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May 26, 2009 | by Kevin Loughlin
ISO 800 ~ 1/250 sec @ f/8 with flash
In photographing the Eastern Phoebes that were feeding around the Observation Station in Promised Land State Park, I created a few example images of using flash and no flash to photograph birds.
The image above was taken using flash. I set my shutter speed to 1/250 sec. for proper flash sync, and my aperture at f/8 using my Canon 50D and Sigma 50-500 EX lens. I then adjusted the ISO to 400 so that the background ambient light would match the foreground. This may not always be possible to do (see the last image as an example).
ISO 2000 ~ 1/250 @ f/8 ~ no flash
The above image was with no flash at the same shutter speed and aperture, but with a higher ISO due to more clouds moving in with an impending storm. The colors are different that the one with the flash. Both images are correct, even though they are different.
ISO 800 ~ 1/250 @ f/6.3
Notice how dark the background is in the above image. The dark forest would have required a very high ISO to balance the ambient light with the flash. This in turn would have created a noisy image. I chose instead to have the flash become the main light source rather than just fill in the shadows.
So which is best? Well, you need to decide for yourself. Each way has advantages and disadvantages in color quality and sharpness. Experiment with your equipment and see what works best for you. Every situation is different, learn what works for each one and your preferred style.
photos © Kevin Loughlin
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A wonderful bird picture