This past Monday as I was exploring Huntley Meadows Park with fellow photographer Walter Sanford, he spotted an Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis). We both like to photograph snakes, so we sprung into action. Following my normal instincts, I moved in close to the snake. How close did I get? At a certain point in time I actually had to back up a little to make sure I included the snake’s entire head in the image.
Some readers of this blog may recall that Walter and I use different camera systems and approach our shots in different ways, partly because he is using a zoom lens and I am often using a macro lens with a fixed focal length. If you shoot side by side with another photographer, you’ll often get the same shots, but that’s usually not the case for Walter and me. We normally choose different angles of view and frame our shots differently—I am usually the one sprawled on the ground.
Walter and I have shot together often enough that he knows the “tricks” that I employ when shooting. From my earliest days, my photography mentor Cindy Dyer emphasized to me the importance of using a tripod. Frequently I carry a tripod with me, but for low-angle shots, I prefer to use my camera bag as a kind of improvised tripod to help steady my camera. In the past month I have used this techniques with varying subjects including a jumping spider and a beaver. Special thanks to Walter for allowing me to use one of the photos he shot of me in action with my improvised tripod.
The snake was amazingly tolerant of our presence. Unbelievably it stayed in place when I moved a stalk of grass next to its head that was getting in the way of a clear shot. The first shot below was shot with my improvised tripod and was not cropped at all. The other two shots, I believe, were handheld and cropped slightly, because the snake had changed positions and I did not have the luxury of stabilizing my camera. In all cases I tried to focus on the snake’s eye and I really like the way that I managed to capture a reflection in the eye.
Walter will soon be posting a companion post that I will reblog, so that you can contrast the images that we captured when shooting the same subject together.
Using my camera bag as an improvised tripod (Photo by Walter Sanford)
He’s got lips like Jagger
Environmental portrait of a garter snake
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Like the head on shot the best (and your caption). One of the reasons I like these is because they are shots I will never, ever, never get close enough to take.
Thanks. Most people will use a zoom lens if they are willing to take these kind of shots. I much prefer moving in closer with my macro lens.
Fabulous images. Your capture of the texture of the scales and the gleam in the eyes is fantastic.
Thanks, Laura. Getting close with a macro lens and paying attention to my technique really paid off with this image (plus an amazingly tolerant subject).
It doesn’t matter what you have to do to get the shot as long as you get it, and you certainly did! I haven’t seen and snakes or turtles here yet. It’s still getting below freezing at night.
I did already get bitten by a tick though, so you might want to check yourself after lying on the ground.
It’s funny that you should mention ticks, Allen, because I did find a tick on me after I got home. We are still pretty chilly at night (it was 39 degrees when I left the house this morning), but the days are warming up to the 60’s.
Great captures Mike, although for me it would be a bit close for comfort! I laughed at your comment re you being generally the one sprawled on the ground😊 I can well imagine!
Reblogged this on walter sanford's photoblog and commented:
See Mike’s excellent macro photos — well worth the risk to get so close to the snake!
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