Photography - Cats and flash

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- - Cats and flash (http://www.photobanter.com/showthread.php?t=72111)

With the digital cameras I've used over the past few years I had a
problem with my cat's eyes always being closed when I used flash. Of
course all of these cameras had the built in flash which was more than
adequate for most shooting. One handy aspect of these is the built in
sensing. When I look at the flash I see a single flash, but the cat
sees two and that is enough for the cat to close his eyes before the
flash goes off to take the photo.

I have one of the old Vivitar power house 285 flash guns and decided
to give it a try on the hot shoe. With this one you do have to
manually set the shutter and aperture but it'll give a good exposure
the length of a basketball court.

Set on reduced power using the settings given for the distance brings
sharp images and no closed eyes with the cats. OTOH you will get a
blink from the focus light if the camera uses one.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

"Roger (K8RI)" wrote in message
...
With the digital cameras I've used over the past few years I had a
problem with my cat's eyes always being closed when I used flash. Of
course all of these cameras had the built in flash which was more than
adequate for most shooting. One handy aspect of these is the built in
sensing. When I look at the flash I see a single flash, but the cat
sees two and that is enough for the cat to close his eyes before the
flash goes off to take the photo.

I have one of the old Vivitar power house 285 flash guns and decided
to give it a try on the hot shoe. With this one you do have to
manually set the shutter and aperture but it'll give a good exposure
the length of a basketball court.

Set on reduced power using the settings given for the distance brings
sharp images and no closed eyes with the cats. OTOH you will get a
blink from the focus light if the camera uses one.

You should rarely need a flash to take good pictures of cats. You just risk
"green eye" and more importantly that the cat will learn to look away when
he/she sees the camera. They really don't like flash. I don't want them to
learn to not like the camera. Right now they are just curious enough about
it to look always directly into the lens.

Cats will hold very still and stare into the lens so even fairly long
exposures (like 1/8sec) on a tripod turn out well. Of course some will not
turn out. Cats stay still for pictures much better than children do, and
without a flash, you don't get the shadow.

After (or before) taking the picture, drop your 18% grey card near where the
cat was sitting and take one more picture. You can use this to correct the
colour cast from your interior lights since you didn't use a flash to
overpower the room lights.

Having 2 cats I get to take quite a few cat photos. I certainly turn off
the AF illuminator as this distracts the cats a lot. I find that a very
low level of flash works best ( eg -2.0 EV ), just enough to add sparke to
their eye, but not enough to blind them.

eg http://www.pbase.com/boliston/image/66994129

Niiiiice!!!!!!!!

According to default :
"Roger (K8RI)" wrote in message
...
With the digital cameras I've used over the past few years I had a
problem with my cat's eyes always being closed when I used flash. Of

[ ... ]

You should rarely need a flash to take good pictures of cats. You just risk
"green eye"

Actually -- for blue-eyed cats, you will get red-eye, and one of
ours (an all-white cat) has one blue eye and one green one, so I get one
of each. I've had the same thing with a previous all-white cat, and
noticed quite a few others which had the two colors of eyes.

and more importantly that the cat will learn to look away when
he/she sees the camera. They really don't like flash. I don't want them to
learn to not like the camera. Right now they are just curious enough about
it to look always directly into the lens.

Cats will hold very still and stare into the lens so even fairly long
exposures (like 1/8sec) on a tripod turn out well. Of course some will not
turn out. Cats stay still for pictures much better than children do, and
without a flash, you don't get the shadow.

I usually take a hand-held without flash. followed by one with,
so I get my choice of color and lighting -- within reason. Our cats
don't seem to pay much attention to the flash anyway.

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

Roger (K8RI) wrote:
With the digital cameras I've used over the past few years I had a
problem with my cat's eyes always being closed when I used flash.

Use a measuring flash well beforehand. Oh, and _indirect_
flash. If you need flash ...

As important IMHO: go down, flat on the ground, have the lens on
the same height as the cat. Do not look down at them.

-Wolfgang

PS: Cat eyes are very good reflectors. You can sometimes see
the photographer reflected in human eyes, and often in the
eye of a cat. Dress dark and/or treat the reflections in
post productions. Especially if you make large posters.

Wolfgang Weisselberg wrote:
Roger (K8RI) wrote:
With the digital cameras I've used over the past few years I had a
problem with my cat's eyes always being closed when I used flash.

Use a measuring flash well beforehand. Oh, and _indirect_
flash. If you need flash ...

As important IMHO: go down, flat on the ground, have the lens on
the same height as the cat. Do not look down at them.

Tell the cat to close its eyes, then open them again. Take the photo as
the cat is opening its eyes.

On Sun, 29 Oct 2006 19:49:21 -0500, "All_Thumbs"
wrote:

"Roger (K8RI)" wrote in message
.. .
With the digital cameras I've used over the past few years I had a
problem with my cat's eyes always being closed when I used flash. Of
course all of these cameras had the built in flash which was more than
adequate for most shooting. One handy aspect of these is the built in
sensing. When I look at the flash I see a single flash, but the cat
sees two and that is enough for the cat to close his eyes before the
flash goes off to take the photo.

I have one of the old Vivitar power house 285 flash guns and decided
to give it a try on the hot shoe. With this one you do have to
manually set the shutter and aperture but it'll give a good exposure
the length of a basketball court.

Set on reduced power using the settings given for the distance brings
sharp images and no closed eyes with the cats. OTOH you will get a
blink from the focus light if the camera uses one.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

Why use flash?

I can rarely get him to pose in well lighted areas.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

On Mon, 30 Oct 2006 02:18:12 GMT, "default"
wrote:

"Roger (K8RI)" wrote in message
.. .
With the digital cameras I've used over the past few years I had a
problem with my cat's eyes always being closed when I used flash. Of
course all of these cameras had the built in flash which was more than
adequate for most shooting. One handy aspect of these is the built in
sensing. When I look at the flash I see a single flash, but the cat
sees two and that is enough for the cat to close his eyes before the
flash goes off to take the photo.

I have one of the old Vivitar power house 285 flash guns and decided
to give it a try on the hot shoe. With this one you do have to
manually set the shutter and aperture but it'll give a good exposure
the length of a basketball court.

Set on reduced power using the settings given for the distance brings
sharp images and no closed eyes with the cats. OTOH you will get a
blink from the focus light if the camera uses one.

You should rarely need a flash to take good pictures of cats. You just risk
"green eye" and more importantly that the cat will learn to look away when
he/she sees the camera. They really don't like flash. I don't want them to
learn to not like the camera. Right now they are just curious enough about
it to look always directly into the lens.

Green eye has been no problem and he just ignores the camera.
http://www.rogerhalstead.com/cat_files/Streak6.htm and the idea is to
get down to the cat's level.

Cats will hold very still and stare into the lens so even fairly long
exposures (like 1/8sec) on a tripod turn out well. Of course some will not

Your cat is not related to my cat.:-))
If I used a slow shutter speed he'd be in my lap by the time the
shutter closed. It's a minimum of 1/250 without flash or 1/125 with.

turn out. Cats stay still for pictures much better than children do, and
without a flash, you don't get the shadow.

Without the flash I don't get this cat. OTOH in the middle of a yawn
his eyes are closed any way: I've posted the next two before.
http://www.rogerhalstead.com/laughing.htm

After (or before) taking the picture, drop your 18% grey card near where the
cat was sitting and take one more picture. You can use this to correct the
colour cast from your interior lights since you didn't use a flash to
overpower the room lights.

There just isn't enough light and setting up a tripod has two
problems. It gives the wrong angle of view unless it's a very short
tripod and by the time I'd get it he's already moved.. Sometimes he
ignores me and sometimes I think he's still asleep.
http://www.rogerhalstead.com/cat_files/Streak7.htm

One of his favorite games is "Grab and Bite", but it's difficult to
hold a camera out at arm's length, point it in the right spot and
shoot an image when a 17# cat has his paws wrapped around your other
wrist and has just chomped down on some vital part. Of course he's
purring while chewing and I wish I had a photo of that.

Streak is one big cat. He's over 17#, not fat, and several years ago
was over 40" toes to toes stretched out sleeping on the bed. I think
he's a tad longer now. I'm lucky he's friendly.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com