I've been bit by a Prarie Rattlesnake. Does that count?
I've been bit by a Prarie Rattlesnake. Does that count?
A number of years ago I was in Kodachrome Basin, a storm was approaching so I started back to the car about a mile away. The temperature start warming up and as I was walking my guardian angel suddenly said be careful there are snakes here. As soon as I that thought entered my mind the sound of the rattle started. I froze to see the coiled rattlesnake and the edge of the trail one more step away ready to strike. I took a couple of steps to the right and walked about ten feet past. I stopped and decided to take out my 35 with a zoom and take a picture of it. I set my backpack down beside a second rattler which then started rattling it's tail. I slowly picked up my backpack told them both that I didn't have a model release handy so I wouldn't take their pictures. That sure was the longest mile I have ever walk.
It was a looong time ago, I was driving my old beetle on the Atherton Tablelands, lost somewhere on my own in beautiful Queensland when this big branch across the road stopped me. I suddenly realized that the branch was slowly moving. I jumped out of the car and grabbed the branche's tail. It's head was already amongst the shrubs where it took some hold and was pulling like hell. I thought "how in the world will I get my camera in the car and photography myself in this tarzanic situation?"... No one came to my rescue and I finally had to let the reptile go without a proof of my exploit. The olive python was of good size, probably 4m long. Yeaahh, what's that look of unbelief on your faces? These days I don't bother poor snakes any more.
But the most scary encounter was one day in my swiss mountains when I nearly put my hand on an aspic viper while climbing. Fortunately, the snake blew his lungs out to warn me.
But snakes are not often seen unless we know where to look for them. A friend photographer who lives in Arizona told me that he saw his first rattlesnake in the wild a few weeks ago. And he is older than me!
Oh, maybe I should tell also what happened to a good friend of mine who used to live there too. He took his motor bike one day and was driving on the road when he felt a strange contact within his shorts. He immediately stopped on the roadside and this was probably the funniest sight anyone would ever watch as he was jumping up and down trying to make that snake fall from his shorts! This youngster python had slipped from behind the tank where he was temporarily residing into his shorts as the motor heated the place!
This spring two friends and I were shooting in a burned out area of the Santa Catalina mountains north of Tucson. The fire had left some interesting lumps of charcoal which were once oak trees. The area has since grown some fine grasses which had died and turned a nice gold color, which was pleasing when viewed with the trees. We were split in three places and I ran out of 4x5 film, so I went back to the car to get a 35mm camera which had some Efke 100 already loaded.
On my way back, Rocky called out to me and said to have a look at something. He had been shooting in a dry stream bed which had a small pool of water in one pocket. The banks were still green and some wild flowers were blooming, along with some datura. As he neared the pool. he happened to notice a very black rattler on a flat rock which had just struck at a mouse. Since the mouse was being consumed, the snake was somewhat preoccupied and I was able to get close enough to use the longest lens I had with me (135mm) for a few pictures. I should have used N+1 for this entire roll as the snake was the blackest I have ever seen in a Diamond Back, but I just ran it at N because of the entire roll.
P.S. Apug gallery.
Nice image, Noseoil !
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