So who uses flash?

I promised my wife we would spend more time this summer prowling the woods. Since I live in the Pacific North Wet it can be anything from majestic sunshine to gloomy rain forest.

So I'm thinking that some nice fill flash might be just the ticket. I did a search here and on youtube but did not really see a whole lot on the topic. There has been some old discussions about better beamers and some on the magbeam. I used to own a better beamer. Tossed it in the rubbish bin.

I'd like to know if folks here think flash is useful or if I'm wasting my time. Some photo's of setups and sample pictures of course would be appreciated.

I don't, but I recall a photography show shot in the PNW. See season 4, episode 5, might get some pointers. Lots of other good episodes too. http://totallyoutdoors​imaging.com …hoto-adventures-season-4/

bigVinnie wrote in post #18307318
I'd like to know if folks here think flash is useful or if I'm wasting my time.

In my opinion, flash is most effective when it is at least several feet away from the camera, so that the light it provides is actually sidelight - 15 or 20 degrees off axis, which will bring out the texture of the subject's fur or feathers.

Getting a flash positioned 10 or 15 feet away form the camera is quite difficult to pull off when photographing wild animals, unless you are shooting a setup such as a favorite perch or a feeding station or a bird's nest - something where you can set everything up to shoot and then wait for the animal(s) to come in to that one exact spot that you have set up to shoot.

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I just picked up a flash bracket and a better beamer. I'm going to try to at least do some low fill flash to see if it helps shoot in the PNW gloom. I know that getting the flash a foot or so off the lens axis is not a lot, but I want to at least give it a try. Hopefully with flash power dialed down, it will give just enough light to improve feather detail without causing steel eye other undesirable artifacts.

Silly question, but is bouncing off of the tree canopy ever an option? You would need a highly focused flash beam to keep the main light from spoiling onto the subject, and shoot raw to fix WB, but the wedding photogs bounce off of unconventional stuff, and I've bounced off of a tree for a portrait before. It takes a powerful flash and a high ISO... And probably a closer subject than the average critter will allow...

I think that at typical wildlife distances, bouncing flash is not going to be an option. A better beamer or some such flash extender is going to be a practical necessity.

I agree. Bouncing is not really an option.

The FEW things I've seen on using flash say to set FEC to -2 to -3. That makes sense if the goal is to just add some highlights.

Sometime in the next couple of weeks I'll start ordering gear and start testing things out. Amazon has a fairly cheap Arca/Swiss flash bracket I'm willing to try. http://a.co/8bnFNbm

I dislike the artificial plastic look to the images. I do not use flash. todays cameras and software no longer require it for the most part IMO. Not to say there are not times that flash is a must. Like standing on the deck of some warm country drinking some exotic drink while snapping at humming birds in the rain forest.

I used it few times and only during the day, mainly for lightening shadow areas if the sun is in front of me. Night time photos with a lamp do not look good for me, so preferred to mask my body and smell and work with 85/1.2II L.
https://photography-on-the.net …showthread.php?​p=17691121