Shooting wildlife using flash

magicaxeman

An Idiot
Messages
3,095
Edit My Images
No
I wonder if anyone has experience of photographing wildlife at night using speedlights?

I have a wonderfully wild back garden heaving with wildlife, at night theres at least 6 different foxes coming in, a badger or two, a couple of hedgehogs not to mention the woodmice, slowworms, frogs, hawkmoth's, emporer dragon flies and I've even seen a stag beetle on the apple tree stump next door.
I've noticed that the foxes especially don't seem to be spooked by bright light sources, lightning doesn't bother them nor do fireworks, so I was thinking of using my speed lights to light them for some night shots.
The camera itself would be controlled from my laptop via USB (yes I have a tether tools lead long enough) and I can remote control my tripod head using the 100ft extension cable I have for it, the camera would be an Olympus OM-D Em5 mk2 with grip and I would most likely use the 40-150mm f2.8 pro on it ( I would daylight test to make sure I get the focal length right) flash would be manual using either 2 x Godox V850's with HSS or the Godox AD 180 + V850's, the flashes would be in a 38" dodecohedron soft box for the main and a 24" octobox for fill/side fill, with maybe a gridded hair light overhead.
The camera would be set up so its at head height for the foxes, the lights main around 4 - 5ft angled down slightly, the smaller octo set up lower.
I can either trigger manually from the laptop or I have a trigger trap type of controller along with a laser & receiver so could set that as a trip near where they enter the garden.

Obviously I am looking at using them on dry nights due to the flashes and not wanting to get them damp or wet but the camera/lens etc are waterproofed enough to cope with the wet.
One other alternative would be to get a sony lead for my trigger/laser set up and use the A7R, but I would have no way to check the images until the shoot was over.

Any thoughts? ideas?
 
Sounds like reading Richard Peters 'Back Garden Safari' would help you. If it's a one off shoot staying up may be worth it but leaving camera traps out whilst you are asleep is probably a better option for most people where multiple nights are planned. Placing a trail cam to find out if there is a ny routines may help too.

It's possible the kit could get damp even on a dry night in winter so it's worth providing a little weather protection by wrapping in plastic.
 
Badgers certainly are not fazed by flash or continuous light either Halogen or LED probably once they are accustomed to it.

Use some treats to tempt them where you want them, Peanut Butter spread works extremely well with badgers, !!
 
Back
Top