What herps do you have problems photographing?

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dthor68
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What herps do you have problems photographing?

Post by dthor68 »

I have photographed quite a few species and have never had issues with a snake that could not sit still until today. I am curious to see if anyone else has had problems shooting a Midland Watersnake. Normally I will just shoot them in there habitat, no problem. Trying to shoot one in a studio has been aggravating to say the least. It will not sit still long enough to get one shot. I have several tricks that have always worked well with any other snake. It is a sub-adult, maybe that is the problem.

Would like to hear what everyone's problem animal is.
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Kevin Price
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Re: What herps do you have problems photographing?

Post by Kevin Price »

Name it. Pretty much anything other than rattlers it seems. Small snakes always move and require a lot of work; hatting, cupping with your hand. The fast snakes are also very difficult; racers, whipsnakes, patch-nosed. Rarely see them sitting still long enough to compose a decent shot, and catching them first is almost impossible. Got really lucky my last trip with a desert patch-nosed snake. Quickly caught him, hatted him, and he remained in position as long as I shot him. Most agreeable patch-nosed I've ever dealt with. In my area salamanders can be a little tough as well. They keep moving and they'll dry out in no time, so you have to work quick.
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jamezevanz
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Re: What herps do you have problems photographing?

Post by jamezevanz »

Every time I decide an entire species is just a pain in the butt to photograph I find an individual that cooperates splendidly. Differences in temperament between individuals can play a big part but I think the biggest factor is the animal's temperature. Herps that are a cinch to photo at normal or cool temperatures can be impossible if found "heated up." Defensive behaviors are big too. Snakes that stand their ground rather than run are usually easier because they'll turn and face you. As Kevin noted, rattlers are usually cooperative in this regard, but I've found a few Mohave rattlers that were so spun up and determined to crawl REALLY fast while striking that there was just no way of slowing them down for photos. This was always on a hot night with little cover nearby for the snake to curl up around to feel safe.

Hat trick will usually chill herps out a bit, both by cooling (especially a wet hat) and making them feel secure, but getting a natural pose after they've been curled up in a ball under your hat often just sets them scrambling again.

Repeat offenders that give me trouble:

Sonoran Desert Toads: They jump the second you let go of them or lift the hat and just keep going like a bat out of hell. I got a full body workout photographing my lifer a few weeks ago and every one I encountered afterward was the same way. You have maybe one second to get a shot before they're booking it and you have to jump up, chase them down, and start over.

Shovelnosed Snakes: Itty bitty, squiggly, and always want to burrow or hide their face. I learned recently that by tailing them and gently lowering them to the sand face first, they will hold still as long as its not too hot out.

Rosy Boas: One of my favorite snakes, but they just want to crawl and crawl and crawl. I'm usually by myself when photographing herps and don't have an extra set of hands to reposition critters every shot so rosies give me hell. I think part of it is their gentle and inquisitive nature, even when a big gangly dude is putting a camera in their face. Most show very little fear of humans so they don't react to you, they just pick a direction and go in it. They're too beautiful not to try and take decent photos of, but you'll work extra hard to get shots that do them justice and show their personality.
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MattSullivan
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Re: What herps do you have problems photographing?

Post by MattSullivan »

every salamander alive. They either refuse to sit still or lay flat on the ground for incredibly boring shots. found 40 red eft lifers (yes i know) and it took me 20 minutes with the 40th individual before i got a shot i was happy with as i followed it all over the woods waiting for it to sit still
fvachss
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Re: What herps do you have problems photographing?

Post by fvachss »

I don't trap and pose any animal I photograph so any that are active can be a problem. Fortunately, most of my favorite lizards tend to freeze when they sense danger (i.e. me) in the middle distance and only bolt if I get close. This is why I tend to shoot most lizards with a medium long tele (300 - 420mm). The one lizard species this really doesn't seem to work with is whiptails. These guys always seem to race rather than freeze when they see me - even at a distance. Then it's just reflexes and luck.
reptileexperts
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Re: What herps do you have problems photographing?

Post by reptileexperts »

Hat trick works for me, but there are some species that will not calm down even after the hat, but its mainly small colubrids who flee regradless of what you're doing. Another reason I love hots is most of them stand their ground when confronted, no repositioning required :beer:
dthor68
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Re: What herps do you have problems photographing?

Post by dthor68 »

I have never had a problem with salamanders. Is a mater of fact I normally shoot them with rear sync to get more natural light. In dim woods that means 1-3 second exposures and still very sharp. Sometimes small desmognathus will be squirmy. Garters and racers are normally pretty active at first but when they calm they will sit still until I touch them. I did manage to get 5 good shots of the little water snake before I returned her to her spot. All that handling and she never attempted to bite, weird for a water snake.
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chrish
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Re: What herps do you have problems photographing?

Post by chrish »

I find some toads to be quite frustrating because they won't quit hopping. Other individuals of the same species can be as easy as taking landscapes.

In snakes, small snakes can be tough but they vary by individual. The one group of snakes that has been 100% frustrating to me and has never cooperated in the dozens of attempts I have made to photograph them is Blunt-headed Treesnakes (Imantodes) and Thirst Snakes (Dipsas). The only way I have ever found to get any kind of photo is to put them on a branch, hold on to the tail and get a shot of the anterior part of the body,..or just go for the snake in hand shot. :(

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Tonia Graves
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Re: What herps do you have problems photographing?

Post by Tonia Graves »

For some reason I have yet to get a cooperative Long-nosed Snake to pose for me. Or a Sonoran Coralsnake for that matter. They both are constantly on the move when I run across them. :(
garry
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Re: What herps do you have problems photographing?

Post by garry »

There is some good information in this post. Since I herp mostly by myself, I have issues "posing" critters and at the same time trying to focus, adjust and press the shutter before they disappear into the brush. Very frustrating!
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kricket
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Re: What herps do you have problems photographing?

Post by kricket »

I've found treefrogs to be particularly problematic. They are fine if you don't touch them, but then then you'll generally only get pics of them with their legs tucked up close to their bodies. Case in point this green treefrog I was trying to take pictures of today jumped in my hair, then onto the inside of my glasses, peed on my glasses and jumped away. Which was kind of awesome, but still didn't make for the best picture! :lol:

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Green treefrog (Hyla cinerea) thinks I'm Rapunzel by happylittleclouds, on Flickr
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Antonsrkn
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Re: What herps do you have problems photographing?

Post by Antonsrkn »

I came across my first wild elapids recently, how in the world does someone photograph a large, fast moving, ridiculously venomous snake? I have always been curious as to how some of the Australian photographers get amazing photos of some of the elapids down there, it would seem to me they wouldn't hold still for longer than a second and restraining a snake like that isn't the easiest thing.
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chrish
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Re: What herps do you have problems photographing?

Post by chrish »

kricket wrote:I've found treefrogs to be particularly problematic. They are fine if you don't touch them, but then then you'll generally only get pics of them with their legs tucked up close to their bodies. Case in point this green treefrog I was trying to take pictures of today jumped in my hair, then onto the inside of my glasses, peed on my glasses and jumped away. Which was kind of awesome, but still didn't make for the best picture! :lol:
I can't imagine that would really happen (Litoria gracilenta in this case).

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Antonsrkn,

I agree. I have wondered how someone could take a photo of an Eastern Brown or a Taipan by themselves in the field..
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Antonsrkn
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Re: What herps do you have problems photographing?

Post by Antonsrkn »

Antonsrkn,

I agree. I have wondered how someone could take a photo of an Eastern Brown or a Taipan by themselves in the field..
Yeah, some folks must have nerves of steel, posing a snake like that then getting the right (probably low) angle, and managing the settings on the camera at the same time too. I have a hard time doing all 3 with harmless snakes.

In my case I came across a king cobra crossing the road, It was so big I assumed it was a python! A python I'm willing to tangle with so I ran out of the car barefoot and was within a foot or 2 before I realized my mistake. I scrambled in the opposite direction to a safe distance and watched helplessly as it flowed into the tall grass along the road. I have no idea how I would really slow a snake like that down for photographs without putting myself at considerable risk and probably stressing the snake out to no end.

The solution would be to find one at rest which somehow against all odds I did a month later. If I had my camera I probably could have gotten a photo but I was working and had too much equipment to carry my camera as well. But again, once it started moving restraining it was beyond my abilities.

Even if I had a hook and was experienced enough to use it on a snake like that, I have no idea how I would manage to get a decent pose, handle the hook, keep the snake from escaping, keep myself from getting tagged, and get a decent shot on top of it.

Thats my $0.02 as far as herps that I have problems photographing are, snakes that are dangerously venomous and fast ontop of that... granted its somewhat exceptional circumstances for me but still it hurts that I had 2 chances and missed both of them as far as photographing a king cobra goes.
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pjfishpa
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Re: What herps do you have problems photographing?

Post by pjfishpa »

dthor68 wrote:I have never had a problem with salamanders. Is a mater of fact I normally shoot them with rear sync to get more natural light. In dim woods that means 1-3 second exposures and still very sharp. Sometimes small desmognathus will be squirmy. Garters and racers are normally pretty active at first but when they calm they will sit still until I touch them. I did manage to get 5 good shots of the little water snake before I returned her to her spot. All that handling and she never attempted to bite, weird for a water snake.
I agree with the natural light. Nothing ruins a salamander or frog pic like a flash on a slimy wet body! A tripod and a remote release works for me when working alone. With the remote I don't have to be behind the lens and can focus on getting it to be still for me. That, and I recommend taking a lot of pics. I shoot something like 12 frames a sec or something like that. Moving or not with the right shutter speed I usually get a "keeper" pic out of a series. (Man, what was it like before digital?? Couldn't imaging taking pics like I do with film! LOL) My 2cents.
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chrish
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Re: What herps do you have problems photographing?

Post by chrish »

pjfishpa wrote:I agree with the natural light. Nothing ruins a salamander or frog pic like a flash on a slimy wet body!
unless it is natural light from a cloudy sky on a slimy wet body -

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I shoot something like 12 frames a sec or something like that. Moving or not with the right shutter speed I usually get a "keeper" pic out of a series. (Man, what was it like before digital?? Couldn't imaging taking pics like I do with film! LOL) My 2cents.
This statement belongs in the "spray and pray" conversation in this post - viewtopic.php?f=15&t=16149

And before digital....it was much harder to get good photos.......and it was expensive. You had to think it through and make all your adjustments before you took the photo. There was no "checking the LDC then make changes" or "fix it in photoshop" (For a while at least. Digital image editing did precede good affordable digital cameras).
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Nshepard
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Re: What herps do you have problems photographing?

Post by Nshepard »

pjfishpa wrote:Nothing ruins a salamander or frog pic like a flash on a slimy wet body!
To each there own, but I particularly like salamander photographs taken with a flash. In fact I get sharper photos, better lit photos, and I don't have to worry about a salamander moving as flash freezes most motion and I'm shooting around 1/160th of a sec. Also, I don't have to lug around a large tripod, though I guess I do have to carry around two flashes. A few examples:

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axeman2729
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Re: What herps do you have problems photographing?

Post by axeman2729 »

i have problems photographing queen snakes
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chrish
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Re: What herps do you have problems photographing?

Post by chrish »

South Florida Rainbow Snakes
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krismunk
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Re: What herps do you have problems photographing?

Post by krismunk »

chrish wrote:South Florida Rainbow Snakes
Me too.

... other than that: any and all herps (guess I'm just a lousy photographer :lol: ).

Seriously, though, skinks - shiny buggers that won't sit still :evil:

Snakewise, I had the same problem with all the smooth snakes I've seen (only 5). Hat trick didn't work a bit.

Also, Balkan green lizards - skittish bastards. I've seen about 100, have photos of 2 - none any good :(
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StephenZozaya
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Re: What herps do you have problems photographing?

Post by StephenZozaya »

This Varanus kingorum was the single most frustrating reptile I've ever photographed, being worse than any blindsnake or Diplodactylus. Similar to V. brevicauda and V. eremius, it either refused to remain still or laid flat with its head down—very unattractive.

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Stephen
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BillMcGighan
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Re: What herps do you have problems photographing?

Post by BillMcGighan »

Trans-pecos Copperhead.
Erik Williams
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Re: What herps do you have problems photographing?

Post by Erik Williams »

Mole (ambystomatid) salamanders. I don't even try anymore. They can be all shiny and press their chins against the ground by themselves, I don't want to play. Everything else has been cooperative at some point, but most of the ambystoma are jerks.
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