3 ways to use flash to capture sharper bird photos at faster shutter speeds

 

 

It’s difficult to capture sharp images of birds for a number of reasons. They are a fast, small subject, for starters, which means you typically need a long lens and a fast-shooting camera with strong autofocus capabilities. Being quick, it is also often the case that you need a fast shutter speed to capture a sharp shot. Photographer Tim Boyer has a new video showcasing how you can use flash to capture sharper bird photos.

In the video below, Boyer shows three ways you can utilize fill flash to capture more detailed bird images. First, you will want to ensure your flash is set to its high-speed sync mode and that your camera is set to manual mode. This will allow you to shoot at fast shutter speeds, perhaps as fast as 1/4,000s or 1/8,000s and still benefit from the flash. You might be thinking that your flash isn’t powerful enough to photograph a distant subject with a fast shutter speed. There’s where a flash extender comes into play. If the birds are close, you don’t want a flash extender but instead want to diffuse your light to make it softer. To see how to use these accessories and view example images, watch Boyer’s video below.

(Via Tim Boyer Photography)