Illuminate the Wild: Mastering Off-Camera Flash for Stunning Nature Shots

Nature, by its intrinsic nature, is erratic – at times I even sense it’s downright playful. You’ve undoubtedly witnessed this firsthand: The core of photography, the illumination, is also photography’s toughest obstacle. Sometimes there’s insufficient light, other times there’s an excess, and occasionally it can be utterly mundane. There may not be an ideal remedy to challenging light, yet off-camera flashes can frequently help you manage it quite resourcefully.

You might be acquainted with harsh images captured with a flash – whether from a compact camera or a more advanced camera featuring a pop-up flash. Subjects in such images tend to be illuminated uniformly and unexcitingly. And we shouldn’t overlook the vampire-like red eye (if photographing people) or the cold gray eye (if capturing birds) caused by flash reflecting off the retina.

This conundrum prompted me several years ago to explore off-camera flash techniques. I previously authored an article on utilizing off-camera flash for portraits (“Free the Light – Use Off-Camera Flash!”) – and today, I’m keen to explore off-camera flash in the context of nature photography. Just as in the past article, the flash here will serve as an additional light source to complement the existing natural light.

If you are a novice to flash photography, you might also consider reviewing our flash photography introduction prior to delving into the upcoming article.

Camera Settings

For obtaining reliable and uniform outcomes, it is crucial to venture into fully manual exposure configurations. The three components of the triangle – aperture, shutter velocity, and ISO – are preferably set manually when utilizing a flash. Here’s a conceptual framework to initiate your process:

1. Aperture

Select a value that aligns with your depth-of-field preferences. Alongside its artistic influence, aperture also regulates the quantity of light that reaches the sensor – your selection of aperture is significant concerning both natural and flash light. (Shutter speed, as you’ll discover below, has a slightly different role.)

2. Shutter Speed

Your selected shutter speed will capture varying amounts of natural light, which is to be expected. However, it will not influence how much illumination from the flash is incorporated into your image. The duration of the flash is simply too brief – it might fire for an astonishing 1/10,000 second or even quicker. Therefore, shutter speed serves as an excellent instrument to regulate the relative effects of natural light compared to flash illumination in your composition.

With nearly all contemporary cameras, the maximum shutter speed you can achieve is restricted to around 1/200 or 1/250 seconds when employing flash. A select few cameras do not have such constraints (like the Sony a9 III, which possesses a global shutter, or the Hasselblad X2D utilizing leaf-shutter lenses). If conditions are particularly bright, and you aim to utilize a swifter shutter speed with most cameras, you still have alternatives. You can engage high-speed sync (at the cost of diminished flash power) or apply an ND filter, for example.

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When photographing a moving subject, I suggest utilizing your quickest sync speed, such as 1/250 second, to reduce motion blur caused by surrounding light. Although the flash can effectively freeze motion to a degree, blur may still materialize if the brightness of the ambient light is near that of the flash.

The sole instance where you can entirely disregard motion blur is when the flash serves as the exclusive light source – this is due to the fact that flash durations usually are significantly shorter than 1/250 second. For instance, with the Nikon SB-910, the duration spans from 1/880s (at maximum power) to 1/38,500s (at minimal power).

3. ISO

There’s nothing particularly novel regarding ISO when it comes to flash photography. Increasing ISO brightens the image, affecting both the natural light segments and the areas illuminated by the flash.

My standard advice is to adjust the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO that you wish for the foundational exposure of your photograph. Then, manage the flash independently as a method to further emphasize vital details in the image.

Frequently, I will intentionally underexpose this foundational exposure by about 1 stop by slightly reducing my ISO. This way, the flash will not overexpose any details. (If you cannot decrease the ISO further for underexposure, consider using a faster shutter speed or an ND filter.)

On other occasions, my focus may be to illuminate shadows instead (see the instance of ferns towards the conclusion of this article). In such scenarios, your foundational exposure ought not to be underexposed – you’ll simply expose as usual, ensuring
“`that you have not overexposed any highlights in the image. Under bright lighting, you might face a limitation due to your base ISO and the 1/250 shutter speed cap, leading to potential overexposure. In such situations, you might have to apply an ND filter or opt for a narrower aperture than intended.

Activating the Flash

When utilizing off-camera flash, you should determine your preferred method for triggering and managing the flash(es). Typically, flashes are mounted to a camera’s hot shoe, which instinctively starts and synchronizes their output. However, this is not applicable for an off-camera flash. Essentially, there are three methods to operate off-camera flashes: through cable, from another flash, or utilizing a radio trigger.

1. Through Cable

For uncomplicated arrangements where you are grasping the camera in one hand and the flash in the other, an off-camera TTL flash cable is perfect. It conveys all data (including TTL) between the camera and the flash as if the flash were affixed to the camera. Alternatively, you could use a sync cord. These are available in lengths up to 10 meters. Ensure that you select cables that are compatible with both your camera and flash.

2. From Another Flash

Numerous flashes can be activated optically. This means they ignite whenever they sense another flash firing in proximity. If you happen to own a DSLR with a pop-up flash, this can serve as a very practical method to trigger an off-camera flash (for Nikon users, there’s additional information on this in our article Beginner’s Guide to the Nikon Creative Lighting System).

However, based on my experience, the effectiveness of this technique varies. Triggering with another flash tends to work well indoors, but it can become exasperating outdoors, particularly in bright sunlight.

3. Utilizing Radio Trigger

As the saying goes, save the finest for last. Nowadays, you can operate entirely wirelessly by utilizing a radio trigger to activate an off-camera flash. The gap between the camera and the flash can extend to hundreds of meters, and the flash can even be concealed behind a rock or a tree (unlike the prior method). Glare from sunlight does not compromise dependability either. If you possess older flashes (such as Nikon SB-800, SB-900), you will require both a radio transmitter (for the hot shoe of the camera) and a receiver (for the flash). Many contemporary flashes now come with built-in receivers, so you would only need to purchase a compatible transmitter.

Flash Configurations and Adjustments

The majoritymodern strobes offer an automatic or “TTL” (through the lens) functionality. This setting can be incredibly handy when rapidly shifting between various subject types, although I often notice the need for flash exposure compensation to accurately achieve the desired lighting.

If your subject remains stable, I suggest utilizing manual configurations instead. It’s quite straightforward. Flash intensity is often adjustable in numerous increments, from full blast (1/1) to minimal emission (like 1/128). Begin around the mid-range, at 1/16 power, and then modify it depending on the context. Don’t forget that you can also adjust the light’s brightness by moving it closer to or further away from your subject!

For a more organic appearance, employing different light modifiers is advisable. Personally, I carry a basic collapsible softbox in my kit. It occupies little space, is lightweight, and effectively softens the harsh shadows prevalent with bare flash.

Another essential flash modifier is the gel filter. These filters are affixed before the flash, allowing you to alter the hue of the light emitted from your flash. This is frequently used to harmonize the flash’s color temperature with the surrounding light, like applying a warming filter during dusk. You can also utilize a gel filter to introduce unexpected hues into your images, such as red or blue, for artistic effects.

If you frequently utilize flash gels, it’s worthwhile to invest a little more in a sturdy plastic clip-on variant. I find this version more user-friendly and more durable.

Positioning the Flash and Illuminating the Scene

Here is where the artistic aspect commences, and where the enjoyment begins for me.

It’s feasible to grip an off-camera flash in one hand while shooting with your camera in the other. For macro photography, this might be all you require to illuminate from a distinctly different perspective. You may soon find yourself mastering previously unknown yoga poses if you often engage in this practice.

If you feel uncertain about your flexibility, you can recruit a cooperative partner, whether that be your partner, a friend, or a bystander. Naturally, a tripod or light stand serves as a dependable assistant, provided you have an adapter to attach the flash. In wooded areas, where branches are plentiful, a compact tripod with adaptable legs can also be beneficial.

In addition to merely the light’s direction, try experimenting with its height and angle in relation to the camera. The distance between the flash and your subject is also vital – it influences not only the light’s intensity but also its softness or harshness.

Furthermore, there is the essential aspect of balancing ambient light with flash light. The more you reduce the exposure of the ambient light, the more noticeable your flash-lit subject becomes. Conversely, if your intention is simply to illuminate shadows, your objective may involve a low flash intensity that hardly appears like flash was utilized at all.

Finally, if you find yourself relishing the use of off-camera flash, there’s no need to confine yourself to just a single light source.It’s feasible to trigger several flashes at once. During prolonged exposures, you can even deploy a single flash repeatedly to illuminate various spots. The concept is akin to utilizing a flashlight.

As I’ve attempted to illustrate throughout this article, even within the raw wilderness, you need not passively accept the illumination offered by nature. On the contrary, the fusion of natural light with artificial light can yield incredibly enchanting outcomes. You also embody the very core of photography – painting with light.

Now that you feel motivated to employ off-camera flash, I wish you excellent natural light as well as effective flash light! And naturally, I would be delighted if you could share your triumphs and difficulties with me in the comments section beneath the article.