Filter for Wildlife

[paulgallinule]

Hi guys

I'm planning to do a little wildlife photography over the next few weeks and I'll probally use rollie 400s (this is what's in my bag) I used some last summer and liked the contrast with it, red squirrels is what I'm after in a forest setting, any advice out there on colour of filter or even should I use one at all ?, I normally take these using either Fuji sensia 400 or Kodak 400vc, both work well but I can get the Kodak processed within a few hours of taking the images, now I want to go all mono on these guys and I'm gonna try hopefully next weekend.

Any advice out there,

Paul.

 

[glbeas]

You can either lighten the foliage and darken the squirrels with a light green filter or use a red and do the opposite. Personally I would go with lighter foliage if using filtration at all as you will lose less light from the filter factor.

 

[seoirse]

Gary has given you sound advice there, Paul.

I'd go the green filter route too.

You might let us know how you get on. Light levels are still fairly low, so maybe bring a tripod?

 

[paulgallinule]

Hi guys, thankfully I have a green filter, I've a hide built in a fire break in the forest so I have to lie down on a floor mat so I can't use a tripod but I am planning on using a ring flash on some of the shots, these guys come to within five or six feet so a macro lens may be used, this is just an experment, I'll hopefully post up something in the next few weeks. Paul

 

[Mustafa Umut Sarac]

Orange filter can be a interesting tool but the best is green. Before going to woods may be you can make some prints and optimize your developer. But if you use a Zeiss lens , it could be complicated. Zeiss is a ultra high contrast , light gathering , glowing lens and it could blow your highlights with green. Before turning your expenses in to disaster , make quick experiments with your film. Pyro could save you from the hassle.

Umut

 

[thefizz]

Sounds like fun, good luck with it Paul.

 

[Steve Smith]

Do you have areas with exclusively red squirrels? In most of England the grey squirrel has taken over but where I live on the Isle of Wight, we have four miles of water between us and the rest of England and we have no grey squirrels so the reds live quite happily here.


Steve.