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A Common Garter Snake


A Common Garter Snake
Photo Information
Copyright: Luc Durocher (Luc) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1835 W: 301 N: 4287] (14767)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-01-04
Categories: Reptiles
Camera: Canon PowerShot S1 IS
Exposure: f/2.8, 1/25 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Snakes - Serpientes - Serpents, 40-49 Points (Chapter 2), Reptiles of Canada [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2005-01-11 23:11
Viewed: 17557
Favorites: 2 [view]
Points: 48
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note [French]
Common Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis

Taken at the Ecomuseum, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

They are called "garter" snakes because of the patterning on their sides, which resembles that of garters once worn by men to hold up their socks.
Unique Qualities: Garter snakes have teeth (but no fangs or poison), and do tend to bite you when first picked up. They also produce a smelly fluid intended to make you release them. The garter snake is an important link in the food chain. It provides food for many larger birds and mammals including hawks, skunks, larger snakes, and raccoons.
Can be Seen: The common garter snake occurs in Canada from Prince Edward Island to British Columbia in a wide variety of colour patterns.
Likes to Hang Out: Garter snakes occupy a variety of habitats including pond and stream edges, wetlands, forests, fields, rocky hillsides and residential areas. They are often observed as they bask on rocks, woodpiles, stone walls, hedges and swimming pool decks.
Likes to Eat: Garter snakes' primary prey are earthworms, frogs, fish, and occasionally mice.
Status: The garter snake is the most abundant and widespread snake in Canada. In the future, garter snakes may face problems, as humans continue to move into their habitat. One sub-species, the butler garter snake is currently threatened in Ontario.

I hope you like it.
greghume, JeanMichel, carper, red45, deud, marhowie, gerhardt, christophe, Callie, mumek has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To rlortie: Je ne suis pas habitué à cela...Luc 1 01-12 18:57
To sergegagne: TFS toi-même, Serge ;-)Luc 1 01-12 16:22
To Callie: go,go,go... run, run, run...Luc 3 01-12 16:15
To gerhardt: More than two...Luc 1 01-12 13:48
To marhowie: but with different colors...Luc 1 01-12 13:23
To AmiBe: Oui, il y a bien une vitre...Luc 1 01-12 12:42
To Pesky_Polecat: Photo taken through a glass...Luc 2 01-12 08:46
Camera datasLuc 1 01-11 23:12
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Critiques [Translate]

I like this shot very much, Luc. Great DOF and note. The natural lighting worked very well. Garter snakes are fairly common around here as well.

Elle sort de l'écran, tellement la profondeur de champ est efficace ici. C'est une très belle photo Luc, sans aucun défaut. Une couleuvre lovée de façon très naturelle et que vous avez très bien cadrée. La netteté de la tête et les couleurs lui confèrent une présence saisissante. Bravo!

Clear and sharp where it matters on the head and eye, good colour and texture, though there is a little patch just to the right of the neck shadow where the scales go from red to grey that just doesn't look right for some reason.

Very good capture LUC,
And yes taken on the right moment, fantastic pof and a greater dof, fantastic composing shot, great colours and a good note. I like it

Composition: *****
Sharpness: ***
Color: ****
DOF: ***
POV: ****

Great composition, very good POV.
Well done.
TFS.

  • Great 
  • AmiBe (68)
  • [2005-01-12 4:26]
  • [+]

Je suis étonné de la netteté car je suppose qu'il y a une vitre entre le photographe et le serpent ! ;-)
Superbe portrait dans tous les cas, avec une profondeur de champ idéal et un très bon angle de vue.

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2636 W: 74 N: 9091] (31094)
  • [2005-01-12 4:35]

I like snakes. Very good, detailed portrait of this reptile. I like composition and light. Very good quality despite of glass. Good work Luc!

Suivante photo tres interesante avec les couleurs fantastique! Et regarde ses yeux - simplement inoubliable!!!!

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3277 W: 148 N: 6163] (18832)
  • [2005-01-12 5:13]

We don't have any snakes in NZ, so I am always keen to know about them. I like this shot Luc. Very clear and shows good details. TFS.

  • Great 
  • deud Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 438 W: 11 N: 534] (2540)
  • [2005-01-12 7:43]

rare shot of snake! good composition and details!

Excellent capture Luc! Great pose, composed well with nice detail seen in the FG scales (another snake?)& the eye...Ahh yes, the eye has it!!

Luc, this an exceptional shot. What makes this special is a couple of nice things. Interesting subject, great pose, beautifull eye contact, the special DOF showing just the head, contrasting colours and a tack sharp head. You deserve a lot points for this masterpiece. Very well done. It looks like two snakes?

Enfin un animal que l'on ne voit pas souvent sur TN, joli travail Luc
Amicalement Christophe

Hi Luc
Sorry, so busy, no real time, thus I missed the turtle, but I think he and this snake will make a wonderful colour compo, right in you studio.
I love this picture, nice details and POV, a lovely head.
IMO, I will crop just below the yellow, abut there thee the bronse scales are, halfway into them. This will give you a more pano viewm ephasising the head of the snake. Try it with some books across the monitor/
But is is beautiful, this is just my opinion,

Luc, en tous cas la vitre était propre! Je te montrerai le guide des amphibiens et des reptiles du Québec, dont le directeur adjoint de l'Ecomuseum est un des deux auteurs. Ta photo serait digne d'y figurer. La PDC est juste bien. On ne parle pas de la netteté, toujours exemplaire dans tes images. Enfin, je partage l'avis de Callie au sujet du cadrage dans le bas. TFS.

Encore une superbe photo Luc. L'écomuseum te réussit très bien. Toutes tes photos de cet endroit sont mémorables. J'aime bien le cadrage avec la partie du bas apparente, parce que ça ajoute à l'effet d'"entortillement" de son corps.

What a beautiful presentation, this is not your usual style, but this one realy needed it. Very well done. Excellent shot, excellent composition and PP, thanks for note. Congratulations Luc. To my Favs.

An excellent portrait of this snake. Very good DOF and POV and good sharpness.

  • Great 
  • japie Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1814 W: 100 N: 1904] (5187)
  • [2005-01-14 14:58]

What a closeup Luc! It feels like it is about to make its way out of my screen and over my keybord. Excellent POV and superb sharpness.

Well done and thanks for posting

Nice DOF, nice portrait, great posing too:-))

  • Great 
  • mumek Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 104 W: 0 N: 180] (853)
  • [2005-01-15 8:54]

Very good composition, details and colors.Nice depth of the field.

  • Great 
  • puciu Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 469 W: 0 N: 16] (2631)
  • [2005-01-16 3:43]

Fajne zdjêcie dobry kadr i ostro¶æ.

  • Great 
  • Athila Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 335 W: 239 N: 493] (1982)
  • [2005-10-08 19:42]

Nice snake Luc!
Soft lighting, good exposure, and snake's head position is on one of the strong point of the rule of third. And the picture has a lot of visual impact. TFS

A very uncommon shot of a very common snake.

I would like to be able to make some sort of constructive comment here, but frankly the shot is beautiful. I guess you could have improved it if the snake had tongue flicked, but otherwise, I can't imagine any improvement.

Hello Luc,
Very well shot photograph of this garter snake. The sharpness & details are outstanding.
Regards: Dr Subhash Ranjan,MD

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