Lighting help with animal shelter photos

I volunteer at my local animal shelter, and do the kittens and cats. Last week was my first go at it, and overall, I was pretty pleased with my results. However, they request that the kittens stay inside their kennels, which are brushed aluminum (aluminium for you Brits), with a wire door. I can open the door, but they don't want the kittens to be removed from kennel.

I ended up using my pop-up flash for the kittens, rather then my YN568II, because of all the reflections. When I tried with the YN in the hot shoe, it was too tall to get the light inside the kennel. I do have triggers (622's and 602's), but didn't bring them, as I was trying to travel light.

Here is an example of how they turned out:

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I don't have any help for you.....just wanted to say thanks for volunteering.

Umbrellas are the cheapest modifiers you get for the price. Try one with a white bounce. It will make the light source much larger and softer. That should help reduce hot spots. Of course, you can do the same with a large bounce card or even white poster board. The point is to increase the size of the light source. Being in cages means bouncing the light up will be useless.

You are trying a very challenging place to shoot!

No way I'd be able to use an umbrella. There's no room for it, and there are about 40 kennels to shoot, so I'd be spending too much time setting up/moving/chimping to be productive. Majority of the kennels are about 3 ft wide by 2 ft high (they're only for the kittens until they reach a certain age), which I think adds to the difficulties.

sarch99 - you're welcome!

Do you guys find the above sampling of shots to be acceptable? Or should I try something like a stofen? Or would that not really help?

Here's sort of a 'problem' photo - you can see how the light bounces everywhere in the kennel, and creates hot spots.

Best bet for quick and easy is to get a 9" foldable soft box that fits over your speedlite, put the speedlite on a trigger and hand hold the light at an angle to the camera to minimize the hot spots. you might also want to try hand holding the speedlite and bouncing it into the side wall of the kennel away from the kittens again with a soft box on it if possible. Bouncing into side wall is one place where the stofen might help although the soft box would be better.

Cute Kitties.

While I can appreciate that you want to do the best job you can, I think that cute expressions will catch a potential adopter's eye quickly, and you certainly have these. If the photos are being used to help get the kittens adopted, then, considering the situation you are working with, (40 kennels to shoot, and I take it, you must work rather quickly) why not just continue with what you are doing? I doubt that your potential audience will even notice the reflections. At the close distance you are working from, I doubt that the stofen would really do much to reduce reflections. Just do some chimping as you shoot to be sure the reflections you are getting are "croppable."

Exif says f/10, f/11 and f/14.
Open up your lens and turn down the flash.

I think you're being a little hard on yourself. Potential pet adopters looking at cats in their kennels aren't going to care about hotspots! Catch a great expression and it will look great.

Madwrench wrote in post #16459288
Exif says f/10, f/11 and f/14.
Open up your lens and turn down the flash.

I was using the pop-up and manual, and found those to be about the best, and it's easier (for me) to quickly change my aperture rather then mess with FEC as I move around. Unfortunately, I found the settings were changing from kennel to kennel.

I guess you guys are right, the kitty expression is more important then the lighting in this situation.

I would try and explain to them that you absolutely need to get them out of the Kennels if your going to make a real difference. Show them something like this -

http://www.onepictures​aves.com/
or
http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=Sh60faTrLPw

Kittens may not be hard to find homes for, but for cats one picture can make all the difference. There is a great video somewhere showing how a good bath, groom and photo saved like 90% more pets.

Of course they may be aware of all this, and just don't want the hassle anymore etc. It may take a while to build a relationship with them, so that you have more freedom to operate.
.

I also shoot for my local animal control. I have never used flash. I'm not allowed to photograph any animals in their kennels (if I do, you shouldn't be able to tell if it is a kennel) since that is their policy for posting photos.
I have a lot of them to shoot each time and just use ambient light. Some of the cats are questionable, especially the new intakes, and scared of my shutter- not sure how they'd do with flash. Dogs I always try to do outdoors in their securely fenced area. It takes me more time, especially waiting for them to warm up to me and start to play, but it is worth it. (not sure if you are shooting dogs, but thought I'd mention it)

I think I would try getting the flash off camera with Yonguo 622C and add this to your flash.

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …x_large_soft_bo​x_kit.html