For those who like snakes - a photo I shot...

[wysvp]

Folks,

This past summer I did a number of photo shoots (and a video shoot) with snakes and damsels - and am only now getting around to editing them. As I happen to know, there are a few folks on this BB who like snakes, so - I hope you enjoy this photo - starring Leila Hazlett, well known as one of my best quicksand gals.

More photos will soon be posted to my Model Mayhem portfolio (http://www.modelmayhem.com/didvp).

Comments, as always, are welcomed.

Michael

[Nessie]

Oooh...I see those cute little fellas!

Yeah...I know.

The world sees threats, and I see pets.

I'm not totally lost to the dramatic side, though. It's an excellent photo.

Nessie

[newtothis2]

Haha, i'm with you Nessie, my oldest daughter has a corn snake as a pet, been about 5 years now. He/she is almost 4 ft and we just upgraded it to a condo aquarium about 4 ft x 14" and she has a whole snake environment in there for it. We also kept a black widow for a couple years as well, feeding all sorts of household pests until it finally died.

[PM2K]

Pretty cool!

[Nessie]

He/she is almost 4 ft

I had a small garter snake for awhile and I didn't know what sex it was either. The vet said he could sex it for me, but he had to (ugh)...go IN...you know, inside it...with a probe of some kind. And even then he wouldn't be 100% sure. I just didn't think putting my little critter through the discomfort would be worth it.

I like that yellow snake in this picture a lot. The picture itself is interesting. We all know that damsels, being human with human minds, can act, but I am curious as to how predictable the snakes were!

Nessie

[wysvp]

. We all know that damsels, being human with human minds, can act, but I am curious as to how predictable the snakes were!

Nessie

I have worked with snakes for a good 4-5 years now. For my shoots, I hire a handler, who brings their own collection of snakes. These are usually domesticated (well, as much as any wild animal can be domesticated!!) and pretty good in terms of positioning. However, there are always times when they prove they "have a mind of their own" - for instance, you can see the yellow constrictor here heading off to the lower left - it eventually left Leila and visiting some of my props in the studio.

Shooting the video with Leila was more of a challenge - particularly since we shot outdoors (I'll be posting photos of that on my Model Mayhem portfolio within the week) and snakes like the outdoors, especially hanging in the trees. But, the handler did a good job of keeping them in place on "on track" for the scenario.

I have found that shooting with babies and toddlers more difficult than snakes!!

Michael

[Nessie]

I have found that shooting with babies and toddlers more difficult than snakes!!

Michael

My snake was just a little garter snake, but I'm not sure he (I did call it a he although I didn't know) could act. He was pretty tame, though. Getting a handler with their own snake collection is a great idea.

Sounds like one of your day jobs is professional portrait photography. I too would pick about any reasonably tame animal over babies and toddlers...and one thing snakes don't do is...

SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEAM!!!

(I realize that damsels do, but only when they are supposed to.)

Nessie

[Nessie]

Just looked at your portfolio. Got a kick out of "Dinner With The Ex". That spoon with the eyeball in it is so cool.

Nessie

[nachtjaeger]

We used to have a BIG king snake that lived under the trailer down home. He'd been around so many years Granddad called him "Old Methuselah." He was almost like a pet- and was an excellent mouser! After he died in a lawnmower accident, we had to get a cat to take over his mousing duties.

A friend of ours had a Python named Bay'lith. She was at least seven feet long- maybe eight, and it took three people to hold her while her owner cleaned her cage.

[Mynock]

Gotta love the big pythons/boas. Had a ball python when I was 14--then it bit the everloving crap out of my little brother and my parents made me get rid of it. I still get a case of the chuckles every time I remember him screaming "OMG it's CHEWING ON ME!!!!"