Flash for Wildlife Photography 

thanks for your input! very helpful! you're very welcome!

thanks very much! glad you enjoyed it! yes, will work on my canoe strokes!

Thanks for your nice feedback Trevor! We're glad we stayed dry :-)

Bruno Oliveira fantastic! Thanks so much!

We've found it very helpful for these types of shots where the subject is in the shady jungle/forrest canopy. Good luck with your shooting!

We're so glad it was useful to you! Please consider subscribing as we're getting ready to upload more videos this week. Cheers!

You got it! Nothing should have to die for the photographer! Not even the spiders in our boat! ;-)

cybertec69 great to hear it's working for you.

Adrian Hyde Photography thanks Adrian, glad you enjoyed it!

Great Dan! We're really glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks a lot Matthew!

Thanks, will do!

thanks a lot! 🙏🏻

thanks for the tip! 👍

Ha ha! that's my favorite part too! 😄 So glad you enjoyed it and hope you'll come back again for more. 👍

Yes, I've had the same issue. Its a more efficient design than the better beamer but heavier and perhaps more strenuous on the flash's hot shoe connections.

If your concern is the weight on the equipment, then it is what it is, but if your concern is that it affects your images, then you should use a flash bracket to get it up higher.

@@Methodical2. A bracket is not an option since I carry my cameras on a Cotton Carrier G3, which requires the use of the tripod mount: the weight of the Magmod would still cause the flash head to drop to it's lowest point. As I pointed out, I have changed camera systems and flash guns, so it may not be an issue with my new flash guns.

thanks for your feedback!

yeah, that also works, but for most people who are starting out with flash in a scenario like this one, I think TTL is a more realistic way to get results with less frustration.

I wouldn't upgrade if you already have a BB. It's the same principle and the BB is lighter weight.

Hi ClixofNature, so sorry - I thought I replied before, but can't seem to find my comments from earlier. I think you're right. I have noticed the "steel eye" effect a few times. It doesn't happen every time, but especially when the subject is very far away - it can be an issue. I imagine that the bracket would help by elevating the flash and increasing the angle between the flash, subject and lens.

Ever see paparazzi running around with their speedlights on brackets to the side of their camera? This is exactly why they do that. The issue is when the flash is sitting right on top of the camera the flash head and lens opening are at the same angle - so the return light comes *directly* back at your lens opening. This is what causes steel eye (and red eye in humans). You only need to change the angle a tiny bit to prevent it from happening, so a flash bracket that puts the flash slightly to the side of the lens opening gets the job done.

Thanks for the compliment. Please read the video description for the product name, thanks.

I don't actually have any issues with them, but my wife is a different story! 😅

Thanks for the tip!

Close but you'll have to manage your available light exposure with the camera and adjust the flash output with your flash's exposure compensation (+/-). Often it's a bit too much and sometimes it's not enough, but it's quite easy to influence by just using the compensation function on the flash.

Michael Miller I haven't had much of this happening in my wildlife shots with flash but I suppose it could be an issue for certain species and certain situations. Interesting point.

Ok, thanks. I guess it depends also on how high the flash is off the camera. I use the MagBeam right on my flash, right on the camera. I get pet eye a lot.

Michael Miller I wonder if it's because your pet's eyes are quite a bit larger (by way of being closer to the camera). I get the feeling that most of my subject's eyes were far enough away that their retinas were quite small in relation to the shot. I'm just guessing though...

We would suggest contacting B&H photo video. They can help guide you to an appropriate flash. This is a bigger question than we can answer here in the comments.

Hi Pierre, thanks for commenting. These kinds of questions can be answered over in our membership area. We don't offer individual support via RU-vid. 🙏🏻

I don't get the impression that it disturbs them and so far all of thr guides which I've been out with have said that it's a non-issue. You have to remember that its very far away, so it's not like being blasted with flash at an evening event when your eyes are adjusted to the darkness of the room. If used properly, its more of a subtle fill-flash to help open up the shadows.

I used flash on deer and she freaked out

I hate spiders mostly because a brown recluse almost killed one of my children. It bit the child in the inner leg where the major artery was. At the time the child said they were wrestling with a friend and it looked like a bruise. Then formed a pimple like bump in the middle of the bruise. Mind you I was still under the impression it was a bruise so we were applying a cold compress on it. 3 days go by she was feeling I'll and I still did not know it was a brown recluse bite. 2 am in the morning we were running her to a hospital . With the information I had we still didnt know but her blood was at a 4.9 but to be at a 12. They moved her to a children's hospital and under a 20 minute ride she was life or death at 1.9 on her blood. They sent off a sample to a special bug bite person and came back as a BROWN RECLUSE. In 6 months time she was in and out of hospitals cleaning out her wound and draining it and getting skin grafts. To see her wound area it was gross draining pus go to a pinkish purple skin it was miraculous. She now has a invention on her inner thy and no nerve endings there to have feelings. So you ask why some people have a fear. They may of seen or heard some one go through what my child has . An yes thing will happen but now I'm extra cautious. But if you ever get a bite and think it may e poisonous. The best thing the hospital said we did was apply a cold compress to slow the venom process down.

appreciate your (informed) feedback on this topic. so many people were quick to attack the use of flash altogether. 🙏🏻

pretty good, right?

thanks for your input! 👍

This technique may not be applicable in every bird photography situation. It tends to work well when the subject is backlit or perched in low-contrast, dull light. Use it for what it's worth and enjoy your shooting! :-)

@@ViewfinderMastery Yeah, It's very hard to decide wether to carry a flash or not in the already heavy backback. :D But anyways, great video and very cool technique! Love your channel!

every guide who I've ever talked with about that has said no, that it doesn't, but it's certainly not good to flash from close up or at night when you might really spook or temporarily blind the animal.

Sorry, I disagree with this one. Of course its all very subjective and if you prefer a different look, I get it, but to say that "all good wildlife photography is done without flash" is just taking it to far. And you can wait for perfect, flattering light, but I prefer to get out and shoot in all matter of conditions. Flash is nowhere near as bright as the sun, which birds look into all the time, especially when considering the distance here, so "ethics" are a non-issue here.

Yes, actually you sound quite pedantic. 🙄 Considering how much time and effort went into this video, it just amazes me how many people want to scold me for "bad paddling technique". The video is about "Flash in Wildlife Photography" (not "how to paddle a canoe"). Anyway, good luck with your "flash boom box thingie". It's called a "flash beamer" (speaking of corrections). ✌️

Have you ever tried flash. You have to learn how to use it for just fill to open up the shadows (not overpower the subject) and it will look pretty natural. It's a great thing.

Paul, I am afraid you don't fully understand the concept of 'exposure compensation'. Exposure compensation is only available on automatic, program, time value or aperture value modes. Since your camera is automatically doing the exposure work, the exposure compensation commands the camera to modify the shooting values by the number of thirds you ask for. Let's take, as an example, the following example: F: 4 1/125 sec iso 200 on automatic. You raise your exposure compensation and your camera will either move to f2.8 or reduce the shutter speed to 1/60 or in some cameras, iso will raise to 400. Hence, there is absolutely no difference between using auto-mode and commanding an extra stop of light via the exposure compensation dial, versus using manual and manually moving your values to gain a stop of light. Exposure compensation is not a magical solution to get more light, but it is certainly useful when your camera's light sensor isn't messuring correctly, thus allowing for the better human correction. There is virtually nothing that could possibly replace the flash, except perhaps a light bouncer, but the bulkiness of it would kill the stealth factor of a small flash.

agree! many people will try it once or twice never learn to really control the equipment properly, and will be quick to blame the gear.

p.s. FYI "flash exposure compensation" happens on the flash, not in the camera. It has nothing to do with the camera's shooting mode (P, A, S & M). 👍

We're so sorry to offend all you canoeing experts out there.🙄 Hopefully we could redeem ourselves with a little bit of useful photography info. 📷 Your welcome! 🥳

seems a little harsh, no? maybe I misunderstand your comment, but it definitely comes off as rude. would you like a refund on your free flash advice..? 😅

Do you care to point us toward said research Stefan? Or is it more satisfying for you to CRITICIZE IN ALL CAPS from the cheap seats? We have spent many days in the field with certified wildlife guides who have always assured us that they have NEVER observed any impact on the wildlife (least of all birds) from the use of a speedlight. These are creatures which (in most cases) are well adapted to looking straight into THE SUN. I can't believe that a speed light comes even close to that level of brightness in comparison. It might not be COOL to flash owls in the middle of the night but this hardly compares to what we've demonstrated in THIS VIDEO.

@@ViewfinderMastery What you believe or not believe does not matter actually on this point. People like you are inconvincible, I won't waste my time on conversations like this. And btw, I bet 100 USD that I spend more time in the field on Wildlife than each of you together as this is my job :) So enjoy you time by flashing birds.

@@Stefan1968ful as suspected, it's easier to throw tomatoes from the cheap seats than to actually stand behind your baseless comments (with facts). I would certainly be open-minded enough to "do the reading" (as you suggest), but the problem is that no such reading exists. Your comments are just rude and arrogant, for no other reason than getting your jollies out of being rude and arrogant!

@@ViewfinderMasteryJust go ahead and continue flashing birds as I said. There is anyway nothing stopping you from that, whatever facts is coming. You just interested into the results, whatever it may cost. Good luck!

Here is an article about the impact of flash on wildlife: www.naturettl.com/does-flash-photography-harm-animals/ In short: not to many scientific research on that topic, but all recorded experiences and research papers point to flash not interfering. EXCEPT flash in really dark environment or at night - this shouldn't be done as it blinds them.

thanks for the pronunciation advice! 👍

ha ha 😅