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06/28/2004 11:15:39 AM · #1 |
Ok I have a friend who lives in a ground floor flat, outside is a large tree and at night there is a lot of bat activity between the two.
I'd like to try and photograph the bats.
I have a Fuji S7000
I was thinking tripod off the porch as I can't see me getting a good photo by following their flight - too quick.
Trouble is I think I need :
Fast shutter speed and flash to catch the flight - bearing in mind I don't think external lighting is going to be practical
Also a small aperture would be required to enable me to leave the tripod standing - small aperture, deep dof therefore all should be focused.
How then can I incorporate the two - I am a newbie but would like to have a deceent shot at some decent shots.
Any ideas ??
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06/28/2004 11:30:26 AM · #2 |
A year or so ago I set my Sony F707, with internal flash, on my tripod and used a cable shutter release. Bats were coming to our hummingbird feeder. After many tries did get a couple of pretty good photos. Would pre-focus on feeder, and fire whenever I saw a bat coming in. They are extremely fast, and do not stop at feeder.
Lots of luck.
The better photographers at DPC have multiple external flash/strobes for this work. |
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06/28/2004 11:48:25 AM · #3 |
Originally posted by eklipze:
Ok I have a friend who lives in a ground floor flat, outside is a large tree and at night there is a lot of bat activity between the two.
I'd like to try and photograph the bats.
I have a Fuji S7000
I was thinking tripod off the porch as I can't see me getting a good photo by following their flight - too quick.
Trouble is I think I need :
Fast shutter speed and flash to catch the flight - bearing in mind I don't think external lighting is going to be practical
Also a small aperture would be required to enable me to leave the tripod standing - small aperture, deep dof therefore all should be focused.
How then can I incorporate the two - I am a newbie but would like to have a deceent shot at some decent shots.
Any ideas ?? |
I think you are on the right track- tripod, fast shutter speed, flash - but I would start by trying to pre-focus with a wide open aperture and do a lot of experimenting. Does your camera support remote shutter release? |
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06/28/2004 11:53:06 AM · #4 |
I pulled this off successfully last year with a Canon Powershot G2 and external flash (sorry I don't have any examples handy). Try this:
Position your camera as close as possible to where the bats are flying so you'll be within flash range. If you don't have a good tripod, brace the camera on top of a ladder. Set the ISO on your Fuji to 400 and use a wide angle to get as much of the area in view as possible.
They seem to follow roughly same routes and altitude, so set your camera for manual focus at about the right distance and aim for a spot in their flight path. Make a mental note of the area in your viewfinder, then watch the bats and try to press the shutter button just before they enter that area (to compensate for shutter lag).
You might also aim a strong flashlight or halogen lamp on the area, which will not only improve the available light, but also attract insects and therefore, bats. Good luck! |
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06/28/2004 02:37:55 PM · #5 |
Thanks guys - will use all your advise.
Luckily I have a reasonable tripod - old but stable and I have just purchased an shutter release for this exact project.
Will definitly have fun and frustration with this one I think. Was almost thinking about moths on string at one point ?! How mad ?! |
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06/28/2004 03:01:20 PM · #6 |
With the right frequency of sounds you could get 'em to fly in circles or hover in front of your lens. :)
Seriously, a good way might be to place several high output flash heads around a specific area where you expect them to fly. And, since they are probably darkly colored, perhaps even black, it might be a good idea to have a lighter colored background placed behind the area. Use one flash to light up the background, and the others to light up the bats. Shoot at the fastest speed your gear will allow.
--Mick
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06/28/2004 03:37:29 PM · #7 |
I got lucky. This guy came out on a bright, sunny day at 2pm. Right to my door. I like the pre-focusing with tripod idea below.
//www.dpchallenge.com/image.php?IMAGE_ID=84496 |
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06/28/2004 03:42:37 PM · #8 |
| You got lucky all right... you won't see a bat in the daytime unless it's rabid. Hope you used a 1200mm lens. |
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06/28/2004 04:07:14 PM · #9 |
now you tell me. :)
in retrospect, probably shouldn't have invited the neighborhood kids over for a look... |
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06/28/2004 04:19:44 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by slim:
now you tell me. :)
in retrospect, probably shouldn't have invited the neighborhood kids over for a look... |
Especially since I think its fleas (perhaps now looking for a new host) may carry Plague.
You know you can post a thimbnail, or make the URL an active link by checking the box to "automatically parse URLs" below the text insertion window, like this
//www.dpchallenge.com/image.php?IMAGE_ID=84496
Message edited by author 2004-06-28 16:20:24. |
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06/28/2004 06:32:19 PM · #11 |
| Nice capture on the bat photo. Welcome to dpc slim. You have a couple of neat butterfly shots on your profile page. |
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