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Ken Bondy
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3326
Registered: 12-13-2002
Member Is Offline
Mood: Mellow
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You guys are too kind. I learned a technique for photographing wild animals a long time ago that seems to be effective for me. When I find a
subject, either underwater or topside, I get into position as close as I can without spooking it (or getting bit in the case of rattlesnakes). Then I
do absolutely NOTHING for as long as I can stand it, 2-3 minutes minimum. I avoid eye contact and I DO NOT point the camera at the animal. Many
animals consider initial eye contact as aggressive; and to prey animals the lens or port looks too much like an open mouth. After this "calming"
period has passed, I slowly bring the camera into position and proceed with taking the pictures. This technique often seems to actually arouse
curiosity in many animals. After the calming period, when I more or less establish that I am not a threat, I can often have my way with the critter,
including eye contact, tight face shots, strobes firing, all the obtrusive things that happen in close-up animal photography.
My wife and I saw the snake in our driveway, off to one side, as we were pulling into the garage. It was pretty dark and I knew I would need a
modeling light so the camera autofocus would function. I raced into the house and set up my Nikon D70 with a 105mm lens and the Nikon closeup outfit,
2 small wireless strobes mounted on a ring at the front of the lens. I decided to use a small underwater modeling light with a gentle, even beam and
no hotspots. When everything was set up I went back outside and, lo and behold, the snake was still there. I approached very slowly and kneeled on
one knee about 3 feet from him, put the camera aside, turned on the modeling light and braced it on the ground pointing right at him. I avoided eye
contact as much as possible, with a rattlesnake I thought it best to know what he was doing so I kept him at the limit of my peripheral vision. We
sat there, motionless, for about 3 minutes, then I slowly moved the camera into position and started taking pictures. He never attempted to get away
and never made any aggressive moves while I fired about 20 frames of him. He let me take several head on face shots. I am not sure that the
technique I describe made all the difference but I think it does and I am very happy with the images.
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Mood: optimistic
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Lencho-------
No treatment for bites as in each case I had on hightop boots, and the snakes bite was deflected and ineffective. In each case I knew the snake was
there about a mili-second before it hit me-----but no more than that. There was no chance of avoiding being hit, but I did jump each time
involuntarily, almost without knowing what was really going on. Needless to say, it shook me up pretty good each time. These were all small Pacific
Reds, but each time I was VERY MUCH aware that they "hit" me. In my job, I really could not avoid walking in the grass, so I am just lucky that they
never really got a good "bite" above my boots. All 3 of these events were in the Laguna/Cuyamaca Mts. of San Diego County. I very much came to think
that I was pushing my luck.
Fun, fun!!!!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64855
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by lencho
| Quote: | Originally posted by Barry A.
... just lucky that they never really got a good "bite" above my boots. All 3 of these events were in the Laguna/Cuyamaca Mts. of San Diego County.
I very much came to think that I was pushing my luck. |
Yeah, that would give me pause. You thought about snake chaps?
--Larry |
Like the ones these guys wore (in this photo by Choral Pepper)?
Lorenzo and Higinio Villavicencio of El Barril were encountered
as the Gardner party were making a road south of Bahia de los Angeles in 1966.
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: optimistic
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Yep, that would do it. 
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Oso
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2637
Registered: 8-29-2003
Location: on da border
Member Is Offline
Mood: wait and see
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Here's the ticket. Very popular with Florida hunters. Eastern Diamondbacks get much bigger.
http://www.snakeguardz.com/
All my childhood I wanted to be older. Now I\'m older and this chitn sucks.
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Osprey
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3694
Registered: 5-23-2004
Location: Baja Ca. Sur
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Once in San Dionysio canyon a friend and I saw a huge rattler. We were both wearing tennis shoes and my pal, being afraid of reptiles, vowed never to
go out in the desert again without boots or protection of some kind. Back in Santiago we went to the zoo -- in the reptile enclosure there was a
lethal looking rattler sunning atop a chest-high cholla -- I guess full-body flack suit is called for around these parts.
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Mexray
Super Nomad
Posts: 1016
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: California Delta
Member Is Offline
Mood: Baja Time
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The heck with high-top boots...
...how about some nice Snake-Skin cowboy boots!
Now that's a Rattler I could get close too, down there covering my tootsies!
According to my clock...anytime is \'BAJA TIME\' & as Jimmy Buffett says,
\"It doesn\'t use numbers or moving hands It always just says now...\"
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Oso
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2637
Registered: 8-29-2003
Location: on da border
Member Is Offline
Mood: wait and see
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Like this one? I recently saw it labeled as Fritch, Texas but originally saw it some time ago listed as Turkey Creek, near Burgaw, NC.
[Edited on 4-1-2007 by Oso]
All my childhood I wanted to be older. Now I\'m older and this chitn sucks.
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Oso
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2637
Registered: 8-29-2003
Location: on da border
Member Is Offline
Mood: wait and see
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Stiking distance is generally believed to equal body lenth but I beliieve that particular specimen is dead.
All my childhood I wanted to be older. Now I\'m older and this chitn sucks.
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k1w1
Junior Nomad
Posts: 76
Registered: 8-28-2006
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que?
I thought with rattlers it was 4 x body length?? (am NO expert) and do you think it died with a kink in it's neck? (looks like muscle action
functioning to me!!) yikes
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Minnow
Banned
Posts: 1110
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: Lost Wages
Member Is Offline
Mood: Embarrased Harry Reid is a Nevadan
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Oso, that looks to be eatin size.
Proud husband of a legal immigrant.
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gringorio
Senior Nomad
Posts: 812
Registered: 4-10-2004
Location: Tucson, Arizona
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cool
cool - awsome shots Ken!
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Phil S
Super Nomad
Posts: 1205
Registered: 10-28-2003
Member Is Offline
Mood: After 34 years. Still in love w/ my wife
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Thanks for the pic's. As much as I HATE (snake phobia-can't help it) snakes, the pic's were interesting. I'll probably have a dream tonight about
the last pic. Ughhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: optimistic
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Rattlers
I have always understood that striking distance is about 2/3 their length----------this is especially critical if you have one by the tail and are
holding it out at arms length. (like we used to do all the time) 
However, they can climb up their own body and get your arm when you are holding them (I have heard)------but they seldom do that.
That monster above I would not get within 10 feet of, let alone hold it!!!!
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