PDA

View Full Version : Smilin' Cottonmouth



Ken Childs
02-09-2010, 06:10 PM
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p193/kjchilds/BPN/IMG_1181.jpg

Canon EOS REBEL XT
Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro
Manual mode
1/640"
F14
ISO: 200
On board flash: On, Fired
CS3

Cloned out a bunch of tiny flash highlights. Cloned over the ones in the mud and towards the back of the snake at 50%.

kostas nianiopoulos
02-09-2010, 06:57 PM
my !! that looks close enough Ken , how close it was ?

Ken Childs
02-09-2010, 07:58 PM
my !! that looks close enough Ken , how close it was ?
I'd guess it was about 18 inches.

kostas nianiopoulos
02-09-2010, 08:01 PM
verry close , but u made a good image any way , well done

Julie Brown
02-09-2010, 08:27 PM
Ken, that scares me just looking at it:eek: 18 inches? I wouldn't want to be within 5 feet of it! Was it low light?

Christopher Miller
02-09-2010, 10:16 PM
Eighteen inches?!! That's too close for me! Excellent detail, Ken. A few areas on the scales look like they might be a little hot? I like the tight crop, focuses in on that beady eye! :eek:

Ken Childs
02-10-2010, 07:31 AM
Was it low light?
Honestly I can't remember but I used the flash to speed things up. When you're squatting in front of a poisonous snake, you want to get your work done as quickly as possible. :D

I'm not afraid of these guys but I do respect what they can do. Cottonmouths have a reputation that they don't deserve. Most of their supposed aggression is really curiosity.

Vida van der Walt
02-10-2010, 08:52 AM
Brave man! Excellent detail and one mean looking snake Ken. Great comp as well with that line from the tip of the nose to the end of the mouth flowing from the URC.:)

Allen Sparks
02-10-2010, 09:52 AM
Love this image. That eye and the scale detail is excellent. I like snakes. Was this on your farm? Maybe some hot whites on the face but I can't tell for sure.

Ken Childs
02-10-2010, 10:59 AM
Love this image. That eye and the scale detail is excellent. I like snakes. Was this on your farm? Maybe some hot whites on the face but I can't tell for sure.
Yes, it was in one of my ponds. The problem for this snake was that the pond was completely dry at the time. :)

The white on its face really is naturally bright white.

Markus Jais
02-10-2010, 03:48 PM
Impressive shot of this snake. I love the very close view. This is not seen often.
Congratulations to a really special image!

Markus

Julie Kenward
02-10-2010, 04:30 PM
You are a braver man than me, Ken! I'm seriously having trouble even looking at it from this close! :eek:

I like the angle and composition - BG is a bit busy for me but I understand you couldn't exactly ask him to move over! Nice eye contact and that's about all I can say because he's totally creeping me out. :o

Peter Farrell
02-10-2010, 04:42 PM
Too close for me. Very nice detail and light.

Charles Wesley
02-11-2010, 07:16 PM
Ken,

Great use of perspective on this " bad boy ". I would have used the trusted EF 100- 400 mm f/4.5- 5.6 IS on this photo but that's just me. How big was the rifle your friend had right behind you.

Cottonmouths when they attack seem to really graps their prey and pump in their venom. Much more serious than a copperhead. They can strike further than one would think. Apparently, you know how to handle one and have great passion for your work..

Thanks for sharing this photo. I can't take my eyes off of this image. He's really staring you down...
____________________
Charlie Wesley
St. Augustine Beach, FL

EOS - 1D, 5D Mk 11, Sekonic L- 358 incident/ flash meter, Sigma mm.15- 30 EX Aspherical DG DF f/3.5- 4.5, Canon 28- 135 mm.f/3.5-5.6 IS, Canon 70 -200 mm.L f/4, Sigma 180 mm. HSM f/3.5 EX DG APO Macro IF AF, Canon 100- 400 mm. f4.5- 5.6 L IS, Canon 500 mm. f/4 L IS, 1.4 TC, 12 & 25 mm. Ext. tubes, Better Beamer, Canon 550 EX flash, Bogen 3221 tripod with Wimberley mount.

Ken Childs
02-12-2010, 07:55 AM
Ken,

Great use of perspective on this " bad boy ". I would have used the trusted EF 100- 400 mm f/4.5- 5.6 IS on this photo but that's just me. How big was the rifle your friend had right behind you.

Cottonmouths when they attack seem to really graps their prey and pump in their venom. Much more serious than a copperhead. They can strike further than one would think. Apparently, you know how to handle one and have great passion for your work..

Thanks for sharing this photo. I can't take my eyes off of this image. He's really staring you down...
I didn't own a 100-400 at the time. That's what I use now when shooting these things.

When you live and feed in or near water, you need to make sure your prey is immobilized as quickly as possible. Land dwelling vipers can follow their poisoned prey by smell but if your food swims away, it's not as easy to track.

My original experience is with rattlesnakes in SoCal and compared to those, Cottonmouths are tame. I would never have tried a shot like this with a rattler although I would never try a close-up of a Cottonmouth if it was in water. On land, they are somewhat clumsy. In water, they move like lightening!

Charles Wesley
02-12-2010, 03:14 PM
Ken,

I hear you on rattlers. When I lived in Virginia, I heard through the Sierra Club about a PhD candidate from Old Dominion University dying from a canebrake rattlesnake bite. He was placing a radio telemetry collar on the snake for research when it struck and hit him in the neck. He was dead before the rescue could arrive.

This same area had cottonmouths everywhere. I always carried a weapon for my protection. Cottonmouths are the only snake that can swim with their head out of the water and they're very fast and you say. I stay further away than other photographers when taking their photos. It's what I don't know that would get me in trouble.

Again I really like your photo...
________________________
Charlie Wesley
St. Augustine Beach, FL

EOS - 1D, 5D Mk 11, Sekonic L- 358 incident/ flash meter, Sigma mm.15- 30 EX Aspherical DG DF f/3.5- 4.5, Canon EF 28- 135 mm.f/3.5-5.6 IS, Canon EF 70 -200 mm.L f/4, Sigma 180 mm. HSM f/3.5 EX DG APO Macro IF AF, Canon EF100- 400 mm. F/4.5- 5.6 L IS, Canon EF 500 mm. f/4 L IS, 1.4 TC, 12 & 25 mm. Ext. tubes, Better Beamer, Canon 550 EX flash, Bogen 3221 tripod and Bogen tripod with Wimberley mount.<O:p</O:p