Category Archives: Reptiles

Dragonfly On Patrol

It had been a slow morning for photographing wildlife so I stopped for this young Alligator. I didn’t see the dragonfly until I was looking at the images on my computer.

Dragonfly Sharing Alligator Ramp
Dragonfly Sharing Alligator Ramp

After the first image I moved along for a different angle of the Alligator, still not seeing the dragonfly. He was following a tight flight path, with just two seconds between the next and final images.

Dragonfly Patrolling Over Alligator Ramp
Dragonfly Patrolling Over Alligator Ramp

The Alligator is probably 2 to 3 years old, based on his size and camouflage coloration.

Dragonfly Patrolling Over Alligator Ramp
Dragonfly Patrolling Over Alligator Ramp
Dragonfly Patrolling Over Alligator Ramp
Dragonfly Patrolling Over Alligator Ramp
Dragonfly Patrolling Over Alligator Ramp
Dragonfly Patrolling Over Alligator Ramp
Dragonfly Patrolling Over Alligator Ramp
Dragonfly Patrolling Over Alligator Ramp

Magnolia Plantation & Garden, Charleston, SC
June 16, 2023

Snake In A Tree, LR AI Denoise

This morning I finally updated Adobe Lightroom to Version 12.3  which includes the new AI denoise functions.

I had already processed the images for my recent snake post using Topaz Denoise, then tried them with the new Adobe function.

Processed with Topaz Denoise

Same image, using Lightroom Denoise first, then the same cropping and light adjustments. On this particular image I don’t see much difference in the bigger view.

Lightroom Enhanced Denoise

Cropped from the above images:

Process with Topaz Denoise, Cropped for closer look

However, when you zoom in to the snake details, there is some improvement.

Lightroom Enhanced Denoise, Cropped For Closer Look

I’m not sure how this is going to play out with my image processing flow. One plus to the Topaz version is the ability to batch process, which I have used a lot.

Audubon Center at Beidler Forest, Harleyville, SC
April 14, 2023

Snake In A Tree

This odd shape caught my eye as I worked my way down the boardwalk at Francis Beidler Forrest.

Snake
Snake

Possibly a Rat Snake, he was in a tidy pile and undisturbed by my presence.  It wasn’t until processing these images I noticed the insect exuvia, seen in this next image if you zoom in, just to the right of the snake’s head.

Snake
Snake

I passed by a little later and the snake had stretched his neck out along the branch, and you can see the exuvia dangling above the snake about 3/4 across the image from the left edge.

Snake
Snake

His tail had flipped around to the other side, but the rest of his body stayed in the same looped configuration.

Snake
Snake

Audubon Center at Beidler Forest, Harleyville, SC
April 14, 2023

Cottonmouth Snake, Part 2 of 3

More of the Cottonmouth Snake as he moved away from me…

These water ripples were caused by the snake, making an interesting interaction with the the surface tension along his side.

Cottonmouth Snake
Cottonmouth Snake

Some other ripples were caused by caterpillars falling from the trees.

Cottonmouth Snake
Cottonmouth Snake

The snake swam away slowly…

Cottonmouth Snake
Cottonmouth Snake

… in an out of the tree shadows.

Cottonmouth Snake
Cottonmouth Snake

Francis Beidler Forest, Harleyville, SC
March 31, 2023

Cottonmouth Snake Tasting The Water, Part 1 of 3

You’ve heard this before…I’m not much on snakes but this scene fascinated me with the combo of the snake flicking his tongue, shadows and reflections, and the tent caterpillar over the snake’s eye.

Cottonmouth Snake
Cottonmouth Snake

I was safely on a boardwalk above the water that I was sharing with about a million tent caterpillars.

Cottonmouth Snake
Cottonmouth Snake

These caterpillars are having a very successful year in SC. This one didn’t know it, but he was about to go for a ride.

Cottonmouth Snake
Cottonmouth Snake

Francis Beidler Forest, Harleyville, SC
March 31, 2023