Eye flare with flash (1 Viewer)

Farnboro John

Well-known member

• Jan 12, 2010

• #1

Does anyone have an easy solution to the huge flare you get from the eyes of e.g. Red Fox when using flash? Their retinas internally reflect light to maximise the signal to the optic nerve and the result can look like car headlights beaming out! Similar problems with other nocturnal predators, not usually an issue with grazers.

John

 

hollis_f

Well-known member

• Jan 12, 2010

• #2

You need to get the flash as far from the lens as possible. The off-camera cord can help (especially if you have an assistant to hold it). Remote firing would be even better.

 

F

fugl

Well-known member

• Jan 12, 2010

• #3

And, of course, in a pinch (hate to say it), there’s always Photoshop in those cases where it’s impractical to move the flash off-axis. My only photos of a gray fox in the wild would have been ruined by flare if I hadn’t been able to photoshop it out.

 

lewis20126

Well-known member

• Jan 12, 2010

• #4

or even the red-eye reduction in Microsoft Office Picture Manager

cheers, a

 

Farnboro John

Well-known member

• Jan 13, 2010

• #5

lewis20126 said:

or even the red-eye reduction in Microsoft Office Picture Manager

cheers, a

Click to expand...

I'll put a couple of old bad eye-flares on here for a laugh in a day or so, I assure you red-eye reduction is irrelevant to the phenomenon I'm talking about! There really are beams of light coming out of the eyes and blanking parts of the face.

I am grateful for the advice about getting the flash off-boresight. I know the answer already given was "the further the better", but do you think a short cord e.g. 60cm would do enough?

Cheers

John

 

Farnboro John

Well-known member

• Jan 19, 2010

• #6

My dog helpfully participated in some experiments with a cable and established that a mere foot and a half will substantially reduce the problem, so I'm going to try a bracket in the field and see how I get on (wandering about in the dark isn't ideal for using wireless as you tend to fall over your own equipment).

John

 

Farnboro John

Well-known member

• Jan 29, 2010

• #7

Now that's what I'm talking about.....

Pix summer 2006 I think. Latest efforts on John's Mammals 2010 in the Lists section.

John

 

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Last edited: Jan 29, 2010