Night Time Photography

Since January every time I go to my Grandmothers for the night I put out food, set up the camera and wait.  For once it was not a bird but a mammal I was waiting for: a Fox.  The first night I caught a glimpse of it at the end of the garden.  This was when we got heavy snow and I couldn't get back so I stayed another night and this time we were successful.  The only reason this was possible is because there's an outside light which is set off by movement.  It is a nice way to photograph wildlife -although the shots are never great- as you can sit down eating your dinner etc while you're waiting!
 The snow was great as it made the image even brighter, but after then I struggled to get anything.
 Also, when I tried the flash it got white eyes and, as I didn't want to hurt its eyes,  I stopped using it.

I tried various other techniques; using an old 200mm f3.5 SLR and adapter, but the adapter seems to add f1.4 and the lens is MF not AF, so the results were terrible.  The next idea I had -this was last time I was there- was to use the Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6, although the quality is not brilliant, at f4 it works quite well in low light, but a 1/10 shutter-speed was used with ISO 800.  Despite the slow shutter I got my best mammal shot yet, and it was through a window!

The area my grandmother lives in is suburban and quite 'well off', so it was very healthy looking, and as my grandmother stated 'He has a teddy bear face!'

I am hoping he/she finds a mate and brings cubs to the garden later in the year, one of her neighbours had two cubs in daylight in their garden last year!