Image Focus

Deep in the Bolivian jungle, the forest food chain is in constant struggle and nighttime brings new challenges to hunter and hunted alike. But, for wildlife photographer and naturalist Javier Aznar, it's pure opportunity.
“On jungle shoots we start trekking at dusk and work through the night,” he explains, “and while on this evening I was out photographing vipers for a project on the dangers that Indigenous people face from snake bites, to find this tree boa hanging lazily in the moonlight was very welcome.”
Framing the boa with the full moon behind and using flash to illuminate it, Javier mixes behavioural elements with simple, striking beauty. “Whenever I come across an animal like this, I try to show it in a way that’s honest and attractive,” he explains. “Here I wanted to illustrate how it primarily hunts nocturnally, while making it compelling. Although snakes aren’t often loved, they’re high-level predators that need to be protected or the whole ecosystem suffers.”

So how did Javier set up his Sony Alpha 7R IV and FE 20mm f/1.8 G lens to make it? “Thanks to the moon, there was a good amount of light,” Javier remembers, “so the task was to focus on the boa and add flash in a way that kept the scene natural and balanced. I practise a lot, so I know what settings will work and can react to opportunities.”
“I set the flash power low so it wasn’t intrusive,” he continues, “and the f/14 aperture helped reduce the artificial light, while holding the scene in focus. Shooting from a tripod, the 30 sec shutter speed allowed the natural moonlight to show strongly, and I used a diffuser on the flash to match its softness.”
Explaining how the two light sources combine seamlessly, Javier adds: “Because it’s stronger than the ambient light in that part of the frame, and its duration is so short, the flash freezes the subject without blur, despite a long shutter speed.”

A key feature that assisted was the camera’s Bright Monitoring mode, he continues. “When working in the dark, it brightens the viewfinder without affecting the exposure, helping me compose when I can’t see a thing. The Alpha 7R IV’s focus capabilities in dark conditions were vital, too. I always use the Focus Magnifier mode, set to a button on the body, which quickly lets me check if it's correct.”

The FE 20mm f/1.8 G lens isn’t commonly associated with wildlife, “but for images like this it’s perfect,” says Javier. “The wide field of view helped add context, while keeping depth and sharpness, and it let me give this boa lots of presence in the frame.”

After four or five images, Javier went back to looking for vipers, more than satisfied with his work. “Boas are often hidden by vegetation or too high in the canopy to be seen,” he finishes, “so getting close to one, and showing this magnificent creature in the way it should be, was a rare pleasure.”