Last Night's Badger Cub

Last night's shot from my remote camera. I really wanted to show the badger in its environment and feel this is the best way (that I can think of anyway). I have a couple of camo'd boxes and two old camo'd tripods dotted around the site. I have left them all in situ so they lose any household smells and so the badgers get used to them.

Last night, I attached the 5D with 16-35mm and 10m remote lead and took a few tentative shots. My fears about the shutter spooking the badgers were unfounded as this cub shows. He didn't even bat an eyelid - too busy scoffing! The shutter speed is very slow, so I have to wait and time the shutter for when the badger stops to listen to a crashing squirrel or rustle in the grass.

This is one of my personal favs from the project so far. C&C welcomed.

Camera Model: Canon EOS 5D
Shutter speed: 1/10th sec
Aperture: f/5.6
Exposure mode: Av
Exposure compensation: -1/3
Flash: Off
Metering mode: Evaluative
ISO: 640
Lens: EF16-35mm f/2.8L USM
Focal length: 16mm
AF mode: Manual Focus

I like this one the most of your Badger Images Elliott, the inclusion of the environment is super and I can see why it is one of your favourites, perhaps a touch of eye contact is needed but you previously explained that they totally ignore you now, perhaps a referees whistle

Hi Elliott,

Great Badger series you've got going here! I love enviro shots and this is great! Love your choice of composition!

I think you're doing an exceptional job here Elliott, and the lack of eye contact doesn't particularly bother me as it's just nice to see an animal going about its business.

One thing I might do is crop a tad from the right just to get rid of the dead-looking twiggy bits cutting the right frame edge, or better still get the clone tool on them and keep the mild pano comp.

Another nice addition to the collection

it's always nice to see animals in their natural environment and this shot achieves that very well. My first impression was that a bit of eye contact would have helped but that would clearly require the badger to be aware of the camera and hence wouldn't be 'natural' in that sense.

Matt

Hi Elliott. If the badger don`t respond to little noise that you make, I could let you have a few hand grenade ....I am sure that would do the trick!! The thing is that the badger always has his nose down and I think (That is my opinion) That it would be better with his head up.
My badger are not bother at all by the noise of the shutter and that is why I came back home with 10 gig after a badger evening...They will get soon use to the noise.
Best wishes and good luck
Frederic
Best wishes
Frederic

Hi Elliott, very good based on the EXIF details & I really like the position & crop, but find the yellow bushes in the middle a tad distracting, plus is the grass really that colour? Need to go to the 'Heath' more often!

Steve

great colour and detail here, certainly the pick of the bunch from an excellent series

tend to agree with Phil that a bit more eye contact might be nice though

Very attractive environmentshot Elliot.
Cheers,
Bertl

I like the panoramic view on this but agree with the comment about the distracting yellow bush centre right.

Top shot Elliot..............excellent comp!!

Definately a favourite for me

Alan

Hi Elliot,

Is it a yellow bush or sun light breaking through the canopy? Either way I'm not that bothered by it. I think the Badger looks OK as is and do not feel that that by having it's head up it would improve it in anyway. At 1/10 I think you've done bloomin well!!

Nice shot

Regards

Rob

Thanks for the feedback. It is sunlight breaking through, not a yellow bush - although I can see now how it looks like that.
Stephen: Yep, the grass is really that colour. It is really lush and verdant in this woodland. The grass is very long and thick so I have to make the badgers climb on to logs and such to get a clear shot.
Frederic: Yep, with the 300 or 600 I can fire away without any alarm. However, this camera is less than 0.5m from the badger's face. At this range, I still need to exercise a little caution.

I am really enjoying these daylight shots that you and frederic are posting. I like th ecomp in this one particularly.
Eric

Well done Elliott, this is a darn fine enviro image - I'm extremely jealous of your badgers coming out in sunlight! GRRRRR! LOL!

Hi Elliott,
Not had much time to participate fully recently, however I have been looking in on a regular basis and have been following, and very much enjoying your badger series.
Another excellent image and I love the fresh, vibrant setting too.