Results 1 to 14 of 14

Thread: A Bat

  1. #1
    Lifetime Member Doug Brown's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Albuquerque, NM
    Posts
    11,879
    Threads
    917
    Thank You Posts

    Default A Bat

    I spent a few nights photographing bats at Bill Forbes' pond during my Arizona visit. It was a lot of fun! This is one of my favorite frames.

    Name:  20120503-_V5C1692-Bat-crop.jpg
Views: 131
Size:  236.2 KB

    Canon 1D Mark IV, 300mm, f/11, bulb exposure using FAML, tripod
    Upcoming Workshops: Bosque del Apache 2019, Ecuador 2020 (details coming soon)
    Website -
    Facebook - 500px

  2. #2
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Somewhere in the world
    Posts
    20,551
    Threads
    1,285
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Doug, would it be possible if you could add the set-up and how you tracked the bats in such low light I assume, be useful BKG.

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

  3. #3
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    3,911
    Threads
    459
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Just brilliant Doug. Wonderful pose and perfect techs.

  4. #4
    BPN Member dankearl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Portland, Oregon
    Posts
    8,825
    Threads
    1,355
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Very cool, that would be fun.
    The water drip, the light, just awesome.
    Dan Kearl

  5. #5
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    14,320
    Threads
    929
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Doug - great wing position and the water drop takes it over the top.

    TFS,
    Rachel

  6. #6
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Rock Hill, SC
    Posts
    886
    Threads
    57
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Wonderful! I would be interested in the setup as well.

  7. #7
    Ken Watkins
    Guest

    Default

    Doug,

    This is quite remarkable, nice to see something different.
    How did you do it is the question?

  8. #8
    Lifetime Member gail bisson's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Nova Scotia
    Posts
    12,731
    Threads
    910
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Superb and very cool. Love the little thumb and full wingspread.
    Gail

  9. #9
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Somewhere in Africa
    Posts
    3,723
    Threads
    251
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Man this is a cracker...All I can say is great work.

  10. #10
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Auranagabad ( MS ) India
    Posts
    12,833
    Threads
    766
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Excellent image indeed
    TFS

  11. #11
    Lifetime Member Doug Brown's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Albuquerque, NM
    Posts
    11,879
    Threads
    917
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks for the comments! Here's the basic technique. Elephant Head is a small man-made pond. Bill Forbes is the owner of the pond and also the inventor of the Phototrap (an infrared beam system, which when broken will trigger your camera or your flashes- kind of like when you go to a store and a beep alerts the salesperson to your arrival). The Phototrap is set up across the pond and wired to a series of flashes. You put your camera on a tripod, set it on bulb mode and prefocus in the area of the infrared beam. Then you move away from the pond and watch the action on an infrared camera. When you see a bat circle the pond, you hit your cable release and hope that the bat breaks the beam. Since you are photographing in darkness, you are using flash as main light. This will freeze the action in the same way that a multiple flash setup freezes a hummingbird's wings.
    Upcoming Workshops: Bosque del Apache 2019, Ecuador 2020 (details coming soon)
    Website -
    Facebook - 500px

  12. #12
    Ken Watkins
    Guest

    Default

    Doug,

    Thanks for the info, you clearly put in a lot of work, but the result was well worth it

  13. #13
    BPN Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Northern Rockies
    Posts
    1,273
    Threads
    106
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Superlative image. Thanks for the "how to" explanation. I really like the water drop that is coming off the bat's mouth. TFS.
    Andrew

  14. #14
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    South Africa
    Posts
    14,858
    Threads
    1,235
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Great wingspread here Doug!
    Thanks for the info. I've seen many of Bill's amazing images and it's great to see you taking a swing at it too.
    I might try and tone down the very brightest tones to reduce the "flashed" look??
    Morkel Erasmus

    WEBSITE


Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Web Analytics