Remote badger

There has been a lot of talk over the last few months regarding the use of remote cameras when photographing wildlife but there are times when it quite simply is the only way, especially if your intention is to create a very different perspective on a much photographed mammal.  I was at least present when the image was taken, indeed, I did take it.  There were no beams or pressure pads, just me, sitting 20m away in a tree hide firing the camera by radio remote.

It’s an image I have had in my mind’s eye for number of years but for one reason or another was unable to achieve it.  Having secured a number of close-ups the previous few weeks, I waited till the bluebells were in bloom then over several nights, would arrive at the scene around 6.30pm (1 1/2 hrs before they usually emerge), climb an old hornbeam, clamp the camera and receiver to a branch, cover them in plastic bags, then retreat to my platform.  Once a badger emerged, which it did at 8pm, it was simply a case of waiting until it was in the desired position and hoping above all else, that it would remain still long enough so as not to be just a blur.  I set the D300 to iso 1600, aperture priority f4.9 with the resulting shutter speed being 3 seconds.  Lens used was 12-24mm.  So as to keep any disturbance to a minimum, I waited till it was completely dark, content the badgers had wandered off to forage, climbed down from my platform then went home, returning early the next morning to collect the camera.  It was carried out in private woodland and with the camera being a good 15 feet up a tree, I was fairly confident it would still be there when I returned!

Tags: badger, badger photography, bluebell wood, bluebells, coppice woodland, photographing badgers, radio remote, remote control, spring