SWIMMING GRASS SNAKE / BUORM

D4s, 200-400 4,0, f/6,3, 1/1250, ISO 1100

I have been working my butt off (!!!) …. for many years  … to do swimming grass snakes in natural habitats. I have spent hours & hours swimming around in my wet suit in stinking, muddy & marshy pools …. with my camera barely floating on a thin plate of XPS, and yes, I`ve had some success with 

it : one of my swimming grass snakes were awarded in the NNPC contest a couple of years ago, 

….. but this situation with the big grass snake with over 1 m length …. just came out of the blue !!! 

I basicly happened to be at the right place at the right time !! Having it in posing with the white water lilly was incredible !

D4s, 200-400 4,0, f/5,6, 1/160, ISO 2800

D4s, 200-400 4,0, f/5,6, 1/160, ISO 2500

D4s, 200-400 4,0, f/5,6, 1/160, ISO 4500

D4s, 200-400 4,0, f/ 6,3, 1/500, ISO 640

D4s, 200-400 4,0, f/6,3, 1/500, ISO 640

D4s, 200-400 4,0, f/6,3, 1/500, ISO 720

D4s, 200-400 4,0, f/6,3, 1/1250, ISO 1000

D4s, 200-400 4,0, f/6,3, 1/1250, ISO 1400

D4s, 200-400 4,0, f/6,3, 1/1250, ISO 1100

D4s, 200-400 4,0, f/6,3, 1/500, ISO 640 

Grass snakes have the habit of sometimes pretending to be dead if they have been caught and cannot escape. This little snake turned over on the back, gaped the mouth and let the tongue hang out, even for several minutes after beeing released back on the ground.

D4s, 200 4,0 micro, f/11,0, 1/500, ISO 1000

A little "dead" grass snake

D4s, 200 4,0 micro, f/11,0, 1/500, ISO 500