Anyone have some advice on flash mode for bird photography.

[mart_e]

<p>I've recently tried my hand at some bird photography - although limited in range as the longest lens I have is a Nikkor 105mm f2.8 Micro on my Nikon D90.</p>

<p>Luckily the Robins around here are fairly tame - and let you get reasonably close - helped with a bit of bribery in the way of food.</p>

<p>I've been using a recently purchashed SB-600, I'm new to flash photography. I read up a bit in the manuals, and decided to throw myself into the task and experiment with settings.</p>

<p>I've posted some results in my portfolio - but I now have a question. What flash mode to people use when trying to balance a bit of fill light, keeping the lighting looking natural, and keeping shutter speeds reasonably quick.</p>

<p>The two shots of robins in my portfolio were shot as follows (can't figure out how to add those details to the shots retrospectively):</p>

<ul>

<li>Robin with seeds: f4.5 1/60 (Ap) ISO-200 Front Curtain, flash -1/7ev</li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li>Robin in tree: f3 1/100(Sp) ISO200, Front Curtain, TTL-BL, -1.0ev</li>

</ul>

<p>both had matrix metering set, with AF as single point, focusing on bird, re-compose, shoot.</p>

<p>I've had to dial down the flash compensation - as the flash was too strong - and un-natural looking, so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong in setting up the flash mode etc. that produces over 'flashed'' images.</p>

<p>I also find that the flash often spooks the birds - hardly suprising - and I often capture a sharp eye admist a flurry of blurred wings.</p>

<p>Any advice on settings would be greatly appreciated - thanks,</p>

<p>Martin</p><div></div>

[joseph_smith3]

<p>Hi Mart,<br>

With my SB-800 and my D 300, here are some gereral guidelines I use for bird flash shots:<br>

rear curtain synch--you want as much ambient light as possible. This is better for the ambient component of the exposure than front curtain synch. It also helps to avoid spooking the birds in that the flash goes off at the end of the exposure.<br>

set TTL, not TTL BL. Nikon calls this Stardard TTL flash or fill flash. You want fill flash.<br>

set flash compensation of a minus 1.0 as a starting point. The amount of negative flash comp will be varied depending on light/contrast on the bird and irredesence present. My range is usually -.7 to -2.0.<br>

use a better beamer to channel the flash and improve recycle time<br>

use a flash bracket and cord to get the flash off and above the camera's hot shoe<br>

set high speed flash synch on the camera using a custom setting, e xx. This way the flash will go off if the shutter speed exceeds the camera's limitation, usually 1/250. <br>

use aperture priority<br>

use matrix metering<br>

If you want the flash to be main light, set all of the above, except change tt<br>

Remember that you need fill flash when you have contrasty light on the bird. Nasty shadows do not look good on birds or people.<br>

If you want balanced fill flash, set TTL BL on the flash. This is for the flash to be used as main light. In this case, I still set flash comp at a minus number, usually a -1.0. And if I want to underexpose the whole image, I set exposure comp to be a -.3 or -.7 and leave the flash comp setting set at a -1.0.<br>

Joe Smith</p>

 

[mart_e]

<p>Many thanks Joseph,</p>

<blockquote>

<p><br />use a better beamer to channel the flash and improve recycle time</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Not sure what you mean by this - a hood over the flash to concentrate the beam (reducing flash strength required) ?</p>

<p>i think the D90 is limited to 1/200 for flash synch speed, I'll check tonight on whether their are any custom settings to amend this.</p>

<p>I'm already using the flash off-camera via a hot-shoe lead - although it's limited to about 600-700mm from the camera. Currently using my other half to hold the flash as I don't have a bracket - although with 2 people, that's double the possibility of spooking the birds. I'll have to invest in a bracket.</p>

<p>It's actually re-assuring to know that flash compensation to reduce the strength is common - I thought it was probably something I was doing wrong in the set up.</p>

<p>I'll try the flash settings you suggest - good idea on the rear synch, not sure why I defaulted to front-curtain.</p>

<p>Thanks for the advice Joseph - I'll try and get out next weekend and post the results.</p>

<p>Martin</p>

[joseph_smith3]

<p>Here is what a better beamer looks like. You buy one to fit your particular flash.<br>

<a href="http://www.outdoorphotogear.com/store/better-beamer-flash-extender.html">http://www.outdoorphotogear.com/store/better-beamer-flash-extender.html</a></p>

<p>Joe Smith</p>

[joseph_smith3]

<p>I use the Wimberley flash brackets to get my flash with its better beamre off the camera. Joe Smith</p>

[mart_e]

<p>Thanks again Joseph, looks like something for when I get a longer lens.</p>

<p>At the moment I'm only using a 105mm Nikkor - with the SB-600 set to 85mm (it's longest setting) - which you would have thought should equate to at least 1 stop of '-' flash strength reduction, hence me feeling it odd that Iwould need to dial in more.</p>

<p>Been looking at longer lenses - but I can't justify the cost of the better ones for the present, so I'll have to save my pennies and maybe later this year get one.</p>

<p>Martin</p>

[joseph_smith3]

<p>You can never have enough focal length for bird shots. A great first birder's lens for a Nikon shooter is a Nikon 300mm f 4.0 AFS. Better is a 500mm AFS f 4.0. Best is the 600mm AFS f 4.0. To attract song birds to perches, consider getting this just published ebook by Alan Murphy. It is excellent: "The Guide to Songbird Set-up Photography." It tells you all of Alan's secrets. Go here for more info: <a href="http://www.alanmurphyphotography.com">www.alanmurphyphotography.com</a></p>

<p>Joe Smith</p>

[mart_e]

<p>Thanks Joseph - just spent the last hour looking through Alan's site, some beautiful shots - and his blog is really interesting. As much as I would like to grab that 300mm AF-S f/4 - I think I need to save for a while. As I say, I'm new to bird photography, I normally shoot landscapes and architecture - I'll get used to flash settings first and get a bit more bird experience under my belt before investing in longer glass, although I think I'll pencil that in for this year at some point.</p>

<p>That e-book looks really interesting, think I may just place an order for it tomorrow - thanks for the link.</p>

<p>Martin</p>

[photojen]

<p>Good info here!</p>

[mart_e]

<p>Joseph - I take it there is a lot of difference between the Nikkor 70-300 VR and the 300mm f4 ? (apart from the doubling of price) ?</p>

<p>The 70-300 on face value gives quite a good range and would be more flexible for me - although I assume the optics on the 300mm are better. The VR would be handy for more varied use on the 70-300. I am trying to get my head round how much use I would get out of a 300mm prime - although Thom Hagen does seem to rate the optics pretty highly.</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

<p>Martin</p>

<p> </p>

[NetR]

<p>>What flash mode to people use when trying to balance a bit of fill light, keeping the lighting looking natural, and keeping shutter speeds reasonably quick<br>

With a D2H, 70-300mm VR and SB600 I dial in -1.7 stops on the flash, to just fill in the shadows a little and put a catchlight in the bird's eye. I use the flash in normal mode.</p>

[cowboy]

<p>Hi Mart<br />I used a flash bracket on this shot. It was full of shadows, and luckly enough all the flashes didn't scare these two away. But then look at them I don't think a earthquake would haved move these two. I used a FL-50 flash, on a E-Volt 510 with a 50-200 Zukio lens. Good luck. Jeff</p><div></div>

[mart_e]

<p>Thanks for the feedback - great shot of the Lorekeets as well, they do look otherwise pre-occupied.</p>

<p>I have posted a separate thread in the Nikon forum regarding weighing up a decision on the 300mm AFS - Joseph, I'm afraid you've triggered a chronic case of NAS in me with the suggestion for that lens.</p>

<p>Thanks again,</p>

<p>Martin</p>