Could use a few ideas to overcome a problem

[John Bennett]

I have a shoot coming up in a few weeks, it’s covering a Turkey Hunt. I have a list of shots I want to get and once all or most are checked off I’ll move on to some exotic shots ( spent ejected shells mid air, muzzle blast, etc) providing the hunter is willing to spend the time.

Here’s my problem.
The editor would like to some shots from the moment we park the vehicles and start gearing up, setting up decoys etc to the time we settle into the blinds and wait for the sun to rise. So that means shooting in the pitch dark by Moonlight, no flash, and probably little time to “set-up” or shoot retakes. No second chances.

I recently went out with a friend whos a guide and Turkey Hunter on a scout for him and dry run for me. Using only the dim light from his trunks interior light and a full moon back lighting him I managed this.

ISO 640, 85mm @F1.8, exposure 2.5 seconds.

Some problems immediately make themselves apparent.

1) If I include the moon at all I will blow it, trying to illuminate the subject. Which is a shame as it would add nicely to the BG

2) In that light theres no contrast and I have to manually focus

3) At 85mm F1.8 my DoF is razor thin so focus has to be exact.

4) Any longer than 2 or 2.5 seconds and motion blur will be an issue if he so much as blinks

So somehow I need to increase the amount of light hitting the subject without making it appear too unnatural.

Frontlighting from the moon is the first obvious choice but Id love to have it in the BG if possible.
Using my cars headlights would probalby be too much light and further I suspect the hunter wont want them lighting up the immediate area for fear of spooking any birds. Lastly whatever I do I have to able to do it quick as there wont be much time to fool around, before heading to his spot so he can set up decoys and blinds before the sun rises.

Possible solutions Ive thought.
Adding a flashlight and silver reflector in his trunk to bounce some more light out.
Foregoing the moon in the BG and take advantage of its light as frontlight
Stop down for a little more DoF and pray he can hold still for 4 to 5 seconds 🙂
Use the same flashlight by my feet and add a red celophane type material to act as a difuser and preserve night vision.

Anyone have any idea’s?
If I dont get the predawn/night shots its not a big deal. They are want to see, not need to see.

Another shot from our scout.

[Chad Simcox]

Why do the prep shots have to be shot on the same day as the hunt? If you take the “scaring the birds” problem out of the situation I think it would help a lot. Plus you could ad flashes to your arsenal and get some light on your subject to cut down on motion blur.

http://society6.com/grainfarmer Fly Fishing and Landscape open edition Photography prints.

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[John Bennett]

I suspect although don’t know for sure for “justification”. Something I’m just learning about.

The short of it is, if a field editor writes an article saying….go here…do that
it should be justified in the article. Much like making sure fish displayed in Fly-fishing mags have flies in the mouths. Or if a writer says go to Belize and catch Bones the backgorund better be Belize 🙂

While its not a neccessity and that “stock” photos could be used, the preference is to have the writer featured (not a model) in the location hes writing about and employing the techniques. So I tihnk the big one here (again dont quote me) is that as much preference as possible be given to using images of the writer himself..not stand ins. Its a long drive for me and given we need to be on location at 4am some logistics are envolved making more than 1 go at it impracticle not the least of which is Im sure they dont want to pay me for a second day either 🙂

[Steve K.]

John,

Try “painting” with a flashlight:

http://www.yellowstone.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15859

[John Bennett]

Thanks Drifter.
I had wondered a bit about that having heard of it, never tried it. Not so different from putting some red celophane over the head of my light and bathing the area that way. I’ll play with that, see how it works with a 2 second or so exposure.

Its not a neccessity that I get useable images shot in the dark for them. They were more of a “wish list” but Id really like to come through and deliver a few images if I can. So anything thats reasonably easy for me to set up (a couple seconds) and doesnt make it appear too unnatural, is worth the the try.

J

[matt boutet]

The painting with light idea is a good one – I’ve had decent luck with longer exposures and a small maglite – I’ve never tried a short exposure though.

Another thought – Why not get there earlier (if you’re getting up that early anyway, another hour isn’t going to make much of a difference) and set up someplace else for a few shots – that way you can add some more light to the mix without worrying about spooking birds.

[Eric DeWitt]

I just knocked down my bird last week here in michigan, so coming from a turkey hunter… i think your going at this the wrong way.  I think you need to do this in 2 takes, one being documenting what you can of the actual hunt while hunting, and then after the hunt, take your time to do the specialty shots.  Maybe you can take some “getting ready” shots in the evening fading light instead of the morning?

[Carter Simcoe]

Along the lines of what Eric is saying there I doubt you’d even have to “stage” that many shots while shooting after the hunt if you didn’t want to.  It’s not video so shots of gear being broken down are going to be hard to distinguish from shots of the gearing up to someone unfamiliar with the context.  Of course you’d probablly only want to pull this at dusk or with soft light and not in a blazing mid day sun if you’re audience is other turkey hunters….

[John Bennett]

Thanks guys.

Here is how I’m hoping it will go but I want to remain flexible as even the best laid plans……

We’re to meet at 4am on a rural road and I assume make a trek of unknown distance to the hunters spot. So that could be 5 minutes or 20 minutes for all I know. Assuming all goes well he’ll start setting up the blinds (one for each of us) and then the decoys. For all the obvious reasons my blind will be about 20 feet behind and to the side of his. My guess is he wants to be in the blinds well before sunup.
I plan on bringing both my tripod and using a cable release from inside the blind with a WA to capture “the monent” or atleast try to.

Once were in the blinds its a waiting game. I havent decided if Im going to try for any shots of the birds with the 400 + TC. While my body is quiet and a 400 + TC offers aot of reach, I’d rather not chance being busted by the sound of the shutter. The hunter has said if its “money shot” he wont mind getting busted.

Assuming he bags a Tom then we’ll spend a fair bit of time doing the “staged” shots. Everything from gear, to him calling, to the exotics like looking down the barrel (maybe with muzzle blast and spent shells etc). to other staged shots like sighting while sitting against a tree and if time allows who knows maybe a quick to his secondary location to see if we can call in a Tom or Jake.

So that leaves the arrival in the dark and setting up blinds/decoys in the dark. They are want to see, not need to see. Meaning if I can pull some off its gravy. id really like to pull some off for the editor though as I gather he doesnt get any in dark images that arent flashed or obviously light assisted.
Its supposed to be a full moon that night and if the nights clear Im pretty sure I can use the moonlight at F1.8 so long as he’s frontlit by it. Id love a couple with the moon in BG though and thats the problem.

How to expose for the moon, yet get just enough light on the subject to illumiinate some highlights.
I may even try bouncing some moonlight back at him assuming its bright moon with a reflector or mirror if I can, not sure that will be enough though and where painting or using a bounced flashlight might have to come in.

J

[John Pavoncello]

I don’t know why you don’t just strobe him while he’s getting ready and setting up. Unless the birds are on top of you, they’re not going to see it.
Personally, I’d use at least two if not three SB-800’s (or whatever the Canon Eqv. is), put on the supplied warming gels to get that nice “headlight look” and strobe him. No more 640ISO, no more f1.8.

How are you planning on lighting the hunter inside of his blind? I can tell you, it’s dark inside there, even in the middle of the day. Besides, unless he’s hunting out of the largest DoubleX blind, you’re gonna need a 10-12mm lens on a digital body to get a decent image inside the blind.

[John Bennett]

Not really planning on taking too many of him inside the blind for those reasons.

As for strobes.
One: I dont have a mini studio and this doesnt pay that much to warrant purchasing a couple more + accessories

Two: Set up time. I doubt I have the time to set up anything elaborate before he want to get moving. If were late setting up the decoys and blinds…….

Three: Flash photography isnt my strength, so even if I had the strobes and stands and the time to set it up, take a few images and then take it down and stow it again, (which I really doubt I’ll have). Im not sure I could even pull it off without having that obviously flashed at night look. 🙂 I may try for a couple just with an off shoe if hes alright with getting flashed in the dark but Id like to avoid using flash if possible.

[Aaron Otto]

Hey bud this may be past the point of helping, but Turkey’s don’t smell very well at all. They taste the air.

[John Bennett]

Thats actually a pretty cool idea and would make for a nice shot Aaron., one Im going to stow for future reference.

The plan is to be done between 11am and noon, so I doubt I can stage something like that this time…but for future hunts, be it Turkey or Deer..chilling afterwards around a campfire would absolutely qualify as “lifestyle” shots..

Anyone with any amount of photogrpahy experience is suggesting I use strobes in one manner or another and I would tend to think its way to go for the *best* results. Im not going to argue with wisdom I dont have ….but as noted above there are problems to overcome with them to, most notably fumbling to set up in the dark, take it down in the dark, stow it and likely being limited by the hunters patience to get moving 🙂

Whereas sticking a standing flashlight + lite disc inside the trunk would take all 3 seconds. Plus the light then is coming from inside the trunk and may be indistinguishable from the trunks natural interior light.

Dunno…time will tell:) Im still open to any ideas and havent ruled anything out. Its a case of trying to find a method that quick and easy, practicle, not weather dependant ( rain or wind may be a factor)

[Ben Cochran]

John,

I know that you are not excited about the idea of both using fill flash and the extra cost of more gear, I agree mostly. How ever, when doing the type of assignment photography, that you are now doing, the word fill flash does not apply as it is more of a light balancing approach that you have to meet. Hot shoe strobes are perfect for this and they will eventually have to be a part of your regular gear anyway. Granted no one wants to carry more gear than we need to but I can only say—- Welcome to the world of contract assignment photography. [ch9786]

If you don’t mind, this is how I would set up the shots and to be honest, it only takes very few minutes to set all the gear as well. First would be the gear, along with the camera equipment I recommend several flexible tripods (these are great for placing hot shoe strobes in many odd places).  A roll of gaffers tape to help secure the lights but to also make small snoots on the fly and bring your better beamer. At least 2 or 3 hot shoe strobes and wireless or infrared transmitter is a good start. Also, do not forget to bring extra batteries. I know that this sounds like a lot and it does take a small investment but I honestly believe that you will agree, once you get more familiar with this gear, that it is truly part of the essential gear for a professional assignment photographer. Honestly, it really isn’t as much added weight as it may sound.

This is just my thoughts on how I would shoot it but of course, it is just an offering and not meant as the best way possible. For the setting up phase: I would first place one strobe in the trunk or back section of the vehicle, where all of the gear is to be unloaded, and use a gel that WB with the interior dome light. This will allow for a very natural light balance but place the strobe so that the more full light appears as though it came from the dome light or bounced naturally to fill the composition area.

On setting up the blinds, I am sure that the hunter will have some sort of light out for that and again, set your strobe so that it appears as though the fill light came from the hunters personal light. You should use the diffuser, on the strobe, but use some of the gaffers tape on the strobe so that they function like barn doors and control the key light to only lighting up your subject properly. If you are going to use the moon light as a fill light: I would place one light strobe so that you get your subject better balanced lit but make sure that this fill light is WB with the moon light, actually it will work more as a bounced appeared fill light that is balanced to the natural moon light. Still use the other strobe, as described with the flash light, but make sure that it is balanced with the flash light and not with balanced with the fill light. WB your camera to the moon and meter on that as well. Now you can adjust the strobes up or down to get the levels that you want but most important, you get a very natural feel and very few would know that you used strobes at all.. The key light will have the same Kelvin as the flash light and the strobe will have the same as the Moon.

Remember that as long as you don’t have the strobes set up in the line of sight of your subject, they will not suffer from momentary blindness from the flash.

On the subject of action shots. If you are set up behind the hunter: I would place a strobe in the blind that lights up the back of the hunter and then use an on camera strobe for the turkey. I would use the better beamer for the on camera strobe but also, I would snoot and grid this strobe so that it only hits the turkey and lights it up with a balanced light feel.

Hope I wrote this so that it is understandable. Again, welcome to the field of contract assignment photography and I know that you will fall in love with the extra tools that truly are essential and once you get used to them, no one would ever be able to tell that you did use them. Also, practice balancing a natural field of light, in your car, with someone that is willing to stand there while you position the strobes and find the proper gels that you need to WB with the cars interior lighting. Then practice using the gaffers tape as barn doors on the strobes and see what kind of applications you can now do with them but move the strobes around until you find the directional lighting that looks most natural and appealing. By practicing some of these shots first, once you get in the field, some will only take seconds to set up.. Hope this helps [ch9786]

Oh yes, bring some small plastic bags so that you can fire the strobes through them, in case of bad weather…

[John Bennett]

Thanks Ben.
90% of it understandable 🙂 Fill Im comfortable with..or atleast mostly so. Ill read it a few times to digest it better 🙂

Flashing in utter darkness not so. I just finished one last week, it was an overnighter and as such part was a night fish to 11:00pm. Granted I was limited to the confines of the boat and only had the shoe but I tried a few different things from soft boxes, to positioning the head vertically and even spinning the head so it was more behind me.

Theres only a couple shots that Im ok with..Maybe Im too stringent 🙂 As for accessories…Ive got the BB and RRS B87B to get it off body. Cut my teeth on wildlife so fill during the day Im ok with..Flash as primary Im not. Its likekly also why Im very compfortable shooting in very little/low light with no assistance ..thats norm for wildlife but also why I often dont like flashed wildlife, it can look like crap if its not nailed.The preverbial deer in headlights 🙂

As for gear and assignments yeah no kidding. I just dropped a bunch on more RRS stuff and I havent bought the BH55 yet 🙁

But if I had to choose and I do.
A good backup body is more important than more strobes and flashes imo…Next up is a 5D, then the 70-200 f2.8 IS, then I still dream of getting a 500 f4 L. If I get alot of hunting stuff whats more important…strobes/stands/umbrellas/etc or the reach that could mean the difference of getting elusive game and not 🙂

If something comes up that screams alot of flash or studio shot work I’ll pass on it. Its imposible to have everything and be good at it all especially as someone whos just starting. My thing is Outdoors/Wildlife/fishing/hunting and while agree at some point I need to hone and bone up on flash photography……..

Trust me I have a list a mile long of stuff I need and my head aches at times trying to prioritise it all. My wallets nowhere big enough, nor my wifes patience. But some $ should be inc and that will help.

[Ben Cochran]

John, I am sorry, I thought that you were talking about shooting the hunt and hunter type of shots. But, keep in mind that everything that I spoke about was to help capture a natural balanced look and not a studio style of shot.. You don’t need to carry umbrellas, stands and can get small hot shoe soft boxes with gels for shots that you may want a softer lighting on. Again though, all of this was more in line with shooting the hunt and hunter and not meant as a general approach to something that you already do great, which is shooting wildlife.

I won’t even pretend that I can add anything to your wildlife photography as your shots are simply amazing! You mentioned the deer in the headlights look and I was wondering; do you shoot rear curtain synch?

[John Bennett]

Its cool Ben and it does apply, no appolgies needed 🙂 I do want to get those shots as well and will need to. Flash will be a part of that so I need to use it and get better at it. That said, the bulk will be during the daylight where I presume Im mostly looking at fill flash and Im ok and getting better at fill.Bascially, basic flash techniques 🙂

Its the advanced stuff requiring more gear, more technical know how and what not that /searches for right words…Im not putting high priority on..

I guess it the difference between a wedding photographer who wants to some long lens or macro photography and a wildlife Outdoors shooter who occassionally needs better lighting technques.

So when it comes to “prioritising” purchases my inclination is towards things that further wildlife shooting and I guess action shots of the same. One day I hope to have most of it but Rome wasnt built in a day. Either way for now the next purchase is a 5D. I dont want to contnue to borrow spare bodies indefinately nor do I want my 1D failing during or just before an assigment, so thats priority #1.

[Eric DeWitt]

Great suggestions Ben, you are certainly very well versed in flashes and such. I thought i was cool because i know how to bounce flash off a ceiling to avoid that deer in the head lights look!!

From a turkey hunters perspective on this whole thing, we are making alot of planning here with a big unknown:

[Eric DeWitt]

Also take a look on this website, i use it for ideas for shots.

[John Bennett]

Thanks again 🙂

Ben, the *only* time I’ll flash Deer is when they are in strong sidelight and Im looking to add a little fill.
As you know I have a BB (Fresnel lens) which doubles a flashes output and with a RRS B87B I can get the flash off body avoiding Steel eye. However, by far I simply prefer to shoot them in natural light. Even when light is very low or non existant.
ISO 800 1/1600th at F5.6

heres one where I could have used fill but I like the shadow cast by the strong sidelight, the catchlight in the right eye and the “contrast” between the lit/unlit sides

Cutting my teeth so to speak on Wildlife where Im used to shooting natural light, the rain, the fog…whatever “nature” throws at me without using flash I think may be part of my “bias” against flash.
Shooting in poor light, at high ISOs and low shutter speeds doesn’t deter me. I know I can get good results w/o flash.
ISO 800 at 400mm handheld @ 1/50th

Dawn, very liitle light, just enough to bring out highlights
ISO 400 at F1.8

But I do *know* I need to start using flash more. To me its another aspect of photography requiring different specialised tools and techniques. Just as getting the best results from macro photogrpahy or wedding photography or sports photogrpaphy…The foundations and principles are the same/similiar but very different to, requiring different tools.

Thanks Eric.
Thats one reason why I’ve asked for advice and tips here. The “photography” website I participate on, while loaded with many great photogrpahers with varied “strengths” ( some are great Macro shooters, some are great Bird shooters, some are great Portrait shooters etc) no-one there (imo) are died in the wool “Outdoors” people. Some would get lost on park paths 🙂 and some are outright hostile against hunters/anglers yet wouldnt know a dozen fish and game laws themselves…Thats a different rant though 🙂

This is the one site on the net Im aware of, where “Outdoors” people who also do some serious photography and who wil understand the challenges of shooting fishing/hunting come together. Its a unique blend.

Anyways while a couple have made many similiar suggestions about using strobes to solve the problem they are approaching it mainly as people who utilise strobes in studio type shots.

All the best laid plans could be shot to hell in a handbasket if its raining, or fogged in, or….. I’ll still be expected to produce though, its a go, rain or shine….Or as you said the Toms themselves could screw everything up.

Im breaking this down into 3 phases.
1) Pre hunt shoot which is whatever I can do from the moment we arrive in the dark to the moment we hunker down in the blinds before sunup. I’ll be in a camp chair style blind with a pullover “roof”. I dont think there will be room for my tripod so Im bringing my self standing Manfrotto monopod along as well.

2) Inside the blinds while waiting for Tom, Im not planning on taking many shots other than some Landscape/Enviroment shots. If I have a backup Im thinking I may set the back up with a WA up on the tripod outside my blind, prefocused and then trigger via cable release from inside the blind. Inside the blind I’ll have my 1D with 85mm f1.8, 180 f3.5 and 400 f5.6 to choose from. I may, might, just maybe chance shots of the Toms themselves but unless its at 75 feet I dont want to chance spooking them via the sound of the shutter releasing. The hunter will be in a 2 man Dog house type blind.

As for capturing the moment when he fires …luck more than anything else 🙂

3) After the hunt assuming hes succesful
I’ll be busy taking the vast majority of shots..Everything from staged shots to whatever we can dream up. I may buy and bring along a ground blind, their cheap at 20 bucks and its not like I cant use it myself for as you noted the back to the tree shots. If were lucky and he tags a Tom early we will go to a seconday location for the explicit purpose of calling a Tom for some good shots.

thanks for the link, Im going to study it.

J

/edit
Double thanks for the link, Ive gotten some great ideas.
Not the least of which is dressing my 14yr old daughter up in my camo this weekend and taking some “prop” shots with a our two Diamond Comps and my Martin recurve.

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