O’Reilly’s in the the Australian Rainforest, flash has been an essential tool to bring color alive! The Regent Bowerbird is a prime example (above). The male takes 3-4yrs to have that satin black nd yellow plumage, a color combo you can’t help but see. But in the overwhelming dark and green light of the rainforest, without flash kissing it, the colors would be lost to the camera and out photographs.
Here’s a before and after of an Australian King Parrot to help illustrate my point. I’m not using flash because the ratio of light is harsh (I’m not fillin shadows). I’m using flash to bring to life the amazing color and in some part control the background. Shooting with the D5 / 800AFS / SB-5000, I have dialed the exp comp in the body down to -.7 and in the flash, -3 stops! I don’t want you too see the flash, I want the background to be a elegant stage for my subject. We need to meld the light, ambient and flash, to make our subject pop and tell it’s story. The flash in this case is right in the hot shoe of the camera. Not the most ideal spot but putting it on any kind of bracket sticks it up in the air further catching it on limbs and vines. But since the flash is just kissing the subject, it’s not creating any shadow so placement works fine using the shot shoe. The one thing I can’t rave about enough though is just how simply and beautifully the D5 / SB-5000 work together producing such a beautiful light. It’s so gorgeous, you can’t see it as it brings out deep forest color.
