Importance of a flash in the rainforest

Photography knowledge exchange.

Moderator: Scott Waters

Post Reply
bryceman
Posts: 59
Joined: July 25th, 2010, 10:41 am

Importance of a flash in the rainforest

Post by bryceman »

Hey everyone,


I am headed to Costa Rica On june 20th by myself for 10 days to strictly herp! I have a Nikon D7000 and have don't have a flash yet. I feel like this is a stupid question but will a flash make my photos significantly better under the canopy then using the flash that is already on the camera? Would it be a wise choice to buy one before going? Thanks for any help

Also if anyone on here is in the neighborhood ( I live near the Torrance area in southern california) and shoots Nikon and wouldn't mind going out and teaching me a few tips and techniques with them while herping I would greatly appreciate it and buy a couple beers! :beer: I used to shoot Canon but got robbed while I was in Cambodia. So since I have completely transferred over to Nikon.

Bryce
User avatar
kit fox
Posts: 91
Joined: October 12th, 2011, 3:03 pm
Location: Antelope Valley, CA
Contact:

Re: Importance of a flash in the rainforest

Post by kit fox »

Do you have a price range for the flash your looking into. Manual flashes with remote triggers (flash and camera) is the most affordable route to off camera flash. TTL flash usually cost quite a bit more. My main flash set-up is a Lumopro LP160, triggered by two Cactus V5 triggers.

Rainforests tend to be filled with shadows, your shutter speed will almost always be slow (1/30sec or less). This isn't conducive to bright, properly exposed photographs (unless you have a tripod) With a flash, you can set your shutter speed to 1/200 sec, and vary your flash exposure by moving the flash closer, or farther from the subject, and adjusting the flash power.

I also have one of these flashes Strobies 130, and use the super handy chart on the side for both of my flashes. With my LP160, I have to give my self an extra foot of distance (because it is slightly brighter than the 130).

Here is a Mojave Green I photographed using My D90, the Lumopro LP160, and the Cactus triggers.
The snake was is in a shady spot, when I took the image.

Image
Mojave-Green 2 by sgbofav, on Flickr

This scorpion was photographed with a white shoot-thru umbrella, using the same gear mentioned above.
Image
Desert Hairy Scorpion by sgbofav, on Flickr
User avatar
jason folt
Posts: 262
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 9:20 am
Location: Midwest
Contact:

Re: Importance of a flash in the rainforest

Post by jason folt »

Unless you plan on carrying your tripod all around the rainforest with you, you will want a good flash. Also, most of your finds will probably be at night while hiking, which you are going to want a good flash. You could always use the D7000 popup flash, but if you are familiar with using speedlights, the amount of lighting control you will gain is unbelievable. Will IT make your photos betters, who knows, that is up to you.

Jason
bryceman
Posts: 59
Joined: July 25th, 2010, 10:41 am

Re: Importance of a flash in the rainforest

Post by bryceman »

Hey guys really appreciate the replies ! I went and bought a Nissin di466 yesterday and have played around with it all day. I can really see the difference in using a flash already. Thank you very much for all the advice guys! Costa rica pics to come when I am back !
User avatar
CCarille
Posts: 380
Joined: January 8th, 2011, 5:51 am
Location: NY

Re: Importance of a flash in the rainforest

Post by CCarille »

I know it was already answered and you bought a flash, but make sure to bring a lot of batteries (for the camera and flash as you won't always have a reliable way to recharge anything) as the flash can eat up power. I've done a fair amount of rainforest photography, over 10,000 shots (Amazon, Borneo, Belize, Honduras, Costa Rica (2x)) - bring lots of memory (a backup place to save the shots if you have it - netbook), something to eat up humidity in your camera bag (rice bags will work), and a way to keep your camera dry (a plastic bag is a quick fix if you don't have anything else). Also, a strong flashlight/headlamp is fantastic for night-hiking when you need some light to focus on your subject in low light conditions.

As Jason mentioned, a speedlight works great. I shoot with Nikon myself and find my SB-400 speedlight and Stofen Omni Bounce to be fantastic additions. Not to expensive either. Just mentioning this if you decide to go pure nikon at some point. Either way the Stofen diffuser would probably be a good addition.

Best of luck on your trip!

Nice photos Kit!
bryceman
Posts: 59
Joined: July 25th, 2010, 10:41 am

Re: Importance of a flash in the rainforest

Post by bryceman »

Awesome tips CCarille! If you could I would love some more tips on how you got around in Costa Rica. I am 21 and will be there totally by myself. I have somewhat of a game plan on where I am going. However I want to be able to go out on my own without a guide in most places so as maybe I can grab a few things and photograph them in the day time for some more creative shots and then let them go. So for the rice bag.. do you literally just put a little bag of rice in the bag? Sounds great and thanks for the tips !!
User avatar
kit fox
Posts: 91
Joined: October 12th, 2011, 3:03 pm
Location: Antelope Valley, CA
Contact:

Re: Importance of a flash in the rainforest

Post by kit fox »

If you have time, seriously consider an TTL, off-camera cord. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/7 ... d_for.html

This will allow more creativity when photographing critters.
User avatar
CCarille
Posts: 380
Joined: January 8th, 2011, 5:51 am
Location: NY

Re: Importance of a flash in the rainforest

Post by CCarille »

Kit's suggestion is a good one if you're looking to bag stuff and setup shots. I'd be very careful what you grab though, as the last thing you'd want is trouble with local police. It is a different world with cops carrying machine guns and shotguns.

As for getting around it depends what area(s) you're going to. A rental car works great, but has a hefty deposit ($1.5k+). If you have a place to stay near/in a park, just walk a ton of trails and I wouldn't try to bring anything back to your room - if anyone notices you could be in a lot of trouble.

Could probably help more if I had a better idea of where you were going and staying.

As for the rice, bring a couple bags and just put them in with your lenses and camera (in the bag). Or use silica gel packets if you can get them (the packets they throw in shoes).
Chris
User avatar
Kari Post
Posts: 74
Joined: August 30th, 2010, 2:19 pm
Location: New Hampshire
Contact:

Re: Importance of a flash in the rainforest

Post by Kari Post »

One warning with flash in the rainforest - if it is actually raining (or moreso if actively misting) the flash will illuminate the droplets of water in the air and NOT help your photos at all. So don't use flash when the air is very heavy with moisture or else the photo will be fogged.

This can easily be seen using the LCD playback on the back of the camera. When I was in Costa Rica with a group of grad students, I helped a number of them solve this problem (and other camera related problems when shooting in the rainforest).

It may also be a good idea to pack some silica gel packets to absorb extra moisture from your gear if it gets really wet.
User avatar
Nshepard
Posts: 377
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 12:08 pm

Re: Importance of a flash in the rainforest

Post by Nshepard »

Kari Post wrote:It may also be a good idea to pack some silica gel packets to absorb extra moisture from your gear if it gets really wet.
Can't over stress the importance of silica gel packets for protecting your camera gear while down in humid areas.
Post Reply