Crotalus Squared
A Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) squared up on a Texas back road.
A Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) squared up on a Texas back road.
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Sep, 2019Views
806
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Awards
Contest Finalist in Monochrome Marvels Photo Contest
Spring 21 Award
Judge Favorite
2020 Choice Award
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Superior Skill
Top Ranks
Top 10 rank
Top 10 rank
Top 20 rank week 1
Top 20 rank week 1
Top 20 rank
Categories
Platinum
chrismercerimages
January 03, 2020
This is simply a beautiful capture. Why do I get the feeling that he was not trying to tickle himself?
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo on a caliche gravel road southeast of Amarillo, TexasTime
This photo was taken in the late morning, when the sun was high in the sky.Lighting
The sun was nearly directly overhead, and the caliche road was very bright, so I had to use a fast shutter speed and narrow aperture (1/500s & f/13).Equipment
My Canon 7D Mk II & Tamron 16-300mm. No tripod or flash.Inspiration
We found the snake in the middle of the road, so I wanted to document it before helping it on its way. It is important to remember when you help an animal cross the road, particularly snakes or turtles, it is essential to take them to the side they were traveling to, otherwise they will go back into the road again and risk being run over.Editing
I post-processed the original color image to black and white, and enhanced the contrast. I also cropped the image square.In my camera bag
I usually carry my camera, a lens or two (either the 16-300mm Tamron, if only using one lens, or I will carry a 55-250mm Canon & 10-22mm Canon lens). For reptile photography, I also carry an led light cube, and a snake hook.Feedback
Be extremely careful when trying to photograph venomous animals!! That said, the more calm you can be, the more calm the animal will be. If you can use a hook, those tend to keep snakes much more calm than tongs. Also, be sure to move the animal out of the road, to the side it was traveling, once you are finished.
