SSssssafety

Arla M. Ruggles

SSssssafety

Blow Snake hiding inside a rotted-out railroad tie.


(2009.JUL.21)

Featured on 300+ Go Long
(2009.NOV.09)

Ssssafety

Placed Third on Come On! Show Us Your Best
Challenge on Things That Slither And Slide

Placed Third in Creepy Crawlies Challenge on
Playful Photogenic Animals
(2009.OCT.20)

RedBubble Album: Wildlife Of The Geat Basin:

Canon 350D EOS
Sigma 70-300mm

Corel PhotoImpact x3

SSssssafety belongs to the following groups:

Complex Simplicity of Art, ! 100% !, *A Beautiful Blur, 300+ Go Long!, All Around the Styles, All That is Nature (Photography Only), All things in the Natural World, American Southwest , Backyard Photography (NO MACROS, DOGS, CATS, INSECTS, SKYSCAPES), Beige is death!, Bits and Pieces , Canon DSLR (One Image Per Day & A Canon Camera Must Be In The Description Before It's Accepted), Conservation Photography, Creative, Talented, and Unknown, Creatures that Slither and Slide (2/Day), Depth Of Field (2 images per day) - Read Group Rules Please, Feminine Intent (LIMIT TWO IMAGES PER DAY), First Things, For the love of Canon - 2 Images per day with type of Canon camera used, Freedom to Shine, High Desert Life, Insects, Bugs and Creepy Crawlies (2 A Day), JPG Cast-Offs, Made By Nature - {2 a day} - {challenge theme only!}, Mysteries of the Common(2 per day), Nature's Reclamation, Old farts of redbubble, Outsiders, Playful Photogenic Animals, Put Out! or Get Out!!!, Reptiles, Rural Around The Globe, Safe Haven, Shades of Grey, The Beauty of Nature (Nothing Man-Made), The Patchwork , The Wild West Show, The Woman Photographer **7 Submissions a week only please**, The World, Under/ In, Venomous snakes of the World, Western United States Artists and Photographers, Who are YOU to Judge? and Wild Nature Photography & Writing Available for sale as

Greeting Cards, Matted Prints, Laminated Prints, Mounted Prints, Canvas Prints and Framed Prints
SSssssafety by Arla M. Ruggles
  • Redpopy

    Redpopy

    How brave! Great photo!

  • Arla M. Ruggles replied

    Thank you, Redpopy …. blow snakes are non-poisonous, and quite timid unless cornered. They are better than cats for keeping the rodents in check. :)

  • arvyart

    arvyart

    Fantastic shot, Arla! This snake is very beautiful. Looks even more beautiful in that decayed railroad tie setting. Masterly done! Absolute fave! :)

  • Arla M. Ruggles replied

    Thank you, Arvy – he (or she) was a real beauty; but not very anxious to pose. :)

  • Carol Berliner

    Carol Berliner

    Woooooow amaaazing shot Arla! I love her markings! Snakes are so beautiful! I’ve always been fascinated by them! Instant fav!

  • Arla M. Ruggles replied

    I haven’t always appreciated snakes … but now I do. Thanks for your compliments, Carol!

  • Enivea

    Enivea

    It looks similar to Australian carpet snakes, also non-venomous and good hunters. Great image:-)

  • Arla M. Ruggles replied

    Thanks, Enivea!

  • walela

    walela

    Great shot!

  • Arla M. Ruggles replied

    Thank you!

  • KatsEye

    KatsEye

    Superb capture. Love the softness around the capture.

  • Arla M. Ruggles replied

    Thanks, Kat!

  • dawndavies

    dawndavies

    fabulous shot, but oh boy you are sooooooooo close,dawnx

  • Arla M. Ruggles replied

    Thanks Dawn -

    These guys are not dangerous or aggressive.

    He just wanted to get away from me, and slithered into the darkness of the timber looking for an escape route.

  • Carla Jensen

    Carla Jensen

    Outstanding image …Arla!!! love how you were able to capture it within the old railroad tie! excellent details! wtg

  • Arla M. Ruggles replied

    Thank you, Carla!

  • Susan Bergstrom

    Susan Bergstrom

    YIKES!!!!!!! Hope you were using your tel-photo!!!

  • Arla M. Ruggles replied

    I started out with 18/55, then ran and got the 70/300. This was shot from about three feet away—because I HAD TO be at that distance to get focus.

    Poor old blow snake wouldn’t hurt anybody unless his back was to the wall.

  • Appel

    Appel

    Wow, an incredible image!!! So much detail & even the composition is awesome, hard to do with wildlife!

  • Arla M. Ruggles replied

    Yeah – IMO snakes look best when coiled, or at least curvy. This one was stretched out at first (4.5 – 5’). When she crawled into that hole, I was sure I had lost her – but there was no exit. That’s when I switched lenses and raked away some of the weeds that were blocking my shot. I had been raking when we first met, so the tools were at hand – and I had plenty of time to frame the shot. :)

  • Lynn Bawden

    Lynn Bawden

    Tread carefully! Wonderful capture, Arla…Lynn

  • Arla M. Ruggles replied

    Thank you, Lynn … Yes, it was a good reminder, for I was out working in just sneakers, instead of boots. This could as easily have been his cousin, Rattler …. In which case, the close-up would not have been nearly this close! :D

  • Lynn Bawden

    Lynn Bawden

    Yes!...and there are plenty of rattlers in Eastern Nevada…Lynn

  • Arla M. Ruggles replied

    We haven’t seen many, the last couple of years. No idea why—maybe we’ve gotten too tropical for them?

  • Barbara Applegate

    Barbara Applegate

    Beautiful shot, so very clear. Up close and personal huh?

  • Arla M. Ruggles replied

    Thanks, Barbara … Shot from about 3 feet away. :)

  • Lynn Bawden

    Lynn Bawden

    Let’s hope Eastern Nevada never turns tropical. I like it the way it is…Lynn

  • Raquel Perryman

    Raquel Perryman


    you can now enter this into the “Top 9” challenge :)

  • Arla M. Ruggles replied

    Thank you, Raquel!

  • Ken McElroy

    Ken McElroy

    Congratulations!

    Your image above was featured in our telephoto lens group;

    300+ Go Long! . . . . . . . . . . . . . Masters of the Telephoto

  • Arla M. Ruggles replied

    Fantastic!! Thanks very much, Ken!

  • FallingHorse

    FallingHorse

    Lovely snake! Are they poisonous?

  • Arla M. Ruggles replied

    Thanks, FallingHorse!
    No, not deadly. :)

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