But she gets bigger every day and the bigger she gets, the easier she is to handle, so I'll keep trying.
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0.1 Lampropeltis Getula Floridana
1.0 Elaphe Guttata Slowinskii

If that's the problem, bring the outside....in
Make a little stage with sticks, a potted plant
or whatever props you want to use and shoot so as
to crop out any undesirable background. Lighting
is important (you can't beat natural light) but
keep trying different things, I've used reptile
spotlights, flourescent fixtures etc. You never
know what works till you try it...that way you'll
have the control over the situation and won't always
have the escape possibility in the back of your mind.

Thanks for the great advice. I know it will be rewarding when I start getting an occasional really nice photo of her.

My Kisatchie is beautiful, I just love how he looks, but he's nuts! I can't even begin to get a decent shot of him!
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0.1 Lampropeltis Getula Floridana
1.0 Elaphe Guttata Slowinskii

Just cool the snake a little and it will bask if its use to you(a captive) And remember COMPOSITION is always key. Direction is also key, your pic is upside down. You could also google colors and include complimentry colors in your scene.

And or, patience. hahahahahahahaha patience is numbero uno.

Nice king too. Cheers

Thanks for the tips. I'm going to try again this weekend!
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0.1 Lampropeltis Getula Floridana
1.0 Elaphe Guttata Slowinskii

there's always the fridge,aint tried it YET but ive heard of it,Chill-out LOL Chris

These are all taken in the wild outdoors. Composition and many, many, many pictures is the key. Very nice pics Frank!

Adult Red Milksnake

Adult Toad

Tumblebug

Baby Copperheads

Baby Toad about 1/2" long.

Brandon Osborne
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www.brandonosbornereptiles.com

Here's how I do it. 1st ALWAYS use a tripod. Get everything framed where YOU want the picture to be. Cooling definately helps but its not always nessasary. I usually put the snake down where I want it and hold my free hand over it until it calms then pull off my hand slooowwwly and snap a few pics.
Heres a few.

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Vichris
"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane"- Marcus Aurelius

Vichris Variables

MAN!

That MSP could pass for a syspila if I was scrolling faster. Not that I would, cause I was drooling over each one.

See, that's a simple thing that is counter-intuitive to me: Fix the camera, and put the snake where you want him. I was thinking, hey the snake moves, I have to get in position with the camera, so I chase him around and get nowhere. But I will try the tripod!

Great pictures, and beautiful snakes. My favorite is this one:

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0.1 Lampropeltis Getula Floridana
1.0 Elaphe Guttata Slowinskii