The snake is well posed here. The BG is nice and clean and the leaves on the left make a perfect FG. I'm not so sure about the branch on the right. I think that it tends to lead my eye out of the image. Although some might not like the spots of light on the snake, I think that they add drama to this photo and contribute to the effect you are looking for. I would suggest toning down that white stem next to the tip of his tail.
I like the overall green colors of this one and the spot light on the head. Might try to get a little more contrast/detail out of the vertical pupils/eyes and see if you can darken the spot on the branch by his tail a bit.
Very interesting pose, with the problem of mixed light, sun and shade, burning a branch and leaving some of the snake in the shade. Maybe you could have added some flash compensation?
Yes I do agreed that the right stem/thin branch is rather distracting, no chance of me moving (better angle) cos I was shooting on a very steep hill.
Not taking any chances here with a venemous snake and its a very long way down if I started moving my heavy gear and slip !!!!:eek:
That Bright/ Hot spot.......me no good with computers......dont know how to tone it down.......:(
Fabs, the lighting was indeed rather challenging with the wind blowing and so many overhanging leaves and branches above.......however the only reason why I posted this pix is because like Joel said, I do particularly like that shadow and light effect. :p especially the light on its head. ;)
The dappled light on the snake is good. The one bright spot is a problem as a human's eye is drawn to areas of high contrast which make this bright spot a distraction which is not what you want.
In the field, you could have used a diffuser to get the light more even on the subject. In photoshop it would take some careful use of the patch tool and cloning using quick mask (a method of making selections in photoshop) to correct this. Much better to get it right in the field.