Tried to get a shot of the Milky Way at Joshua Tree last month

I set up my tripod near Hidden Valley around 2 AM, got everything dialed in, then a pack of coyotes started howling about 50 feet away. Scared the crap out of me and I knocked my camera over into a pile of rocks. Now I always bring a red light and keep one hand on the tripod legs. Anybody else have wildlife ruin a shot?

3 comments

3 Comments

evan_campbell24d ago

Dang man that's a wild story! I was out near Bishop once trying to get some long exposures of the stars and a bat flew RIGHT into my lens while the shutter was open. Scared me so bad I jumped backwards and tripped over my own camera bag. Ended up with this weird blurry streak across the whole shot and a cracked UV filter. Now I always wear a headlamp with a red setting and I keep my bag flat on the ground away from where my feet are gonna move.

davis.noah24d ago

Wait, you actually got a bat strike? I used to think people who wore headlamps for night photography were being extra, but after reading this I'm starting to see the point. I always figured a cracked UV filter was just my clumsy luck, didn't realize it could save your actual lens from a bat impact.

sam1713d ago

Bats fly with echolocation man, they're not gonna hit a lens unless you're literally swinging it around. I've done hundreds of night shoots without a headlamp or filter and never had an issue. A UV filter just adds another piece of glass to collect dust and reflections, plus it can create flare in your shots if there's any light source nearby. Getting a cracked filter replaced costs money too, might as well just be more careful where you point your camera.