Well I find it exciting to have found a Beaver lodge so close to home. Apparently Beavers are more abundant across Pennsylvania then I had thought. I knew they were in the more natural northern and western counties but they are near me too. This lodge has at least 4 or 5, the parents and what looks to be two generations of kits.
These are very challenging to shoot!! Here is my first attempt. Apparently they are somewhat nocturnal and only come out after dusk. So there I am with 420mm of glass trying to shoot at 1/80 shutter speeds. I put the flash on as it got darker, but with them some 40-60 feet away it's hard for the flash to go that far. Next time I will take off the TC and pick that extra stop for the flash. But here are my results.











It appears they has some kind of oily substance protecting their eyes, make for a clear shot of the eye rather difficult:)
All shot at dusk with a D70 and a Nikon 300f4 on a Kenko 1.4XTC. For the flashed shots it's a Nikon SB-800 set manually to max.

Strange animals.........maybe to close? Some background might be more attractive? Interesting to see so close though also, but are't they wierd looking or is it just me......Your next set will have less technical challenges I'll wager. Good luck there.

very nice, some exposure issues, or maybe it's post processing, but overall they are good, particularly because of the difficulty of photographing beaver. I like best, the one with the rock in the background, fine job! I like the grean reflection off the water in the last shot. I think these shots are righ in that range of too far away, or too close. I think pulling back or getting closer, and down lower to the water would help a lot! Eye level with those beaver would also get you some backgrounnd!

In most places beaver come out at night and almost never when people are present. I'd say keep at it. With such a fine resouce near your home, you could become the next great beaver photographer!

"I think these shots are righ in that range of too far away, or too close. I think pulling back or getting closer, and down lower to the water would help a lot!"

Interesting thought- great constructive comment.

Marty and Tony,

They are strange animals and difficult subjects. You are both exactly right for the most of them I was too close. I also like that one with the rock in the background. He was the biggest of the three I shot, and the shoot was rather challenging. I got that shot of him, then reconfigured my tripod and climbed down to the waters edge. As soon as I was ready to focus on him, off he went:)

The little guys that I have floating in the water kept coming in closer and closer. I found myself just watching them since they were too close. Every once and a while they’d swim over to the lodge and climb out. As soon as they would turn and look at me, curplunk, they’re back in the water before the camera locked focus:) I read that their eyesight is poor, but I am pretty sure the young ones was checking me out even with that schmutz in their eyes.

Like I said I will take the 1.4TC off too, then I get 1 stop more “out of the flash” and like you say, I was to close anyway. Now is when I wish I had that 80-200/f2.8. I agree there are exposure issues too. I was underexposed, I pushed it up 2/3 of a stop on most of them in Post processing. And everything was dark, with a lot of harsh highlights making it difficult. Again though if I was back a little maybe it would have helped the harshness too I think. I would love to put the diffuser on the flash, but then I will loose the stop I gained by removing the TC. I have to get back to the lodge, hopefully this week sometime. I really need to get a pair of waders, they are in some realy mucky water:) Thanks for the feedback.

Jeff, stay at it! I want to see more! Post when you get-em.

I have one question, how can the beaver be "too close?" Did you not bring a wider lens?

Most of the shots are of immature beaver, right? I see, well, have fun, and please stay at it! I love beaver; they also are very challenging to shoot! Remember, the rewards of getting what you want from those little critters will be well worth the commitment, so don’t wait, go get those waders and get going!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here ya go Tony, Beaver shoot take two. I like these better. I waited for them to exit the water trying to get more of them. Like I mentioned in the post, I had the perfect "Environmental" shot, but he never turned around. I think next time should be better. This is good exercise chasing them up and down the canal trail. It is amazing how comfortable they are with people around. They do startle though and I am learning.