mark.thomas.7@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
wrote:
> On Mar 5, 8:15 pm, MJW <me@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>> I have just had a go at photography in the dark! We have the fruit bats
>> around each night for dinner & I thought I would have a go at taking
>> some pics. I have a Canon 350D, a Speedlight 550 EX II, & a 100mm USM
>> Macro lens.
>>
>> I set up the camera on my tripod late in the aft & used manual focus on
>> the lens to get the sharpest focus. I then set the camera to "****trait"
>> & waited till it was dark & the bats came. When they did land, I moved
>> the camera to the spot I thought they were, ( could not really see
>> through the eye-piece), & snapped away.
>>
>> Here are the best 3 pics.
>>
>>> www.members.optusnet.com.au/mjwyllie/Bat-01.JPG
>> www.members.optusnet.com.au/mjwyllie/Bat-02.JPG
>>
>> www.members.optusnet.com.au/mjwyllie/Bat-03.JPG
>>
>> These bats are gonna be around for a while, so I was wondering if
anyone
>> had some advice on what I can do to get some sharper pics. I have to
>> wait till dark & I cant move up on em cause they will fly away!
>>
>> --
>> >>>M.J.Wyllie.<<<
>
> Like Avery said - you may find if the lights go on early, they will
> visit anyway. But critter behaviour varies from region to region..
> Your focus is pretty close, so I would persist with your method, maybe
> even 'bracket focus'.. If you use AF it's going to be a challenge for
> the camera to work out what is leaves and what is subject, no matter
> what, if those are typical of the scenes. Increasing d-o-f might help
> the focus, but is probably not going to help the aesthetics..
I'm hoping that with the lights on i'll be able to use the 75-300 zoom,
( wish I had some "L" glass). Will still use manual focus though, cause
once the bats land, they stick around for a while.
>
> Yep, the diffuser would be good idea, but they have to be fairly large
> (ie at least 6" or so, imho and the further away, the bigger..) before
> you get any visible benefit, and they will drop your flash reach.
> However, I think you could afford to go down a coupla stops almost and
> still have a usable result - the subjects look overcooked to me.
I think I will try the with, then without approach. I have one of those
Gary Fongs brothers diffuser, so will see what happens.
>
> Lastly, the 'red'-eye will remain a problem unless the flash is well
> off camera, and that may cause shadow problems..
Yeah, like Avery said, can't do much about that so I will concentrate on
getting the closer/sharper pics.
>
> Good luck, keep at it!
Thanks! I gotta say I was pretty happy with the first attempts, that
flash really throws out some light! Troy Piggins suggested a while back
that an external flash was a must, he was right!
>
> See you same bat-time, same bat-channel..
You know it! Thanks Mark.....
--
>>>M.J.Wyllie.<<<
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