Western Diamondback

[Greg Payne]

Canon 7D
ISO 800
f8
1/640
70-200 2.8
200 mm

No crop here. Levels adjusted in lightroom. Some sharpening, detail extractor in photoshop.

[Tobie Schalkwyk]

Nice one. Eyes sharp and as cold as can be...

[edwardselfe]

Hi Greg,

I really like your composition here and the extended tongue with just a little movement in it to give some life.

I do, however, think it's quite overexposed, unless you are going for the high-key look, in which case I think you need to drop the blacks a bit, and perhaps even increase the whites more. I feel that you are in between the 'normal' exposure and the high key, and not really one or the other.

For me, the colours and details here are really nice so I would go for something more like this. Hope you don't mind me playing around.

Ed

[Greg Payne]

Thanks for the comments. Ed, I like your repost and darkening. I'm always worried about going too dark.

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Greg, i am impressed by your tight portrait of this snake with 200 mm. Any safety precaution for yourself ?

Great low POV and comp . The tongue out is a big bonus.Ed has addressed the tonal issue? nicely in his RP .Asking curious about your usage of the DE , how many % have you used the tool ?
The neck area on RHS looks sharper than the head specially the eye is looking a bit flat compared to that area on RHS .
With these close up shots i think you need a bit more DOF , at least F 11 is the better choice .

TFS Andreas

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Greg, a lot of good points have been raised by both Ed & Andreas and I do like the RP by Ed addressing the tonal aspect. I think in the OP the use of DE was a tad too much, producing a more 'gritty' look & feel, I think when used, it should be with a lighter hand, similar when using Shadow/Highlight tool in PS. I take my hat of to you getting so close with this lens, happy to view from the safety of my monitor screen. The wild flowers offer a nice environment to the image.

TFS
Steve

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Greg - Better you than me this close to a rattler. He does look fierce and nicely timed with the tongue extended. You've received good advice above and Ed's rp has really improved the image. The wildflowers and splash of color in the bg add to the image. I agree about the use of DE.

It would be great to hear your thoughts on other images. We recommend commenting on at least 3-5 other images in the Wildlife Forum each time you post your own image in Wildlife. It helps create a sense of community and is one of the best ways to learn and get the most out of BPN.

TFS,
Rachel

[Steve Canuel]

A nice, frame filling composition with the flowers providing a hint of habitat and splash of color. Edwards RP brings out some nice color and texture from your OP.

[Greg Payne]

Thanks all for the help. I love shooting critters as much as birds. I'm just learning about the look I'm looking for. I was at the Santa Clara ranch and Hector was watching the snake for me.

[Morkel Erasmus]

Lovely close-up and sinister look here! I agree with comments about the tones and grittiness of the original post made above.
The repost is an improvement in this regard.

[Daniel Cadieux]

I had a hunch the image looked a t ad bright when first viewed...the repost addresses that beautifully. Excellent composition, tongue out with some neat movement blur at the tip. Love the flowers adding punch to the BG.

[shane shacaluga]

Repost really brings out all the details that seem to have been lost in the original

BG and composition work great and the flicking tongue complete this nicely

Love the low point of view

TFS