Steveo's Garters

[ConcinusMan]

Some new pictures with a cheap point-and-shoot I picked up:

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I have found that a white background causes problems sometimes. Because of all that light being reflected directly at the camera, it tends to automatically shorten the exposure, making your subject too dark. Similar to the effect you get when you try to take a picture indoors of someone standing in front of a window. It's like having your light source behind the subject instead of behind the camera or above as it should be.

[Steveo]

Yep, they were much darker than the pictures taken with the DSLR, especially around the edges. The metering on pocket cameras just isn't up to snuff. Depth of field was good though... I don't have anything resembling a macro lens for my DSLR so that was actually an improvement. I could have done some exposure correction but I was lazy that night.

I have a refurbished DSLR in the mail so at some point I'm going to set up the tripod and get some well-exposed, crisp shots. I just need to get the camera out of my shaky hands and/or improve the lighting.

[ConcinusMan]

My Nikon does an excellent job on the metering but like you were saying, in low light you need a tripod but even then, getting a snake to sit completely still for the shot is about impossible. Definitely helps to shoot outdoors where there's plenty of bright natural daylight. I think your "cheap point and shoot" did OK but the white reflecting hurt those shots. Snakes are rather dark. I think in this situation a blue towel for a background works better.

[Steveo]

I found the puget sound garter dead this morning. I think he ate himself to death because he was still plump with silversides. I need to pay more attention to the portions I provide.

[ConcinusMan]

[guidofatherof5]

Sorry for your loss. The over-eating of fish in particular is dangerous to a few snakes. I've never lost a snake to over-eating worms but fish is a different story.

[ConcinusMan]

I've had it happen too. In fact, any time I've had a snake die with a full belly it was a large meal of fish. You have to consider that snakes can't burp and if they really need to, they must regurgitate. Fins on a whole fish swallowed head first might make that impossible.

[indigoman]

He was a beautiful snake, real sorry to read this.

[Invisible Snake]

Damn, sorry for your loss.

[Steveo]

Well, it kinda makes me feel better that I'm not alone.

My dilemma now is that I have a blue girl on order with Scott. My other half is adamant about only getting one more, so I may need some stud services in a couple years.