Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok I want to start by saying this is NOT DIRECTED AT ANY ONE PERSON. It is also not meant to put anyone down, just a bit of constructive critisism. Its my opinion, and allthough no one asked for it I felt like posting it.

One of my biggest pet peves about reptile pictures (right after shoots with pooo in them) is people who take pics of animals on carpet, especially snakes. I know its the easiest way, but it seems to me that someone wanting to show off a beautiful NATURAL creature would do so in a scene more natural in appearance then carpet.

I only post this, in the hopes, that next time you pull that snake out you love sooo much and want to share a pic of, maybe set it on a log. Or put in on a solid black shirt. If its a larger snake, and the temps are good, set it in the yard.

Again, just an opinion

Mickey Hinkle
The Lizard King Reptiles

I am not going to rip on you, but as far as natural?? I dont think you would see many ghosts hypos or snows in the wild. LOL I do agree natural pics do look nicer, however people like me that live in the cold only get about 20 days a year to take pics outside{atleast it seems that way} I do agree with you in pricipal, although if I only took pics outside I would not be able to take many at all. Craig Kade

heheheheheh, exactly! how many boas would one encounter in the woods of "wherever" USA, how natural is that really? and how many ghost, or other combo morphs is one likley to find in colombia... most likley none.

i deffinatly agree out door pics in 'naturalistic' surroundings are nicer, but as stated above lots of folks live in cold areas. im the opposite, i live in a very warm but arid region,.. the basin.... the LA basin that is. its warm enough pretty much all BUT 20 days a year, however, in a crowded city like LA/Hollywood, not many have the luxury of yards, and local parks are filled with vagrants junkies and worse,.. you want to take youre boa out there? let him 'roam' freely over needles and used rubbers? beyond all that nastiness, theres always tons of people around. i dont wanna be 'that guy at the park with the huge snake' that everyone comes up to or avoids. out side of this forum im pretty discreet with who sees my snakes.
i managed to take one of my larger snakes out to a local park once and thats what i encountered, no way an i letting it loose out there.
there are other more cleanly parks in the area, that offer more seclusion and privacy for photos, but its a bit of an effort to cooridinate when your boas going to drop a fresh shed, with a day off thats the right temp, and be able to drive across town for some pics.

again, i agree, naturalistic pics are the best looking, but its just not in the cards for all of us all the time. so maybe the paper towel in a buss tub look is better than carpet or black t-shirts?

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recycle your pets

Ok guys, I knew this would be one of the responces, so Ive prepaired to respond in advance...lol.

No your not going to run into MANY of the boas we post pics of in the wild (and the way the worlds going, who knows how may boas you will run into in the wild period). That wasnt the issue at all. I dont care if its a screamer bcc, a loved pet bci, or a sunglow.

Next, I live in Nebraska, it was below zero when I took the pic I posted with this post a couple nights ago. I took the pic inside (granted theese are baby boas) and the only added light I used were cheap 4' flo bulbs (two) that were white in color to the eye. The whole set up took up an area no larger then 4', in fact I had one end of the light on the table and the other on a chair. I used a black shirt for background, a large hide log, a live plant the wife had lying around, and a little monkey statue that didnt make the picture. It took me 5 minutes to set it all up at most, and took me maybe 20 minutes to get over 60 shots.

I agree its not smart to take an animal outside if your neighbors will see it, or you dont have a yard, ect. However if you do take advantage of it. If not, get a little inventive and rig your own "studio".

Again Im not ragging anyone, just my thoughts

Mickey Hinkle
The Lizard King Reptiles

agreed, and thats easy to do for the little guys, but setting up a log and 'tropical' background for larger boas, would require a bit more work. i know you werent ragging, and i hope my response didnt seem such either... heres a little guy 'nature' shot,.. i think id need quite a big log to do this for anything larger than 3ft though.

hes all of 24 inches, so its quite easy, but trying to do the same with something 5foot or bigger would be quite an undertaking, assuming they would even cooperate in the first place
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recycle your pets

Great looking shot, thats what Im talking about.

I agree it would be more difficult with a larger boa, however here are a couple of ideas, just for future consideration. Assumeing you have a large enough log, all you would need is maybe a couple of black sheets, and maybe 4- 4ft flo bulbs. Hang the flow bulbs a few feet above the log, lay the log on one sheet, and use the other as a backdrop.

I know its not something thats going to be commonplace, but you have to admit it would be great to see more photos like the one you just posted, and for that to be the norm rather then something to "praise".

I know everyone will say they arent camera savey, ect, but honestly much like setting up a boa cage, if you follow a formula, you should get somewhat uniform result, no matter your skill level. And yes the quality of the camera will make a large difference, but more and more the camera quality has surpassed the skill level of the average user, even on less expensive cameras.

And no, I dont take your comments badly at all, just an open discussion.

Mickey Hinkle
The Lizard King Reptiles

I have been using a 2 megapixel coolpix 2500 for months and I don't think anybody could tell the difference. If anything, the photos have gotten better since I bothered to learn how to use the camera. A 2 megapixel camera can do the job , no need for a 4-6 megapixels to take basic photos.
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Got Bats?

...one of the nicest photo's I've seen in a while truly. I think what is being overlooked in this conversation is that many folks that post pics here aren't trying to post great pictures...they are just trying to share pictures of their animals. While I appreciate great photo shots and I personally usually try to shoot my pics outside or in natural settings...but not always....I don't mind at all seeing pics on carpet, concrete, bedspreads or whatever...many times pics on branches don't show the entire pattern of animals and sometimes objects familiar to us can be used as a reference for size and color....I guess mostly I like great snakes more than I like great photo's and that's where my opinion is formed.
-Dino

thank you, and agreed, its all about the boas in the end, not how well you 'primp' the photo for everyone else. i take alot of 'dark' photos, that dont get a whole lot of attention some times, oh well then i say. i like em!

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recycle your pets

Another great shot, love the contrast.

And you are right it does come down to the snake when its all said and done.

Mickey Hinkle
The Lizard King Reptiles

it doesn't matter.. it's all about the boas, we love to see photos of boas.
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Got Bats?

good topic.

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IF YOU HAVE IT SHOW IT. IF YOU OWN IT FLAUNT IT!!

The POO IN PICS-that's a very good topic...clean the cage, then take pics! But, the take a pic on a log...totally YOUR preference, and there is no reason anyone should have to cater to your preferences for your sake. I understand that it probably looks more natural, but how is a black t-shirt any better than carpet? Just another preference. I would rather take a picture of one of my snakes in their enclosure than go outside and grab some bug infested log to take pics on. This to me just seems like a "I want everyone to do things my way" post and there really is no REAL problem. How many boa pics do you see on aquarium gravel? Looks nice, but is it natural??? NO! It's funny that you recently got the hang of taking nice pics, or so it seems, so now your going to preach to everyone else on how to do it. I'm NOT trying to rip on you, and I have absolutely nothing against you, this post just seems self centered and more geared toward your benefit than the benefit of the animals. Take care!

Paul

I dont think a black shirt looks more natural, it does however show the animal off better, and that is in fact what people are trying to do is show off the animals.

I by no means am trying to holier then thow. I was just makeing a statement based on my opinion. And really I think a quick pick in the cage is a bit different then carpet. As I said in my first post, the carpet thing is just a personal pet peeve. If your going to take it out of the cage, find a more flattering backdrop was the point.

I dont think Im better then anyone, nor do I think my pictures make me special. I was just makeing an observation, and stateing an opinion.

Mickey Hinkle
The Lizard King Reptiles

Besides you have no problem with the pooo pet peeve, I dont see how far of a stretch the carpet one is from that.

Having poop in the cage is a hygiene factor, not an opinion on which backdrop looks more appealing to your eye. It's cool you voiced your opinion, which as I called it, is just a catering request...you don't like pics on carpet, so we shouldn't take any on carpet-right? No problem, but comparing poop(a filthy cage) to a picture substrate consisting of carpet is just silly. Take care.

Paul

Not really when you think about it.

Yes poop is a hygine factor, but its also a natural thing. For any of us to act like it doesnt exit would be foolish. Yet we can all agree its not in good taste for it to be shown in pictures.

And you are correct it is a matter of taste as far as the background. I was just starting a topic for discussion. As I said in my first post, I hoped that maybe with a couple seconds forthought, people would come up with a better backdrop for their awsome animals then shag carpet. And your right its just a matter of taste. I cant help it I come from a art/photography background. I dont see how my opinions on photographs are any less valid for discussion here then snake upkeep. Imagine if this page was discussion only, and no one posted pictures. I would imagine the forum would be a bit less active. Well allong thoose same lines, if photos can make a forum more active, wouldnt great photos only add more to the activity.

Mickey Hinkle
The Lizard King Reptiles

Poop is natural, so you like natural pics. I will go dump a pile of crap in the yard, then take a picture. Would that be considered a good natural background? Come on now Mickey, don't you think your taking it a little far saying poop is a natural background? That would go with your post, and you said in your post that it was one of your pet peeves, so which is it? You don't mind poop in pics, or you consider it "natural". The problem isn't that it exist! The problem is that it reflects a neglect in husbandry by the keeper. I mean if you have no more pride in your collection(as I see it) to atleast clean the cage to take a pic your showing PUBLICLY, what cleaning habits do you have for animals that your NOT posting pictures of??? So, it's not so much I consider poop unnatural and disgusting. I view it as a reflection of the person posting the pictures husbandry practices. Simple as that. A person may clean non stop every day and night, but if you let one stool slip by in a pic, people WILL notice it and form an opinion. So, your right, it's natural, I'll use it from now on in my pics alongside of a log(hmmm....two "logs" in one pic....even better LMAO! Take care. I do agree natural pics look better, but I'm looking more at the animal than the carpet, rocks, plant, etc.

Paul

Paul

I cant help it, I do admit it, I tend to look just as much at the background in a photo as the snakes. Like I said must be the photography/art background.

And now we can take you view on the reflection of husbandry habbits, and apply it directly to my argument. If you consider it lazyness on a persons part not to clean the **** out of the cage before snapping a pic, then couldnt you see how others may consider it lazyness to just toss a snake on the ground and snap a quick pick. However I really dont want to put it that way, as I myself am guilty of doing the exact same thing.

Its obvious we all agree a nice pic is always great to see, and more and more people are posting them all the time. If nothing else thats good to see.

Mickey Hinkle
The Lizard King Reptiles

By the way, I am taking this whole thread very lightly, and I would hope everyone else is also. I dont intend for any hard feelings, and hope none occur.

Hey Mickey, I can see your point to a certain degree, but I hold the two at completely different standards. By this I mean, taking pics is not a requirement and in all actuality, the way you take pics doesn't mean squat as far as a requirement. There is never a NEED to take a picture in regards to proper care for an animal. Now, it is definitely a need to clean cages. No, one pile of dung isn't going to kill your snake overnight, but filthy conditions over time will result in unhealthy animals. So, in that respect I can't even see comparing the two. Now, to feed your ego a little bit-LOL! You took some nice pics, we enjoyed them. Now, aren't you glad your pics stand out? If everyone started taking pics with natural backgrounds, we'd start to see the same pothos plant with the same animal on it over and over, and your naturalistic pics would no longer be any better than anyone else. I also think some of the plain backgrounds are results of people not having the patience it takes to get that one KS worthy shot-LOL. I know I'm personally not going to put a snake in the fridge so it will stay still for a pic, and I'm not going to spend a lot of time trying to take a pic I can post to get a couple ooohhhs and aaaahhhhs from other forum users. It just isn't that important to me. Oh yeah, I'm also taking this light heartedly, we just have differing opinions toward pictures-not a big deal and hardly worth getting worked up over. The discussion of it is fun though. Take care!

Paul

Glad to know you are also takeing it lightheartdly (sp?). As far as my pics sticking out, not too worried about that. I like to see great shots, of great snakes. Anyways I had fun with the back and fourth, better then watching tv all night.

Mickey

This last post sort of clicked differently. So, I'm trying to understand. It's not so much the pic itself, your looking more for other people to step up and use a little imagination with their pics. This could give you some comparisons and even ideas for your own pictures. And not to put anyone down with this comment, but your looking for people in the same league as guys like you and Charles when it comes to taking pictures. So, your artistic background isn't stated as a reason we should take more natural pics, but as an explanation of why you would like us to take more naturalistic pics?????? If I'm way off, just slap me, and I'll re-think it again-LOL! I'm not real sure how to write it as you can see, but I think I sort of understand where your coming from more so now than previously. Definitely better than watching TV!!! Take care.

Paul

I think your getting it pretty good Paul.

Anyone who has met me knows, Im not genius. As such I kinda figure if my dumb a@@ can take nice pics with just a couple seconds of forthought, it would be great to see the rest of us do the same.

Thats all.

Anyways we all have cages to clean, and wifes to ignore dont we.....LOL.

JK on the ignoring the wife remarks, allthough she may beg to differ

Mickey Hinkle
The Lizard King Reptiles

See proof is in the post, should have been no genius not not.

Mickey

I've read statements before about using a rug or other unatural substrate to shoot on and I have to admit I'm 100% guilty of this for my posts here in the classifieds. I wish I had the time, patience, camera, and skills that many of you have but it's all I can do to take a few quick shots, resize them, and post. I buy many animals over the net and a good picture certainly helps sell an animal but I could care less if it's taken on a rug or whatever as long as there's true representation of the animal there that's all I care about. I love the numerous quality pics taken by Charles E. and many others here at the forum. Such unbelievable talent and beautiful animals abound. Maybe someday when my lifestyle isn't so hectic I'll be able to do the same. Believe me the time I'm not spending taking pics is spent caring for my animals and giving them lots of love which is what I really enjoy. And as others have said, it's all about the animals!

I agree that takeing time away from careing for your animals to take pics would be ignorant to say the least. And I am also guilty of the carpet shots in the past.

I would say, that once you find a good spot, and get a set up picked out, its generally just as easy to get a nice shot as it is to get a quick shot. Also one last quick tip, if your camera has the option, you should try and shoot your pics in a smaller format, save some time resizing. My camera allows for 4 different size pics, and my only problem comes when I forget it resets to the large size when I turn it off and on....thats always fun when you get a HUDGE pic when all you wanted was a little one.

Again, I was prepaired to get ripped for my opinion, and I wasnt trying to pick on anyone or put anyone down. Just thought that maybe if we all put just a tiny bit more effort into it we could see even more amazing pics of great snakes.

O, and one last side note to a previous post. Allthough I have begun getting better with my digital recently, especially indoors, I have been into photography my whole life, and also did attend advanced classes during my days in school, not that that matters.

Mickey Hinkle
The lizard King Reptiles

np