Snakes are great, although most of the ones I have picked up have squirted a stinky musk on me. So you are probably on to something with this whole just taking pictures of them thing. My absolute favorite way to encounter a snake is when we are both swimming in a creek. I'm swimming along, the snake is swimming along, and it is like, WOAH snake, hello there, didn't see you coming... they look so cool just kind of rippling through the water