Date: 2012

Photographer: American photographer Mark Laita.

Details: The story behind this image begins when photographer Mark Laita was visiting a snake handler’s facility in Central America. His aim was to photograph various snakes for inclusion in his book titled Serpentine. One of his subjects was the highly dangerous and notoriously aggressive black mamba, known as one of the deadliest snakes to humans. Historically, a bite from this snake before the development of antivenom was considered a death sentence. Laita took precautions during the shoot, including wearing shorts instead of pants to avoid provoking the snake with unnecessary movement.

After finishing the photoshoot against a black backdrop, the snake began to move. As the handler approached with a hook to retrieve it, the hook accidentally struck one of the cables attached to the camera, startling the black mamba. In a flash, it sank its fangs into Laita’s leg, and blood began to flow.

Experts immediately advised Laita to go to the hospital, but after several minutes, he felt no effects from the bite. Those minutes turned into hours, and Laita remained symptom-free, which led some to believe that it may have been a “dry bite,” meaning the snake did not inject venom. Others speculated that the rapid blood flow expelled any venom before it could spread. The next day, as Laita reviewed the photos from the shoot, he realized he had captured the exact moment the snake bit his leg. When the image was published, some accused him of staging the event to promote his book. Laita vehemently denied this, stating that allowing a black mamba to bite you for publicity would be reckless and insane.

Mark Laita recounts that, when the snake handler first brought out the black mamba, it appeared calm and magnificent. The snake was old and less excitable compared to younger ones. Laita started taking photos, and soon after, the snake began to move and coil around his leg. When the handler attempted to remove it with a hook, it struck one of the camera cables, aggravating the black mamba and causing it to bite. Laita didn’t immediately feel the bite and wasn’t looking through the camera lens at the time, so he didn’t even see it happen. A minute later, the handler said to him, “Man, you’ve been bitten.” Blood was streaming from his leg, and every few minutes, the handler asked how Laita was feeling. He kept replying that he felt fine. After about 20 minutes, Laita’s socks and shoes were soaked with blood, and they tried to stop the bleeding with a paper towel. Despite this, he refused to go to the hospital, a decision later criticized by reptile experts as reckless. They warned that even if he felt fine at the time, the worst could come hours later. Part of their warning came true when the pain from the bite became excruciating that night.

Upon returning home and telling his wife what had happened, she threatened to hit him over the head with a frying pan for being so stubborn and careless.