FranVT Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Hey all, hoping to get some advice. On Saturday night I'm doing a tour of Bat Cleft, a local bat cave entrance which houses 80% of Australia's (known) population of baby bent-wing bats. It'll be late-dusk to early night time and the bats fly very quickly out of a cleft in the side of the mountain out into the night. I'm hoping to catch them as they fly out of the cleft (there'll be a metric crapload of them, shouldn't be hard), as well as the snakes that line the walls of the cleft ready to snatch them out of the air. Does anyone have any settings advice, or general advice for me? I'm not the best photographer but these opportunities don't come along very often and I'd like to take full advantage Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 You should probably ask if you're allowed to use a flash, I suspect they would say no. Take your fastest lens, and set a high ISO. I hope you get some good shots and you post them here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranVT Posted January 7, 2011 Author Share Posted January 7, 2011 (edited) I asked and they said yes, because the bats are nearly blind. My two lenses are all I have. 18-55 AF-S VR and 55-200 AF-S VR. I really must upgrade ETA Thank you Kirislin! I thought I'd probably have to bump up the ISO but wasn't sure! Edited January 7, 2011 by FranCQ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 (edited) I hope someone more experienced comes in here cause I haven't taken any flash pics so I am not sure if you do need to bump up the ISO if you use flash. Maybe just play it safe and use one of the auto modes if your camera has them, perhaps night time mode if there's such a thing. Mine hasn't got anything like that. I cant remember what camera you have. Edited January 7, 2011 by Kirislin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranVT Posted January 7, 2011 Author Share Posted January 7, 2011 It does have auto, not sure if it has night but I will check it out. I have a Nikon D5000 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lic_82 Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 Have you got a tripod Fran? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranVT Posted January 7, 2011 Author Share Posted January 7, 2011 No Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda K Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 what sort of shot are you trying for - are you wanting to get a silhouette of the bats against the sky (so ie the sky will be exposed nicely but you see little details of the bats, or are you going for a properly exposed bat, irrespective of what that does to the sky - what you want will determine whether you should use a flash or not, and what you then need to expose at. If you are after getting a silhouette, then just meter for the sky (you can take a test shot or 2 to work out what that should be), and then go from there - make it easy on yourself by going onto either AV if you want to control the aperture and let the SS fall where it will, or TV if you want to control the shutter and let the aperture be picked by the camera, and then just use the dial to compensate to get the exposure where you want it, - if you are handholding, would not go under 1/250 with the larger lens, even with the VR unless you are very confident with that, and then bump the ISO to whatever you know your camera can handle best and then go from there (can't give you exact as I don't know what you intend to do, nor am I there to read the light anyway) Good luck, sounds fun, and post what yo get!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
becandcharch Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 Um... when I read the title I thought you were going to a rock concert where 'Bat Cleft' was playing as part of their 'tour' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 sounds awesome. hope you will share your pics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranVT Posted January 8, 2011 Author Share Posted January 8, 2011 Thanks all! I think I did okay, definitely not as well as I hoped but some pics are alright. I thought I'd share a few here. Old abandoned mine site: Farmland: Orb-Weaver Spider, didn't notice she had babies with her until I looked at the photo! I think this is a Brahminy Kite. I couldn't zoom enough to get a good shot. But I like the way the background turned out Rock Wallaby with a baby in her pouch Outside the cleft entrance: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranVT Posted January 8, 2011 Author Share Posted January 8, 2011 Looking into the cleft itself: Juvenile ?Spotted Python: Brown tree snakes getting a feed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PossumCorner Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 Happy Halloween!! You done good, must be pleased. Love the rock wallaby, that's a privilege to see one let alone get a shot of it. Nice work with the bats and snakes, it does have a Halloween ring to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 I think you did really well! In the second photo I can see water in the distance, is that flood water or just a lake or river that's always there? Which lens did you use and were you fully zoomed in with it. Have you cropped these at all, you might find you can still crop them a bit to bring the subject closer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tralee Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 (edited) I like the third photo. Good colour in the mid-ground. However, I'm red-green colour blind but I think Van Gogh would like it too I want that house, it makes me more determined to add to our new home deposit. Bats!!! Don't they make guano? Now that would be really interesting. Too many snakes and spiders for me. You weally are bwave. Edited January 8, 2011 by pewithers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tralee Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 (edited) Um... when I read the title I thought you were going to a rock concert where 'Bat Cleft' was playing as part of their 'tour' Me too. two .... two ... two ... testing. Is this thing on??? G clef as in Gothic rock Like a bat out of hell. Edited January 8, 2011 by pewithers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranVT Posted January 9, 2011 Author Share Posted January 9, 2011 I think you did really well! In the second photo I can see water in the distance, is that flood water or just a lake or river that's always there?Which lens did you use and were you fully zoomed in with it. Have you cropped these at all, you might find you can still crop them a bit to bring the subject closer. Yup that's floodwater but it's just pooling on farmland there, puddles if you will, compared to the areas in the west. This is looking east from 20 minutes north of Rockhampton towards the ocean. I like the third photo.Good colour in the mid-ground. However, I'm red-green colour blind but I think Van Gogh would like it too ;) I want that house, it makes me more determined to add to our new home deposit. ;) Bats!!! Don't they make guano? Now that would be really interesting. Too many snakes and spiders for me. You weally are bwave. Yup lots of guano. The ammonia smell was making my head hurt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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