Herp-a-day (pt II)

milmoejoe · Post by **milmoejoe** » June 12th, 2010, 4:30 am

After tons of posts and a clean slate...back again

((dodges tomatoes))

Here's a northern copperhead. Shot behind nasty zoo glass in a weird mix of flourescent (UVB), tungsten (spot) and ambient light with an off-camera strobe.

Canon 20D, 100mm/2.8 macro, 1.4x, st-e2, 550EX, softbox.

It was initially a trash picture, but after some tinkering in postprocessing, I like it.

Chad M. Lane · Post by **Chad M. Lane** » June 16th, 2010, 8:11 pm

I can't believe no one has posted on this yet? Well here is not the best shot, but a really good find for me, since this was from a unrecored area/population.

California Tiger Salamander larva.

Nikon D700, Tamron 90mm, R1C1 kit.

Manual, 1/100th, F/29.

Cheers,
Chad

milmoejoe · Post by **milmoejoe** » June 17th, 2010, 6:29 am

Cool shot, Chad. I'm working on a project on Appalachian salamanders and finding it tough to work with the aquatic species in habitat. Aside from getting them positioned, autofocusing, glare, and stirring up the water are each a pain!

Here's a pair of amplexing Agalychnis callidryas from Costa Rica.

Canon 20D, 100mm 2.8 macro, Mt-24 twin lite flash
ISO 200, f/11, 1/250th sec

AndyO'Connor · Post by **AndyO'Connor** » June 17th, 2010, 6:52 am

I really liked this shot when I took it, so I'll start with it. Western Yellow-bellied racer. I liked the shallow dof but some people have mentioned they would have liked it better if the tongue was a little more in-focus, but I think it would be distracting from the eyes.

Sony H9
Canon 500d diopter

milmoejoe · Post by **milmoejoe** » June 17th, 2010, 8:34 am

Very nice, Andy! I like the eyes and scales. With that type of shot, I'da left the tongue OOF as well. It might also look good stopped down (a ton), but then you might loose the opportunity to get fast enough shutter speed in natural light.

AndyO'Connor · Post by **AndyO'Connor** » June 17th, 2010, 8:48 am

I did used a very soft flash here, and thought about cloning out the catches on the tongue, because overall it was mostly natural light that helped me, but thanks for your compliments and suggestions.

mikemike · Post by **mikemike** » June 17th, 2010, 5:50 pm

Crotalus scutulatus - Mohave rattlesnake from Los Angeles County a couple nights ago.

milmoejoe · Post by **milmoejoe** » June 18th, 2010, 6:11 pm

beautiful snake, Mike!

mikemike · Post by **mikemike** » June 18th, 2010, 8:37 pm

Thanks Joe and great shot, Andy. I think it's better with the tongue out of focus as well.

Chionactis occipitalis occipitalis - Mohave shovelnosed snake -Riverside County. Another from this week.

R.Lynch · Post by **R.Lynch** » June 19th, 2010, 7:46 pm

Glad to see that the Image Lab is back up and running again! I always enjoyed viewing the fantastic shots people shared during those weekly topics!
Here's a contribution to this thread:

Imantodes cenchoa from Belize.

Nick Scobel · Post by **Nick Scobel** » June 20th, 2010, 2:59 pm

Sistrurus catenatus catenatus from Michigan

Chad M. Lane · Post by **Chad M. Lane** » June 20th, 2010, 7:44 pm

Nikon D700, Tamron 90mm, R1 kit, SB-800 External Flash.

1/80th, F/14, ISO 200, M.

Cheers,
Chad

AndyO'Connor · Post by **AndyO'Connor** » June 21st, 2010, 10:06 am

Some great shots so far. Heres a trio of ensating that i stacked up and got lucky they all held still for me.

mikemike · Post by **mikemike** » June 21st, 2010, 4:53 pm

I love the stacked ensatina shot, Andy! Glad to see it again.

Coleonyx variegatus bogerti - Tucson banded gecko - Pima County, Arizona

Nikon D80
SB800 flash
ISO 200
F/32
1/200 sec.

Chad M. Lane · Post by **Chad M. Lane** » June 22nd, 2010, 10:52 pm

I am quite fond of this image I took a few weeks ago of a young Rubber Boa.

Nikon D700, Tamron 90mm, R1, and SB-800.

1/100th, F/20, ISO 200, M.

Cheers,
Chad

AndyO'Connor · Post by **AndyO'Connor** » June 23rd, 2010, 9:58 am

very nice boa shot Chad.

This shot wasnt anything special to me except that it was hard to get flash into the crack and I had to manually focus by moving the camera closer after the autfocus kept grabbing rock about an inch in front of the salamander. cave salamander

mikemike · Post by **mikemike** » June 23rd, 2010, 10:33 am

Sweet shot, Andy.

Salvadora grahamiae grahamiae - Mountain patchnose - Santa Cruz County, Arizona

Nikon D80
SB800
1/200
F/7.1
ISO 200
Manual

kevinb · Post by **kevinb** » June 24th, 2010, 2:19 am

Horseshoe Whip Snake Hierophis hippocrepis Spain

Chad M. Lane · Post by **Chad M. Lane** » June 29th, 2010, 12:10 am

Not the best shot, but a Lifer for me, from a few days ago. I have a posed shot of another one too I'll post later. (I was with a person Mike W. who has a permit to handle, and take tissue samples, so I was helping him out, and was able to legally pose another animal though I only got 2 shots before she booked it).

Female Blunt Nose Leopard Lizard in-situ.

This is like a 100% crop, D700, Tamron 90mm.

Cheers,
Chad

AndyO'Connor · Post by **AndyO'Connor** » June 29th, 2010, 5:15 am

It's been done before, but I liked this shot considering it was through dirty zoo glass and very poor lighting.

Nick Scobel · Post by **Nick Scobel** » July 1st, 2010, 10:49 pm

Juvenile Five-lined Skink from Michigan

Canon EOS 350D
Canon EF-S 100mm f/2.8
Canon Speedlite 430EX II
1/125
f/10
ISO 400

mikemike · Post by **mikemike** » July 3rd, 2010, 1:20 pm

Phrynosoma hernandesi - Juvenile greater short horned lizard from Cochise County, Arizona.

Nikon D300s
1/250
F/11

Nick Scobel · Post by **Nick Scobel** » July 4th, 2010, 9:51 am

Smooth Green Snake - Opheodrys vernalis

Canon EOS 350D
Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Canon Speedlite 430EX II
1/80
f/13
ISO: 200
Focal Length: 22mm

Saunders · Post by **Saunders** » July 8th, 2010, 8:58 pm

Emory rat snake
Nikon D-70

Antonsrkn · Post by **Antonsrkn** » July 8th, 2010, 9:27 pm

Its an older image that some of you have seen before, but I like it quite a bit.

Cope's Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis)

justinm · Post by **justinm** » July 9th, 2010, 7:26 am

Western Ribbon, I know it's not an exciting species but I thought the shot came out well.

Matt J · Post by **Matt J** » July 10th, 2010, 7:10 am

Long-tailed Salamander (Eurycea longicauda longicauda)
Found on Thursday. Nothing earth-shattering but I have been unable to get a decent picture of one before and was pleased that I could simply get this one to sit still long enough in a natural posture. Unfortunately it was 85*F and very humid so my lens would fog up instantly whenever I brought my camera out, looks like it made all of my pictures "soft" that day.

Canon Rebel XSi, EF-S 100mm f/2.8 macro, onboard flash
1/160th sec.
f/16
ISO-400

Mike Waters · Post by **Mike Waters** » July 12th, 2010, 1:59 pm

Crotalus Scutalatus

Canon 50D
105mm macro
f/16
1/200 sec.
ISO-200
430ex

Chad M. Lane · Post by **Chad M. Lane** » July 25th, 2010, 8:26 pm

Northern Pacific Rattlesnake.

Nikon D700, Tamron 90mm, 1/200th, F/20, Flash SB-800 + small soft box, R1 kit. Taken at night.

Cheers,
Chad

justinm · Post by **justinm** » July 26th, 2010, 4:58 am

American Toads

brick911 · Post by **brick911** » August 4th, 2010, 9:01 am

I really liked this shot. Juvy Coluber constrictor constrictor

I don't remember the particulars, but can post them if anyone's interested.

Canon Rebel T1i EOS 500D
f/2.8 100mm Canon Lens
On board Flash

justinm · Post by **justinm** » August 10th, 2010, 5:17 pm

Spiny Softshell

F 3.5
1/60th
flash fired
100mm

mikemike · Post by **mikemike** » August 16th, 2010, 10:27 pm

Phyllorhynchus decurtatus - Spotted leafnose - Riverside County, California

Nikon D300s
1/160
f/25.0
ISO 400

Shot late on a moonless night in April.

DCooper · Post by **DCooper** » August 19th, 2010, 11:59 am

Northern Copperhead
Kodak Easyshare C613

kevinb · Post by **kevinb** » August 20th, 2010, 5:56 pm

Mallorcan Midwife Toad, Alytes muletensis Majorca Spain

Only discovered in 1980 previously known only by fossil records

Chad M. Lane · Post by **Chad M. Lane** » August 23rd, 2010, 11:06 pm

Sierra Gartersnake in-situ.

Cheers,
Chad

r.edwards · Post by **r.edwards** » August 24th, 2010, 1:40 pm

here is a hyla from yesterday...

canon gear
50D
MPE-65 macro
580II flash with an aurora diffuser

1/250
f13
ISO200

r.edwards

Nature Nate · Post by **Nature Nate** » August 30th, 2010, 5:58 pm

guess the camera

Trimorphodon biscutatus lyrophanes - Baja California Lyresnake

Matt J · Post by **Matt J** » August 31st, 2010, 12:43 pm

Nature Nate wrote:guess the camera

Canon Powershot A1000 IS. What do I win??

justinm · Post by **justinm** » August 31st, 2010, 1:35 pm

Speckled Kingsnake

Nature Nate · Post by **Nature Nate** » August 31st, 2010, 9:15 pm

Matt J wrote:
Nature Nate wrote:guess the camera
Canon Powershot A1000 IS. What do I win??

-um yeah

what made you say that instead of nikon coolpix? is the lens shadow that different?

Just to test you, what do you think I took this one with?

Dan · Post by **Dan** » September 1st, 2010, 7:44 am

Not a particularly hard snake to find once you are in the right place, but I like how this photo came out.

Balkan Grass Snake, Natrix natrix, from the Pirin Mountains in Bulgaria.

Matt J · Post by **Matt J** » September 1st, 2010, 1:37 pm

Nature Nate wrote: Just to test you, what do you think I took this one with?

Haha, Canon Powershot A590 IS

Nature Nate · Post by **Nature Nate** » September 1st, 2010, 2:19 pm

Matt J wrote:Haha, Canon Powershot A590 IS

ok, so is it somewhere under right click, inspect element or...? I don't get it

Matt J · Post by **Matt J** » September 1st, 2010, 2:37 pm

Nope, just pure black magic.

Yeah, just by right-clicking on the image and viewing the EXIF data. I use Opanda

Nick Scobel · Post by **Nick Scobel** » September 21st, 2010, 9:14 pm

Canon 400D
Tamron 75-300mm
1/160
f/8
ISO: 200
Focal Length 192

StephenZozaya · Post by **StephenZozaya** » September 22nd, 2010, 12:40 am

Eastern spiny-tailed gecko Strophurus williamsi

Canon 7D
Canon f/2.8 100mm macro
1/250
f/22
Canon 430EX II left and above with the 7D on-board flash for fill

Ames · Post by **Ames** » September 24th, 2010, 9:00 am

Here is one of my favorites from this year.

Jefferson Salamander | Ambystoma jeffersonianum

Panasonic DMC-FZ8

shutter: 10/300 sec
f-stop: f4
aperture value: f/2.8
ISO: 100
focal length: 6mm
flash: fired

P.S. I'm not sure I should ask this here, but here goes. Is there an easy way to get EXIF data? When i get file info in PShop, i can't copy the info (not selectable). And What's up with my shutter info (10/300) and aperture value/f-stop isn't that the same thing? sounds like software vs. analog aperture? Any input much appreciated.

Wow some great shots folks.
I'm so damn excited, new camera to be delivered today!!!

justinm · Post by **justinm** » September 24th, 2010, 10:17 am

Ames wrote:Here is one of my favorites from this year.

Jefferson Salamander | Ambystoma jeffersonianum

Panasonic DMC-FZ8

shutter: 10/300 sec
f-stop: f4
aperture value: f/2.8
ISO: 100
focal length: 6mm
flash: fired

P.S. I'm not sure I should ask this here, but here goes. Is there an easy way to get EXIF data? When i get file info in PShop, i can't copy the info (not selectable). And What's up with my shutter info (10/300) and aperture value/f-stop isn't that the same thing? sounds like software vs. analog aperture? Any input much appreciated.

Wow some great shots folks.
I'm so damn excited, new camera to be delivered today!!!

I use FireFox browser so for me it's pretty easy. I went to Tools and then addons, it takes you to a firefox site with addons for your browser. I choose one of the EXIF viewer programs there. Then once installed I just right click a file and choose view EXIF and there it is. I also use Adobe photoshop Lightroom and it shows my EXIF on the right hand side of the Develop tab.

Matt J · Post by **Matt J** » September 30th, 2010, 9:02 pm

Two days ago I was out, and after taking 3 terribly frustrating pictures of this young longtail salamander (Eurycea l. longicauda) I decided it wasn't worth the stress to either of us and let the uncooperative salamander go back under its cover. I was reviewing my shots at the end of the day and saw this one actually had the animal in focus, and it could be cropped tighter to make a salvageable pic, almost like it was peaking through the moss

Canon 450D with 100mm f/2.8 macro and onboard flash
1/200th sec.
f/14
ISO 400