DSLRUsers.com

Posted: **Tue Jul 04, 2006 10:11 pm**

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to photograph the very rare Green Tree Python. These animals were amazing and almost, it seemed, friendly. And no glass in front of the subjects :-)

Small adult.
D70s / Sigma 180 Macro
Natural light 1/3s @ f/22 (Yep 1/3s -- very cooperative subject

)

Juvenile

1/125s @ f/7.1
SB800 with lightsphere and inverted dome.

1/60s @ f/16
SB800 with lightsphere and inverted dome.

Posted: **Tue Jul 04, 2006 10:17 pm**

gorgeous reptiles and gorgeous photos

Posted: **Tue Jul 04, 2006 10:19 pm**

Slider - I just opened the first image in Photoshop and noticed that you are saving your images with "Adobe RGB" colour profile. If you save in "sRGB" colour profile you will get much better results (for web). I was going to say that your first image looked a little washed out, but when i opened the file in photoshop it looked great.

Something to consider.

Cool snake by the way, shame it wasnt eating an egg.

Cheers
WW

Posted: **Tue Jul 04, 2006 10:23 pm**

The most amazing snake shots I've seen in a while. I like number 1 heaps. How clear is that?

Well done.

Posted: **Tue Jul 04, 2006 10:28 pm**

Thanks folks. It was a buzz let me tell you :-)

Willy wombat wrote:Slider - I just opened the first image in Photoshop and noticed that you are saving your images with "Adobe RGB" colour profile. If you save in "sRGB" colour profile you will get much better results (for web). I was going to say that your first image looked a little washed out, but when i opened the file in photoshop it looked great.

Something to consider.

Cool snake by the way, shame it wasnt eating an egg.

Cheers
WW

Thanks for the tip WW. You are spot on. Just compared and the difference is amazing. Think I'll resave and edit accordingly.

Thanks again.

Posted: **Tue Jul 04, 2006 10:31 pm**

Excellent work Mark. They really are gorgeous snakes these guys.

In my previous life, I was part of a surveillance operation which successfully pinged a visitor to our fine shores who illegally imported several babies of this species. We monitored and photographed her for a few days until we were sure we got everyone involved in the deal. Happy to say she got jail time and all the snakes survived.

Posted: **Tue Jul 04, 2006 10:34 pm**

Wow, simply awesome !!

Posted: **Tue Jul 04, 2006 10:39 pm**

Slider
These pics will win you competitions. Sell! Bloody excellent!

Posted: **Tue Jul 04, 2006 10:41 pm**

Superb - no other words can describe these pics

Posted: **Tue Jul 04, 2006 10:47 pm**

Wow, best reptile shots I've seen on this forum or any forum on the net. Gorgeous colours.

Posted: **Tue Jul 04, 2006 10:54 pm**

Thanks again for the comments folks.

I have just (as per Wily Wombats suggestion) resaved the first image in sRGB so refresh your browser to see the real colours.

Thanks again for the tip WW

I'll redo the other two shortly.

Posted: **Tue Jul 04, 2006 10:57 pm**

Slider,

I'm not usually one for snakes, but that first one is awesome!!

Well done.

André

Posted: **Tue Jul 04, 2006 10:57 pm**

No probs.

Posted: **Tue Jul 04, 2006 11:07 pm**

Awesome photos Mark. It's amazing how docile snakes can be, especially when they've got a belly full of food. They also tend to be a little slower this time of year with the colder weather. Not that I'd be getting this close to a brown snake or a taipan :lol:

Posted: **Tue Jul 04, 2006 11:12 pm**

Slider - those are very colourful snakes, great composition,very sharp and great lighting. You are becoming a bit of a macro fiend. Well done.

Willy. Also wasn't aware of the sRGB thing - Is that what everyone does?

Bob G

Posted: **Tue Jul 04, 2006 11:25 pm**

Snakes eat frogs Slider! Time for an avatar change?

Posted: **Wed Jul 05, 2006 8:22 am**

Mark,
#1 is a beautiful shot!

Posted: **Wed Jul 05, 2006 8:34 am**

Just to repeat what everyone else is saying, top shot's there Mark.

Posted: **Wed Jul 05, 2006 8:37 am**

Bob G wrote:Slider - those are very colourful snakes, great composition,very sharp and great lighting. You are becoming a bit of a macro fiend. Well done.

Willy. Also wasn't aware of the sRGB thing - Is that what everyone does?

Bob G

Yeah Bob - web stuff should be done in sRGB. AdobeRGB is fine for everything else but washes out on monitors.

Posted: **Wed Jul 05, 2006 9:58 am**

Thanks Simon - I'll convert my pics from hereon in

Bob G

Posted: **Wed Jul 05, 2006 10:14 am**

Awesomw shots mark,,, I am hoping there was some kind of barrier between you and those snakes,

suzanne

Posted: **Wed Jul 05, 2006 10:17 am**

outstanding shots. well done

Steve

Posted: **Wed Jul 05, 2006 7:11 pm**

Amazing shots Mark. I reckon that if you put a few words together and sent them to Australian Geographic you would have a very good chance of having them published. Just beautiful.

Posted: **Wed Jul 05, 2006 7:15 pm**

great pixs........ have you been hanging out with Rel and chasing beasties

Posted: **Wed Jul 05, 2006 7:32 pm**

Mark - utterly bloody brilliant !!!!!!

Can't say anything else - tooooooo jealous :mrgreen:

Hugs Rel

Posted: **Wed Jul 05, 2006 7:40 pm**

Beaut shots
Keep up the good work

Cheers
Gecko

Posted: **Wed Jul 05, 2006 7:41 pm**

brilliant mark... bastard... your taking too many good pics

nice work!!!

Tim

Posted: **Wed Jul 05, 2006 8:04 pm**

Hi Mark,

how good is focussing on the Sigma 180mm ?
Do you auto or manual focus ?

Cheers,
CD

Posted: **Wed Jul 05, 2006 10:09 pm**

Thanks agin Folks for all the kind comments.

bindiblue wrote:Awesomw shots mark,,, I am hoping there was some kind of barrier between you and those snakes,

suzanne

Err, Nope. These critters have totally changed my view of snakes. They were so well behaved and couldn't have cared less. Mind you I still think I'll keep my distance from the bitey ones :roll:

christiand wrote:Hi Mark,

how good is focussing on the Sigma 180mm ?
Do you auto or manual focus ?

Cheers,
CD

The autofocus is very good and has that neat override feature where you use the auto holding the shutter release half way, wait for the beep and then if you are not happy manually overide. The moment you turn the manual focus ring you are in manual mode until after you take the shot or release the shutter and start again.

Having said all that, as the light was a bit ordinary and the adult was very still I was able to take my time and manually focus to my liking. Camera was tripod mounted and I used the remote for most of the shots.

The baby was a little more active and required constant adjustment to keep in frame and in focus.

Posted: **Wed Jul 05, 2006 11:42 pm**

shot 1 is incredible

so much detail! just amazing. where did you get the snakes? zoo?

christian

Posted: **Thu Jul 06, 2006 9:12 pm**

Quick charter to Cape York

I wish..

stay tuned though as there are more shots on the way as I was not alone

Posted: **Fri Jul 07, 2006 1:28 pm**

I re-iterate what every body else has said, awesome pics especially #1.

Geoff

Posted: **Fri Jul 07, 2006 1:32 pm**

number one amazing
you know your subject well

Posted: **Fri Jul 07, 2006 2:25 pm**

Wow

Scarily beautiful. Just imaging something like this with wings and... ok I will not go biblical!

Posted: **Fri Jul 07, 2006 5:47 pm**

Beautiful, sharp and amazing colours. Nice job.

Posted: **Fri Jul 07, 2006 10:10 pm**

AAAARRRRRGGGGGGG !!!!!! I am snake phobic

Still wonderful photos. I like the last one with the bloodshot eye!

Posted: **Fri Jul 07, 2006 10:54 pm**

Slider - that first shot is simply memorizing. :shock:

Amazing.

Posted: **Fri Jul 07, 2006 11:03 pm**

I must ask, Where did you find the snake?

Is it a local or in a zoo somewhere?

Posted: **Fri Jul 07, 2006 11:23 pm**

Totally agree with everyone, they are awesome shots. Any chance of getting them feeding?

Brett

Posted: **Fri Jul 07, 2006 11:28 pm**

terminaltackle wrote:Totally agree with everyone, they are awesome shots. Any chance of getting them feeding?

Brett

As if!

#1 is an excellent nature shot - very well done indeed.

Posted: **Sat Jul 08, 2006 10:03 am**

terminaltackle wrote:Totally agree with everyone, they are awesome shots. Any chance of getting them feeding?

Brett

The thought of an EGG nicely wrapped by those jaws did cross my mind :lol:

Doug, I was very fortunate and indeed privileged to be invited to visit a private collection. These snakes are quite rare and this was an opportunity I wasn't passing up

Posted: **Sat Jul 08, 2006 11:40 am**

that must be some collection!

great shots

I still HATE SNAKES but I would go and photograph those anytime.

Posted: **Sat Jul 08, 2006 12:18 pm**

Terrific images Mark, as always, great exposure, colourful and sharp. Really like #1

cheers
marco

Posted: **Sat Jul 08, 2006 10:19 pm**

G'day Mark,

Sorry I haven't replied earlier but as you know, I was away in Sydney and the Blue Mountains for the past four days.

What can I say - you certainly nailed these guys and both no. 1 and no. 3 are just stunning. The clarity, sharpness and colour of these pythons is unbelievable and they are definitely some of the best pyhthon shots I have ever seen.

Glad you enjoyed the experience..... :lol:

Cheers

Michael

Posted: **Sun Jul 09, 2006 7:55 pm**

I know I am a bit late on the thread, but these are simply magnificent Mark. Absolutely brilliant reptile shots - I take my hat off to you.

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