Favorite photo of 2011

JJuLLiAAn · Post by **JJuLLiAAn** » January 13th, 2012, 12:21 pm

Let's see them. I didn't take very many herp pictures this year but I did get my macro lens and did alot of macro photography this year.

I'll start

Taken with my Nikon D3100 and my Tamron 90mm macro with my on camera flash with a homemade diffuser to get the flash up to where it needed to be.

I'm not sure if this is my favorite picture from 2011 but it is the one that has the best DOF and lighting.

mikemike · Post by **mikemike** » January 13th, 2012, 4:16 pm

It's tough to pick just one, but I think this baby scute takes it for me...

Crotalus scutulatus - Mohave rattlesnake, Maricopa Co. Arizona

Nikon D7000
1969 Nikkor 55mm Micro
F/11
1/250 sec
ISO 160

JJuLLiAAn · Post by **JJuLLiAAn** » January 13th, 2012, 5:07 pm

Wow I wish I made that photo in my archive. Really like it.

Hans Breuer (twoton) · Post by **Hans Breuer (twoton)** » January 13th, 2012, 5:27 pm

Of all the herp and non-herp pix I took last year, I think I like this photo best. Obviously, it's a highly personal choice, what with the kid being my son Karl, but I think it also has a lot of atmosphere. There's trepidation, there's heroism, there's a dare in the air ("u think u tuff, buster, huh? well, then TOUCH IT!"), it's an interesting composition, and the snake's metal-like hues create a contrast to the boy's soft features and the pink blossoms on his shirt (not that I realized any of that at the time

). Incidentally, it was shot with my niece's idiot box. Maybe I should stop calling it that...

(Kopstein's Bronzeback (Dendrelaphis kopsteinii), full thread here.)

JJuLLiAAn · Post by **JJuLLiAAn** » January 13th, 2012, 5:45 pm

That snake looks drawn, really nice capture.

bgorum · Post by **bgorum** » January 13th, 2012, 8:07 pm

I’m kinda partial to this one. This coachwhip had just lost a great plains skink down this burrow and I think you can see the consternation in the snake’s facial expression.

crocdoc · Post by **crocdoc** » January 13th, 2012, 8:50 pm

'Near home' favourite for 2011: This male water dragon was posing nicely in-situ, allowing me to take a number of shots at various focal lengths and f-stops. I liked this one because of the way the sharpness and clarity of the lizard (in the original, anyway, as it is lost at this resolution) make it stand out against the out-of-focus background:

'On holidays' favourite for 2011: Alligator in the Everglades. At the original size/resolution the alligator looks like it was painted in.

JJuLLiAAn · Post by **JJuLLiAAn** » January 14th, 2012, 9:02 am

bgorum wrote:
I’m kinda partial to this one. This coachwhip had just lost a great plains skink down this burrow and I think you can see the consternation in the snake’s facial expression.

Really nice shot.

JJuLLiAAn · Post by **JJuLLiAAn** » January 14th, 2012, 9:04 am

I really like that water dragon shot. What lens were you using?

PNWHerper · Post by **PNWHerper** » January 14th, 2012, 12:06 pm

I know I have already shared his photo, but it is my favorite pic of 2011...

Juvenile Eastern Coachwhip from FL. I like the few sand grains stuck to its scales. This was the most mellow coachwhip I have ever seen...

JJuLLiAAn · Post by **JJuLLiAAn** » January 14th, 2012, 12:26 pm

That is a really good looking photo, I didn't see it before do you have a link to the post? And what is it laying on? (It looks like really thick salt.)

crocdoc · Post by **crocdoc** » January 14th, 2012, 4:01 pm

JJuLLiAAn wrote:I really like that water dragon shot. What lens were you using?

Thanks! It was a Canon 70-200L 2.8 IS-II

JJuLLiAAn · Post by **JJuLLiAAn** » January 14th, 2012, 4:21 pm

NICE!!

Kevin Price · Post by **Kevin Price** » January 14th, 2012, 4:28 pm

This is probably my favorite from 2011. Taken in October

Red Diamond rattlesnake Crotalus ruber

JJuLLiAAn · Post by **JJuLLiAAn** » January 14th, 2012, 4:31 pm

INCREDIBLE photo!!! I wish I had shot more herps this year.

Hans Breuer (twoton) · Post by **Hans Breuer (twoton)** » January 14th, 2012, 7:41 pm

PNWHerper, that is an incredible image. Who painted it?

fvachss · Post by **fvachss** » January 14th, 2012, 9:33 pm

I try to get out to JTree a few times each spring to shoot and the playful Chuckwallas put on a nice display this year.

Hans Breuer (twoton) · Post by **Hans Breuer (twoton)** » January 14th, 2012, 9:37 pm

Amazing textures!

Jamie D · Post by **Jamie D** » January 15th, 2012, 6:09 am

Here's mine.

Timber Rattlesnake

JJuLLiAAn · Post by **JJuLLiAAn** » January 15th, 2012, 8:53 am

That Timber is really cool.

Nir · Post by **Nir** » January 18th, 2012, 7:22 am

A little late, but here is mine... Hard choice...

I really like this one, the subject, the lighting... Just after a heavy rain so the skin of the snake was wet...

Eastern Massassauga (Sistrurus catenatus catenatus), Ontario, Canada

hellihooks · Post by **hellihooks** » January 18th, 2012, 8:13 am

I'm not an 'avid photographer' and only have a Nikon P-80... but sometimes I get lucky and get a 'voucher shot' I really like. This was taken out the window of my car... I stopped the car, took one pic, and drove on...

I like the composition of the shot, and the perfectly stuck pose, and that the Zebra was looking straight at me, taking his picture....

jim

JJuLLiAAn · Post by **JJuLLiAAn** » January 18th, 2012, 10:38 am

Two very nice shots, thanks for posting.

Asnyder · Post by **Asnyder** » January 19th, 2012, 6:01 pm

Man it is so hard to choose. For now, I'd have to say it is this one, but I am still going through my Guyana photos.

Or perhaps this...still working on figuring it out...

CCarille · Post by **CCarille** » January 20th, 2012, 7:13 am

My favorite herp and non-herp photos of 2011. I think I have better, but I just love the way both look and they have some meaning to me. Both taken in Borneo.
Jade Tree Frog at Danau Girang Field Centre:

All of Borneo, taken from Mt. Kinabalu:

CCarille · Post by **CCarille** » January 20th, 2012, 7:14 am

Kevin Price wrote:This is probably my favorite from 2011. Taken in October

Red Diamond rattlesnake Crotalus ruber

Love it!

Kevin Price · Post by **Kevin Price** » January 23rd, 2012, 6:06 pm

Thank you!

MHollanders · Post by **MHollanders** » January 23rd, 2012, 8:08 pm

I am undecided. These three are high on the list.

Mike Waters · Post by **Mike Waters** » January 23rd, 2012, 9:13 pm

JJuLLiAAn · Post by **JJuLLiAAn** » January 24th, 2012, 9:43 am

I really like those in habitat shots.

Stohlgren · Post by **Stohlgren** » January 24th, 2012, 5:17 pm

Picking one is always tough, so I'm not gonna do it. Here are a few that I am pretty happy with.

Favorite non-herp photo:

JJuLLiAAn · Post by **JJuLLiAAn** » January 25th, 2012, 10:00 am

VERY nice shots!!

MHollanders · Post by **MHollanders** » January 25th, 2012, 10:13 am

The zonata is my fave, Kevin.

Stohlgren · Post by **Stohlgren** » January 25th, 2012, 10:45 am

Thanks guys. (Matthijs, it's a pyro).

MHollanders · Post by **MHollanders** » January 25th, 2012, 12:53 pm

Whoopsie. I actually knew that as I saw it when you posted it on Flickr.

Schell · Post by **Schell** » January 27th, 2012, 10:59 am

Very difficult for me to choose. 2011 was a very good year for me.

My overall favorite shot is actually not a herp-shot. It's this one of a green lynx spider vs. a banded peacock butterfly from Sinaloa, MX:

My favorite frog shot is probably this one of a Mexican Leaf frog also from Sinaloa, MX:

Favorite Salamander shot is this one taken of s Shasta Salamander on the last day of 2011:

My favorite Lizard shot if the year has got to me the Angel de la Guarda Collared Lizard from Baja California, MX.

Favorite snake shot is tough:
I really liked how this wide-angle of a Coast patch-nosed snake worked out:

But I also like this shot of a screamer helleri for it's simplicity:

Then of course there's this portrat of a C. basiliscus from Sinaloa, MX.

Anyway, you asked for one and I posted seven - so i'll stop now.

Cheers,

Rob

krismunk · Post by **krismunk** » January 28th, 2012, 12:27 pm

Well...

I am not a photographer and I can not in any way rival the quality of pictures just shown but I'd like to chime in with a couple of my favourites from the past year nonetheless. Both are atrocious, technically speaking, and I can't really say I'm satisfied with either yet somehow I like both - the first for its texture (though grainy), simplicity and purity, the second for its ambience and impressionistic lighting (though overexposed).

On holiday:

Near home:

JJuLLiAAn · Post by **JJuLLiAAn** » January 28th, 2012, 12:49 pm

[quote="Schell"]
My favorite Lizard shot if the year has got to me the Angel de la Guarda Collared Lizard from Baja California, MX.

I really like your lizard shot.

Julian

JJuLLiAAn · Post by **JJuLLiAAn** » January 28th, 2012, 12:54 pm

krismunk wrote:Well...

I am not a photographer and I can not in any way rival the quality of pictures just shown but I'd like to chime in with a couple of my favourites from the past year nonetheless. Both are atrocious, technically speaking, and I can't really say I'm satisfied with either yet somehow I like both - the first for its texture (though grainy), simplicity and purity, the second for its ambience and impressionistic lighting (though overexposed).

On holiday:

Near home:

I really like that first shot, how did you take it?

Julian

krismunk · Post by **krismunk** » January 28th, 2012, 1:20 pm

JJuLLiAAn wrote:
krismunk wrote:Well...

I am not a photographer and I can not in any way rival the quality of pictures just shown but I'd like to chime in with a couple of my favourites from the past year nonetheless. Both are atrocious, technically speaking, and I can't really say I'm satisfied with either yet somehow I like both - the first for its texture (though grainy), simplicity and purity, the second for its ambience and impressionistic lighting (though overexposed).

On holiday:

Near home:

I really like that first shot, how did you take it?

Julian

Simple. It's taken at night in the desert with a P&S camera on default autofocus settings (I could check the EXIF data if you're interested). If I remember correctly lighting for this particular shot is provided by a friend holding a flashlight nearby without shining it directly at the snake + onboard flash. The snake was found atop the dune and by pouring a few grains of sand onto its head provoked to submerge itself.

PNWHerper · Post by **PNWHerper** » February 1st, 2012, 11:50 am

PNWHerper, that is an incredible image. Who painted it?

Haha, Hans B. Not a painting, but would love to see it in that form.

To everyone else, your images are magnificent! I am blown away by the standard and quality of wildlife photography I get to see on this website. Amazing stuff, guys and gals! You are making me very excited about my springtime trips to CA and the SW...

Rags · Post by **Rags** » February 3rd, 2012, 1:19 am

Some fantastic photos here. Kevin's dragonfly is one of my favourites. I would be happy to have taken any of them.

Jason Mintzer · Post by **Jason Mintzer** » February 7th, 2012, 6:55 pm

There are so many amazing photos here, nice work everyone. My two favorites are ASynder's Phyllmedusa bicolor and the Rob's collared lizard.

Here is my favorite of the year. A two-striped garter snake (Thamnophis hammondii)

azatrox · Post by **azatrox** » February 21st, 2012, 9:35 pm

Dammit....rather than try to slide 5 or 6 favorites in here, I'll select 2 (one herp and one not). The first is a lightning shot I was lucky enough to capture during a monsoon storm. IMO, it's distinctly Arizona.

The second is an Az black rattlesnake that a buddy and I stumbled upon while looking for Az black rattlesnakes. This guy was sleeping at the water's edge and didn't move an inch the entire time we photographed him. After our shoot, we left him to his business....

-Kris