Bats in Flight at Dusk. This evening as it was getting dark I noticed there were several bats flying around in my backyard. I knew that it would be a challenge to capture an image of the bats as they darted around chasing insects. The following images were taken with a Nikon D3s camera at 12800 or 102400 ISO using a 400 mm f/2.8 D II lens. The bats were moving too fast to follow using a tripod or monopod, so I was doing this hand-held. This is not a combination that you can hand-hold for long periods. I also wish that I had the VR version of this lens. There was no way that autofocus would work, so I manually set the focus distance to 25 feet and shot in high-speed burst mode anytime the bats flew by at about that distance. Of about 600 images, the following 6 were the best. I am open to suggestions how to do a better job capturing images of bats in flight.
Bat in Flight at Dusk. Summer Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 400 mm f/2.8G II lens (ISO 12800, 400 mm, f/2.8, 1/320 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 6, Nik Define 2, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)Bat in Flight at Dusk. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 400 mm f/2.8G II lens (ISO 12800, 400 mm, f/2.8, 1/320 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 6, Nik Define 2, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)Bat in Flight at Dusk. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 400 mm f/2.8G II lens (ISO 12800, 400 mm, f/2.8, 1/320 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 6, Nik Define 2, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)Bat in Flight at Dusk. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 400 mm f/2.8G II lens (ISO 12800, 400 mm, f/2.8, 1/320 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 6, Nik Define 2, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)Bat in Flight at Dusk. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 400 mm f/2.8G II lens (ISO 102400, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/250 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 6, Topaz DeNoise 5, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)Bat in Flight at Dusk. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 400 mm f/2.8G II lens (ISO 102400, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/250 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 6, Topaz DeNoise 5, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
