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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Anyone know how to take photos of bats? (1 Viewer)

oncebittern

Steve Sheehan
In the dark I mean...whilst flying.

I've had a few attempts, and have got one or two photos that are getting there, but are still a long way from what I really want (as shown below)

These were taken with a Nikon D80, Sigma 18-50 lens manually focussed at about 1m, and with the built-in flash. Photos are 100% crops.

The next step I'm thinking will be to use more flash, in the form of an off camera Metz unit, possibly mounted up higher (on a long pole?), nearer to where the bats are flying, and see where that takes me.

I've already posted this question in the Gallery, and also in the photography section, but got no responses, so, anyone here got any tips please?
 

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Bats in captivity have been trained to catch maggots shot up vertically from a spring loaded tube. The tube always fires the maggot to the same height so you can prefocus. Might be worth a try - if you have the patience, and the bats have a reasonably predictable flight path. A Metz unit is a good idea (lots going cheap on eBay). Otherwise, find the roost and get them as they leave.
 
I am sure Farnboro John will comment as he has had some sucess with flight shots.

I am no expert but attach a few of mine all taken in a similar way to you but with more flash I have a D70s and a D200 I use both with a Speedlight SB600 or built in flash depending on distance. I focus to a know distance and have a go. Got some good ones and some bad ones. I think it is just practice that will yield good results


Mark
 

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Bats in captivity have been trained to catch maggots shot up vertically from a spring loaded tube. The tube always fires the maggot to the same height so you can prefocus. Might be worth a try - if you have the patience, and the bats have a reasonably predictable flight path. A Metz unit is a good idea (lots going cheap on eBay). Otherwise, find the roost and get them as they leave.

I would avoid roosts as you do not want to disturb them, watch a roost for a few evenings and watch the flightpaths and get set up along it.



Mark
 
I would avoid roosts as you do not want to disturb them, watch a roost for a few evenings and watch the flightpaths and get set up along it.



Mark

Remember too it's illegal to photograph bats without a license so be careful if you're doing it at a roost. I'm not sure if the law stipulates whether this only applies to roosting bats
 
Remember too it's illegal to photograph bats without a license so be careful if you're doing it at a roost. I'm not sure if the law stipulates whether this only applies to roosting bats

No, not going anywhere near to a roost - just along established flight paths. I'll check with the legislation though if I can find it on-line somewhere.
 
You may not photograph bats emerging from a roost. There is no prohibition on bats away from their roosts.

I have no idea how far a bat has to be from its roost before it is fair game. Perhaps one of our legal minded contributors will have something to say. My own advice is err on the side of caution.

One of the easiest species to photograph is Daubenton's Bat because of their habit of skimming water surfaces. Get a long thin water surface and you have predictable flight paths and predictable altitudes, which is a start. I have found the bats follow quite predictable flight paths, so you have a known bit of space they will pass through.

Actually seeing them coming I solve with a cheap nightscope boresighted with the lens. The nightscope has an IR torch which aims down the middle of the view so when the bat is in the IR light it is in roughly the centre of the lens. This allows me to use up to about 300mm and with a speedlite 540 on the camera I can take pix between 25 and 40 feet without difficulty. Most are throwouts but you only need one good one - thank heavens for digital!

Under canal bridges other bats are concentrated into narrow flight paths. I have photographed Soprano Pips that way. Common Pips do much the same in narrow woodland paths.

Serotines will patrol up and down the edge of woodland where the nightscope speedlite combo again works quite well.

I like the idea of a maggot mortar though!

John
 
I don't think I've ever seen such as cracking bat photo.
Me also, thats incredible!! Here's a few of my efforts taken last night at a Moth event, same method as Oncebittern also with D70s and Nikon DX 18-70mm pre-focused at about 4m, built in flash.....don't know what species they are, possibly Pips or Daubs?
 

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Me also, thats incredible!! Here's a few of my efforts taken last night at a Moth event, same method as Oncebittern also with D70s and Nikon DX 18-70mm pre-focused at about 4m, built in flash.....don't know what species they are, possibly Pips or Daubs?

They don't look clean enough underneath to be Daubs. Probably Pips if they were small bats.

John
 
Me also, thats incredible!! Here's a few of my efforts taken last night at a Moth event, same method as Oncebittern also with D70s and Nikon DX 18-70mm pre-focused at about 4m, built in flash.....don't know what species they are, possibly Pips or Daubs?

Cool - i don't need to email you for copies of the photos anymore! :)

Was a rather fun moth night, though - and apparently, we didn't do too badly
 
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