Amelia

Amelia club

Posted: 30 Jul 2017


Taken: 27 Jul 2017

13 favorites     27 comments    487 visits

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Nature
Animal
Shropshire
Ruyton XI Towns
TSC


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TSC + 3 PiPs

TSC + 3 PiPs
The Sunday Challenge this week was a photo using flash. My Canon has a built in flash which I never use, so this was quite a challenge.
Almost every evening, from dusk onwards we have a visiting hedgehog, sometimes two, that scrabbles around underneath the bird feeders for nuts and seeds, and hopefully a few slugs too. It is very dark underneath the feeders, and I couldn't have an outside light on so much of the time I was guessing where the hedgehog was.
The first photos I tried using my normal Canon lens were hopeless as the heghog was under a planter and by the time I got there he had rolled into a ball. New measures were called for.
The following evening before it was too dark, I placed some bird food in a more open area, fitted a somewhat clunky Tamron 70-300 lens on the camera and sat down to wait. I had to position myself about 4 metres away from the possible sighting to stand a chance of getting the hedgehog in position, and a tripod would have been too cumbersome. This is the result straight from the camera - the flash is lighting up the gravel which was a pity. I think that after this the poor hedgehog was so traumatised, he just turned and waddled quickly down the path. I hope he appears again though. Next time I'll just sit quietly in the dark and watch.

PiP 1 First attempt
PiP 2 Enticement into the open.
PIP 3 Cropped and brightened

Amazingstoker, Wierd Folkersma, Nouchetdu38, Sami Serola (inactive) and 9 other people have particularly liked this photo


27 comments - The latest ones
 Amelia
Amelia club
I sit out on our back step for ages some nights just watching the hedgehog(s), Judith. It was unfortunate that I had to be so far away from the subject, but at least I managed to get a reasonable photo - albeit it a bit dark. ;-)
6 years ago.
 Rosalyn Hilborne
Rosalyn Hilborne club
Well done Amelia! Nice PiP's as well :))
6 years ago.
Amelia club has replied to Rosalyn Hilborne club
Thank you, Rosa. I do 'waste' a lot of time looking at things that appeal to me. ;-)
6 years ago.
 Gary Schotel
Gary Schotel club
Super!
6 years ago.
Amelia club has replied to Gary Schotel club
Thank you, Gary. There is an element of OCD in my behaviour sometimes. ;-)
6 years ago.
 Gudrun
Gudrun club
That hedgehog is just so sweet! He will be back for sure:-) I like your saga about getting a photo, you went to a lot a trouble! Btw, the 2nd PiP doesn't show...
6 years ago. Edited 6 years ago.
Amelia club has replied to Gudrun club
I hope I have sorted out the 3 PiPs now, Gudrun. If any neighbours looked out their windows before they went to bed, they'd think they were observing a mad woman.
6 years ago.
Shuttering Yukon has replied to Amelia club
the 2nd pip is working now.
6 years ago.
autofantasia club has replied to Amelia club
Ha, I think everyone who has ever undertaken a challenge for TSC knows that feeling - lol! ;)
6 years ago.
 Shuttering Yukon
Shuttering Yukon
what a cutie, you really made this weeks challenge a challenge, good job Amelia.
6 years ago.
Amelia club has replied to Shuttering Yukon
I often look out in the darkness for the hedgehogs, Wendi. But to get a photo of one of them proved to be more difficult than I first thought.
6 years ago.
 M♥rJ Photogr♥phy !! ( Marj )
M♥rJ Photogr♥phy !!… club
How CUTE is that !!......Lovely capture for the challenge Amelia of a rarity I've not seen a Hedgehog for years !!
6 years ago.
Amelia club has replied to M♥rJ Photogr♥phy !!… club
Thank you Marj. I would have preferred to take a photo like this without using flash, but that was the challenge. ;-)
6 years ago.
 Clickity Click
Clickity Click
Oh I've not seen a hedgehog coming to a feeder for snacks. This one is such a cutie. Do hope it will return so that you can enjoy his/her visits. Must say you were extremely patient in getting the picture for the challenge. :)
6 years ago.
Amelia club has replied to Clickity Click
I 'waste' quite a lot of time looking at things, Chris, and this was no exception. It was a good challenge, but I in retrospect I should have chosen a subject that didn't move that I could get close to.
6 years ago.
 H C
H C
Lovely shot. I love hedgehogs, but haven't seen one in the garden this year.
6 years ago.
Amelia club has replied to H C
Too many gardeners use poisonous slug pellets and other chemicals in their gardens, Harriet. That and road traffic is definitely a no-no for hedgehog life.
6 years ago.
 Puchinpappy
Puchinpappy club
The bane of all photographers with a straight on flash. The eyeball reflection.
6 years ago.
Amelia club has replied to Puchinpappy club
I suppose I could have done with some red-eye correction, but then it wouldn't be a candid shot. ;-)
6 years ago.
 Gillian Everett
Gillian Everett club
How lovely to see the hedgehog. Hope he still visits you.
6 years ago.
Amelia club has replied to Gillian Everett club
I haven't seen the hedgehog for 3 nights in a row, Gillian. It may take him/her quite some time to forgive me for capturing his soul.
6 years ago.
 Sami Serola (inactive)
Sami Serola (inactiv… club
Good composition ;-) Clearly a very challenging subject for the camera to get the focus and light right. I would personally try to improve a flash shot like this on editor, and use a gradient tool to change the foreground darker, and bring more light on background.
6 years ago.
 Amelia
Amelia club
The challenge specified minimal post-processing, Sami, so like the good person I am, I stuck to the law. This is straight from the camera. ;-)
Unfortunately the gravel is more in focus than the hedgehog.
6 years ago.
 Wierd Folkersma
Wierd Folkersma club
like this type of shots, don´t your camera have a red-eye correction?
6 years ago.
 Amelia
Amelia club
I just didn't think of that, Wierd.

I'm very pleased to say that, having just come inside after waiting for approximately 20 minutes in the dark, we have had another visit from our hedgehog. No horrible surprises from him/her this evening. :-)))
6 years ago.
 Amazingstoker
Amazingstoker
nice image, s/he looks rather 'caught in the act'
6 years ago.
 autofantasia
autofantasia club
Well done for persevering and for coming up with such a delightful image Amelia. As it happens hedgehogs in our area seem to on the decline, but by sheer coincidence I came across one in our garden this week too!

It was in daylight so I was concerned that it may have been injured, but it pottered around, had a drink from our bird bath and took some seed from a ground feeding station we have before disappearing into the shrubbery. So, it appeared healthy, but I still worry about it being out in broad daylight! :(
6 years ago.

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