Need some help with night time pics.

As listed in my sig I have a 60D and Yongnuo YN-465 flash. I've been trying to catch our flying squirrels coming to feed, but have had very little success. I'm hoping someone can help or direct me to a source of information regarding night photography.

Thanks for any help.

Flying squirrels at night? Lol... Forgive me but have you not considered doing this during the day or am I missing something? Also, we can't help you unless you share example photos.

I would imagine that focusing would be the biggest issue there. Trying to catch something as small as a squirrel. Flying. At night. With the 60D AF. That's a big ask.

On a more serious note, if you know for certain that it will pass through a certain area, you could try focus trapping.

Aressem wrote in post #14631850
Flying squirrels at night? Lol... Forgive me but have you not considered doing this during the day or am I missing something? Also, we can't help you unless you share example photos.

Daytime pics would be tough as they are nocturnal.

Perhaps, I didn't explain clear enough. I am not trying to catch them in flight. We have a feeder on a tree that we fill with peanuts, they land on the tree and come down to retrieve a peanut. When trying to focus it can't lock on and of course the flash will not fire. They are about 15 feet away from where we sit.

Basically, I am trying to figure out if focus is achieved prior to darkness and switch the lens to to manual focus, will this allow the flash to fire?

PhrozeN_FisH wrote in post #14632978
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Basically, I am trying to figure out if focus is achieved prior to darkness and switch the lens to to manual focus, will this allow the flash to fire?

That is, in a nutshell, what focus trapping is. Pre focus and then turn the lens to manual focus. Then the camera will fire whether it's in focus or not.

Thanks, Scatterbrained.

I have noticed that when trying to focus the YN-465 does not strobe to assist in focusing like the built in pop up flash. I'm not sure if this is normal or not? Do the Canon flashes offer features that would be better? Thanks.

PhrozeN_FisH wrote in post #14633464
Thanks, Scatterbrained.

I have noticed that when trying to focus the YN-465 does not strobe to assist in focusing like the built in pop up flash. I'm not sure if this is normal or not? Do the Canon flashes offer features that would be better? Thanks.

The yonguo YN465 has an infrared assist beam (like all flashes) however it will not illuminate a subject that at a longer distance. For what you're trying to pre-focusing and use manual focus might be the best solution

I'll give that a try.. Thanks for the info.

Set you camera to manual focus and switch the dial to manual. Now switch you speedlight to 1/4th power. Head outside. Adjust the camera setting to match the output of the flash at 15 feet. Use a flash light to focus you camera on something 15 feet away. Now wait.

Using more than 1/4th power will increase the time the subject is exposed to light and thus create blur. Speedlights have a shorter flash duration the lower the power.