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Thread: Badgers and Bluebells

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    Default Badgers and Bluebells

    Wild Badger that only comes out at dusk so little or no light hand held 100-400 canon, really struggling to make these work
    iso 10000
    f5.6
    1/640 sany help Cand C most welcome





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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Hi David, firstly a warm welcome to the Wildlife forum and secondly, congratulation in achieving the shot based on the 'techs'.

    Not sure if this badger has got used to you and if this is the same spot he/she regularly frequents, but firstly I might suggest using a tripod/bean bag & bag hide. Agree, it's not that flexible, but it looks like you are struggling all round mainly in the 'light' area, but anything to reduce camera shake will help. Depending upon the location, you can use a set of flashes set-up to help with the light issue, but again, not knowing the situation and your depth of photography it's difficult to expand on the flash set-up. Hopefully with the weather improving and the light getting better they may start surfacing earlier so you might get some better images, are you feeding them with anything? Regarding the image I like the head angle (HA) and the emerging badger in the blue bells, having the head flanked either side by the two fern stems is a nice touch. Again, not knowing how much PS you have under your belt, you could just try using some highlight/shadow to lift the face a bit more, also adding more USM on the face will bring more detail out too, although the ISO will show more sadly. I would also look at using some Noise Reduction (NR) for the background (BKG) to help with the noise/high ISO.

    Please note, the maximum image size for a landscape format is 1024px and anything that exceeds it will be automatically compressed, max hight is 800px, you might like to read the link below if you haven't already.

    http://www.birdphotographers.net/for...m-Time-to-Time

    Was this taken in the New Forest? Any more info you can add in your intro to the image really helps for feedback. Here is a very quick repost (RP) illustrating what I was suggesting, hope it helps. If you need any help just shout.

    Good luck and look forward to seeing more.

    TFS
    Steve
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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    Steve thanks for the advice
    Photograph was taken in the new Forrest on private land, No feeding done and they certainly are not used to me, I have tried on several occasions to get photographs from this set but it is in deep wooded area and there is a bicycle spoke of paths from the den where she is getting fresh bedding etc, each time I set up with a hide and 600mm on a tripod she goes off in the other direction !!!!. the cover is pretty thick and most of my shots have trees and fern across her face, not heavily into pp use lightroom 3 for sharpening and cropping, I have thought about using remote flashes but its the same as setting up with the tripod, you just have to get lucky and I dont want to disturb her to much she has two cubs at the momment. no one else has been near this set. The couple of times I have been there she soon sussed me out and that was the last I saw of her

    will try and work out the resizing

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi David, thanks for the update, really helps and gives a good background to everything. I totally agree, it is a lot of luck with this animal, the one I had was slap bang in the middle of a potato field, gave it up, just a nightmare. Best to play it safe for the moment, especially with cubs around, don't want her to abandon them. BTW Peanuts I gather can be a treat.

    cheers
    Steve

    PS Know the New Forest very well, are you Brockenhurst, Lyndhurst or Beaulieu located, or just visit it?
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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    Peanuts..... ok

    I live in a village called Sway about 1 mile outside Brokenhurst, the set is within 5 miles of Brok so I can visit it fairly easily, but now the ferns are coming up It is very difficult, have put another shot up use photobucket so hope size is ok if not will have to have a re look, do you live locally


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    Big welcome David. Looking forward to seeing more of this guy.

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    David the easiest way is just set you crop tool to 1024px x 724px for a 3x2 landscape format, or 800px x 566px for portrait, then you know the sizing works if you are happy with the format and the crop works for your image. RP looks better all round, but you could have posted it 1024px wide if you wanted too.

    I will drop you a Personal message (PM) to update you about how I know the area.

    Steve
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    David, please note, only ONE image is allowed per posting to comment on, I will delete the last image, you can then RP at a later time for comment.

    Cheers
    Steve
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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    Ok understood

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    You got some excellent pro advice from Steve. And welcome. Please continue to post more of this guy.

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    lovely image and RP by Steve takes this to next level
    TFS

  12. #12
    Ken Watkins
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    David,

    A very brave attempt, despite the claims made, low light photography is never easy, and generally cannot produce anything with real quality. What body are you using?
    Under the circumstances this is pretty good, please do not use flash on these animals as they are very sensitive to disturbance
    Think of the animal rather than getting an image at whatever cost a big problem in this day and age, especially here in Africa where flash seems mandatory amongst many groups of photographers

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    Thanks Ken, body was a MK !V

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    Welcome, David, and a great opportunity you had here...Steve's repost really makes it shine .
    Looking forward to more of these guys as they ease up in your presence...


    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Watkins View Post
    A very brave attempt, despite the claims made, low light photography is never easy, and generally cannot produce anything with real quality
    I fully disagree with that statement, Ken . I have seen too many images taken in low light that beat the quality of the majority of "bright-ISO400" images...
    Morkel Erasmus

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