From Adam and Eve to Snakes on a Plane, legend and pop culture confirms all that slithers is just a little bit creepy. Andrew McGibbon has made it his mission to change people’s minds, highlighting snakes’ beauty and elegance in his series Slitherstition.
The photographer worked with an exotic pet store in South Africa as well as a private breeder, shooting nearly 20 different snakes over four weeks. He kept the set up simple with brightly colored paper and some studio lights, and extended the camera on a boom in order to keep a safe distance from the venomous breeds. There were various tricks for keeping snakes still for the camera. Snakes, being cold-blooded, grow lethargic when cold, for example, but McGibbon chose a more natural route.
“During my research, I had spoken to a few snake experts and they all said that people often cool snakes down when photographing them so that they are more docile,” he says. “But that they could tell when a snake had been cooled down - something to do with their eyes and color. So we decided to not do that.”
This sometimes meant having his subject slither away while he was trying to take the photo, but that wasn’t the only challenge. He had a green mamba that fancied climbing his tripod before finally posing for the camera and every once in a while various snakes would “mock strike” which really set McGibbon’s handlers on edge. The combination of colors and the snakes' natural coiling state make for vibrant, graphic shapes that showcase every scaly detail. The photographer hopes his images help people see snakes for the fascinating creatures they are instead of something ominous.
“Perhaps it's simply the unfortunate by-product of its manner and appearance,” he says. “The snake's hissing, slithering behavior neatly intersects with everything we believe about malice and deceit. The venomous, cold-blooded rattling, hunting silently, and striking suddenly---there is no room to teach that they are simply animals looking to live and defend from attack, when the symbolism is so dark and alluring."
Whether it’s old school superstitions or the perplexing way that they move, the unsettling allure of snakes can’t be shaken.
