Wildlife at night

[stevefraseruk]

I am very new to photography and just starting out with my 550d with 18-55 and 55-250 lenses. Most of the photography I do is dusk through to dawn, so I am after advice in geting the most out of the camera in this sort of situation. I tend to try and get landscapes in the dusk and dawn where light is low but I also get opportunity to attempt to capture shots of wild life and nature in an area without any artificial lighting so just doing my best with camera built in flash and torch. Any ideas or help would be appreciated

Link to site holding some of the images I have taken: -

http://steve-fraseruk.deviantart.com/

Thanks in advance

Steve Fraser

[Hardrock40]

Been thinking about the same. Have a coyote that's been coming by a few times a week at night, watching him on a security camera. Would like to get a good photo but it wont be easy.

He's really nervous and do does not stay long.

Well he just came out of the woods and chased off two cats as I was writing this.

Bait and ambush would be the only way. I like the idea of night photography, thats when I have time.

Maybe some night time pro's will chime in.

[Hardrock40]

Well nobody else does this I guess. I have an idea. My pocket wizards should be here by the weekend. I'm going to set the camera and flash up where the coyote's (saw 2 tonight) come in at.

Wait for them in the house and when they get there, set it all off. Maybe I'll get a nice shot of them at night.

[stevefraseruk]

Originally Posted by Hardrock40

Well nobody else does this I guess. I have an idea. My pocket wizards should be here by the weekend. I'm going to set the camera and flash up where the coyote's (saw 2 tonight) come in at.

Wait for them in the house and when they get there, set it all off. Maybe I'll get a nice shot of them at night.

Pocket wizards - what's those??

[Hardrock40]

Pocket Wizard Plus iii. It fires you off camera flash or your camera remotly.

[Kevin Hall]

The trick is going to be coaxing your camera to autofocus.



This Coyote at twilight was from 2007.

[Hardrock40]

Nice shot Kevin. You must have been waiting on that one.
Yes I wonder how the auto focus will work. The Plus iii can auto focus at half press then fire the camera and flash at full press.

How will that work in the dark? I have no clue. If I can get focus without blinking flashes going off, maybe he will hang around a second.

One option may be a snack, then focus manually for that location and wish for the best.

[Hardrock40]

Things are not working like I planned. If I use 1 trigger to remote the camera and another for off camera flash, the flash fires first and the shot is dark.

So tonight I have the flash on the camera which puts the camera closer than I wanted it to the snack. I'll fire it all with 1 trigger.

Two hours into it, no cats, no opossums, no coyote and I hope no rain. On any other night critters are everywhere.

On a good note, I am learning a few things.

[cdiver2]

Originally Posted by stevefraseruk

I am very new to photography and just starting out with my 550d with 18-55 and 55-250 lenses. Most of the photography I do is dusk through to dawn, so I am after advice in geting the most out of the camera in this sort of situation. I tend to try and get landscapes in the dusk and dawn where light is low but I also get opportunity to attempt to capture shots of wild life and nature in an area without any artificial lighting so just doing my best with camera built in flash and torch. Any ideas or help would be appreciated

Link to site holding some of the images I have taken: -

http://steve-fraseruk.deviantart.com/

Thanks in advance

Steve Fraser

Steve the attached photo was taken in my back yard at night. I have a green landscape light to help with focus and I put out a small dish of table scraps.
I then got a small children's play tent about 4ft square and 3 feet high (just big enough to lay in with my feet in the air. I covered the tent with a camouflage tarp and wait. The critters are a little edge when they hear the focus hunt but after a couple of shots ignored it, the flash did not bother them at all

[stevefraseruk]

Thank you all for the advice am going to look at a new separate flash unit and some better lenses as soon as finances allow.

My shots are taken more on the fly, chance encounters no time to prepare, grab camera, point shoot. Usually one or two shots before chance has past.

[sweetlu60]

Look up the term camera traps. There is a person here in Southern Arizona that builds some pretty good high end traps that allow you to set up the camera and prefocus and have your flashes set. When the animal breaks the infrared beam it triggers the cameras and flashes. They have gotten some great pictures of bats in flight.

Another possible suggestion, but a little longer range, would be to use a "Better Beamer" on your flash.

Another possible option is a company called Trigger Trap. Google it and motion or PIR and find out some info.

Just some thoughts.

[Hardrock40]

I'm a little scared to look it up, already like the concept. Afraid I'll have to have it if I see it.

Thanks but I'm going to try and get that out of my mind. Sure sounds good.

[stevefraseruk]

Originally Posted by sweetlu60

Look up the term camera traps. There is a person here in Southern Arizona that builds some pretty good high end traps that allow you to set up the camera and prefocus and have your flashes set. When the animal breaks the infrared beam it triggers the cameras and flashes. They have gotten some great pictures of bats in flight.

Got this with Fuji Finepix

Bat-s.jpg

http://steve-fraseruk.deviantart.com...et=96#/d4t1gpe

[Hardrock40]

Thats a shot to be proud of Steve.

I wouldn't even know where to start. Very Nice

[stevefraseruk]

Thanks, one shot in about 40 taken manually in total darkness as it flew around me.