Reptile & Amphibian Forums

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

and i thought you said you just put them on a table and took pics!! Thats a pretty clever trick you got with the bowls, im off to try that now aswell. I need to try using some photo programs aswell, to get that better sharpness, and light.

very nice set up you got though, i think were all jealous.

was wondering, the overhead lights you got, do they light the whole room, and are you main ones? ie are they on timers, and give the snakes their photo period? or do you individually light all cages?

speaking of anerys, my girl escaped this morning, found her after a little search. The racks should be done by the end of the week!!! Awesome looking white you got on yours, wish mine had that kind of white aswell. Time will tell i guess
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Dave

2.2 Normal BRBs
2.1 Anery BRB
4.4 66% poss het anery BRB
2.5 66% poss het new european line hypo

In the mail from the states
1.1 het hypo BRB
1.1 something special BRB

aims to work out what all my 66% hets really are, and then go from there. Sky the limit, well maybe

Sometimes I do just put them on the "table" aka workbench and they just stay, the bowl trick os for mthose that do not cooperate. And sometimes like my latest rainbow soup pic, several will come out and just stay. That was an amazing photo shoot. My fav pic from that......

The track light is the main light for the room and is only on when I'm in there. I do have a fluorescent light in the closet and there is a window that lets light in for photo period. No individual cage lights that are actually used.

I think if your's does not have that white now, it never will as mine came with that much white - even more.
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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

Great series! Very informative. Ive used similar technique, but like the dual bowl idea. Thanks for posting this.
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God Bless Evolution.

Welcome, yeah, that dual bowl idea came just came to me. I already had the bowls with notches in the sides for hides. Was simple step to put two together and rotate to "close the door". I had heard about using a bowl before but many times that ones that needed it to setle down the most would be the hardest (impossible even) to get under an unmodified bowl.
-----
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

The bowl trick... I can never get them to sit still for anything unless it's under something, like me. Thanks for sharing!

Idiot savant maybe!!!

Some I just use my hand to calm them. The bowl really works well for the really squirmy ones.
-----
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

Wow! Dave, beautiful snake, and cool step by step mini photography lesson as well. You,ve got an awesome set up.

reako45