The Necessity of Adding Light at Times

^{Note: This tip comes from page 3-5 in Tobie Schalkwyk’s free eBook - Bird Photography: Uncommon Gear}

THE TRUSTY OLD SPEEDLITE

I know that this sounds obvious, but why are so few people using a Speedlite for bird photography if it's so obvious? Because its light can only reach so far?

Take my word for it; mounting a Speedlite to your camera for bird photos in forests or other dark locations is worthwhile. You’ll be amazed at how much it improves your chances of successfully raising the dark areas in post-processing. You will have a lot of detail coming forward rather than only an increase in noise.

A Snoot

I’m surprised by how few bird photographers use this method of focusing their light onto birds in low-lit areas. Think about this: the light coming out of your Speedlite can’t just disappear into thin air. It must go somewhere, and that somewhere is (hopefully) onto the bird that you are photographing.

All you have to do to prevent the light from spilling all over the place is to use an impenetrable snoot with a white inner lining. The light can then go in only one direction: toward your subject!

The advantage of this gadget is that it can be self-made with the littlest of effort. Staple two sheets of A4 paper together (one white, one black) and voila! Just tape it to your Speedlite, use a rubber band, or – the best option – use Velcro strips.

Fresnel Lens Technology

A Fresnel lens kind of does the same as a snoot, except it focuses the light to a smaller area. This can result in an increase of 2–3 stops of light onto your subject. That’s pretty handy if your bird subject is some distance away.

One (probably the most cost-effective) way of deploying Fresnel lens technology for the purpose of increasing light is by using a ‘MagBeam’ lens in combo with a ‘Magsnoot’ from the ever-popular MagMod lighting gear company. These accessories from MagMod are inexpensive and well-made.

Off-Camera/Wireless Lighting

Yes, it’s also obvious, but off-camera wireless lighting is hardly ever used by bird photographers where I come from. Why not? Not only do I regularly use my Speedlites and wireless flash kit, but I sometimes use them in combination with my 600w studio strobe!

This is very handy in situations where you want to snap parents feeding their chicks in an area covered by a dense layer of overhead leaves, a partial cave, or other low-light areas. You can even mount it on a studio light stand and raise it to 2-3m above the ground, ensuring a more desirable angle of light in relation to your subject.

The advantage of off-camera lighting is that you can zoom in from far away (or use a long-reach prime lens), as your lighting source is only a few steps away from your subject.

Warning: check your histogram and make adjustments after your first couple of shots, as you can easily misjudge the amount of light thrown onto your subject.

Granted, it is extra effort to drag a battery-operated studio strobe with you, but I promise you when you’re post-processing your shots, you will thank me!

Do not write off any of these methods. Do whatever is needed to win the battle for sufficient light. Immense satisfaction will be your reward as you work your way through the images afterward.

Want more? If you want to learn more about bird photography, and capture beautiful shots of your own, we recommend downloading and printing out Photzy’s 10 Bird Photography Cheat Sheets (Special bonus available now!)