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Photo Forum / Digital Photography / DSLR Cameras / November 2006Cats and flash
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 > 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 [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > (N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair) > www.rogerhalstead.com Why use flash? >> 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 [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > >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 > 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 [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > 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. According to default <defaultname@hotmail.com>: > > 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 [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > 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.  SignatureEmail: <dnichols@d-and-d.com> | 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 --- >> 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 [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] >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 > 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 > 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. > 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 [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > 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 > 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!!!!!!!! >> 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 [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > >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 >>> 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. [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > (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 > 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. >> 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. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > 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. >>> 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 > 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. >> You are mixing up "cat woman" models with real life predators, >> who unlike dogs, do not come when you call --- cats have an [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Siamese, on the other hand, expect YOU to come when THEY call. So true. >> 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 >> 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 I had a Himalayan http://www.rogerhalstead.com/smoky.htm who thought he was a people. He minded better than most teenagers and understood about 20 words. He also knew which room in the house you were referring and would go to the specific room when told. I don't know how many times I woke on the couch to find him on my chest, nose on mine, looking into my eyes as they opened to see if any one was home. Streak OTOH http://www.rogerhalstead.com/Streak.htm is a cat. He may be smart, but he's still a cat although he hates dogs and is big enough to do something about it. I'm just lucky he's good natured or I'd lose more precious bodily fluids than I do now. >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.) As the old saying goes, the dog asks what it can do to help while the cat asks, "what's in it for me". However dogs are by instinct, pack animals while cats are solitary and territorial. That doesn't mean you won't see a pile of cats playing or sharing a warm spot. >Siamese, on the other hand, expect YOU to come when THEY call. Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member) (N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair) www.rogerhalstead.com 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 [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > 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 > 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 [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > 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. |
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