use of flash for birds

[John Chardine]

I am getting set up to use flash for my bird photography. I've got the Canon 580 EX II and the remote actuator plus another flash if I need it. I do not have a flash arm or a Better Beamer yet so I've just been holding the flash manually out to the side or set it on a rail below the camera and lens (flash set at 105 mm zoom with my 500 mm BTW). I have a flash arm and beamer on order. My question is this- so far my flash images have been "iffy". Sometimes they work but often I get a really bad back reflection off the retina of the bird which looks very unnatural. I've posted an example. Is this caused by haphazard placement of the flash that will be solved with a flash arm and beamer?

Also, when using the beamer, what zoom setting do you use on the flash and what if any flash exposure compensation in used?

Thanks in advance.

[Sid Overbey]

Great question. I just got a beamer and the first few shots have made the birds eyes look like something unnatural. Any help in using flash would be very welcome.

Sid

[Doug Brown]

Once you get your flash technique down, this becomes much less of a problem. A beamer and a flash arm are good places to start. Play around with your flash exposure compensation. You'll get the hang of it!

[Robert O'Toole]

Yes John a Bracket or even better a bracket with an extender will cut down on Flash-eye. With the beamer you normally keep the flash zoom on 50mm.

Be careful with the beamer in sunlight, you can melt your flash or worse!

Robert

[John Chardine]

That doesn't sound good Robert. What is going on? It doesn't look like the Beamer traps heat or anything like that. Is there something worse than melting your flash?!

[Bruce Hamm]

First post here. This site has been a fine resource for me.

The Beamer, being a large fresnel lens, concentrates light. Concentrated sunlight generates heat. After using the Beamer for over two years without incident, I recently found out the hard way that the sun/Beamer can not only melt plastic but can also burn the flesh on your forehead rather quickly.

Fortunately the damage to the flash is only cosmetic and my minor burn will heal.:D

Cheers,

Bruce

[Robert Amoruso]

That doesn't sound good Robert. What is going on? It doesn't look like the Beamer traps heat or anything like that. Is there something worse than melting your flash?!

John,

If you leave the beamer facing the sun, even at an angle, the Fresnel lens concentrates the light and burns a hole inthe flash, you car's seat, a jacket, etc. just like a magnifying glass. All mishaps mentioned have happened to me.

[Alfred Forns]

John a couple of suggestions for the flash.

With very soft light do be careful using the flash since you can ruin the warm effect. The flash will turn late day light into mid day light. The trick is just to fill so backing down to -1 or more is important.

You can also bracket the exposure by firing multiple times. The first exposure will be at full power, the next at a reduced power and on the third no flash at all. I have taken to this method for later judging which I like best.

Do be careful as noted not to point the BB to the light source. It will burn the flash in no time. btw set the BB at 50 and you will get about 2 1/4 times the effective output. Setting a 35 will actually give you more range since it will concentrate the beam.

Do purchase a flash bracket for moving the flash away form the axis of the lens. You will get a reflection from the bird's eye but I have not found it to be as bad as you have presented.

Use of flash is very important in Back lit situations and I often set it to +3 You can use the flash in manual and the best way to learn is use it a lot and check results.

[c.w. moynihan]

A flashed eye in most circumstances will be unavoidable. Even if it's not steel or red eye, you will still have an unatural pinhole in the eye center. Learn how to clone out and or manipulate flashed eye's and reap the benefits of the flash on the other area's of the subject.

[Charles Glatzer]

"With very soft light do be careful using the flash since you can ruin the warm effect. The flash will turn late day light into mid day light."


I use an 81A or other stronger/weaker warming filter gel to the flash when shooting in golden light to avoid the scenario above. You can get a sheet and cut it to fit from Rosco or Lee, and/or ask for the sample filter pack...the samples will fit the front of your flash.


"a Bracket or even better a bracket with an extender will cut down on Flash-eye."


The 5-inch Wimberley extension post only works well when the subject is fairly close to the camera, the angle is more acute. The further away the subject is from the flash the greater the distance the flash needs to be from the lens, the angle being more obtuse. Moreover, this distance can be left, right, or above the lens depending on the angle of light you desire on the subject.


Best,

Chas

[John Chardine]

OK now I understand about the "burning issue". I would never have guessed that this was a problem. I'll definitely look out for where the sun is!

[John Chardine]

....and many thanks for all the helpful comments on this subject. I suspect that fill-flash is perhaps one of the more difficult aspects of bird photography, or maybe I'm over-complicating it.

[Brian Kersey]

John,

If you leave the beamer facing the sun, even at an angle, the Fresnel lens concentrates the light and burns a hole inthe flash, you car's seat, a jacket, etc. just like a magnifying glass. All mishaps mentioned have happened to me.

Yep, that happened to my car seat :D. Luckily I just drive a 1992 Buick :)

[Mike Lentz]

A flashed eye in most circumstances will be unavoidable. Even if it's not steel or red eye, you will still have an unatural pinhole in the eye center. Learn how to clone out and or manipulate flashed eye's and reap the benefits of the flash on the other area's of the subject.

For this I use the magic wand tool on the eye... I desaturate it and then I go into levels and slide it til it looks right. This works great!:D

[c.w. moynihan]

For this I use the magic wand tool on the eye... I desaturate it and then I go into levels and slide it til it looks right. This works great!:D

yup, for red eye I do the same thing. For the pinhole spot in the middle, I usually clone it to a different position out of dead center trying to best mimic the angle the sun would hit the eye.