Rattlesnake oldie

Gallery: WildlifePosted April 12, 2013122 views8 comments

Northern Pacific Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis oreganos) from Henry Coe State Park, SF bay area, CA, from 2003

Nikon Coolpix E990 (my first digital - 3.3MP)
1/170, f/8, ISO100 @ 23mm
shot as JPG, no crop

I've been getting ~$1000 prosumer digital cameras since 2001, and the first was the E990, and I used it for 4-5 years doing mostly close-ups/macros of reptiles and amphibians. This shot has always been one of my favorites, and Ajit's cobra shot reminded me of it. Every couple of years I try whatever post processing I'm currently using on it to see how it comes out, so this is with LR4, which I've just started using. LR4 has clearly made sharpening more accessible to me, my previous inexpert fumbling around in PS with this picture would always end up with unwanted details getting emphasized.

The E990 had a swivel head and screen you could use as viewfinder, so you could get low close-ups like this without getting your head too close.

The camera was at arms-length, probably 12-14" away from the snake.

Comments

8 comments

Comment posted by Jim Zablotny on April 13, 2013 at 9:19 AM

Jeff,

You did very well with the harsh lighting and your placement of the snakes head in the shot is ideal. Plus you did not flinch

...................Jim

Registered on January 17, 2004, 705 Posts, 3594 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on April 13, 2013 at 7:26 PM

I like the composition and the way the snake fills the frame. Good sharpness on the head. Nice look at the scales and scale pattern. Apparently we don't need 36 megapixels to get a good photo???

Registered on January 28, 2005, 879 Posts, 12098 Comments

Comment posted by Ed Williams on April 14, 2013 at 12:30 PM

Cool close up shot Jeff. It is getting to be that season again in California isn't it. It always amazed me that we would get rattlers right in the middle of Sacramento along the American River Parkway. Kind of have to watch carefully.

Registered on December 28, 2010, 636 Posts, 3499 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on April 14, 2013 at 6:33 PM

Nicely done. I think 12 to 14 inches isw pretty darn close to such a subject!

Registered on December 9, 2007, 258 Posts, 9892 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Teller on April 14, 2013 at 7:34 PM

Nice color, composition, detail and sharpness.

Registered on August 23, 2010, 1162 Posts, 6692 Comments

Comment posted by Ajit Huilgol on April 17, 2013 at 8:01 AM

Wow! That is close, Jeff! I'll take chances with cobras any day, but not with rattlers!

Registered on December 19, 2008, 302 Posts, 2055 Comments

Comment posted by Jeff Lewis on April 17, 2013 at 4:16 PM

Thanks for all the nice comments and indulging my low tech reminiscence. In return I promise not to post any images from the Apple Quicktake 100 (0.3mp) I was using in 1995

I did of course spend time working up to the macro, I probably spent a good 15 minutes taking pictures from further back and moving slowly around and it didn't seemed bothered by me at all, didn't rattle or anything. Plus it was behind a log that was between us, and the macro picture was taken just up over the top of it, so there was plenty between us if it started to seem agitated. Thanks again everyone.

Registered on January 29, 2013, 9 Posts, 89 Comments

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on April 24, 2013 at 4:56 PM

I'm guessing is was a cool morning as well, so the snake was slower than usual?
Because even "at arms-length, probably 12-14" away from the snake", it's risky business alright..
Great details/results with your P&S Jeff.
I remember the one & only time I ran into a full sized rattler here on our land.
It was a first encounter of the worst kind

I went one way, the snake the other

Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments