Page 90 - World of Animals - Issue #31

Wildlife photography

Tip 4 LED lights are
useful as you can
Light it up usually control
their strength

There will be times where you
need to add light into your scene
In areas that are pitch black, just raising
your ISO won’t be enough, and you’ll
need to add in some extra light. Some

species in particular don’t like flash, and
it will scare them, so try using continuous
lighting instead. This can be in the form
of dedicated LED lights that attach to
your camera’s hotshoe, car lights set up
near your scene, or a torch shone in their
direction works too. A red light source

is also beneficial, since it is less visible to
animals. If you don’t have a red bulb, you

can simply cover the flashlight with red Add light into your
scene but be cautious
cellophane paper. of scaring the animals

Connor’s top tip

“Learn to use flash
effectively and understand
how changing each setting
will affect the overall image.
Once you understand the

basics, move the flash off
the camera, and consider
experimenting with
multiple fl ashes.”

The flash debate

Connor Stefanison talks about whether or not

you should use flash to photograph wildlife
Flash can really help to freeze
action, but use it wisely

“I use flash for many of my photos.
It can be intimidating to learn, but
a whole new world of creative
possibilities will open up once you
do learn it. The most important

aspect of using flash for wildlife
is to understand if your subject
is negatively affected by flash.

For example, some owls are quite
sensitive to multiple bursts of

flash. It’s all about moderation. No
species, including humans, would
enjoy numerous continued flashes

firing at them. Before setting off to
photograph your intended subject,

do some research first to see if using
flash is safe.”

90

088-091_WOA31_Nighttime photography.indd 90 02/03/2016 17:04