I love eye-to-eye images. Here is one from a coachwhip snake (very cool snake, BTW) that I managed to photograph peering up at me from his den in South Texas. I used a flash, snooted way down into a spotlight to try and light just him and not overexpose the surrounding straw and grass.
You certainly succeeded. I’m sending this to my grandsons, who love reptiles.
Wow! Love this!