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| © Ian Shive / Aurora Photos |
| Dynamic Range Boost, Zion National Park, UT: Tripod-mounted Canon EOS 5D with 16-35mm f/2.8L Canon EF lens. Exposure, 1/4 sec at f/22, ISO 100. Canon 580EX Speedlite set to manual at 1/32 power. |
Taking the perfect photograph is like creating the perfect pastrami sandwich: You pile on the pastrami higher and higher, and just when you think it's enough -- you add one more slice. In nature photography, your flash can be that extra slice.
It isn't surprising that outdoor shooters often overlook the humble flash. Perhaps it's the abundance of natural sunlight, or fear of the overly artificial look.
It wasn't so long ago that I had the same flash aversion, until a little boredom (the true mother of discovery) led me to some experimentation. Before I knew it, foregrounds were popping, shadows became tools for adding depth, and a new style began to emerge in my images. Finally, I had enough slices stacked up for that perfect pastrami sandwich.
To get the job done, you need at least one accessory strobe. I use the Canon 580EX Speedlite, which is powerful enough to mimic studio-quality lighting and more than enough to get the job done outdoors, at a reasonable weight of about 13 ounces. (Size and weight are definitely a consideration for nature shooting, which almost always involves some hiking.)
Most DSLR manufacturers and a number of independents make comparable dedicated accessory strobes; go to page 2 for a sidebar on appropriate units.
Two strobes (with fresh batteries!) are ideal, especially for more creative lighting. These dedicated flashes are TTL (through the lens) auto, meaning that they measure the flash illumination at the moment of exposure to balance the flash output with your camera's exposure readings. It's also very important to have a flash that has some other advanced options, particularly the ability to dial in the power of your strobe in EV increments, similar to f-stops. For example, a +1/3 EV or +0.3 EV is a small boost of fill light about equal to 1/3 stop; a +3.0 EV setting is a big 3-stop boost in light. Another worthwhile feature is variable manual output, which lets you set your flash to full power, 1/2-power, 1/4-power, down to a tiny spit of light.
Now it's time to accessorize. You will need an off-camera shoe cord. I've never taken a landscape photo with my flash mounted to the top of my camera -- it's always off to one side or the other. The manufacturer's dedicated off-shoe cord retains full TTL automation, allowing you to aim it in any direction.
If you want to go wireless, which gives you ultimate control, you can opt for a shoe-mounted infrared transmitter (Canon, Nikon), use the camera's built-in flash as a remote controller (Nikon, Pentax, Sony, and the new Olympus E-3), or use a second accessory flash in the hot shoe as a remote controller for other flashes (Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Samsung, Sigma, Sony).
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| © Ian Shive / Aurora Photos |
| Rescue Hidden Detail, Malibu Beach, CA: Tripod-mounted Canon EOS 5D with 16-35mm f/2.8L Canon EF lens. Exposure, 1/2 sec at f/22, (-1.5 EV from the meter reading to maintain deep shadows). Canon 580EX Speedlite fired using off-camera TTL cord. |
These systems have limited ranges, and the flash units must be within the sightline of the transmitter. Longer distances and tricky configurations require a radio transmitter such as the PocketWizard Plus II Transceiver ($190, street), although you'll lose TTL automation.
I also recommend a pocket diffuser, such as those made by LumiQuest, to provide more even and natural-looking flash.
Here are some of the many ways to use flash to enhance nature shots.
Rescue Hidden Detail
The sun was only minutes from setting on Malibu Beach when I happened upon this tide pool with a perfectly positioned starfish (photo at right). But in deep shade, with only a sliver of warm light hitting the rocks just above it.
I decided to use a spotlight effect on the tide pool, knowing that a broader fill flash would look artificial and not draw the eye to the starfish. I used two graduated ND filters (0.6 and 0.9, for a total of 5 stops) to balance the bright sunlight at the top. Using an off-camera sync cord, I handheld the flash as close to the left of the tide pool as possible without my hand or flash in the frame.
While still clearly artificial, the spotlight draws your eye immediately to the focal point, and creates three distinct layers -- the tide pool, the shadowed rocks, and the warmly lit rocks above -- which add depth.
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