Green on green

[TonyW]

My wife told me this is a boring image but I think it is not quite so bad - not very original perhaps.

This green snake was hanging around outside our bathroom this morning.

056A6955 by tonyw36, on Flickr

This has a noisy background but looks reasonably sharp to me. I still don't thoroughly understand the interaction between sharpening and noise reduction properly.

[Brownbear]

Hi Tony,

Just to say that I think that you have captured the beauty of the snake beautifully. Gorgeous focus, colour and details. It looks very sharp to me, and I like the composition because it appears that he/she is looking at something with intense curiosity. I wish we had snakes like this beauty where I live!

I too, am trying to learn how to reduce noise without destroying the detail and rich colour in the subject.

[IzzieK]

Great shot though I wouldn't wish to have snakes outside my window...Christina, you are weird...

[Brownbear]

Isabel...

I see gorgeous colours, beautiful exotic skin and mesmerizing eyes.

I love spiders and snakes (and all kinds of bugs) If I ever meet you in person I will ensure that you come to love them, too.

[NorthernFocus]

As all of us married men know, your wife is right of course. But as a simple minded guy who is easily entertained, I like the shot. My only suggestion is to perhaps clone out the branch/leaf in the BG that angles up from bottom of frame to just under the critter's chin.

Regarding sharpening/NR, you just have to play around a bit. Sharpening will enhance noise even more so it's best to do your NR first. I tend to do it very early on in my workflow. Not sure what software you are using but if you have the capability it is also best on noisy images to use a selection brush/mask etc, and sharpen only the main subject of interest. So as a general rule, NR first, sharpen last.

Tell your wife she's absolutely right. BORING photo

[NorthernFocus]

...I love spiders and snakes (and all bugs_, and if I ever meet you in person I will ensure that you come to love them, too.

Let's see, Anchorage to Vancouver... 2500k or so... whew! Izzie I think you're far enough to be safe too

[Brownbear]

I was just about to say that you seem to be a very wise man... ie; your wife is right of course

Let's see, Anchorage to Vancouver... 2500k or so... whew! Izzie I think you're far enough to be safe too

[travis4567]

Perfect !

[TonyW]

Thanks for all the comments.

Christina , I am glad you like snakes and other things bright and beautiful. This is perhaps our prettiest type of snake and it looks greener than it seems in this image. It is venomous but fairly small and not dangerous. When excited, it raises its scales and displays nice blue spots. Izzie, I am sure you would get to like these things with some familiarity. It's only the brown snake around here that I would be concerned about. As I was typing this I saw the local goanna walk past. They're quite pretty too.

Dan, I routinely go through the Bridge -> ACR -> Photoshop sequence. I do the noise reduction first thing in PS and then sharpening, although I still need to experiment with the NR settings. I had to put the ISO up to 2000 this morning to get a fast enough shutter speed, but that is usually OK except that it is also cropped significantly as well.

[Jeffbridge]

That is beautiful! Excellent Shot!!!

[David547]

Amazing shot ! this is really fantastic picture ..

[IzzieK]

Tony...I do not mind looking at a goanna. It's got to be in the distance though...There are 140 different species of snakes in Oz. Brown snakes we have encountered lots while living in Ballarat (when our house was being built then..) Here in our house in Missouri I encountered the black with yellow spots once or twice while gardening...so I try to poke the bottom of my planted areas first before I do anything.

Thanks Christina...the safest place a snake where I am should be behind the glass in the zoo. At least I know it is there and not where my feet were. I do not mind bugs. My kids use to take them inside the house as "pets" complete with names and funeral when they die.

Dan...I like your sense of humour...

[chauncey]

In this scenario, I would have selected the background and done severe NR to it then sharpened snake.

[Shadowman]

Nice.

[TonyW]

Thanks David and Jeff.

Chauncey, I will have a go at some more noise reduction. I am still learning there.

Goannas are not really frightening but this beast, which is actually genetically related, is not to be trifled with. It's a komodo dragon from Indonesia which I photographed last year. Its size is like an alligator. I have not worked on it to make a good image.

+056A0821ed by tonyw36, on Flickr

[IzzieK]

Oh Tony....you got some nice pets around your property to photograph...

[cliffmccartney]

Tony,

I have to qualify everything I say by stating that I have an irrational fear of snakes. I'd have to shoot this with an 800mm from a LONG way away . I think the composition, color, and light on this image are fantastic. The color and tone changes on the snake are wonderful. The diagonal lines of the plants in the background really enhance the diagonal line the snake makes. I have just a couple of suggestions. I think I'd crop a bit on the right and bottom. It wouldn't take much to put the snake's head on the lower right power point and make the snake come in to the image from the upper left corner. Also, I don't think the white-ish plant in the upper right corner is helping you. I think I'd also try to clone out the plant just to the left and below the snake's head. That said, this image really works for me. The tone, the composition, the beautiful shallow DoF are all great. I love the image.

Cliff

[Wavelength]

An excellent shot of snake...i am too innocent to understand why your wife did not like this?

[bnnrcn]

The snake is excellent Tony.I don't like the comodo dragon as an animal because I watched some documentaries about it and it is awful

[deetheturk]

Great capture Tony!