This was an experiment during my semi-annual Frog and Reptile workshop in St. Louis. Because the workshop takes place in a hotel conference room, and because we have to simulate natural environments with plants, flowers, and rocks, I made a 16 x 20 inch print of a beautiful rock I found in New Jersey. The ball python was then placed on the print and photographed as if the snake were actually on the rock itself. I used window lighting plus the fluorescent lights in the room for the exposure, and my settings were 1/80, f/7.1, and 200 ISO. For most of the pictures during the workshop, I advise participants to use a 50mm macro lens (or 60mm for Nikon users), but in this particular case I used a 16-35mm wide angle so I could include the background print. Usually you want backgrounds that are non-distracting and complimentary to the subject; sometimes, though, a background can be so colorful and graphic that it actually becomes a second subject as in this shot. Some photographers may feel this background is much too busy, but I like it. My next Frog and Reptile workshop takes place Jun 12 - 13.
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