New here!

This is my first post here. I'll start off with a little trick that I learned the other day, and maybe some others my have a few tricks to share.

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj35/blaineburn/muley-1.jpg" alt="" />


There are alot of deer that go past my porch in the summer time on the way back and forth to get a drink at a water hole below my house. I have no problem getting a pic of them from the porch but I wanted to get a pic from the opposite direction that included the deer as well as
my house.

I have a nikon D300 with a 18-200 lens. With this lens you have to get pretty close to get a good shot and these deer are kind of wild.

So I took my camera and set it at interval shooting at one shot per second.

Set it at center point auto focus.

Put it on my tripod set as low to the ground as possible.

Set it up on the trail that the deer regally use.

Lined up the shot that I wanted with the point of focus indicator set just above the horizon.
[This will not work unless it is above the horizon.]

Turn it on and walk away.

What happens is the camera will search for something to focus on and find nothing and just come to rest. When some thing does come into the focus range it will start shooting at one shot per second until the subject leaves the range. It will then come to rest again waiting for the next victom.

None of the shots have been cropped. The deer are 15 to 25 feet from the camera, and the lens is set at 75mm.

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj35/blaineburn/muley001.jpg" alt="" />

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj35/blaineburn/muley047.jpg" alt="" />

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj35/blaineburn/muley019.jpg" alt="" />

This pic is just to show fast and receptive these lenses are. If you look real close you will see
a flock of Pinon Jays flying by way off on the horizon. That is what tripped the shot.

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj35/blaineburn/muley004.jpg" alt="" />

This is how I set my tripod up to get the focus up in the horizon.

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj35/blaineburn/muley005.jpg" alt="" />

I cover all the equipment up with branches and what not, and place a dove decoy close to the camera to distract from the shutter noise. [ An old bow hunters trick ]

Anybody else have any tricks to share?
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ABert
Welcome to the site and that is a pretty neat trick you've figured out!
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182BC...4Now!
That's a pretty sweet trick. Those pics are much clearer than trail cam pics...might have to try that sometime!
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MuleyMadness
What a cool post! :thumb :thumb

That's great stuff right there, loved the tutorial and tricks. Not sure I have any tricks like that, but may have to try yours sometime. Cool idea.

WELCOME to MuleyMadness
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BOHNTR
Welcome to the site.......I want to live where you do......gorgeous views!
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sneekeepete
::wel to the Madness and that is an awesome trick!!! I might have to try that myself!
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Huge29
That is some sweet scenery!!! The dove trick is pretty slick, probably not a bad idea for a trailcam except that it would just attract more attention from potential camera swipers.
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'Ike'
"BOHNTR" wrote:Welcome to the site.......I want to live where you do......gorgeous views!
Ditto! ::wel
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Nicely Done!!!!
I appreciate ingenuity.......

T.
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welcome to the site . nice pics and i wished i had your yard .
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Loafer
Great tip! I like the one of the two little guys.
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it's awesome scenery. =D> That's a pretty sweet trick :good post
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cool !!
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Nice trick, I will have to check if my D200 has that capability.
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Thanks for all the comments to my post. Here are a few more you guys might enjoy. Out in front of the porch is a winter range that is holding about 350 to 400 head right now. Took these yesterday.

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj35/blaineburn/muleys/muley1812.jpg" alt="" />

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj35/blaineburn/muleys/muley166.jpg" alt="" />

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj35/blaineburn/muleys/muley1622-1.jpg" alt="" />

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj35/blaineburn/muleys/muley154.jpg" alt="" />
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