Reading about macro photography and the techniques used has got me thinking (dangerous occupation). Do we know what affect that using flash has on live wild subjects? Be it animal, bird or insect, are there guidelines and has there been any study into this. I'd hate to think that I might cause eye / sensory damage in pursuit of a good picture.
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should we be using flash? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter mawrhyll
- Start date
Overread
Hunting birds with a canon
I have thought and asked the same question before (on another forum) and what what I got back in responces there have been no significant studies on the possible detrimental effect of flash on living subjects to any great length.
A few things have cropped up - reptiles appear to show no reaction to flash photography at all - and many insects also show a similar lack or reaction - though some will detect it and fly off. Heck many zoo animals will ignor flash most of the time (or they hate it and try to kill you - at that point its time to put it away - no need to stress them out)
I have also read that flash has no detrimental effect on human babies (since its a bigger market area of course) so that would hint that mammal based animals are not greatly at risk. However if its nighttime your going to destroy an animals nightvision for a good period of time if you go and flash them in the face - same for animals like bats which are more used to nighttime than daytime.
I guess one way of looking at it is that flash is just a moment of concentrated light - such as one might get off a reflection on water of the sun on a clear bright day.
A few things have cropped up - reptiles appear to show no reaction to flash photography at all - and many insects also show a similar lack or reaction - though some will detect it and fly off. Heck many zoo animals will ignor flash most of the time (or they hate it and try to kill you - at that point its time to put it away - no need to stress them out)
I have also read that flash has no detrimental effect on human babies (since its a bigger market area of course) so that would hint that mammal based animals are not greatly at risk. However if its nighttime your going to destroy an animals nightvision for a good period of time if you go and flash them in the face - same for animals like bats which are more used to nighttime than daytime.
I guess one way of looking at it is that flash is just a moment of concentrated light - such as one might get off a reflection on water of the sun on a clear bright day.
Chris Galvin
Well-known member
Chould we be using flash
No, Non, nope
No, Non, nope
Why do you say that?
Chris Galvin
Well-known member
Seen too many birds flushed by clowns with Better Beamers
Your experience runs counter to mine then. For various reasons, I use flash very infrequently nowadays, though I've used it extensively in the past, including in connection with close-up work from hides. As far as I could tell it seldom if ever had any detectable effect on birds (as opposed, for example, to shutter noise which they were often very sensitive to).
Chris Galvin
Well-known member
It's an American thing.
I was at Bentsen State Park, Sabal Palms & High Island a few years ago and lots of snappers were flashing the birds like paps and it had no effect on the birds. Not over this side of the pond though, one flash and off they go.
Clive Watson
Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit ampheta
I'm surprised that there seems to be such a clear transatlantic difference. I've only tried fill flash once so far - in the woodland hide at Blashford - and it definitely flushed the birds. OK, being a feeding station they soon come back but it made me decide that if I try it again I'll make sure I'm on my own. Shutter noise, on the other hand, rarely flushes birds in the UK in my experience. It sometimes makes them look up which can be beneficial.
Me too. Some factor must be being over-looked.
One possible explanation of such behavioural differences is that it is a learned response. Neither flash nor bang are dangerous to animals. Otherwise the whole lot would freak out during every thunderstorm, and this since the early days of evolution.
Now, if they learn to make the connection between the bang of a gun and the subsequent appearance of a human (another learned reason to run) they will take of when a shoot is fired. Not because they know and fear the consequence of the bang, they start running because they fear the imminent appearance of a human after the bang. Similar connections between incidents of different kinds are likely to lead to learned behaviour as well. Why the above described differences between the Old and the New world? Who knows.
Is a single flash exposure physiologically harmful for the eyes? Unlikely unless it becomes a constant barrage. We are using these things to take photos of us.
Is a flash in the eyes unpleasant? Yes, especially if they are adapted to the dark (still no physiological or physical damage). Experience will cause us to avoid it (learned behaviour), if possible before it happens.
Is transient blinding by a flash harmful? Depends what one is doing. While sitting around not much will happen to you, while driving with 200 km/h on a busy highway .....
Bats, mentioned above are less affected as they navigate primarily by sound, owls on the other hand may encounter temporary navigation problems when blinded. Consequences that depend on the environment (presence of obstacles that should be avoided).
Not an easy answer if using a flash in bird photography is responsible behaviour. My answer would be that it depends on the given circumstances.
UH
Now, if they learn to make the connection between the bang of a gun and the subsequent appearance of a human (another learned reason to run) they will take of when a shoot is fired. Not because they know and fear the consequence of the bang, they start running because they fear the imminent appearance of a human after the bang. Similar connections between incidents of different kinds are likely to lead to learned behaviour as well. Why the above described differences between the Old and the New world? Who knows.
Is a single flash exposure physiologically harmful for the eyes? Unlikely unless it becomes a constant barrage. We are using these things to take photos of us.
Is a flash in the eyes unpleasant? Yes, especially if they are adapted to the dark (still no physiological or physical damage). Experience will cause us to avoid it (learned behaviour), if possible before it happens.
Is transient blinding by a flash harmful? Depends what one is doing. While sitting around not much will happen to you, while driving with 200 km/h on a busy highway .....
Bats, mentioned above are less affected as they navigate primarily by sound, owls on the other hand may encounter temporary navigation problems when blinded. Consequences that depend on the environment (presence of obstacles that should be avoided).
Not an easy answer if using a flash in bird photography is responsible behaviour. My answer would be that it depends on the given circumstances.
UH
Nikon Kid
Love them Sula Bassana
I have been discussing flash technique for bird photography on here, and
there does seem to be a UK USA divide on the subject. I have now reverted
to using the flash facility in DPP to enhance my images, its a much richer
view, and think at the moment I will stick with that.
there does seem to be a UK USA divide on the subject. I have now reverted
to using the flash facility in DPP to enhance my images, its a much richer
view, and think at the moment I will stick with that.
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