Blue Tit in flight - High Speed Flash

[Austin Thomas]

Hi all,

Apologies for not being around for a few weeks. Work life balance the wrong way around lately.

We have had some snow in the UK over the last few weeks, which inspired me to have another go at some high speed flash photography. Hundreds upon hundreds of images later I get something I am prepared to post. How people did this pre digital is beyond me....

Canon 1DMK3, 70-200m lens, lots of flash guns and even more patience.

C&C welcome.

Cheers

Austin

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Incredible. That is all I can say! Pre-digital days....you would have had far less photographers for starters and also it would have cost tons in film. :)

A question though. What is the background?

[Tony Whitehead]

Amazing capture - love the frozen snow flakes. Smooth BG looks good and I like the contrast in texture between the bird and seedheads. Brightening the BG a little may reduce the flashed appearance.

[ChasMcRae]

I have never done high speed flash and it looks like a skill in itself.
Besides stopping the action the overall set up with seed heads plus the falling snow all add to make a great high speed capture.
Chas.

[Judy Lynn Malloch]

Love the incredible action you captured in this image Austin. Your timing was perfect and the extended feet really put this over the top for me. Congratulations on a fine image.

[Desmond Chan]

How people did this pre digital is beyond me....

Same thing you did, i.e., using flash. That's how people shot bullet flying through playing card. With the technologies we have now, flash is not really needed sometimes.

Was that bird landing?

The snow flakes in the background is a nice touch. Congrats !

[Ramon M. Casares]

STUNNNIG, not much more to say, I am spechless! Love everything!

[Dave Mills]

Austin...agree with others praise..well worth the effort and wait...beautiful capture!!

[John Chardine]

I like it! The BG and lighting are fabulous, as well as the stop-action.

I notice the snow-flakes of various sorts look like they are cloned.

[Arthur Morris]

Stunning pose and great multi-flash technique. Lots of questions:

1-How many flashes?
2-Did you use an artificial backgroundm with a flash on the background?
3-What manual power setting on the flashes? (I would guess 1:16 or 1:32, but maybe less as the wings are slower than a hummer's wings.
4-How did you get the bird to land where you wanted it?
5-May I assumme that no trigger was used and that you tripped the shutter?

[Terry Sohl]

Stunning shot!!