Tiger Rattlesnake

Gallery: WildlifePosted July 1, 2012176 views5 comments

Nikon D5100 w/ Micro 200mm lens & SB800 flash
ISO3200, F4.2, 1/60 sec
RAW file processed in PSE10; 75% of original
Location: Tucson, AZ - Catalina State Park

Well this image was a lesson in being better prepared while out looking for wildlife. I was on a hike at dusk when I came upon this rattlesnake and didn't think to check my settings. Unfortunately my ISO was bumped up to 3200 from the last star trail image I had taken, so it's a bit grainy. On the plus side I did manage to get a couple of the main identifying features of the snake in focus. Tiger Rattlesnakes are known for their small head size in proportion to their body and their color pattern does not change near the rattle. Anyway enough rambling, comments & critiques welcome!

Comments

5 comments

Comment posted by Max Waugh on July 2, 2012 at 8:55 AM

Interesting pose by the snake here... the fact that you had such a short DoF but managed to get the most important parts--the head and the tail--in focus is a nice stroke of luck and good execution on your part. Next time aside from just adjusting the ISO, I'd work on using a narrower aperture in order to get more detail in focus. I've found that macro work with herps takes constant experimentation to find the right combination of depth of field, flash power, etc., so I imagine you can have some fun (as long as you stay safe) trying some different settings with these guys.

Max

Registered on September 26, 2008, 428 Posts, 2329 Comments

Comment posted by Vincent Grafhorst on July 2, 2012 at 12:35 PM

This is a remarkable shot Tonia in that you captured both the head and tail end of the snake in sharp focus!

Registered on February 24, 2006, 504 Posts, 7203 Comments

Comment posted by Ed Cordes on July 2, 2012 at 9:51 PM

Well done for a spur of the moment capture. What happened after the shot? Could you have regrouped and shot again?

Registered on November 1, 2003, 451 Posts, 3366 Comments

Comment posted by Tonia Graves on July 3, 2012 at 10:05 AM

Thanks for the comments everyone! Normally I would have shot this with ISO400/800 and an aperature of at least F8 but I forgot to change my camera setting from the night before. I was barely able to get this view of the snake as it was backing up on the rock behind a bunch of brush. Shortly after this shot it decided it wanted nothing to do with me and it slithered away into some dense foliage. So at least I got this! Maybe next time I will be better prepared!

Registered on October 29, 2011, 92 Posts, 1035 Comments

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on July 4, 2012 at 6:48 AM

Great job getting both the head and tail in sharp focus Tonia, I find this an interesting comp.
I spotted a grass snake yesterday moving through our little pond run-off stream..
All I got was the tail in focus as it slithered away

Well done

Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments