mandag 25. juli 2011

GRASS SNAKE (BUORM) SWIMMING IN A LOCAL POND


The first snake to come swimming past me.
D3s, 200-400 4,0, 400 mm, extension tubes, f6,3, 1/250, ISO 1600

OK, here comes "wild ideas about local snake photography, part 2" : I`ve had this wild idea (or should we say wet idea) for some time now : to try to do close ups on a grass snakes (buorm / Natrix natrix) swimming in its natural habitat : freshwater ponds. It may not sound like such a wild idea, but close ups on wild snakes with camera in water level is no easy match. I`ve been planning this continuously from early spring, finding possible locations etc. I also had to find a warm day to be sure to find the snakes the snakes in the water, a day with absolutely no wind to support the reflections in the water that I wanted, and preferably a day with good lighting conditions with no direct sunshine. I also realized that I would have to get down there myself, literally submerged in the marshy, muddy pond with all its plentiful of "Alice in Wonderland-creatures" !!!!.... and, by using a wetsuit, stay down there for quite a long time. This is the easy part. The easy part is also to place my camera with the 200-400 lens with extension tubes on a plate of XPS, floating just above the water level to give that extremely low level in eye-hight with the snakes. The hard part is to make a snake swim by at a suitable range!

PS : I am probably the first human to be swimming around in that pond. And I had to try several times as well. Luckily the neighbours didn`t see me !!

Again : Thanks to Paal !!!


After a dive the snake suddenly pops up with only the head visible on the green waters surface
D3s, 200-400 4,0, 400 mm, extension tubes, f6,3, 1/200, ISO 1600


Obviously suspicious on my presence
D3s, 200-400 4,0, 400 mm, f6,3, extension tubes, 1/500, -0,67, ISO 1600


Smelling me !!
D3s, 200-400 4,0, 400 mm, extension tubes, f6,3, 1/200, ISO 1600


Disappearing in the spooky Amazon-jungle...
D3s, 200-400 4,0, 400 mm, extension tubes, f6,3, 1/640, -0,67, ISO 1600


D3s, 200-400 4,0, 400 mm, extension tubes, f6,3, 1/250, -0,67, ISO 1600


Continuously smelling me
D3s, 200-400 4,0, 400 mm, extension tubes, f6,3, 1/1000, -0,67, ISO 1600


As the snake is exposed in direct sunshine, heavy underexposing gives the black background
D3s, 200-400 4,0, 400 mm, extension tubes, f6,3, 1/2000, -0,67, ISO 1600

7 kommentarer:

  1. Flott lys og farger liker nummer 4 spesielt godt
    morten
    http://kjernebitern.blogspot.com/

    SvarSlett
  2. Er det mulig... Slangemannen gjør det igjen! Føles ekstra godt når man har planlagt slikt i lang tid og det endelig klaffer. Du sitter på ganske unike bilder nå :)

    SvarSlett
  3. Hei Tom

    Du imponerer nok en gang med bilder i en klasse for seg!!
    Som kommer frem i teksten så er det heller ingen"snap shot"men hardt arbeid hvor du virkelig har ofret deg i et miljø som jeg tror få gjør etter deg.

    Knallbra!!!

    Mvh Rune

    SvarSlett
  4. Strålende resultat av bevisst jobbing!

    Det nest siste er min favoritt.

    (Selv har jeg forresten satt stativet på bunnen og hodet rett over vannflata for å komme lavt nok.)

    SvarSlett
  5. Kan ikke annet enn å ta av meg hatten nok en gang. Topp bilder fra riktig vinkel!

    Kåre

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  6. Mye virkelig bra her. En fornøyelse å beskue.

    ketil

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  7. Annerledes bilder, I like! Flott levert...om enn med litt mange like bilder, det er jo noen som skiller seg ut :O)

    mvh Espen

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