Herp Photography

[CallmeUmaster]

Kind of an odd post but im curious. I never seem to be able to take good pics of my herps. ive seen some pretty amazing pictures and was wondering, does anyone know a secret or technique for photographing our herps? Anything atall ive seen people get them into some pretty cool poses and there pictures look so good and clear. Anything atall guys?
Thanks! Discuss away!

[Wh00h0069]

You need a good camera, and a macro lens helps. You also need good lighting. I like to use a 6500 Kelvin lamp.

[musicalKeyes]

Patience helps a lot as well. Be prepared to take tons of shots before you get a really good one, and just keep practicing. My King Snake is the hardest thing to get a shot of, so I take pictures of him when he's feeding or the day after he feeds (without moving him), because he's a little sluggish for a while. I've also found it's easier to get my BPs during the day, when they wouldn't be so active, although I'm sure they don't like to be woken up, hahaha

[singingtothewheat]

I have a fuji finepix s 1500. I would not buy it again. Money was, as always, an issue for me.
If you have money to burn, get a rebel. Some of the other members here have them. They are the BOSS

With most digital camera's, if you don't have enough light, your pics will blur. Outdoor, Natural light seems the easiest to get a good shot in. Otherwise extra lighting is a good idea. You have to read up and get the right kind of lighting. Normal blasting light bulbs just make your pic look bad too, especially if they are behind the subject.

And if your a dork like me, you have to take many many many many shots just to get one decent one.

[CallmeUmaster]

I made this post earlier in the general herp chat because i didnt relize there was a forum for it, lol. ive gotten some great advice from the people who replied ( thanks a ton! ) but i figured it wouldnt hurt to post again in the actual photography section for some more insight.
Kind of an odd post but im curious. I never seem to be able to take good pics of my herps. Ive seen some pretty amazing pictures and was wondering, does anyone know a secret or technique for photographing our herps? Anything atall ive seen people get them into some pretty cool poses and there pictures look so good and clear. Anything atall guys?
Thanks! Discuss away!

[Skiploder]

I'll second that request. I'd love to hear some trade secrets - what type of camera, lenses, etc.

[brainman1000]

A macro lens is a must. It allows you to take really close up shots without using zoom. Most cameras won't focus well on objects within about 18". The macro closes that distance to almost nothing depending on the macro lens used. As for camera, Pretty much any type that will accept lenses will work. DSLR's are obviously made for that sort of thing, but you can get away with spending much less than that. I use a Kodak Z730, which is really just a point-and-shoot, but it has a lens adaptor that allows me to use a macro lens. My pics aren't the best in the world, but I can get some halfway decent close ups. One of the keys is lighting. A simple light box can be used to produce a good consistant light that eliminates shadows and discoloration.

[zackw419]

read up on photography a bit. you must know the basics, you can't even take great pics with a great camera without knowing what your doing.

However you don't necessarily need a dslr to take good pictures, but i recommend at least a high quality point and shoot.

I took pics like these...:




with this camera:

here are some pics taken with a very expensive dslr camera (not mine, nor are the pics):





2nd set of pics by Patrick Aalto

anyway, my point is you can get good pics off a fairly (fairly...) inexpensive camera, make sure u get a macro lens too!

[Skiploder]

A macro lens is a must. It allows you to take really close up shots without using zoom. Most cameras won't focus well on objects within about 18". The macro closes that distance to almost nothing depending on the macro lens used. As for camera, Pretty much any type that will accept lenses will work. DSLR's are obviously made for that sort of thing, but you can get away with spending much less than that. I use a Kodak Z730, which is really just a point-and-shoot, but it has a lens adaptor that allows me to use a macro lens. My pics aren't the best in the world, but I can get some halfway decent close ups. One of the keys is lighting. A simple light box can be used to produce a good consistant light that eliminates shadows and discoloration.

I was at a local camera store last weekend and looked at some "bridge" cameras - notably the Canon SX20 IS, the Nikon P90 and the Panasonic DMC FZ35. All have super macro modes and I was fairly impressed. Ever heard of a "bridge" camera?

Wondering how those would do. The clerk said I could bring a small snake (hoggie perhaps) and try each camera out.............

[brainman1000]

I would def. try them out first and see how they do. My camera also has a macro mode, but I found that it doesn't work very well. I'm not saying that other cameras with macro mode won't work, but definitely try them out before buying.