Being a nature photographer, I think one of the tough subject to make meaningful image of are snakes. Unlike birds they don't have favourite perches to sit and pose for! They are long, unless they are made to coil getting them whole on a frame is tough, most of the time they move quickly and disappear in under-growths. I don't like lots of snake images because most of them are made in an un-natural manner - like for example irritating them to open the hood, mouth etc. Why a cobra opens its hood looking at a photographer ? Snake in a perfect clean out of focus background ? I think some those images lack natural feel.
During my recent trip to Dandeli, I tried making a few images of Common Bronze-back. I tried making images of it without disturbing its natural behaviour. One technique I learnt is just observe and make images at right time. 300mmf4 lens appears like a perfect fit for this task. It is possible we may not make images which I prefer it more than irritating them to open hood or mouth.
You can see some of these snakes (and other) images by clicking
new images link at my home - Nature Lyrics
5 comments:
Well said Ganesh about "ethical" aspect of nature photography!
Pramod, apart of ethical aspects more often I find snake images are out of context or un-natural..
You always kindle my thought train and I can only hope it chughs on the right track! :-) let me see...
Most snake photography is by people who are "studying" them. I mean I have not heard of a "snake-watching" trip. It is almost always a "snake-catching" or a herpetology trip or "bird/mammal/nature-watching trip with a reptile bumping in accidentally"!
That said, I remember once shooting a Indian Green Pit Viper near Kodai and had thought on these lines - an "arty snake-watching" trip - cannot explain how exhilarating it was to see what lighting was doing to my subject - only to let the idea fade away very soon.
A rendezvous with a snake (and a rare one at that), I guess, leaves the person with a camera typically try to "make most of the chance" instead of really seeing/appreciating the crawling beauty in its own world.
Probably. As I said, you kindled my thought and also to get me going on that forgotten dream - "snake-watching". Will also hope if that phrase catches up too!
You have given your bronzie the world it can crawl out and hide back into. And that is a matter of joy!
"Snake-watching" - I like that phrase !!
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