His eyes were bigger than his stomach. Warning nature in action: I came home to this drama unfolding in my driveway. I am mostly interested in if I shot this in the best way to tell...

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

I came home to this drama unfolding in my driveway. I am mostly interested in if I shot this in the best way to tell the story.

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RRS Loc: Not sure

So, what's the story, how did it end? I'm rooting for the frog, probably a bad bet.

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

RRS wrote:

So, what's the story, how did it end? I'm rooting for the frog, probably a bad bet.

I just realized that I put up a reduced for web picture instead of full size. I guess if you have to ask what the story is the photo isn't doing it's job.
You will be glad to know that the snake did not eat the toad though he tried mightily.

Erdos2 Loc: Vancouver, WA

Country's Mama wrote:

I came home to this drama unfolding in my driveway. I am mostly interested in if I shot this in the best way to tell the story.

I think it tells the story very well. It is a great shot, nice and sharp, with plenty of space around it (especially enough on the right) and makes one wonder what the outcome it going to be. I can't imagine anything to improve the shot.

RRS Loc: Not sure

Country's Mama wrote:

I just realized that I put up a reduced for web picture instead of full size. I guess if you have to ask what the story is the photo isn't doing it's job.
You will be glad to know that the snake did not eat the toad though he tried mightily.

Sorry, great shot and I didn't think that was a snake that would be able to eat that toad/frog. I knew what the story was, I just didn't know the outcome! Thanks for the happy ending.

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

Erdos2 wrote:

I think it tells the story very well. It is a great shot, nice and sharp, with plenty of space around it (especially enough on the right) and makes one wonder what the outcome it going to be. I can't imagine anything to improve the shot.

Thank you. He (the toad) needed space on the right to escape to. I wonder if it was cropped closer if you would assume a different outcome? I am trying to explore different ways that composition affects the way a viewer would interpret a photo.

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

RRS wrote:

Sorry, great shot and I didn't think that was a snake that would be able to eat that toad/frog. I knew what the story was, I just didn't know the outcome! Thanks for the happy ending.

You don't have to apologize. I actually think a negative critique gives me more information to improve on than a positive one. I actually took photos from every angle I could think of at the time trying to get one that would draw a viewer into the photo. This is the one I chose that I thought was the best, but wondered what others thought of the angle of this shot. I think maybe if I had gotten even lower it might have been better. Part of the problem with shooting reptiles is they have little expression. If you saw a similar shot say on Nat Geo of a lion and a zebra there would be fear on the face of the zebra. I thought the toad showed no emotion to give it a sense of drama. Maybe if I played with the lighting?

Rathyatra Loc: Southport, United Kingdom

Interesting capture - glad to learn the toad survived to see another day.

RRS Loc: Not sure

Country's Mama wrote:

You don't have to apologize. I actually think a ne... (show quote)

That wasn't a negative critique at all. What you presented sparked my interest enough to want me to either see or know more. You got me hook, line and sinker. No I wouldn't have played with the lighting at all, with nature shots you act now or run the chance of missing the event, if you can call that an event. If you had shown that shot from a much lower angle we may have missed how long or had a different idea of the size and type of snake. Your subject showed something we don't see every day. I'd say you did very well.

winterrose Loc: Kyneton, Victoria, Australia

Country's Mama wrote:

I came home to this drama unfolding in my driveway. I am mostly interested in if I shot this in the best way to tell the story.

The shot appears to me to be more of an observational snap rather than a considered photograph of an unfolding natural drama.

It looks as though you merely got down and a bit closer in order to compose the scene much as it appeared when you first noticed it.

Perhaps bravely taking a much lower viewpoint with the toad more front on and your aperture suitably set such that both the toad and the snake's head is in focus with the snake's body fading into blur might have provided more impact.

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

Thank you WR That would have been a better shot. I seem to always think of better ways to do something after the fact. Next time....

Uuglypher Loc: South Dakota (East River)

Country's Mama wrote:

I came home to this drama unfolding in my driveway. I am mostly interested in if I shot this in the best way to tell the story.

The toad has resorted to its only defense against being swallowed..it fills its highly expansive lungs and connected air sacs with air in hope the snake will give up trying to engulf its inflated mass..and in hope that it will not first succumb to the garter snake's neurotoxic venom...in response to which the toad would deflate and be easily swallowed.

Just a biological perspective on "the story"

Dave

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

Uuglypher wrote:

The toad has resorted to its only defense against being swallowed..it fills its highly expansive lungs and connected air sacs with air in hope the snake will give up trying to engulf its inflated mass..and in hope that it will not first succumb to the garter snake's neurotoxic venom...in response to which the toad would deflate and be easily swallowed.

Just a biological perspective on "the story"

Dave

Thank you for that perspective. I didn't know that is what was going on. He seemed very out of it when he was released. I put him up on the woodchips and he dug himself in. The next day he was still there but more responsive and the third day he was gone. I don't know if on his own or with the help of another preditor. I didn't realize the garter snakes had venom.

Uuglypher Loc: South Dakota (East River)

Country's Mama wrote:

Thank you for that perspective. I didn't know that is what was going on. He seemed very out of it when he was released. I put him up on the woodchips and he dug himself in. The next day he was still there but more responsive and the third day he was gone. I don't know if on his own or with the help of another preditor. I didn't realize the garter snakes had venom.

As a youth fascinated by snakes and thinking about a career in herpetology I caught and handled innumerable snakes, including garter snakes, and survived innumerable bites with no ill effects. However since the mid 70s there has been increasing awareness of the toxic saliva (venom) of many snakes previously considered non-venomous, including garter snakes.

And yes, some toads survive the bites of garter snakes after being released by the snake, and I'll bet that some ultimately do not.

Nightski

Did you have a chance to grab some other angles? Did the snake swallow the toad? The toad does not look too concerned .. I find that amusing. Ummmm ... did you get the snake with a big lump in it's long lean body? That would be a story for sure. LOL Anyway .. fun pic, Judy.