that one guy
rat snakes will often spend sunny mornings basking on rocks or logs. That's when they're usually at their slowest and therefore easiest to photograph. If that's not an option, try looking under brush/wood piles or fallen logs, being mindful that there may be other, more venomous species hiding.

C☆MƩT
I also live in Ohio and I've caught dozens of black rat snakes. They seem to prefer rural farmland that has some type of valley nearby. Just about every time I've caught them, they were in or around large wooded valleys, with steep hills, and a river or large creek at the bottom of the valley. Black rat snakes also love to hide under sheet metal and boards, near collapsed farm buildings. They're very agile climbers and can often be found in rafters of old buildings or even clinging to the bark of a large vertical tree.