Snow, Flash and Octagons

[Michael Lyncheski]

Having been inspired by one of Art's recent newletters to go out and shoot in a snowstorm, I spent two hours today huddled in my cheap, Cabela's blind next to my feeders.

I noticed while shooting that about 5% of the pictures had an octogon light shape on them. Does anyone know what causes this? I was using my Better Beamer at this time. Just curious ....

Thanks,
Mike

[William Malacarne]

Do you have a filter on the lens?

Bill

[Maxis Gamez]

Michael,

What lens are you using?

[Charles Glatzer]

It is the aperture blades in the lens. It often occurs when using on-camera flash, especially, when the flakes are close to the lens. Moving the flash off camera axis will help eliminate the problem.

Best,

Chas

[Maxis Gamez]

Yeap! What Chas said. I used to get "silver" eyes in my subjects, specially at low light. Moving my flash bracket to the side instead of on top of the lens, did the trick for me. Also, if your flash is sitting close to your lens, I would add another bracket and bring it higher!

[Michael Lyncheski]

I had intentionally lowered the flash head all the way down to make it fit through the port hole on the blind. Thanks for the explanation.

Mike

[Maxis Gamez]

I had intentionally lowered the flash head all the way down to make it fit through the port hole on the blind. Thanks for the explanation.

Mike

Mike,

I cut a whole in my blind to accommodate my flash.

[Michael Lyncheski]

I could have actually opened it up much wider but too much snow was blowing in. :)

[Joseph Martines]

Michael: You are a hero!!

Everyone runs down to the Alligator Farm to takes photo's of birds and you hide in a blind to get pictures in a blizzard in New Jersey.

That is a dedicated photographer in my book.

I applaud you!!