My Camera Equipments for Herpetofauna Photography

First mistake this year with the watermark!

Reptiles and Amphibians are some of the most captivating groups of animals to observe and photograph in the wild. There is something so alluring about them that naturally draws you in. Having said that, they are certainly not the easiest to work and produce aesthetically-pleasing photos with! There are many factors to consider while photographing them.The most important one has nothing to do with the gears that I am using; It concerns Safety. Animal-related accidents happen when the lack of knowledge meets carelessness. Therefore, it is important that you educate yourself about the animals that you're working with especially when they could potentially bring harm to you and vice-versa. This is particularly true for snakes, for obvious reasons.

Before I begin sharing my camera gears, please allow me to also share some simple practices that I undertake before/during each herping trip to ensure the my safety and just as important, the safety of the snake.

1)Is it venomous? Carry a snake identification guide-book with you whenever possible. I always carry an identification book with me on all of my local and South East Asian trips. There is a fundamental difference between a mock-viper and a viper. Learning to differentiate between the two could save your life!

2) Should I touch it? Never attempt to handle a snake either by hand or snake-handling equipments  unless you are 110% sure that it is absolutely safe to do so for both you and the snake. eg. venomous species, snake in the state of moulting or feeding, etc. 

3) Bring Someone along if you can and have the emergency telephone number on your speed dial. If that snake doesn't get you, something else just might, like the rock that you just tripped on. Resist the temptation to herp alone - This is a hard one for me because I work in an environment where I deal with people a lot and it could get rather mentally draining at the end of the day. I find wildlife photography to be therapeutical and nothing is more relaxing than going out into the forest alone at night. This is easier said than done!

4) Don't tell your spouse or parents. Just kidding... Have them on speed dial. 

Now that I have gotten this off my chest - Let's move on to the Fun Part: Gears i use for herpetofauna photography!

TYPES OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND CORRESPONDING GEARS

Gears that I bring with me on my trips. No Pro lenses here!

The best thing about owning OM-D camera gears is knowing that everything is tiny and lightweight! Case in point is that almost everything fits snugly in a tiny protective case measuring just 26 X 18cm! I keep the rest of my stuff like my collapsible snake-handling equipments and batteries in other compartments of my waterproof bag. I only bring a small Gorilla Pod with me to minimise the overall weight.

There are 3 main types of Herpetofauna Photography that I enjoy doing:

(A) Close-up (to highlight the intricate patterns or colours)

(B) Half or Full-body shot (to document behaviour and general outlook)

(C) Wide-Angle (to show it in its natural habitat)

I am not a fan of switching lenses out in the field and as a result I always carry two mirrorless camera bodies, the OM-D EM1 and EM5, with the appropriate lenses and lighting set-up for (A) and (B + C) respectively; My current EM1 lighting set-up has been optimised for close-up photography while the EM5 is tuned more towards lower magnification work. To find out more about these equipments, click here.

Do I really need 2 different bodies and 3 different lenses? Of course not. I could probably make do with just one body and one lens with a versatile zoom range like the Olympus M.Zuiko ED 14-140mm f4-5.6 (with the appropriate lighting set-up for all focal distances). Whatever your choice is, having a properly diffused lighting system is key in getting good images of our cold-blooded friends, due to the reflective characteristics of their skin. You can read more about proper light diffusion here.

My OM-D EM1 set-up consists of the following gears (For Close-up Shots):

1) EM1 Body

2) Olympus 60mm lens

3) Olympus fl-14 Flash

4) Raynox dcr-250 converter lens (optional; for additional 2.5X reach)

5) DIY Diffuser & reflector

I use this set-up for my close magnification work. For 2.5 times the magnification power, I clip the Raynox dcr-250 onto the step-up ring attached to the lens filter.

I attach a square piece of white foam to reflect the light from the flash, upwards, eliminating any unsightly shadows.

Due to the relatively low Guide-Number (GN) of the Olympus fl-14 flash and the downward-pointing design of my DIY Diffuser, the EM1 set-up is used for close-up shots - mostly head shots of snakes and other smaller reptiles, amphibians and bugs. To understand more about Guide Numbers and how it can affect your photography, do check out my previous post here.

My usual camera-settings for close-up work:

1) Native ISO - 100: I seldom find the need to crank up my ISO. My current flash and diffuser system is perfect for my usual working distances.
2) Aperture: f8-f13
3) Shutter Speed: 1/80 - 1/120s; It depends on how much of the background I want in the picture.
4) White-Balance: Auto
5) Picture Mode: Natural
6) Metering: Spot
7) Image-Stabilisation: All Direction Shake I.S
8) Focusing: Manual

Some examples of Close-up shots taken with my EM1 Set-up:

A full-grown gecko that measures only 5cm from head to tail (Hemiphyllodactylus cf. typus). Without the reflector, the underside of the branch would have been much darker.

Close-up of the Blue-eyed Robinson's Forest Dragon (Gonocephalus robinsonii), taken with the Raynox dcr-250 attached to the lens.

One of Singapore's most elegant snake, the Kopstein's Bronzeback (Dendrelaphis kopsteini).

Gorgeous female Tropidolaemus wagleri, commonly known as Wagler's Pit Viper.

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My OM-D EM5 set-up is more dynamic and versatile, with several possible configurations (Wide-angle and Full-body shot):

1) EM5 Body 
2) Olympus 40-150mm f4-5.6
3) Samyang 7.5mm f3.5 (Full Manual Lens)
4) Olympus fl-600r Flash
5) Olympus fl-LM2 (bundled onboard flash) ; Used as master flash for off-camera lighting
6) Lambency flash diffuser
7) Godox Collapsible Pop-up reflector

My wide-Angle set-up consists of the EM5 body, Samyang 7.5mm f3.5, Olympus fl-600r Flash, the Lambency flash diffuser and the Godox Collapsible Pop-up reflector.

I have recently started experimenting with half water, half land style of wide-angle photography in my attempt to document amphibians ands aquatic snakes in their natural habitat. More on that in my future posts!

My usual camera-settings for Wide-angle shots:

1) ISO 200 - 600: I would bump up my ISO whenever I shoot with available light during daytime or with flash at night, especially when I want to include more of the background in the picture.
2) Aperture: f 5.6 with the focusing dial set just shy of infinity
3) Shutter Speed: 1/15s
4) White-Balance: Auto
5) Picture Mode: Natural
6) Metering: Centre-weighted
7) Image-Stabilisation: All Direction Shake I.S
8) Focusing: Manual

Some examples of Wide-Angle Shots taken with the above EM5 set-up:

Wide-Angle close-up photography requires far more patience and finesse to pull-off, and these added challenges are the reason why I find it to be so addictive. After spotting the animal, you first have to make a quick scan of the environment and adjust your equipments and camera settings accordingly. Secondly, after making all that adjustments, you have to approach the animal slowly because any sudden movements will trigger its flight response. Once you have taken your spot, pray that no mosquitos, leeches (or anything with biting mouthparts) will come your way because scratching that itchy bum of yours is not an option, especially when your front of lens is barely centimetres away from your subject. Take your preliminary shots, re-adjust your settings, take your shots again and pray that they will come out okay. If you're lucky, the animal might just reposition itself (like this frog) and offer you a few more clicks of that shutter button. I have spent nights after nights without producing a single usable photo but that has never stopped me from trying again. Madness, I love it!

The same frog from a slightly different perspective.

Just a blue-tongue skink strolling around; Southern Queensland.

Spotted this Kopstein's Bronzeback (Dendrelaphis kopsteini) crossing the jungle track. What a beauty! A large pop-up reflector was used to deflect some light into the background. Without it, the background would be completely dark.

I would normally use either the white or gold slipcovers on the pop-up reflector.

Although very little is known about Boiga dendrophila's venom affect on humans, it is comparable to that of a death adder. Poorly evolved fangs and a poor delivery system make this snake's bite likely less than life threatening. I was waist-deep in water and destroyed my shoes and pants in the process but it was worth it. She was a big one. The front of lens was a mere-2 inches from the snake!

For half or full-body shots, everything remains the same except for the lens - I switch to the Olympus 40-150mm f4-5.6, as seen below. Unlike the Ultra-Wide angle Samyang 7.5mm, I have the luxury of standing further away from the subject.

My usual camera-settings for Half-or Full-body shots:

1) ISO 200 - 1600: How high i go with the ISO depends on how far away the snake is and how much available light there is.
2) Aperture: f4
3) Shutter Speed: 1/80 - 1/320
4) White-Balance: Auto
5) Picture Mode: Natural
6) Metering: Centre-weighted
7) Image-Stabilisation: All Direction Shake I.S
8) Focusing: Auto + Manual

Some examples of half or full-body shots taken with the above EM5 set-up:

Asthenodipsas lasgalenensis (Loredo et al, 2013), a recently described species, occurs in highland areas of Peninsular Malaysia, but lacks banding and is mainly arboreal. This was shot with  pop-up reflector placed slightly to the side to illuminate the background even more.

Very little is known about these water-loving snakes, commonly known as the Red Mountain Keelback (Amphiesma sanguineum). They are highly elusive and have been observed to dive underwater to escape, making them incredibly hard to photograph. This was shot without the pop-up reflector. Notice how much darker the background is when compared to the previous photograph.

Commonly known as the Dog-faced Water snake (Cerberus schneiderii), it occurs in coastal areas of Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and the whole of Indonesia (excluding New Guinea).

Another benefit of using a zoom lens is the additional reach - an invaluable tool for photographing venomous snakes from a safe distance or arboreal snakes perched high up in the trees.

Herping in the Montane Forests of Cameron Highlands, Pahang Darul Makmur

Earlier this week, i visited Cameron Highlands with a friend, Kurt Orion, to sample the rich bio-diversity that the Malaysian State of Pahang has to offer. Cameron Highlands is one of the highest points in the country but despite its much lower temperature, it does produce an impressive list of reptiles, a group of animals that are usually synonymous with warmer climates.

I was initially looking to visit Fraser's Hill on my own to photograph some endemic spiders but since Kurt hasn't been to Cameron Highlands in a long time, I figured why not. Anyway, it is always good to have another pair of trained eyes like Kurt's. Kurt is from Kuala Lumpur (KL), a city halfway between Singapore (where I am from) and Cameron Highlands so the arrangement was for me to fly to KL and then hitch a ride the rest of the way from him. A few phone calls, 3 web-bookings and 2 days later, I found myself at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, en-route to KL Sentral where Kurt was waiting for me.

When we finally met in KL Sentral, I was already feeling quite tired from pulling an all-nighter, 'geeking' through a list of reptiles and invertebrates that can be found in Cameron Highlands the night before. Since I had an early morning flight, I foolishly decided to skip sleeping altogether with hopes of catching some shuteye at the airport later. Nope, that sleep didn't happen. Thankfully, Kurt was kind enough to suggest that i get some sleep on the 5-hour drive up to Cameron Highlands.

We arrived and checked into our Resort located in Tanah Rata at about 4pm, and proceeded to charge our batteries, before finalising our plans for the next 2 days. There are about 10 jungle trails that were open to the public but we only had our eyes set on 4, based on recommendations from friends in the herping community. We chose to stay in Tanah Rata for the strategic reason that it was the town closest to all of our chosen trails. For those of you who are familiar with the place, you would know that some of the trail-heads are pretty much left unmarked and as a result, quite difficult to locate. I have read some articles online that the absence of these markings were the act of some irresponsible local guides who deliberately removed the signs to push for their own forest-guide services. For your own convenience and safety, I would highly recommend that you grab a copy of a Forest Trail Map which is available for purchase from various establishments throughout Tanah Ratah at RM1 to 4 per copy - Price varies, depending on where you choose to buy them from. Alternatively, you can always ask the locals and if they know, they would be more than happy to point you to the location of the popular Trail Heads.

Another word of advise when herping/hiking out here - make sure that you're properly attired, wearing the right type of shoes, and always carry spare batteries for your torchlights. Some of these trails are long and treacherous so you would not want to be stuck out here in the dark, especially if you're out alone. I mentioned about the importance of wearing the right shoes because for most parts of one trail in particular - the Robinson's Waterfall trail- you will be walking dangerously close to a cliff, so please be extra careful with your footings. Leeches and mosquitoes do not seem to be a problem at these higher altitudes, particularly true for the trails that we explored.

Over the span of the next 2 days, we managed to complete most of the 4 trails although only 2 yielded good finds. We tried our best to stick to the programme and not get too distracted with other non-reptile finds, although I must admit that it wasn't easy. Here are some highlights from our short expedition!

Believe it or not, we walked more than 7 hours on the first night before finally finding our first snake - get this - at the starting point of our trail while making on our way back to the car! Coincidentally, this species of slug snake was the first and last snake we found during the whole expedition.

Asthenodipsas cf. lasgalenesis can only be found in montane and submontane primary forests of Peninsular Malaysia and is said to be arboreal. True enough, as Kurt spotted one climbing a tree on our very last day.

There is another species of the same genus, A. vertebralis, which also occurs in highlands of Peninsular, but with a very distinct ventral banding. Unfortunately, we were unable to spot its terrestrial cousin.

As its name suggests, these snakes feed on slugs and snails. Not much else is known about this highly localised species.

Close-up of the iridescent scales.

A rare red mountain racer (Oreocryptophis porphyracea) - You would never have guessed where we found it! Only managed a single albeit blurry shot.

A magnificent blue-eyed Malayodracon robinsonii.

Up Close.

It ran up a tree, allowing us to get a clear dorsal shot.

I had to modify my flash set-up for this lower-magnification shot.

Another stunning montane species, the Bell's Angle-head lizard (Gonocephalus bellii). Look at the amazing colors on its dewlap!

I think I might have just awoken a sleeping dragon. Did my best to creep in closer for a head shot but was unsuccessful as it darted towards an adjacent tree and escaped under the thick foliage.

Found another sleeping beauty down the trail but this time i waited much longer before getting close.

My strategy worked but this was as close as i could get. Any closer and I am sure it would have darted off!

Sure enough.. i tried getting closer and it backed away. ID suggestions for this lizard would be appreciated!

As we were crossing a bridge, I looked down into the stream and spotted a familiar sight of a snake swimming. I signalled to Kurt who immediately jumped into the knee-deep water and safely brought it up on land.

Another rare find - a red mountain keel back (Hebius cf. sanguineum).

Very little is known about these water-loving snakes. They are highly elusive and have been observed to dive underwater to escape, making them incredibly hard to photograph. 

One more shot before releasing back to where we found it.

 I had no idea that it was there despite standing right in front of it. If Kurt had not suggested that I take a second look, I would probably would have walked right pass.

This is Xenophrys longipes, commonly known as the Long-legged Horned Frog. This species occurs only in higher elevations and is closely related to its much bigger cousin, the Malayan Horned Frog (Megophrys nasuta).

From this shot, you can clearly see how it got its common name - the Horns and powerful long legs!

This species is also said to occur in the montane areas of Southern Vietnam and Cambodia.

A closer look at the horns.

We spotted this cryptic-looking frog on a leaf, right next to a dangerously high cliff. I can't remember the ID that Kurt had suggested!

This frog got Kurt all excited. Apparently, he has never seen this species before. A quick check with some friends might suggest that this is a Philautus petersi. Apparently this species is quite new to science and there isn't a common name for it yet.

So yeah, that pretty much concludes the herping portion of the trip. Every other finds were non-reptiles (which isn't exactly a bad thing for me). We were initially quite bummed out by the apparent lack of reptiles sightings. And then there were those that escaped our camera lenses because they were either too fast or inaccessible. It sucks but that is the raw reality of field herping in an unfamiliar land. On the other hand, there were plenty of bugs, most of which I did not photograph in my attempt to stick to the 'programme'. Below are some of the spiders and insects that I could not bear to walk away without taking a few pictures.

 This is my attempt at a rotisserie-style shot of a Big-Headed Bark Spider (Caerostris sp.). Looks different from the Lowland species.

It wraps around the branch and camouflages itself perfectly.

A dorsal shot of the Big-Headed Bark Spider. To learn more about other highly cryptic invertebrates, click here.

Another beautiful spider that we just had to stop and photograph. I didn't know just how colourful it was until I started taking close-up shots of it.

An amazing Sparassid with splashes of beautiful colours all over. 

I tried a few backlighting shots with this newly emerged cicada. To learn more about backlighting techniques click here.

 Another attempt at backlighting with this hairy moth caterpillar.

A close-up shot of its head with regular lighting.

Another perspective of this beautiful moth caterpillar which is approximately 3cm in length.

And of course, a dorsal shot. 

 I also tried my hands on some wide-angle macro shots with this Jungle Nymph (Heteropteryx cf. dilatata), a species of stick insect that we found near the Mossy Forest. To see more wide-angle macro shots taken with the mirrorless system, please click here.

All in all, it has been a fun experience. This is my first dedicated overseas herping trip and I am glad that I got the right guy with me. For some reason, I think we actually ate more than we herped - Thanks Kurt for the great company and for your second to none malaysian hospitality! Do drop by his blog at orionmystery.blogspot.com  for his excellent repertoire of South East Asian reptile pictures.