Snakes on White

[reptileexperts]

New to the forum, so why not a new thread ;-)

Been photographing wildlife for years now, and having a lot of fun photographing my own collection on a nice what background to make for some sweet stock images in the future, and for my website in general, thought I'd share some of them from last night.

Camera setup: Canon 7D, Canon 17-40mm F4L USM, EX-480ii Flash with bounce. Custom White Backdrop made of highly reflective glossy paper.

General Camera Settings: ISO 200, Exposure f6.3, Shutter 1/500, flash set to manual 1:1.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8065/8194983218_39949dbd5e_c.jpg
Irian Jaya, Pure, 100% het Granite, with traceable origins to the wild

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8337/8193890775_493488fcd0_c.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8340/8194984568_4f83f9c3c7_c.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8489/8193891665_0aceea5e23_c.jpg

Purple Albino, Dwarf, Reticulated Python girl. Bob Clark Line

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8337/8183363611_a152b9a34d_h.jpg

For all the Royal lovers, Champagne het OG

I'll add more when I have access to my links this evening. Enjoy!

[nick654377]

VERY NICE. i love that IJ Carpet. soon to be next on my list.

[reptileexperts]

Thanks, yeah she was the pick of the litter from Nick Muttons collection. I have her and a fairly distant genetically visual Granite IJ for a pair in a season or two. Here's the boy when he was one month old :-)

http://reptileexperts.com/Granite%20Finger-1793.jpg

[nick654377]

how old is the granite ij now? and size?

[reptileexperts]

8 months for the granite, roughly 2', and definitely cranky most of the time.

[alessia55]

Nice! These photos are crisp, clear. Love the ball python one best :)

[millertime89]

fantastic photos! I've been meaning to get a light box to do this myself.

[reptileexperts]

In a bind - you can use dual sided lighting, a controllable flash with a bounce, and 8x10 sheets of photopaper to get the same result. You can also just get a 4x2 sheet of white photography backing from any reputable place like B&H out of new york, for reasonably cheap, and use a flash bounce which was done for these results.

[millertime89]

yeah, seen some of the cheap quick fixes that have been used for the same results, not bad, but when a full light box kit is available on Amazon for under $50 might as well.

[reptileexperts]

Yeah, they aren't too bad - I use a 2'x2'x2' light box for some work, but I prefer my background sheet honestly. Much easier to work with the snakes, and you can get a lot better profile shots. Just my two pennies :)

[millertime89]

makes sense, I don't have anything that's too big right now so a 2x2x2 is gonna work just fine for me, but I can see if you've got something over about 5 ft where that would be a lot easier.

[Rogue628]

Oooo! I really love the retic! :D

[reptileexperts]

I'll go ahead and throw a few more up from the past few months while I've been working on the website :-) Enjoy and feel free to ask questions!

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8199/8187596858_86e2103600_c.jpg
Granite Burmese Python

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8487/8185786181_53cfaaf3ac_c.jpg
Hoping to prove it out as a Super Pastel Genetic Stripe and not just a superB pastel genetic stripe ;-) (female)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8340/8185401785_39ecf1e5d2_c.jpg
In contrast - my Male Pastel Genetic Stripe

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8479/8185399651_1fffed2151_c.jpg
roughly 50% coverage, Pied Ball Python

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8042/8036155408_fcfc7561e4_c.jpg
50% F2 Super Dwarf Tiger Reticulated Python, bred by Travis Kubes

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8427/7826325720_81a11ecec1_c.jpg
My only crossbreed Carpet - 75% Irian Jaya Jaguar

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8428/7784770276_14f12cbbcb_c.jpg
My nice big headed Pure Jaguar Coastal Carpet

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5137/5477510515_72fb838335_b.jpg
and in closing, my cluster of shots of Venomous and Milks (coral snakes were too hard to feed live snakes too all the time, so I used their mimics to educate the public)

That's enough, dial up people, I apologize!

And yes . . . getting a rattle snake into a light tent CAN be quite challenging!

[millertime89]

Your granite burm appears to be grinning in that first picture.
I love what SD does to tiger, breaks up the pattern in the first 1/4 of the snake and lightens it up and adds some much needed color.

[jarich]

Im not normally a big fan of the carpets but that crossbreed you have is quite beautiful

[SWDK]

Very nice and clean pics. Really lets the snakes do all the talking.

[reptileexperts]

Thanks Guys, yeah I do like the concept of photographing snakes on white - coming from the standpoint of a biologist, the focus needs to be on the animal and not the photographer. It's not a "super easy" task to get shots like these, it does take a lot of technique, but the purpose of this is to show off the animals, and truly appreciate their beauty and markings.

[millertime89]

Thanks Guys, yeah I do like the concept of photographing snakes on white.

Black is another good option as well.

[reptileexperts]

black makes the images really quite busy though. only works good for some species

[millertime89]

black makes the images really quite busy though. only works good for some species

Really? I don't thinks so. It does sometimes have a tendency to make the animal appear to float while white you can sometimes see the shadows which appear to ground the animal. I do agree that only some animals should be photographed on black.

[reptileexperts]

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6138/5935014196_74b43089c2_z.jpg

Sometimes I like it like this, but other times i really don't. . . this is one of my OK shots on black - western hognose

[millertime89]

I like that. It adds a darker atmosphere. I think some of the lighter morphs, albino, hypo, and similar, really pop on a black background. You are to be commended for making a hognose look almost evil in that picture, didn't think it was possible! What lense/focal length/exposure were you shooting with?

[reptileexperts]

Exif | Cezar - Western Hognose (Hog-nosed) Snake | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/codyconway/5935014196/meta/)

[jarich]

Was the choice of a 7D instead of a 5D based on finances only or was there some other reason?

[jennuhkins]

i feel the need to photoshop these xD

[reptileexperts]

Jennu, feel free, just no commercial use :-), but have fun with them.

Jarich - I use the 7D for occupational choice. I'm a freelance photographer and most of my work is of Avian nature. I travel central to south america to photograph birds in the tropics, so the 7D offers me a cropped sensor with good ISO performance (after all, 7D is the best in class for crop sensor cameras). If the 5D Mkiii had an optional cropped sensor shooting mode like the Nikon D4, and I believe the D800 even, then I'd be more prone to drop the cash to have the full frame goodness for high ISO performance and ultra wides with my 17mm lens made for FX. But because my primary goal is reach (using a 300 f4 IS with 1.4x Teleconverter for wildlife), I enjoy the extra 1.6x crop factor much greater than having to do super cropping with an FX camera just to get an additional stop of performance. Exmamples:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7020/6468408457_2e1d3c11ff_z.jpg
Smooth Billed Ani - Panama

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6421696809_b2670f4cd2_z.jpg
Fasciated Antshrike

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7198/6866056435_67ab70b3c5_b.jpg
Hoffman's Sloth (Three-toed Sloth, aka Lazy by the locals)

Cheers.

[Wildside]

i feel the need to photoshop these xD

Why? They are wonderful just as they are.

[jarich]

Ya, I can see what you mean. I dont get a chance to shoot in the wild nearly as much as Id like so I prefer the full frame sensor of the 5D.

You got to see sloths in the wild?! That would be a fun trip.

[reptileexperts]

Thanks, it was a fantastic trip. Working on getting my stuff lined up for 8 days in Ecuador in May to stay in Amazonia and the high lands of Mindo.

The Sloths were awesome, but the Night Monkeys were priceless!
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7031/6434408327_78ea7b6746_b.jpg

[reptileexperts]

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7065/6866049679_b103a6c929_z.jpg
Capuchin were everywhere as well, but don't hit them with a flash! They spaz out something terrible. You can see all my shots from that trip here:

Panama Highlight Shots - a set on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/codyconway/sets/72157628313235403/with/6866049679/)

Cheers

[jarich]

Very cool. The night monkeys look very similar to a small eyed version of bush babies in SA. Cute little guys. Very nice pictures by the way. You said you are a freelance. Who do you sell most of your work to? Do you have regular clients? Its a hard world to break into.

[millertime89]

Great shots, how long have you been shooting?

[reptileexperts]

Right now my freelance work is with guns and shooters for Texas Fish and Game Magazine. Did the cover photo for this months issue. I have a new deal for bird photography being worked out still so im waiting on the logistics still!

[reptileexperts]

And I have been shooting for just about 3 years time as far as on a level above hobby.

[millertime89]

How long at hobby with more than just a point and shoot?

[reptileexperts]

I've been shooting with pro-am equipment starting with a Nikon D70, since May of 06, this was just for fun and did not do much of anything other than photograph the herps in the yard, and some of my own stuff, then in 08 I started preparing to take my game up a notch and purhcased a 500mm f6.3 lens and Nikon D200 in preperations for my first trip to Cental America. And in 2010, I started doing it with a purpose and starting taking particular photographs for a particular reason, I think it was early 2011 I purchased a Nikon D7000 to replace my D200 and got my first museam published shot, then in August 2011, I started using Canon gear more heavy. And yeah, still shooting Canon strong and using my nikon with my weak hand as needed.

[jennuhkins]

Why? They are wonderful just as they are.

They are , but when i see a white background i want to make it transparent for some reason ..i dont want to photoshop the snake lol

[reptileexperts]

That's how I understood it :-)

[Pareeeee]

Amazing photography. I'm into amateur photography, I really want to try that white paper thing for my snakes now!

When I get to work today I may buy a sheet of the 3' wide paper from the blueprint machine. It's matte though, would that work ok?

[cat001]

Ooh I definitely like these, very stunning!

[reptileexperts]

Matte paper may give you some texture issues if you are going for a full white out effet - Glossy works best because it is very good at reflecting the light and causing for better white outs. While I haven't tried using matte this is just my hypothesis on how the results would turn out. NOT that having a textured backing would look bad. Just that it would be a different effect. You can get Glossy Poster board in a 3'x2' sheet at HEB Pantry, for $2.50 and some change roughly. For smaller snakes this will work fine, and give you the same effect.

Cat - Thanks~!

[millertime89]

Thanks, I always like to see where I'm at in my development as a photographer compared to others and get critiques on what I could be doing better.

[reptileexperts]

Yeah, just remember that you need to be your own harshest critique. I was never satisfied with my bird photography till I finally just spent hours and hours in the field shooting and nailed what I considered at the time a master of a shot. Since then it's always been about topping it, now since most of my time at home is spent working with the animals, I don't have nearly as much time to get out for fun to shoot, it's either going to do a scheduled photo shoot for Fish and Game magazine, or its just working on getting things in a row for my website. Here's a link to my latest cover shoot -

Texas Fish & Game - Texas Fishing | Texas Hunting | The Gulf Coast (http://fishgame.com/) scroll down to where it says current issue - I did the cover and the centerfold that is shown on the home page. As well as about 10 other gun and product shots for this edition. Most I've had done for a single magazine!

[reptileexperts]

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8485/8218007094_9dcfa70a9c_c.jpg
Dwarf Purple Retic fresh out of shed this AM

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8063/8218006126_40229c8105_c.jpg
50% SD Tiger Reticulated Python, fresh shed couple days back. Photo from this AM

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8068/8218005146_3fe8720f67_c.jpg
Champagne 66% Het mimosa getting some weight on him! Fresh this AM

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8197/8216920925_4b54c7253c_b.jpg
Fresh this AM - Albino Western Hognose, male, packing on the weight and moved up to young hoppers as of yesterday!

Enjoy, please continue to feel free to ask any questions regarding these animals and or pictures

[millertime89]

Yeah, just remember that you need to be your own harshest critique. I was never satisfied with my bird photography till I finally just spent hours and hours in the field shooting and nailed what I considered at the time a master of a shot. Since then it's always been about topping it, now since most of my time at home is spent working with the animals, I don't have nearly as much time to get out for fun to shoot, it's either going to do a scheduled photo shoot for Fish and Game magazine, or its just working on getting things in a row for my website. Here's a link to my latest cover shoot -

Texas Fish & Game - Texas Fishing | Texas Hunting | The Gulf Coast (http://fishgame.com/) scroll down to where it says current issue - I did the cover and the centerfold that is shown on the home page. As well as about 10 other gun and product shots for this edition. Most I've had done for a single magazine!

Yeah, I'm never satisfied with what I take and it drives me crazy. I've received loads of compliments that I don't think I deserve.