Salamander Photography?
Moderator: Scott Waters
Re: Salamander Photography?
I have no suggestions for using the on-board flash as I never use mine but there are many homemade diffuser how-to's online. You are going to have more problems with reflection with the on-board flash because it is closer to the lens, but your examples are terrible at showing this. In none of them do I find the reflections distracting in any way and I don't know that you are going to get much better results even if you used an external flash and any kind of diffuser. Salamanders and frogs are wet and should have some reflections to give them life. That is my opinion, anyways.
Re: Salamander Photography?
Will,
They make a whole variety of on-board flash diffusers, but I've seen some very good home made ones as well. Any slightly opaque white plastic will work. I have a friend that makes his out of plastic milk jugs. He just bends them into shape to fit snugly over the pop up flash and uses some heat to make them stay that shape.
I have used polarizing lenses to reduce reflections quite a bit with amphibs, but when you have a big diffuse lightsource, you end up with big diffuse reflections, period.
Chris
They make a whole variety of on-board flash diffusers, but I've seen some very good home made ones as well. Any slightly opaque white plastic will work. I have a friend that makes his out of plastic milk jugs. He just bends them into shape to fit snugly over the pop up flash and uses some heat to make them stay that shape.
I actually bought some of the polarizing plastic and tried this with a two flash setup and a polarizing filter. What a PITA! It is really tough to get all the polarized angles lined up correctly and it is more than just a little cumbersome. Then you end up with a photo of a totally non-reflective amphibian which makes it look dead.J-Miz wrote:This article may be of interest: http://www.naturescapes.net/042004/wh0404.htm
I have used polarizing lenses to reduce reflections quite a bit with amphibs, but when you have a big diffuse lightsource, you end up with big diffuse reflections, period.
Chris
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Re: Salamander Photography?
ahhhh.... I never thought about the flash being close to the lens and how the angles could make that bad. right on. thanks!