Animal Photography

[Pinkishy]

Anyone has tips on pet / animal photography?

I heard that there's some kind of umm..equipment to attach to the camera to reduce the flash .. to prevent scaring the animal, or to reduce the red eye effect or something like this..

[rncw]

Originally Posted by Pinkishy Anyone has tips on pet / animal photography? I heard that there's some kind of umm..equipment to attach to the camera to reduce the flash .. to prevent scaring the animal, or to reduce the red eye effect or something like this..

something to attach to the flash? could it be lumi-quest softbox/softbox II ?

[TME]

Originally Posted by Pinkishy Anyone has tips on pet / animal photography? I heard that there's some kind of umm..equipment to attach to the camera to reduce the flash .. to prevent scaring the animal, or to reduce the red eye effect or something like this..

If I am not wrong, no direct flash, use bounce flash off ceiling or wall all the time. The flash pulse is very powerful and irreparably damage the retina of your cat/dog/mouse/hamster, etc....

[sumball]

or cover your flash with a layer of tissue, i find this really useful and help in some macro shooting as i dun have the macro ring flash. of cos, it depends how many layers of tissues you want to use.

hope it helps!

[malek]

Originally Posted by Pinkishy Anyone has tips on pet / animal photography?

other than equipment...
dont forget to have an eye contact.

[Pinkishy]

Originally Posted by TME If I am not wrong, no direct flash, use bounce flash off ceiling or wall all the time. The flash pulse is very powerful and irreparably damage the retina of your cat/dog/mouse/hamster, etc....

ahh f.. flashed my bunny right in the face.... but he didn't flinch at all..

how to bounce?

[jimtong]

I used omnibouce with my 550EX, tilt to 45 degree and shoot. Due to the restless nature of small animal (e.g hamster) I use drive mode, AI servo that comes with 10D... out of 10 Shot you might get 1 or 2 good one.

But do note that 550EX can last about 4 to 5 continuos shot.... therefore you need to wait for the flash to recharge after 5 shot else you will get no flash for the 6th shot.

The result

[TME]

Originally Posted by Pinkishy ahh f.. flashed my bunny right in the face.... but he didn't flinch at all.. how to bounce?

Bounce the flash off the ceiling by tilting the head straight up. Or if the ceiling is too far from the floor (u could put the pet on the table), then use a bounce card. Can reduce power of the flash when using bounce card also.... if u are using DSLR or digicam can experiment until u can a comfortable flash that can illuminate the animal without blinding it.

[TME]

Originally Posted by jimtong I used omnibouce with my 550EX, tilt to 45 degree and shoot. Due to the restless nature of small animal (e.g hamster) I use drive mode, AI servo that comes with 10D... out of 10 Shot you might get 1 or 2 good one. But do note that 550EX can last about 4 to 5 continuos shot.... therefore you need to wait for the flash to recharge after 5 shot else you will get no flash for the 6th shot. The result

Does Omnibounce reduces the flash enough or not? I think still quite powerful right?

[jimtong]

Originally Posted by TME Does Omnibounce reduces the flash enough or not? I think still quite powerful right?

Using an omnibouce on your flash will half your effective flash distance, for close animal shot, it is still fine.

As for the power of flash, the E-TTL will take care of it, but you can always experiment with the flash setting.

[TME]

Originally Posted by jimtong Using an omnibouce on your flash will half your effective flash distance, for close animal shot, it is still fine. As for the power of flash, the E-TTL will take care of it, but you can always experiment with the flash setting.

Halving the effective flash distance means that if u are within the flash range, the intensity remains the same? If that is the case, would it still be damaging? I notice that what the omnibounce does is to cut the flash range by about 3 stops, but anything within range still gets hotspots (often it is as bad as without the omnibounce) since u naturally go closer to the subject now that the range of the flash has dropped? I thought bouncing off a larger surface would be better as it will really diffuse the light so that it is no longer so intense and concentrated.... I dun really know but just thinking aloud.... what do u think?

[jimtong]

Originally Posted by TME Halving the effective flash distance means that if u are within the flash range, the intensity remains the same? If that is the case, would it still be damaging?

The purpose of the omnibouce is to difuse the flash so that your subject will be more evenly lit. Intensity of the flash will be control by the ETTL (correct me if I am wrong). I dun understand what you mean by damaging

Originally Posted by TME I notice that what the omnibounce does is to cut the flash range by about 3 stops, but anything within range still gets hotspots (often it is as bad as without the omnibounce) since u naturally go closer to the subject now that the range of the flash has dropped? I thought bouncing off a larger surface would be better as it will really diffuse the light so that it is no longer so intense and concentrated.... I dun really know but just thinking aloud.... what do u think?

You need to experiment.. there is no standard answer to these. I am also in the process of discovery and learning Test out and see for yourself maybe you can share with us your result. Maybe next time I will mount a big white card and test out

[TME]

The power of the flash is controlled by the ETTL (how long to fire the flash) but the intensity is controlled by the size of the light source. The Omnibounce tries to reduce the point light source that is your flash so that the beam of light is not so intense or concentrated. This is what leads to hotspots. And these intense beams damage the eyes of your pet. The Omnibounce does not do a great job of spreading the light (i.e. lower the intensity) IMO as u still get significant hotspots when using it. That's my experience with it. I expect that that is the case as there is still a direct beam of light from the flash to the subject. So bouncing off the ceiling (without the Omnibounce) is preferred since the beam of light from the flash is now indirect and the distance and the bouncing effect causes the light to lose its intensity (or concentratedness - not sure if the 2 are equal but I think they are) and also some of its power. The latter simply means the flash pulse can't reach as far as it originally was specced to while the former simply means a less intense beam of light.

I'm quite sure I didn't get this wrong but please correct if it's wrong. Thanks!

[junyang]

with an omnibounce, bounced flash.. or even direct flash.. when its close range.. and the flash is powerful enough, all of them will have equal intensity due to e-ttl...

however... for bounced flash.. the flash is not coming directly from head-on.. thus reducing the light that hits the eyes of the subject...

[TME]

Originally Posted by junyang with an omnibounce, bounced flash.. or even direct flash..

The bounced flash u refer to here is using a bounce card is it? Cos u mention bounced flash again later....

[junyang]

Originally Posted by TME The bounced flash u refer to here is using a bounce card is it? Cos u mention bounced flash again later....

nope.. i was referring to the one on top...

all of them will provide the same light intensity to the subject... because of e-ttl.. however if the flash is bounced, either ceiling or card.. it will be better

[TME]

Originally Posted by junyang nope.. i was referring to the one on top... all of them will provide the same light intensity to the subject... because of e-ttl.. however if the flash is bounced, either ceiling or card.. it will be better

Hmm....what hurts the eye is the intensity (or how concentrated or coherent the beam of light is) of the light. So if bouncing the flash produces the same intensity as direct, then what difference does bouncing make in taking photos? The bouncing spreads the light so that 1) less of it falls on the same spot 2) less powerful. Intensity is a function of area? Did I remember my optics correctly? So bouncing actually does reduce intensity cos your light souce (indirect one) is now from a larger source?

[jimtong]

Originally Posted by TME Hmm....what hurts the eye is the intensity (or how concentrated or coherent the beam of light is) of the light. So if bouncing the flash produces the same intensity as direct, then what difference does bouncing make in taking photos? The bouncing spreads the light so that 1) less of it falls on the same spot 2) less powerful. Intensity is a function of area? Did I remember my optics correctly? So bouncing actually does reduce intensity cos your light souce (indirect one) is now from a larger source?

Hi TME, would like to share this site Take a look, I think some if not all your questions can be answered here

A bit slow, so be patient

[TME]

Originally Posted by jimtong Hi TME, would like to share this site Take a look, I think some if not all your questions can be answered here A bit slow, so be patient

Thanks I understand bouncing. Anyway I was not the one who asked the initial question. Mine is more of whether the damage to pets' eyes from a direct flash is related to the power of the flash or the intensity of the flash. I believe it is intensity.

The EOS website refers more to how their flash system works rather discuss the technicalities I mention above. Thanks anyway.... it's a good read.

[jimtong]

Originally Posted by TME Thanks I understand bouncing. Anyway I was not the one who asked the initial question. Mine is more of whether the damage to pets' eyes from a direct flash is related to the power of the flash or the intensity of the flash. I believe it is intensity. The EOS website refers more to how their flash system works rather discuss the technicalities I mention above. Thanks anyway.... it's a good read.

Me not so worry about my hamster's eye cos everytime I shoot, that rodent dun even give my camera look....