Back To School !

RR Workshop - 25.1.22

I'm always open to trying something different and when I had the opportunity to use flash as a light source as opposed to just using ambient light I was keen to explore the possibilities. Today I'm having a short workshop with a gent that has been using flash for a number of years to freeze action and also produce different types of images with various lighting effects.

In the past when I've seen flash used to supplement or as a main light source the images always seems to produces a black background never to me looking quite right, that's not to say that was the intension. So it's the start of the learning curve exploring flash as a light source and no doubt incurring more expense for new kit along the way.

All the images below were taken using multiple flash lighting, the settings some of which make perfect sense and others completely baffling like f14 ! Some of the images the low front lighting has been removed to enhance the back "rim' light, in others the lighting levels reduced to give a darker image...see if you can spot the difference !

The Robin and especially the Wren are totally wild individuals and all down the skill and perseverance of the person proving the tuition over many weeks gaining the trust and confidence of the birds. Looking forward to future sessions, watch this space.

Wren

Robin

Dont Ignore The Small Stuff

Play Attention !

Its a short drive of around six miles from the hotel to a woodland edge that proving to be a bit of hot spot for a whole host of different woodland birds, and where there's small birds there's alway predators especially Sparrowhawks, one of my target birds of the weekend.

It's raining on and off, I'm hoping the rain will produce an alternative to the usual images, all I've have to do is work out which settings work best. Redpolls, Chaffinches and Tits are in abundance but just remember when it all goes quite to keep focused as the action is surely about to begin.

With some encouragement of some free offerings its surprising how close birds will venture near which is always good to show the finer detail of the birds plumage. Here's are some of the images benefiting from a clean background of this particular location ideal for photographing birds.

Lesser Redpoll

Wren

Great Tit

Chaffinch - male

Chaffinch - female

Siskin