Photographing Captive Reptiles

Small sensor cameras have their detractors, but there are specific situations where shooting with a small sensor camera has some advantages. For example, my Nikon 1 gear is ideally suited to taking photographs of captive reptiles because of its light weight, portability, and the comparatively short minimum focusing distance of 1 Nikon lenses. In this article I’ll be discussing some of the things you can do to create some interesting images when using this type of equipment.

One of the most outstanding features of reptiles is the texture of their skin. For this reason some of the most arresting images of reptiles are often close ups. I think these types of pictures stimulate deeply rooted primal human fears of monsters when we view them. To capture these kinds of photographs we need to get as up close and personal as we can with our subjects.

Often when visiting zoos and other exhibits containing captive reptiles we are faced with some challenging photographic conditions. These include having to shoot through glass partitions or wire mesh. Many times the size of an exhibit area is quite small. This makes it difficult to acquire focus with a typical DSLR equipped with a telephoto lens and still eliminate obstructions in the foreground. In addition, many reptile exhibits are either poorly lit or are subject to high contrast lighting.

The first challenge we face is to eliminate distractions in the foreground. To accomplish this we need to press the hood of our lens right up against the glass partition or mesh so that our lens will focus past the wire obstruction or any dirt/glare on the glass.

The next critical factor is to frame our subject. Try to capture images without having to crop them at all if possible. This will give your images more details and allow for larger size prints. As you are planning your image pay attention to background elements, and position your subject against a neutral or muted background if possible. This will help your subject really pop in your frame. Using extension tubes can help you get in closer to your subject.

Don’t be afraid to frame in really tight on just the head of the reptile, or even just a portion of its head. Remember that full body images of a snake or lizard are common place. If you want to capture something different go in tight with your framing. This also helps to accentuate the texture of the skin of the reptile.

Change your angle of view in relation to the subject. Try different shooting heights and look for interesting angles or lighting accents. Shots taken while looking down on reptiles tend to show human superiority over them. If you want to add drama to your image position yourself at the same eye level as your subject. The more intimidating your subject – the more powerful being at the same eye level with them will be in your photo.

Use single point auto focus with your Nikon 1 camera, and place that single point on the most important part of your image – the eye of the reptile. You can position the AF single point by pressing on the ‘OK’ button on the back on your Nikon 1 camera body, then depressing the scroll wheel to move the AF point. To get the sharpest images possible, shoot at a maximum of f/5.6, thus avoiding the potential impact of diffraction. Centre-weighted metering often produces the best results.

I appreciate that some Nikon 1 owners are a bit intimidated when it comes to shooting in RAW. If you are only comfortable shooting in jpeg, then try to do some basic adjustments to highlights, shadows etc. to make the most of your images. If you’re worried about losing your original jpeg, then make a copy of it and save your original jpeg file. To illustrate this point, the following image is an out-of-camera jpeg with no adjustments at all.

Here is the exact same image with some simple adjustments done to the jpeg in CS6. You can use LightRoom or many other programs to do the same things. Adjusting highlights, shadows, contrast and sharpness can add a lot to your jpegs.

Here is the same image that was processed from the RAW file. I ran the file through DxO OpticsPro 10 with its automatic adjustments. Then, I added some lens softness adjustment, micro contrast, and PRIME noise reduction. A DNG file was exported into CS6 with adjustments made to highlights and shadows. Finally, Viveza 2 was used for slight adjustments to structure and contrast.

Every image will be different, so the processing description above is simply to illustrate how a few adjustments were done to enhance one specific image.

As far as choice of lenses to use with your Nikon 1 camera, it comes down to personal preference and practical considerations regarding the position of the subject reptile in relation to the glass partition or mesh/bars. For best results try to use long focal length lenses with comparatively short minimum focusing distances.

I’ve used my Nikon 1 V2’s with native 1 Nikon lenses as well as with my FT-1 adapter and some of my FX glass. Lenses to consider if you’re going the FT-1 adapter route include zoom lenses like the 55-200mm f/4-5.6, 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6, 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6, 70-200mm f/2.8 or 70-200mm f/4. If you also want some capability to shoot subjects that are closer to the front of an exhibit you can also include some fast primes like 50mm, 85mm and 105mm Micro lenses.

As far as 1 Nikon lenses go, I prefer to use the CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 whenever possible as I love the focal length range, especially when I have my Vello extension tubes with me. This lens has comparatively short minimum focusing distance and also has very good corner to corner sharpness.

Extension tubes put extra distance between the lens and the sensor in your camera which has the effect of decreasing the minimum focusing distance of your lens. This enables you to fill more of your frame with your subject. The downside is that you lose some light and extension tubes can sometimes make auto-focusing slower.

I also like to have my 1 Nikon 10-30mm non-PD and 30-110mm zoom lenses in my camera bag as these lenses can help capture subjects that are closer to the glass partition or mesh. Given the relatively short minimum focusing distance of the 1 Nikon 10-30 lens I usually don’t bother taking any of my 1 Nikon primes with me.

Photographing captive reptiles with a small sensor camera like a Nikon 1 can be a very enjoyable pastime that can also lead to some very interesting images.

Technical Note:
All images were taken hand-held in available light with a Nikon 1 V2. All images were taken with either a 1 Nikon CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 or a Nikkor FX 70-200 f/4 using an FT-1 adapter. Vello extension tubes were used on some of the close-up images taken with the 1 Nikon 70-300. Processing of all images (except Images 9 and 10) was done with DxO OpticsPro 10 as my RAW processor using PRIME noise reduction. A DNG file was exported into CS6 for some minor adjustments, with additional final minor adjustments done in Viveza 2 as needed. Image 9 is a straight-out-of-camera jpeg with in-camera noise suppression. Image 10 was adjusted using CS6.

Article and all images Copyright 2014, Thomas Stirr. All rights reserved. No use, reproduction or duplication including electronic is allowed without written consent.