Cats and flash

On Mon, 30 Oct 2006 21:55:01 -0000, "Adrian Boliston"
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.

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

Likewise I set the flash manually. The big Vivitar doesn't seem to
bother him but he sure doesn't like the built in sensing flash.


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

"Roger (K8RI)" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 30 Oct 2006 02:18:12 GMT, "default"
wrote:

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

So Roger - which hand is the tip of that left fang
embedded in ??? :-)

mikey

"Roger (K8RI)" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 30 Oct 2006 21:55:01 -0000, "Adrian Boliston"
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.

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

Likewise I set the flash manually. The big Vivitar doesn't seem to
bother him but he sure doesn't like the built in sensing flash.


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

I had the same issue trying to take pictures of our
local hummingbird population - those suckers are
FAST - double flash to get the exposure then take
the pix - Nikon says almost imperceptible to see
the two ... hah !! first flash there is a humming bird
by the second *real* flash, nothing but the feeder
in the picture. (from hover to gone in the blink of
a flash). On the other hand, it was funny when I
took a picture of a Stellars Jay just outside the front
window getting a peanut - first flash startled him,
second real flash got him with his mouth open and
the nut about an inch away as he dropped it. Only
thing that worked for the hummers was to set the
flash to manual for the correct distance and shoot
when they showed up - single flash then instead of
the double (you can go wireless and put the flash
close to the feeder on low power for faster flash
speed -- 1/2000 can't stop those wings!)

mikey

Roger (K8RI) skrev:

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.

This has reported as a problem with toddlers and small children too,
for cameras with a longish time lapse between pre-flash and main flash,
as the KM dSLR:s.

If the conditions are tricky for entirely manual flash - for example if
the cat is moving with towards the camera, shrinking the distance to
the flash faster than you can adjust it- a flash with a
camera-independent auto function, such as Nikon's old SB24-28 series,
might do the trick better. I have an SB24 for my Panasonic FZ20, and
while the auto function isn't foolproof, it's mostly quite good.

Jan Böhme

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. 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.

Try putting a little tuna fish oil near where you want him to sit. He
won't close his eyes, even with the flash. OTOH, all you might get is a
picture of his butt.

Roger (K8RI) wrote:


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.

Sounds like a Ragdoll or Maine Coon.

Cynicor j wrote:
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.

You are mixing up "cat woman" models with real life predators,
who unlike dogs, do not come when you call --- cats have an
answering machine.

It's better to wait and anticipate and then press the button.

Oh, and the cats I know are _not_ bothered by the flash ...

-Wolfgang

Wolfgang Weisselberg wrote:


You are mixing up "cat woman" models with real life predators,
who unlike dogs, do not come when you call --- cats have an
answering machine.


Depends on your breed of cat. A Ragdoll will not only come when you
call, it will fetch, do tricks, and even run for help if it finds
someone who is disabled or trapped. (They seem to think they are
reincarnations of Lassie -- unlike most cats which, upon finding
someone disabled and helpless, will probably go through his pockets
looking for food.)

Siamese, on the other hand, expect YOU to come when THEY call.

"cjcampbell" wrote in message
oups.com...

Wolfgang Weisselberg wrote:


You are mixing up "cat woman" models with real life predators,
who unlike dogs, do not come when you call --- cats have an
answering machine.


Depends on your breed of cat. A Ragdoll will not only come when you
call, it will fetch, do tricks, and even run for help if it finds
someone who is disabled or trapped. (They seem to think they are
reincarnations of Lassie -- unlike most cats which, upon finding
someone disabled and helpless, will probably go through his pockets
looking for food.)

Siamese, on the other hand, expect YOU to come when THEY call.


So true.

cjcampbell wrote:
Wolfgang Weisselberg wrote:

You are mixing up "cat woman" models with real life predators,
who unlike dogs, do not come when you call --- cats have an
answering machine.

Depends on your breed of cat. A Ragdoll will not only come when you
call, it will fetch, do tricks, and even run for help if it finds
someone who is disabled or trapped. (They seem to think they are
reincarnations of Lassie -- unlike most cats which, upon finding
someone disabled and helpless, will probably go through his pockets
looking for food.)

Siamese, on the other hand, expect YOU to come when THEY call.

According to my observations it's basically different from cat
to cat, no matter if it's some breed or just a "plain" moggy,
though of course you may find more of one kind in one breed than
in another.

I know a very gentle, yet full of energy cat that'll come
and help you should you hurt inside. It's a standard garden
variety moggy, a european short hair.

Follow-up to poster, since we are getting off topic.

-Wolfgang