Curious European Badger

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Hi, this is my 1st of hopefully many technically improving nature pictures. Eos 3 EF 300L f/4.0 1/60" EX550 Sensia 400

-- Paul Youd (pauls@deathsdoor.com), July 22, 2000

Answers

Ok It's not a bad shot framing wise but Technique could do with a little help. I have no idea as you don't state it how this was taken but this is what I would have done.

You have I think set the flash to TTL and let it do the work. This is not a good idea in animals as this shot shows the flash is just to obvious. The catchlight in the eyes is ok but this has got very flat lighting cause of the flash. So to fix this he's what I would have done.

Set the exposure of the shot first. I would have taken a ambient reading but as you probably don't have a lightmeter then I would have metered off something neutral grey and set the exposure for this. This means you have set the exposure for the ambient lighting. Why I was at it I would aslo stick on a 81C filter as this has a blue cast to the photo as well. This will make the film see natural colours again and get rid of the blue on the bagers white fur. After setting the exposure then I would set my flash gun on TTL but using flash exposure compensation set it for 1 1/3 to 1 2/3 underexposure. This way you will be using the flash to bring out detail a little in the shadows and adding the catchlight to the badgers eyes. You want the flash to do this without making it obvious that the flash has been used.

I hope this helps. As for the shot is well framed and sharp so you have those to thing covered.

-- Keith Anderson (andos@pacific.net.au), July 22, 2000.


Catchlight is a good thing to have on the surface of the eye, but not the green or red reflection off the back of the retina (as here). This can be avoided by using the same techniques as getting rid of human red-eye: using a red-eye flash and/or getting the flash away from just above the camera lens.

Also, second the comment on using a warming filter - I consider it a must in nature.

-- Christian Deichert (torgophile@aol.com), July 23, 2000.


Hi Keith & Christian, thanks for the comments.

You're right Keith, the picture was taken with the flash doing all of the work just as you summised.

What isn't clear from my picture is the fact that there was very little ambient light available. The picture was taken late evening in the middle of a forest with lots of dark greens & browns, but very little daylight. Without the flash, the meter was suggesting approx 1/4" wide open at f/4.0, and had I tried to take the picture at such a speed, surely there would be very little chance of obtaining a sharp image? I shall certainly start to use an 81C filter on these shots in the future. The only option I think I may have with regards to the problem of redeye, would be to physically move the flash to one side of the camera instead of the hotshoe - I'll have to invest in a bracket & sync cable. What about a diffuser to soften the flash, would this be of any use maybe?

-- Paul Youd (pauls@deathsdoor.com), July 23, 2000.


A diffuser would help to soften shadows but doesn't always cut red eye if the flash is close to the same axis from subject to film plane. If the flash is away from that line, there's less chance of a direct reflection off the back of the retina.

-- Christian Deichert (torgophile@aol.com), July 24, 2000.

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