Look deep into my eyes...

Mike B in OKlahoma · Post by **Mike B in OKlahoma** » Mon May 07, 2007 8:48 pm

I like the eyes on this guy....An older shot that I'd never got around to posting.

Diamondback water snake
controlled situation
180mm macro

Bruce Williams · Post by **Bruce Williams** » Tue May 08, 2007 1:55 am

Great detail in the scales Mike - and aren't they just beautiful too!

There looks to a lot of unresolved information in this image*. I was wondering what a full resolution crop of the head would look like?

Bruce

*due to max 800 pixel forum limit.

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Tue May 08, 2007 5:50 am

great snake shot Mike. The water snakes here in NH (northern Water snake) are big, bulky, and nasty tempered (tried to keep one once when I was younger...only lasted two days before I let it go.)

Mike B in OKlahoma · Post by **Mike B in OKlahoma** » Tue May 08, 2007 7:02 pm

Bruce Williams wrote:Great detail in the scales Mike - and aren't they just beautiful too!

There looks to a lot of unresolved information in this image*. I was wondering what a full resolution crop of the head would look like?

Bruce

*due to max 800 pixel forum limit.

There's certainly more you could see on the web-sized version, but not as much and crisp detail as I'd hoped because I was shooting at f/22 to make sure I had enough DOF. This is a 100% crop of the head area. Thanks for a useful reminder of the penalty we pay for stopping down past f/16 or so!

(added after posting--I went back to the original to get this, and now I see that I must have used some levels when I created the web-sized version several months ago. The crop is darker than the full-sized version I posted).

Mike B in OKlahoma · Post by **Mike B in OKlahoma** » Tue May 08, 2007 7:04 pm

beetleman wrote:great snake shot Mike. The water snakes here in NH (northern Water snake) are big, bulky, and nasty tempered (tried to keep one once when I was younger...only lasted two days before I let it go.)

I'm told most water snakes (at least the US varieties) have exceptionally large and nasty teeth for snakes because of the need to HANG ON to their prey when they don't have poison to keep it from getting far. If they lose their grip, the prey is likely to be gone where it either can't be found or where another predator will scarf it up. So if he bit you, I'll bet it was nasty!

Danny · Post by **Danny** » Wed May 09, 2007 2:27 am

I actually wonder sometimes, if you know exactly how much I've learnt off you through your posts over the years Mike. Not only with your shots, but also in other areas such as environmental issues and photography techniques. You are a source of great info with also excellent shots Mike. One very clever.........bud <---- thats an American term mate <----- and thats a Kiwi term

All the best M8t, IMO, incredible.

Danny.

Bruce Williams · Post by **Bruce Williams** » Wed May 09, 2007 4:27 am

Thanks for posting the full resolution crop Mike. My reaction is pretty much the same as your - nice but not quite as much detail as I expected.

I must do some experimentation with aperture settings on my Minolta A2 to establish the optimum aperture and to see for myself if image degradation becomes apparent as I stop right down.

Bruce