Serpent
A baby boa, a lovely little specimen.
A baby boa, a lovely little specimen.
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Feb, 2012Views
477
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Awards
Lucky 3 Award
Peer Award
Virtuoso
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
A small zoo in Alexandria, Louisiana. A special one-on-one session in the front grass.Time
This was an early Saturday morning. My dad and I usually get to the zoo early to spend all day there, and we ran into a friend of mine from college who was working there. Knowing I was a nature photographer, she offered to get some animals for me to take some shots of. We sat in the grass most of the morning taking pictures of this little boa as well as a bright red eclectic parrot.Lighting
The morning sun was crisp and beautiful, shining on the boa's scales just perfectly. I positioned myself so that the sun was coming in from the back of the snake to his nose. I don't think a studio could have done it any better.Equipment
I was using a Canon EOS 60D, with an EFS 16-135mm lens and a UV filter.Inspiration
The opportunity to have a very personal session with a wild animal is something that I will always treasure as a once and a lifetime event. When she left to retrieve some animals for me to take pictures of, my mind was racing. I didn't know what she would come back with, but I knew I wanted to capture as much personality as I could. When she reappeared with a small boa, I knew I was going to be on my belly in the grass with him. My love for nature's little wonders drew me to the zoo to take pictures of the animals and try to discover all of the animal's personalities. In this moment, I was free from the fences and other zoo-goers, and able to focus solely on that direction.Editing
Only mild contrast adjustment and cropping. I warmed the lighting a little just to recapture the light of the summer day.In my camera bag
When on a trip to the zoo, or any nature shoot, I always bring two lenses for my Canon 60D. The first is the standard range Canon 18-135mm zoom lens. It can pull objects in for great macro-style shots, as well as reach out to grab objects not too far away. The second lens is my Canon 70-300mm telephoto lens with image stabilizer, great for reaching out to animals reluctant to come in for some intimate shots. Along with my lenses I have my cleaning kit for any last minute dust removal before shooting, and a couple extra SD cards. I also usually have a Uni-pod slung over my shoulder just in case.Feedback
I learned from this shoot that it is incredibly important to get to know the people close to things that interest you. I love animals and nature, and most summer weekends you could find me at the zoo leaning over fences and crouching to catch the unseen angles. Getting to know my friend from college and sharing interests in nature with her helped me in the long run when she got a job at the very same zoo that I frequented. Never underestimate connections! As far as the image goes, my first piece of advice is to not be afraid to get down and dirty. Get excited when photography calls you to jump in feet first and get some scuffs. It is liberating when you come out of it with a great image. My second advice is to really connect with your subject, and find out who they are and what they are all about. Snakes are always very close to the ground, and it only seemed natural to draw in and take the shot from their point of view. Spend a moment or two just existing together with your subject, then start drawing out their quirks and personality with your camera.
