...what's the best direction to aim it to photograph hummingbirds and still light the gorget?
I am having extensive back surgery next month which will require a 6 month recuperation period. I won't be able to go out in the field after my favorite birdies but I do have a hummingbird feeder on my balcony. I want to make a simple lighting set up near the feeder so that I may photograph the hummingbirds from my bedroom window.
I'm having to foot the bill for the surgery so I don't have any "spare" money to purchase additional flashes. Purchasing any additional flashes is totally out of the question. I will have to make do with my single 550ex flash. I figure I can put the flash on a spare tripod aimed in the direction I need and trigger it with the ST-E2 transmitter. Since the flash to subject distance will remain fixed I will use manual flash.
What would be the best direction to aim the flash to, at the very least, partially to fully light the gorget? Also, I notice that my hummingbird images made in cloudy and cloudy bright light have very saturated colors in the gorget. Would it be advantageous to diffuse the output from my flash? I'm also not concerned with freezing the wings. I like the sense of movement from partially blurry to totally blurry wings.
I am sorry that you have to undergo the surgery. I pray it goes well, does as it is intended, and that you recover quickly.
All the best,
-PB
Posted by Nick Leadley on March 3, 2007 at 7:05 PM
Tom....
I might suggest trying to find any articles written by Connie Toops. She has done hummingbird photography from her house, as I recall from a talk she gave at a past NANPA conference, using flashes mounted off camera.
I believe she contributes to Birds and Blooms magazine and would be surprised if she does not have a website.
Hi Tom
The trick is to get the flash in close to the bird, as close to the line of the camera from the side, and raised so it shoots down at least
45 degrees. That should work 100% of the time. If you need a better description let me know and I can call you.
I haven't shot hummers Tom, but I have to speak up because I've done a whole lot of single flash photography for a wide range of subjects and settings. I think you'll want to experiment a bit with your idea to use manual settings, because manual settings will require that the transmitter setup allow you to manage flash controls remotely. Some do and some don't, but I don't know which is which with your gear. After your surgery I suspect you won't be all that mobile, and while flash-to-subject distance might not change, your ambient light levels can change a lot and require frequent changes in the strobe. It may be better to shoot (I don't remember the Canon controls or terms) with the flash as a fill using the tTTL functions and your =/- controls, which would let you vary the intensity of your flash up or down in sync with changes in your camera settings. If your remote will allow you to manage the strobe as well as trigger it, forget I brought this up. But if not, manual settings could really put you in a bind.
BTW- As long as you are setting up a flash on a tripod, have you considered setting up a reflector on the opposite side? This might allow you to manage the shadows better while not blowing out the background. It's a standard stunt in studios for single light setups.
Posted by Tom Webster on March 4, 2007 at 11:28 AM
Thank you for the responses, my friends.
Stephan, thanks for the tip. That was what I needed to know, the angle to set the main light. I have found references to multiple flash setups but none that explained which flashes light the gorget.
Hank, I don't think the ambient exposures will be a problem. The balcony is on the north side of the building and has a cover like a patio cover. The far side of the balcony has a trellis completely covered with ivy and blocks light quite well. This is the coolest part of the landscaping in the summer. The hummers have to enter from the sides to feed from the feeder. I made some test exposures off and on, yesterday, and what I am afraid is going to happen is that the hummer images will have black backgrounds due to lack of light on the ivy. My shortest test exposure time for the ivy was 1/30 sec @ f 16.
What I may end up doing is lighting the ivy in the background with a daylight balanced photoflood bulb. I may also cover the ivy directly behind the feeder with a light green scrim to blur the texture of the ivy. I'm not sure yet. As regards a reflector for fill light, I have a piece of white foamcore and a cheap artist's desk top easel. I will set it up close to the feeder for fill. I'll continue testing.
Thanks for your help, Hank.
(PS...BTW...If some of my responses ramble, it is due to a morphine haze! )
Reading the decription of your setting, I had an additional thought. How about directing a reflector onto that background, in addition to the one for fill? Obviously I love reflectors in fixed settings.
I was going to test that, Hank, but the ivy is a good 4' to 5' behind the feeder. I'm not sure how much bounce light will have an effect on the background. I've got about a month to run tests, though. :)
If you use silver rather than white (cover your gatorboard with aluminum foil), you shouldn't have any problems at that distance. You might even get away with white, which I'd try first simply because shadows won't be so harsh.
Discussion
9 repliesI am having extensive back surgery next month which will require a 6 month recuperation period. I won't be able to go out in the field after my favorite birdies but I do have a hummingbird feeder on my balcony. I want to make a simple lighting set up near the feeder so that I may photograph the hummingbirds from my bedroom window.
I'm having to foot the bill for the surgery so I don't have any "spare" money to purchase additional flashes. Purchasing any additional flashes is totally out of the question. I will have to make do with my single 550ex flash. I figure I can put the flash on a spare tripod aimed in the direction I need and trigger it with the ST-E2 transmitter. Since the flash to subject distance will remain fixed I will use manual flash.
What would be the best direction to aim the flash to, at the very least, partially to fully light the gorget? Also, I notice that my hummingbird images made in cloudy and cloudy bright light have very saturated colors in the gorget. Would it be advantageous to diffuse the output from my flash? I'm also not concerned with freezing the wings. I like the sense of movement from partially blurry to totally blurry wings.
Any suggestions, please?
I wish I could help!
I am sorry that you have to undergo the surgery. I pray it goes well, does as it is intended, and that you recover quickly.
All the best,
-PB
I might suggest trying to find any articles written by Connie Toops. She has done hummingbird photography from her house, as I recall from a talk she gave at a past NANPA conference, using flashes mounted off camera.
I believe she contributes to Birds and Blooms magazine and would be surprised if she does not have a website.
Good luck!
The trick is to get the flash in close to the bird, as close to the line of the camera from the side, and raised so it shoots down at least
45 degrees. That should work 100% of the time. If you need a better description let me know and I can call you.
Good luck
BTW- As long as you are setting up a flash on a tripod, have you considered setting up a reflector on the opposite side? This might allow you to manage the shadows better while not blowing out the background. It's a standard stunt in studios for single light setups.
Stephan, thanks for the tip. That was what I needed to know, the angle to set the main light. I have found references to multiple flash setups but none that explained which flashes light the gorget.
Hank, I don't think the ambient exposures will be a problem. The balcony is on the north side of the building and has a cover like a patio cover. The far side of the balcony has a trellis completely covered with ivy and blocks light quite well. This is the coolest part of the landscaping in the summer. The hummers have to enter from the sides to feed from the feeder. I made some test exposures off and on, yesterday, and what I am afraid is going to happen is that the hummer images will have black backgrounds due to lack of light on the ivy. My shortest test exposure time for the ivy was 1/30 sec @ f 16.
What I may end up doing is lighting the ivy in the background with a daylight balanced photoflood bulb. I may also cover the ivy directly behind the feeder with a light green scrim to blur the texture of the ivy. I'm not sure yet. As regards a reflector for fill light, I have a piece of white foamcore and a cheap artist's desk top easel. I will set it up close to the feeder for fill. I'll continue testing.
Thanks for your help, Hank.
(PS...BTW...If some of my responses ramble, it is due to a morphine haze!
Reading the decription of your setting, I had an additional thought. How about directing a reflector onto that background, in addition to the one for fill? Obviously I love reflectors in fixed settings.