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We have been booked for an exiting night in the Sable hide in Dec'11 . I have visited the hide 2 yrs ago, so familiar with the layout and the setting. Considering it will be summer and a full moon evening (hoping no clouds in the night sky), I am interested to know what needs to be considered for photography opportunity at night:

- I do have 2 cameras Canon 400D and 60D with 55, 300 and 500 mm lenses, but only built in flash.
Is it advisable to invest in a bigger flash for a longer reach?
- what is your experience or advise for potential photography at night in general and esp from a hide setup?

Thank you for the informatative information shared by all.

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10 Dec - Sable hide
11 Dec - Mopani
12-13 Dec - Oliphants
14-16 Dec - Satara
17 Dec - Biyamiti

I would definitely try a star trail if I was staying at Sable hide.

Hi,

I have slept there before and wasn't that lucky with to many close animals. I would not bother with getting a bigger flash as you would propably end up frustrated if nothing shows up and that might spoil the experience. Your kit as is should be perfect if anything close comes by so just enjoy the experience as much as possible.

Just my opinion!

make sure you have a tripod with you (for star trail and also your slow shutter speed ). and bring along a super power torch, (not sure if you mean flash for your camera or a flash light - torch) if you were thinking for your camera i personally cant see it any use. Best bet would be a nice power torch. Make sure you use the correct settings and you could get some awesome night pictures.

Just my 2c.

Thank you, Massimo, vanmderw and skywalker2251 for the valuable info.

I would definitely have a crack at star trails and starscapes.

For trails you need looooong exposures, for "starscapes" you need to keep it below 30s on a wide angle lens to prevent the earth's rotation to impact the stars - but you need to be able to push your ISO to 1600-3200 for this to work. Also paint the foreground with your torch.

When using the flash from the hide I would think of using a "Better beamer" as this enables you to get much better 'reach' with your flash.