Do you use a flash with "WILD" wildlife?

I know this question was probably asked before but do you use a flash when photographing wild animals, Not

animals in a zoo! Won't it scare the animal away? I saw a photo in a book of a guy using a flash on a 500mm lens...

do flashes go that far? I'm pretty sure flash would scare animals so why use them...

Used at the appropriate occasion.

 

Try an extender on BIF.

If you're shooting nocturnal animals you don't have much of a choice. Walt Disney productions in the 1950s did a very successful nature movie using lights and flash to photograph nocturnal desert animals. BTW the critical lighting issue is how far the flash if from the subject, not how far the camera is from the subject. Many outdoors stores are now selling a small camera/flash combination you attach to trees, etc. triggered by heat/motion sensors to capture photos of raccoons, coyotes and deer.

I have a White Lightning X3200 flash with battery pack/inverter and 11 inch reflector. With 1320 watt seconds, I think it has a guide number of something like GN 640. It definitely has enough power to photo wildlife at night at quite a distance. I have been using it to light up barns, grain elevators, and trains at night, but have considered setting it up to photo deer in a field.

 

 

Kent in SD

I have used flash as fill on numerous excursions to photograph wild birds and even some deer, some beavers, and a moose. I also use flash as fill when photographing insects.

 

I haven't been at this for very long and I don't necessarily always get great results with my flash. But, none of those animals seemed the least bit concerned by the flash -- not even the moose.

I use flash quite a bit. In caves (of course) but even some bird photography. It can be as simple as putting catch-lights in an animal's eyes. However you do have to be careful, especially with mammals. I once photographed an Eastern Cottentail the result of the image I named "The Rabbit from H**L" because the eyes reflected the light back.

even a Sunpack 433D will easily do 60+ feet and most of my backyard bird stuff is with a 1000mm at about 30-35 feet so sure a flash can be used.

Yes, quite often but usually just for fill and catchlights at -1.7 EV using a flash extender. Sometimes you just

don't have time to set up properly, but I had time here to get about 4 shots with the flash mounted directly

above the lens which recorded as 500mm including a TC-14e. Given a little more time to prepare, I would have

raised the flash to avoid the eyeshine, but I rather like the effect on this. It was early morning light and

probably about 50 feet. These animals have other things on their minds than silly humans which are sort of

neutral on their food chain.<div></div>

Read up on flash guide number and you will learn how far a flash can reach.

Someone reported last year that moose are sensitive to flash, so I went out in the dark and flashed several around the area just to see if I could get a reaction. They didn't act like they even noticed. Same with bears -- no change in behavior.

So in a pinch, I shouldn't use my 580EX II to scare off a bear... unless I throw it?

 

Does anyone use the Better Beamer? I haven't but have read that it's an effective way of exponentially increasing the reach of your flash.

Yes, the "flash extender" I referred to above is a Better Beamer. I wouldn't say it gives an exponential increase

in light on target, though; it is more like 2 - 3 stops depending partly on how well you have it aligned and the

spread of the flash itself. However, together with the 1.7 stop reduction for fill, if that is how it is being

used, you have about 4 stops which equates to a considerable multiple on the effective distance. The only problem

I have found with this design is that it is a little unstable in gusty winds, but it is very light and compact to

always have in your bag.

Yes, the colors on some images seem to pop a bit more.

Flash can add a catch light to the eyes, giving them life.

I used a flash for the first time a couple of weeks ago.

 

There was a large lizard sitting in the shade.

 

It was the only time I used the flash whilst on holiday.

I've done some shooting with a flash on wildlife. In every instance they just continue to ignore you except for in one I've had. It was some deer on island on Maine and it bolted away.

 

Even if you're concerned about it scaring away your subject, a flash is worth carrying to work as a fill light for landscapes when you're not photographing an animal.

I often use a flash for wildlfe. Sometimes for fill and to put a catchlight in the eye.......

OK, maybe I can get the photo to post....<div></div>

....and sometimes I use flash just to get the animal's attention.....<div></div>

I haven't personally, but I guess I could. I have a vivitar 285hv as my primary flash, it has a GN of 120. With the flash head zoomed to 105mm and iso400 film it has a reach of about 70ft at f/4. If I were to use a 100mm f/2 lens wide open I'd have a reach of 140ft and if I used iso1600 film I would have a reach of 280ft...basically a football field away. Of course at 280ft a 100mm lens isn't much of a wildlife lens. The flash is more then sufficient to provide light with iso800 film at 60-70ft with the flash head zoomed out using a 400mm f/5.6 lens however and there are plenty of more powerful flash guns out there.

Some small birds seem to react incredibly quickly to flash. So much so that they can move significantly between the preflash and the main flash of E-TTL.

Some small birds seem to react incredibly quickly to flash. So much so that they can move significantly between the preflash and the main flash of E-TTL.

I have no idea why that posted twice! ! !

Speaking of small birds with flash...<P>

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