Using flash in bird photography.

Big Andy

Big Andy

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I was wondering what peoples thoughts are on this subject? I have been reading a very long and involved on line book about photographing birds by an American author in which he seems to use flash with fresnel extender for most of his work. From what he has writen it appears that most American bird togs do the same, never having been there I don't know if this is correct or not.

Does anyone here use flash for their day to day birding, and if so do you find it's one flash shot and they're gone or do they realy just ignore it and get on with their lives? I'm just at the outset of my bird photography days and would appreciate some opinions from more experienced birders from this side of the pond as the last thing I want to do is upset or feathered friends (or any other togs/twitchers in the area).
 
As much as i`m against flash with any wildlife, I do ,now, accept the reasons behind it.

I prefer not to use it and do so only as a last resort.
 
I recently started using some flash as part of what will be a winter garden bird project. The birds have already got used to it, and just starting to get some results. However, this is in my own back garden, not disturbing any delicate wild life or other photographers. I am no expert wild life shooter and its perfectly possible to get excellent images without using flash, but like Frac, I can see reasons for doing so.
 
Also, apart from scaring the birds off, the flash usually doesn't go far enough...
 
Just to expand on my first reply, the welfare of the bird should always come first.

I know what a flash gun is, if I get pinged by a flash gun it dazzles me, and effects my vision, albeit temporarily. I would imagine that it will startle the birds, it will also effect their vision the same as it does me, that could be all the advantage that a predator needs to catch the bird.

This is a hobby, I see no reason whatsoever to cause distress or put the bird in danger for the sake of a photograph, coupled with the high ISO capabilities of modern digital cameras there is no need for it.

You will get short shrift from the birders if you use one at a reserve, as the chap at Belvide found out the other week, mind you he did have several off camera remotes positioned on the feeding table.
 
Thanks for the input folks, still not 100% sure but after following the links Paul put up and following links from those links :thinking: it seems a little fill flash isn't to bad but flash as a main light is a no no :rules:
For the time being it's all academic as I don't own any flash guns but good to have more experienced input as I feel my way into the subject.
 
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Ever wondered what the birds/wildlife doe's in a lightning storm or when car head lights hit them at night.
Like lots of others I have used flash and as they say it has never bothered them. On the other hand the sound of the 100-400 hunting for focus in the dark has had my opossum that visits nightly on high alert but he/she got used to that also.

Slightly of subject but I have a pool pump and heater that make one hell of a racket but they never bother about it but they do a new noise like the lens focusing
 
Although I have no scientific evidence to back up my view I'm with David on this. Birds and wildlife survive lightning flashes, car headlights etc. Given that it is unlikely that you would be using flash in the dark but rather as fill in I suspect that the effect on wildlife would be minimal.
 
I use flash in my garden all the time, simply because I'm facing south. I have two guns permanently fixed and shoot every day. The birds just ignore it. I don't use them for exposure, but simply to put a light in their eye, it brings the shot to life!

If you try it use "off camera" and use at least two.
 
I only use flash for filling in shadows in dark woodland.To use it as a main source is a no no in my book,plus the shots look crap anyway.

This was taken in very dark woodland back last year with the camera`s pop up flash to fill in the shadows.

pie1.jpg
 
I'm intending to try to emulate the greats and use several flashes ramped down to light garden birds in flight. Again, I'd only do this on diurnal species as nocturnal birds can take some considerable time to recover their night vision and this can make the difference between a successful night's hunting and death.
 
I use flash all the time asl long as the welfare of the animal is 100% catered for, NO photograph is worth harming or upsetting an animal for.

Taken at 50', flash extender on a Metz 45 CL-4 digital

sayah.jpg


I live at the Cemetery Lodge, these are here every year, we monitor them and watch for them, they are near a main road and in the entrance to the Cemetery so cars and people are in and out constantly therefore they are used to us all.
 
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I find flash very useful for winter garden bids. I've never had any birds that have even looked as if they've noticed it, and none have ever been scared off by it. I've just started the feeding station for the winter this morning to get the jays coming down, having proven the flash works well with them the plan this winter is to get the feeding station looking more natural.

I've also used it for captive birds in a walk-in aviary, who didn't just ignore it positively played up in front of the camera and flash..

 
Mike Warburton + Alastair - are you using yours off camera and in what positions? I take it those were both with flash that was well away from axis. Those two shots are fantastic and show how flash can be very effective in more 'natural' scenarios.
 
Pat, the cockatiel was shot with on-camera flash (Yongnuo TTL) with the Sigma 105mm macro. For garden birds I usually use off-camera flash.



This sequence with the jay used two YN-460 flashes, about 45-degrees off-axis either side. No light modifier. 17-85mm kit lens at 85mm. This is the set-up I'm revisiting this winter with a more aesthetic feeding station and better control of the background. I'll probably add a rim light as well.

On- or off-camera flash choice for me is purely down to location and timing. If I have time to set-up and test the lighting and the location allows it, I would always go with off-camera flash for the advantages it brings (dimensionality in the finished image). I find on-camera flash convenient and useful for adding an accent, but of less use as a primary means of illuminating a subject.
 
Alastair - I'm flabberghasted. That is sweet on camera flash.... Would never have guessed the cockatiel was shot like that

I like jay shots and I suppose toy can shufty around with the ambient to give it a different feel depending.g in the time or day and amount of ambient. Suppose the only constraint when the ambient starts to equal the fladh is keeping g the shutter speed high enough
 
I think the on-camera flash works with the cockatiel because it's providing a strong fill rather than over-whelming the ambient.

With the jay the power to push ambient into the background (c. 3pm on a moderately bright winters day going by exif and memory) opens it creative options. I'm looking forward to experiemnting with it again. It looks like they've already found the peanuts I put out this morning, so they should now be regular visitors several times a day for the rest of the winter.
 
if ... i had more variety of birds than the regular Robin (the visits of which I feel blesssed for) then I might consider a flash .... i have toyed with a mirror to reflect light but can see it aint going to work and was thninking about consrtucting a perch with a white wall along side it to reflect the natural light :thinking:
 
Alastair said:
I think the on-camera flash works with the cockatiel because it's providing a strong fill rather than over-whelming the ambient.

With the jay the power to push ambient into the background (c. 3pm on a moderately bright winters day going by exif and memory) opens it creative options. I'm looking forward to experiemnting with it again. It looks like they've already found the peanuts I put out this morning, so they should now be regular visitors several times a day for the rest of the winter.
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Yep, as fill that works sweet. I think the problem is when you use on-axis as the main light source an then, like with portraiture, you end up with flat images or unsightly shadows. I'm liking what you're doing....

As for the Jay shots - it's a jay, so that's a great start (beautiful bird, never seen one in the flesh) - and using some directional light really outs some drama into the shot. have you thought at all about softboxes and multiple flash? In the situation you've shot i reckon y could do something truly amazing with a softbox from the side (just to soften the light) and a bare flash from the rear as some kind of rim lighting. You would be my hero for nailing that :LOL:
 
Mike Warburton said:
I only use flash for filling in shadows in dark woodland.To use it as a main source is a no no in my book,plus the shots look crap anyway.

This was taken in very dark woodland back last year with the camera`s pop up flash to fill in the shadows.

pie1.jpg
Click to expand...
That works quite well for me Mike although I do not use flash myself, it is always going to be a matter of debate and personal choice but if a subject is naturaly in shaded or a dark situation then I try to get the shot without adding light which is naturaly not there to begin with. It is tempting to use flash though I cannot deny that :D
Alastair said:
Pat, the cockatiel was shot with on-camera flash (Yongnuo TTL) with the Sigma 105mm macro. For garden birds I usually use off-camera flash.



This sequence with the jay used two YN-460 flashes, about 45-degrees off-axis either side. No light modifier. 17-85mm kit lens at 85mm. This is the set-up I'm revisiting this winter with a more aesthetic feeding station and better control of the background. I'll probably add a rim light as well.

On- or off-camera flash choice for me is purely down to location and timing. If I have time to set-up and test the lighting and the location allows it, I would always go with off-camera flash for the advantages it brings (dimensionality in the finished image). I find on-camera flash convenient and useful for adding an accent, but of less use as a primary means of illuminating a subject.
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Alastair! My thoughts as above ;) I have looked at the Jay images at the larger sizes and tbh they do not do much for me, no disrespect intended (y) What has me scratching my head is the background in those shots, I cannot quite make it out but almost looks like a workshop or garage with things on a shelf :shrug:
 
Rich, it's always going to be subjective using flash for this type of shot. I haven't yet produced "the" shot that completely works for me yet with the jays. But I know it's something I want to pursue further. The background has confused a lot of people.. it's the woodpile at the bottom of the garden. Mostly bits of cut-up shed. The end on t&g slats tend to look a bit like a bookshelf.
 
Alastair said:
Rich, it's always going to be subjective using flash for this type of shot. I haven't yet produced "the" shot that completely works for me yet with the jays. But I know it's something I want to pursue further. The background has confused a lot of people.. it's the woodpile at the bottom of the garden. Mostly bits of cut-up shed. The end on t&g slats tend to look a bit like a bookshelf.
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Cheers for info Alastair it did have me confused a little, which dont take much :LOL: Whilst we should all put the interest of birds and wildlife foremost, I believe they are far more resilient than we give them credit for and have probably have to endure far more worse things than a few flashes going off. Like everything else it is all down to common sense, there are plenty of articles on how to ahieve good flash Photography with birds but not that many condoning it so imo that gives a fairly accurate view on the subject.
 
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