Snakes (and other reptiles) in the Grass

Text copyright Kevin Ferris. Photography copyright Kevin Ferris and Lucas Condliffe
All rights reserved

I live, and do most of my photographing, in the northeast USA. This is not an area that is known for its poisonous snakes, or other exotic lizards. However, I will occasionally encounter a few reptiles while I am out photographing. These consist mainly of various turtles, frogs, toads and garter snakes. These little critters can make nice photographic subjects.
This snapping turtle was crawling about in the grass of Jamaica bay. You have to give these guys a fair amount of working distance.
The areas where I do most of my photographing are mostly forest type areas with a fair amount of grass on the ground. When I do encounter one of these reptiles, they are typically on the ground, walking or crawling about among the grass. Sometimes I will have a clear angle for a clean photograph with little or no obstructions. However, it is more likely that there is a fair amount of grass and debris that will end up as an annoying distraction in the photo.
This little tree frog was stretched out among the grass on the ground. The blurred grass makes for an interesting photo.
I will take some shots with the aperture closed down to increase my depth of field. In addition, I will take some photos with the aperture opened up. Sometimes I can get a more pleasing photo with the aperture opened up, and the grass and other distractions blurred.

The photos on this page are examples where the depth of field has been minimized to eliminate some of the distracting grasses, and focus the viewers’ attention on the subject.

The photo at the top of this page of the Ball Python (taken by Lucas Condliffe), and the African Spurred Tortoise below, are photos of captive animals taken at a wildlife refuge. Both photos are example of situations where the reptile was on the ground among grass, and an open aperture helped to blur the grass and other distractions. For additional information regarding working with a wildlife refuge, click here.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You will often see various turtles (snapping and painted turtles) walking in the grass in the late spring and early summer. These animals are generally looking to lay their eggs at this time of year. It's important to give them some working distance during this period.