Flash for bird photography?

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tjphxaz

tjphxaz

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Interested in getting opinions, techniques and settings on using flash for bird photography. Small to mid-size birds from 10-25 feet from camera.
 
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Sure - what is your question?

There are a couple of uses of flash for bird photography. Normally it's just for a mild fill to brighten shadows. The added benefit is a catchlight in the eye. You can get a catchlight in the eye of a subject 100 yards away with a flash and an extender.

There are several types of flash extenders used with long lenses. Flash extenders involve using a Fresnel lens to magnify the power of the flash thereby extending the distance and brightness of the flash. There are several types of extenders. I've got a Better Beamer Flash Extender with a custom bracket for my flash, an extender from Harbor Digital Design that is shorter and box-like, and a new version for the Mag-Mod System that is the smallest and most flexible of the bunch.

With many long lenses, you also might consider how the flash is mounted. There are flash brackets and flash cords to mount the flash on a long lens instead of on your camera hotshoe.

I normally use the SB-910 or SB-800 on my cameras. I'm using TTL metering for the flash and letting the flash decide the starting point for the amount of power needed based on the lens and distance to the subject. I typically have flash compensation at -1.5 to -2.0 to create a gentle fill.

If you go someplace like the St. Augustine Alligator Farm when you have a lot of experienced photographers with long lenses, you'll usually see 75% of the photographers using flash. It makes a difference. It's very helpful for small birds as well. But it takes practice.

A flash with extender can decrease mobility, so there is a tradeoff.

Never use a flash with owlets and limit use of flash at night with adult owls. The brightness of a flash during the day is insignificant compared to the sun, and the birds normally don't notice.
 
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If photographing from a fixed location (i.e. blind/hide/etc.) I've used a single cheap manual shoe flash mounted on a lightweight light stand. Located the flash off-axis from camera and several feet from bird's anticipated location. Wireless flash trigger on camera shoe. Flash serves as fill light to open up shadows - not as primary light source. Change flash position, distance, output for desired result.

Doesn't seem to bother the birds.
 
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NA4M said:
If photographing from a fixed location (i.e. blind/hide/etc.) I've used a single cheap manual shoe flash mounted on a lightweight light stand. Located the flash off-axis from camera and several feet from bird's anticipated location. Wireless flash trigger on camera shoe. Flash serves as fill light to open up shadows - not as primary light source. Change flash position, distance, output for desired result.

Doesn't seem to bother the birds.
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I'm going to try this around my small pond as soon as the ice goes. Phil, do you use Manual or TTL?
 
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tjphxaz said:
Interested in getting opinions, techniques and settings on using flash for bird photography. Small to mid-size birds from 10-25 feet from camera.
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My wife bought me a Rotolight Neo 11 with an Elinchrom transmitter at Christmas but I’ve not got round to use yet.
My idea was to sit the light on a stand close to a fixed branch the birds land on & remotely trigger it from a hide but have struggled finding an instructional video on settings for both the light & in camera.
You can adjust the lights brightness, colour & shutter speed using the transmitter & have it as a continuing light source or as a flash, but because I’ve never used flash for photography before need some guidance on settings.
Can anyone suggest either a video or website I could go to or can anyone on here help?
I bought the Neo 11 as it can cover fast shutter speeds with continuous shooting which I thought would be good for action shots round the branch & doesn’t have to reboot like a lot of on camera type flashes so will keep firing as long as your camera does.
 
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markymark said:
Can anyone suggest either a video or website I could go to or can anyone on here help?
I bought the Neo 11 as it can cover fast shutter speeds with continuous shooting which I thought would be good for action shots round the branch & doesn’t have to reboot like a lot of on camera type flashes so will keep firing as long as your camera does.
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Strobist is probably the guru on flash photography. You'll find him with a Google search. The conventional speedlights that do High Speed Sync will also, while they are doing it, reduce the flash power considerably. I don't know if the Rotolight will also do this. This will be a decider on how far you can put your flash from the subject.

Radio flash triggers are reliable and can allow you to change settings remotely. Is the Rotolight compatible with the Elincrom trigger or will it need a receiver?

Settings are going to be found by experimentation until you get the feel of it. If using a flash as a fill rather than the key light with TTL, I usually have between minus 1.7 and zero EV (stops if on manual) depending on the range from the flash to the subject. If using flash as a key light you can change both the subject light and background light independently if you are using manual settings. The aperture will control the flash exposure, the shutter speed the ambient exposure.

Using flash as a key light on TTL will tend to underexpose the background considerably without flash compensation and maybe even with it. This, in some circumstances look OK, but thses pictures rarely look natural if that is what you want.
 
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dabhand16 said:
Strobist is probably the guru on flash photography. You'll find him with a Google search. The conventional speedlights that do High Speed Sync will also, while they are doing it, reduce the flash power considerably. I don't know if the Rotolight will also do this. This will be a decider on how far you can put your flash from the subject.

Radio flash triggers are reliable and can allow you to change settings remotely. Is the Rotolight compatible with the Elincrom trigger or will it need a receiver?

Settings are going to be found by experimentation until you get the feel of it. If using a flash as a fill rather than the key light with TTL, I usually have between minus 1.7 and zero EV (stops if on manual) depending on the range from the flash to the subject. If using flash as a key light you can change both the subject light and background light independently if you are using manual settings. The aperture will control the flash exposure, the shutter speed the ambient exposure.

Using flash as a key light on TTL will tend to underexpose the background considerably without flash compensation and maybe even with it. This, in some circumstances look OK, but thses pictures rarely look natural if that is what you want.
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Thanks Graham.
The Rotolight Neo 11 light has the Elinchrom receiver built in it so no need for the external receiver.
 
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markymark said:
My wife bought me a Rotolight Neo 11 with an Elinchrom transmitter at Christmas but I’ve not got round to use yet.
My idea was to sit the light on a stand close to a fixed branch the birds land on & remotely trigger it from a hide but have struggled finding an instructional video on settings for both the light & in camera.
You can adjust the lights brightness, colour & shutter speed using the transmitter & have it as a continuing light source or as a flash, but because I’ve never used flash for photography before need some guidance on settings.
Can anyone suggest either a video or website I could go to or can anyone on here help?
I bought the Neo 11 as it can cover fast shutter speeds with continuous shooting which I thought would be good for action shots round the branch & doesn’t have to reboot like a lot of on camera type flashes so will keep firing as long as your camera does.
Click to expand...

You've got some great ideas here, but you probably want to walk before you run. Strobist is a website dedicated to flash photography, and it's mainly for portraits and similar photography as opposed to wildlife and birding. It's a good starting point. A friend had 20 years as a pro studio and wedding photographer and joined me for his first time photographing birds in flight with flash. He picked it up immediately and was using flash like a pro.

But I'd start with on-camera flash for people, then graduate to on camera flash for feeder birds before trying to incorporate remote flashes and triggers. The quality of light - and different ways of lighting a subject are going to be important. Outdoor bird studio setups are lots of fun, but often involve multiple flashes, special feeder setups, backdrops, etc. Take a look at a hummingbird setup for an idea of what can be involved, and then scale it back to something you can execute.
 
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jl-images said:
HI,

Just a question:

Isn't there a risk of disturbing the birds when using a flash?

Thanks,

JL
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Normally no - the flash is not very bright compared to the sun and solar reflections. It is different at night - particularly for young owls where flash is not appropriate. Sometimes you do get a bird that notices the flash and avoids the area, but that is more true for the sound of a shutter release.
 
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Andy Work said:
I disagree. A little fill flash used in the daytime doesn't seem to bother the birds I've used it on at all. Owls/dark is another thing as Eric pointed out.
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That's your opinion. It doesn't make mine wrong.

To be honest, the photographers I've seen in the field, almost without exception, are much more interested in getting the perfect shot than they are concerned about disturbing wildlife. It's disgusting. Flushing birds from their perch to get a flight shot. Sneaking up on, and then startling a flock of waterfowl from the water to get a flight shot. Using flash, which obviously is an unnatural light source. I've seen veteran photographers chase an owl through the woods from one perch to the next, trying to get a better shot. Approaching animals with young to get captures, with no concern of the stress being caused.

This is why I chose to go into the field alone instead of with other photographers. I have too much respect for the wildlife.
 
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Capturingtheunseen.com said:
That's your opinion. It doesn't make mine wrong.
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Of course that is my opinion and I never said your opinion was wrong.

Capturingtheunseen.com said:
" Use flash sparingly (if at all), as a supplement to natural light. Avoid the use of flash on nocturnal birds (e.g., owls, nightjars) at night, as it may temporarily limit their ability to hunt for food or avoid obstacles."

Audubon’s Guide to Ethical Bird Photography and Videography
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That seems reasonable to me.
 
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EricBowles said:
You've got some great ideas here, but you probably want to walk before you run. Strobist is a website dedicated to flash photography, and it's mainly for portraits and similar photography as opposed to wildlife and birding. It's a good starting point. A friend had 20 years as a pro studio and wedding photographer and joined me for his first time photographing birds in flight with flash. He picked it up immediately and was using flash like a pro.

But I'd start with on-camera flash for people, then graduate to on camera flash for feeder birds before trying to incorporate remote flashes and triggers. The quality of light - and different ways of lighting a subject are going to be important. Outdoor bird studio setups are lots of fun, but often involve multiple flashes, special feeder setups, backdrops, etc. Take a look at a hummingbird setup for an idea of what can be involved, and then scale it back to something you can execute.
Click to expand...
Thanks Eric.
 
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