Flash photography and wildlife

[DanJeffery]

I have seen the recent thread on flash photography being detrimental to birds at night. Something I have been wondering about is whether flash photography is likely to be harmful to wildlife in the daytime?

I must admit initially it never occured to me to use flash for wildlife - I assumed it would be distressing to the animals. But I have often read about flash being used.

What are people's thoughts?

Thank you

[Tobyh]

I can't see a situation where flash during day would be detrimental. Any subjects out during the day will (I guess) not have overly sensitive eyes to bright lights and will be more than used to the brightness of a full sunny day without any harm.

Unless you literally shoved the flash right up close to something's eyes I cannot see this being a problem.

Interested to hear other opinions.

TobyH

[Maccattack1]

Flash I think can be disturbing just from observing animals behaviour when being tracked down ,especially by severall photographers...usually at very popular sites . If you use modest flash settings eg: minus 1-2 stops just for a bit of fill or to create catchlights ,and you respect the wildlife I don't feel most animals would become stressed.
Too much flash and you end up with a bad picture anyway.

Malcolm

[DanJeffery]

Thank you.

[ron1863]

I don't use it myself but I know that a good few members do. If the flash was harmful to the birds then I am fairly positive that these members would never use it.

[Ollie]

I occasionally use flash for bird photography in daylight winter conditions when it is dull and overcast. I have never seen any reaction to the flash from any of the birds that I have photographed and as mentioned by Malcom earlier in the thread I generally have the flash exposure compensation set to at least - 2/3rds of a stop sometimes more.

Again Malcom is right in saying that too much flash will only give you a bad photo anyway. If you can tell the photo has been taken using flash without looking at the exif details then the flash in my opinion has been overdone.

I have photographed birds from my bedroom window in winter using flash and although I am pretty close to them they don't take flight or even flinch at the flash often staying perched to allow several shots as they do without using flash.

As for insects, most of you that are regular on here will know that I use flash for my macro insect photography even on bright days. I always use a diffuser and again the flash is set to - compensation and this coupled with the diffuser I think does no harm to the insect in any way. I certainly seem to be able to get several shots often from differing angles of the same insect before it decides to move off and if the flash was having any adverse effect on the insects I think they would take flight much sooner.

If I thought by using flash that I was compromising any bird or insects well being then I would certainly not use it.

[Maccattack1]

further on this subject-well worth reading jonners thread on night flash,this makes sense as the flashgun will probably fire at full power at night ,nocturnal birds obviously have highly sensitive retinas and there is no time for the bird to adjust to the powerful flash ,still think careful use in the day is ok tho

Malcolm

[cosmicma]

so what happens in a lightning storm ?

i would have thought this act of nature would climatise birds/animals/insects to sudden flashes