When this object first caught my eye I thought it was a piece of trash tossed into the bushes.
On closer look, but not too close thanks to a zoom lens, it was indeed a snake.
I’ve become much more tolerant of being in the presence of a snake since we moved to South Carolina, but I’d still be happy to never see one again.
There are two black snakes in SC. The Racer usually races away, leaving me to think this leisurely specimen was a Rat Snake.
Cypress Wetlands, Port Royal, SC
October 30, 2024
This morning I finally updated Adobe Lightroom to Version 12.3Â 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.
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.
Cropped from the above images:
However, when you zoom in to the snake details, there is some improvement.
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
This odd shape caught my eye as I worked my way down the boardwalk at Francis Beidler Forrest.
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.
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.
His tail had flipped around to the other side, but the rest of his body stayed in the same looped configuration.
Audubon Center at Beidler Forest, Harleyville, SC
April 14, 2023
The Cottonmouth Snake went on his way and disappeared into the swamp.
Francis Beidler Forest, Harleyville, SC
March 31, 2023
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.
Some other ripples were caused by caterpillars falling from the trees.
The snake swam away slowly…
…Â in an out of the tree shadows.
Francis Beidler Forest, Harleyville, SC
March 31, 2023
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.
I was safely on a boardwalk above the water that I was sharing with about a million tent caterpillars.
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.
Francis Beidler Forest, Harleyville, SC
March 31, 2023
I’m not much on snakes–I do photograph them on occasion but don’t often post them. This one was sunning just off the boardwalk; Ted had identified him as poisonous.
Unfortunately I didn’t see the Damselfly until looking at the pictures on my computer.
If I had, we’d be looking at a closeup of the insect on those interesting scales…
instead of just a blip of blue on the snake.
Francis Beidler Forest, SC
July 9, 2022
Snakes were what I saw the most of on my recent visit to Beidler Forest. I’m not a big fan, but have grown to appreciate their habits since moving to SC.
The positions they arrange themselves in are pretty interesting, including a little flare with the tail.
It was a partly cloudy day in the mid 70s (24-25C) and these three were in spots that were in and out of the sun.
Beidler Forest, SC
March 18, 2022
I know, it is still a snake. I’ve never been a fan, but am becoming more accustomed to them. I spotted this one at Beidler Forest working his way along a rotting log.
I don’t study the educational signs with the ID info about snakes, but do know that the round eyes and round head are signs this one is harmless.
The snake slowly checked out the crevices in the log and showed no interest in me watching him
Plus, I was on a boardwalk at least ten feet away.
I’m not a snake fan but was fascinated by how this one found a way to stay dry in the swamp. He was about two feet above the water.
I would have like to see him getting into this position.
