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Re: [OM] Bats in flight photography (was Batty)

Subject: Re: [OM] Bats in flight photography (was Batty)
From: "John Gardner" <vu49@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 10 Jul 1998 15:28:12 +0100
Giles 

The *only* way to see a bat is when its flying indoors. Their skill is
beyond belief. They are of course hunting with radar (yours was probably
transmitting ultrasound at between 45 and 55Khz - humans can hear upto
about 19Khz) and can sense something as fine as a human hair in their
flight path, in total darkness, and avoid it.

If they are flying around in the house, they will usually land on the
curtains or similar, then it easy to pick them up and take them outside
without harming them. BTW they don't bite and they don't carry any disease
you can catch (UK bats we're talking here).

As far as photos go. It is possible for a T32 to stop their movement but
you need an extremely short burst, say 1/40,000th, so a couple of T32s and
fast film is the answer. Also they are flying at roughly 1 metre per second
so you need to be pretty quick with the shutter. An infra-red beam is the
other answer. I am experimenting with this setup at the moment and believe
me its hard and very expensive in terms of wasted film.

BTW flash 'in their face' will not unduly affect them as they are totally
reliant on their radar when in flight. 

The ideal set-up would be to get a cardboard tube with an infra-red beam
over one end. Attach a couple of T32s to a 4Ti using auto cables, switch
off the light and lock up the mirror using B setting. Now get the bat
you've previously caught and put it into the end of the tube. It will crawl
along and leap out the other end into free flight, thus setting off the
infrared trigger connected to the MD2 of your 4Ti. The flash duration will
be enough to stop it in this setup as you won't have the delay of the
mirror going up.

I should, however, point out that (in the UK) it is illegal to catch bats
as they are all protected by law (I have a government licence though). But,
Giles, it seems they pay you a regular visit so there would be nothing to
stop you making the bat leave the house via the above setup :)

regards

John.
----------
> From: Giles <cnocbui@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [OM] Baty
> Date: 09 July 1998 10:18 pm
> 
> 
> Last night I missed a wonderful photo opportunity.
> 
> My wife had just gone to bed when I heard her call out that there was 
> a bat in the room.  She unreasonably wanted me to drop what I was 
> doing and 'deal' with it.
> 
> I went into the darkened room and asked if she was sure there was a 
> bat.  Just then I felt/heard a fluttering in the air just near me.  
> Score one to the wife - who at this time was hiding under the 
> doona/quilt/eiderdown  issuing muffled demands for me to do something 
> about it.
> 
> I turned on the light and watched fascinated as the bat circled the 
> room flying very close to me and other objects in the room without 
> touching them - fantastic.
> 
> For some reason my wife didn't seem to share my interest or 
> enthusiasm - strange.
> 
> I noticed the bat headed for the doorway I was standing in a couple 
> of times but veered away because it heard me standing in it.  I went 
> into the kitchen and waited.  Shortly the bat flew through the 
> doorway and started to quarter the room but before I could move to 
> shut the door it flew back into the bedroom.  My wife let me know she 
> had noticed this also.
> 
> I waited a few moments and sure enough it flew back through the 
> doorway so I stepped into the doorway and closed the door. The bat 
> flew back towards me a couple of times but turned away at the last 
> moment - Its idea of playing chicken perhaps ?
> 
> It really was something to see.  The bat did not just fly around madly 
> in a panic bumping into things the way a bird would.  It seemed much 
> more intelligent and flew at various altitudes in the room as if 
> purposefully searching the whole volume of the room for an exit.
> 
> I opened a door to the outside and the bat continued to fly around 
> then it disappeared behind a counter then a moment later it rounded 
> the end of the counter at just about floor height and went straight 
> out the door.
> 
> Oly content ? - there was none darn it!
> 
> I should have calmly opened the pelican, extracted the 4Ti and the 
> T32, found four batteries and loaded the T32 and then assembled the 
> bits, set a small aperture for depth of field and taken a few shots.
> 
> I actually did think of it at the time but I was not sure my wife 
> would have appreciated my dallying, but mostly I was concerned that I 
> might frighten the bat with the flash and make it harder to 
> 'persuade' it to calmly exit.
> 
> It made a nice change from ticks and midges and was easier to remove 
> than one I encountered a few years ago that was asleep and hanging 
> upside down on the bedroom wall.
> 
> Giles
> 
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