# Multi-Flash Hummingbirds



## z06-jim (Aug 24, 2009)

Haven't been around for a while and just starting to get interested in multi-flash photography so I thought I would post a couple shots I took recently of some Hummingbirds on my deck.
I'm still experimenting and don't have a clue what I'm doing yet but I'm really enjoying playing around with it. 
At the present time I'm using three Canon 580EXII flashes...two on stands as slaves and the other one on camera as the master flash...
The last photo shows my basic set-up...

_5DII....300 IS 2.8 w/ 1.4Ex @ 420mm....f/5.0....1/8000 s.....800 ISO....HSS Flash_


----------



## chammer (Aug 24, 2009)

absolutely stunning! great job! the sharpness and color are astounding.


----------



## Don Kondra (Aug 24, 2009)

Oh yes, I like this.... clarity, frozen wings/pose.  

Good work, #4 is my favorite. 

The bokeh on the first two I find a little distracting, just my personal taste 

Cheers, Don


----------



## JamesMason (Aug 25, 2009)

Nice, love 3&4


----------



## benlonghair (Aug 25, 2009)

Those are awesome. Does the 5DII really support flash synch at 1/8000??


----------



## DeadEye (Aug 25, 2009)

Nice work!!!  

  Nice set up.  Cross  lit strobist style and a WIMBERLEY mount  SWEET.


----------



## DeadEye (Aug 25, 2009)

benlonghair said:


> Those are awesome. Does the 5DII really support flash synch at 1/8000??



 He is using the focal plane mode on the flash, therefore the flash duration is around 1/200 long pulse the same amount of time the slit travels.

 I think only a 580 on camera can controll this type set up with canon but possibly with the new ttl wizards also.


----------



## Dao (Aug 25, 2009)

#4 is my favorite!


----------



## Village Idiot (Aug 25, 2009)

Not exactly beginner stuff.

Anyways, you may be better off shooting at 1/200 and exposing for the background and shooting at the lowest flash power possible. Here's the durations for the 580 at lower powers:

Manual at 1/128 power = 1/35,000 second +/- 25%
Manual at 1/64 power = 1/31,000 second +/- 25%
Manual at 1/32 power = 1/19,000 second +/- 25%
Manual at 1/16 power = 1/15,000 second +/- 25%

Much faster than the 1/8000 of the camera and would stop the motion of the wings, giving a clearer no blurred shot? Some guy did this with humming birds and it was picked up on Strobist.

Strobist: Winter Treat: Frozen Hummingbirds


----------



## z06-jim (Aug 25, 2009)

chammer said:


> absolutely stunning! great job! the sharpness and color are astounding.


Thanks much....:cheers:


----------



## Don Kondra (Aug 25, 2009)

Village Idiot said:


> Not exactly beginner stuff.
> 
> Strobist: Winter Treat: Frozen Hummingbirds


 
Interesting read, thank you.  

Not a big fan of the dark background although it does eliminate any distractions..

Cheers, Don


----------



## Village Idiot (Aug 25, 2009)

Don Kondra said:


> Village Idiot said:
> 
> 
> > Not exactly beginner stuff.
> ...


 
Easy fix. Expose your background to your liking then set your strobe's power to expose your subject.


----------



## choudhrysaab (Aug 25, 2009)

they all look good but #4 is my favorite as well 
everything about that picture is awesome.

btw thats a really nice patio


----------



## Don Kondra (Aug 25, 2009)

Village Idiot said:
			
		

> Easy fix. Expose your background to your liking then set your strobe's power to expose your subject.


 
Oh, I do understand that.  

It's just that my personal preference would be somewhere in the middle of z06-jim's shots 

A dark background doesn't do the subject justice and somehow "feels" unnatural... IMO 

Cheers, Don


----------



## z06-jim (Aug 25, 2009)

Don Kondra said:


> Oh yes, I like this.... clarity, frozen wings/pose.
> Good work, #4 is my favorite.
> The bokeh on the first two I find a little distracting, just my personal taste
> Cheers, Don


Much appreciated Don.....:cheers:...
I agree about the BG Bokeh in the first two myself....I've been experimenting with several different settings and techniques trying to come up with something decent....:scratch:

Don't have a clue about what I'm doing yet but sure is fun trying....


----------



## Derrel (Aug 25, 2009)

The colorful background in photo #2 makes it my favorite of all the shots.


----------



## Dagwood56 (Aug 25, 2009)

One word - WOW! I can't pick a favorite of the series because they are all just -WOW! ...my jaw is still dragging with astonishment.


----------



## z06-jim (Aug 25, 2009)

JamesMason said:


> Nice, love 3&4


 Thank you....:cheers:


----------



## z06-jim (Aug 25, 2009)

ethan007 said:


> hey i think this is awesome buddy you have done a nice job actually i am also interested in photography so will you please tell me which cameras are you using and which one i must buy thanks in advance!!!!!!!!!!
> Thank you.....:cheers:
> I was using my Canon 5DII camera & 300 IS 2.8 Lens w/ 1.4Extender along with three Canon 580EXII flashes....


----------



## z06-jim (Aug 25, 2009)

benlonghair said:


> Those are awesome. Does the 5DII really support flash synch at 1/8000??


Thanks.....:cheers:...
Yes the 5DII supports hss all the way up to the max 1/8000th it's capable of shooting....
There's really no special setting on the camera for it...I always shoot in manual mode for this set-up to be able to select what shutter, f/stop, and ISO combination I need depending on the ambient light conditions...
All I do is set the 580EXII's in _hss_ _mode, _choose which +/- flash exposure setting I want to use, and fire away....


----------



## Mturulski (Aug 25, 2009)

Wow! Very nice shots! However, I am now forced to hate you, for I have just deleted all of my hummingbird pics that i used to think were good.


----------



## z06-jim (Aug 25, 2009)

DeadEye said:


> Nice work!!!
> Nice set up. Cross lit strobist style and a WIMBERLEY mount SWEET.


Thanks...:cheers:....
I purchased the _'Wimberly II'_ and _'Gitzo GT5541LS'_ a couple weeks ago and absolutely love the combination....:thumbsup:


----------



## Derek Zoolander (Aug 25, 2009)

Awesome job Jim! The colors look great and you definitely froze the birds. Frame those pictures!


----------



## z06-jim (Aug 25, 2009)

Dao said:


> #4 is my favorite!


 
Thanks, I'm fond of that one myself....:cheers:


----------



## z06-jim (Aug 26, 2009)

:cheers:





Village Idiot said:


> Not exactly beginner stuff.
> Anyways, you may be better off shooting at 1/200 and exposing for the background and shooting at the lowest flash power possible. Here's the durations for the 580 at lower powers:
> Manual at 1/128 power = 1/35,000 second +/- 25%
> Manual at 1/64 power = 1/31,000 second +/- 25%
> ...


 
Thanks for taking the time to explain the flash settings & durations and the link.....:cheers:......I'll defiantly have to give this a try....:thumbsup:
It's all beginner stuff to me .....I got my first SLR this past Christmas, bought my three 580EXII flashes around the first of this month, and just started experimenting with using the multi-flash technique going on 2 weeks now ......


----------



## enufced904 (Aug 26, 2009)

I have yet to see a hummingbird.. gosh!  Beautiful pictures.


----------



## z06-jim (Aug 26, 2009)

choudhrysaab said:


> they all look good but #4 is my favorite as well
> everything about that picture is awesome.
> btw thats a really nice patio


Thanks, I appreciate your comments.....:cheers:


----------



## cjkriebel (Aug 26, 2009)

stunning "love it" Great job... i could go on and on.


----------



## Overread (Aug 26, 2009)

As other have said you have produced some great work already!
I'm most certainly looking forward to seeing more of your work


----------



## z06-jim (Aug 26, 2009)

Derrel said:


> The colorful background in photo #2 makes it my favorite of all the shots.


 Thanks Derrel.....:cheers:


----------



## z06-jim (Aug 26, 2009)

Dagwood56 said:


> One word - WOW! I can't pick a favorite of the series because they are all just -WOW! ...my jaw is still dragging with astonishment.


Thanks Carol, much appreciated.....:cheers:


----------



## z06-jim (Aug 26, 2009)

Mturulski said:


> Wow! Very nice shots! However, I am now forced to hate you, for I have just deleted all of my hummingbird pics that i used to think were good.


....Thanks.....:cheers:


----------



## EhJsNe (Aug 26, 2009)

Wow. Those are absolutely stunning. 

Those are millions times better than the couple of humming birds shots I was lucky enough to have....


----------



## z06-jim (Aug 26, 2009)

Derek Zoolander said:


> Awesome job Jim! The colors look great and you definitely froze the birds. Frame those pictures!


Thanks for the nice comments Dereck....:cheers:


----------



## z06-jim (Aug 26, 2009)

enufced904 said:


> I have yet to see a hummingbird.. gosh! Beautiful pictures.


Thank you....:cheers:


----------



## z06-jim (Aug 27, 2009)

cjkriebel said:


> stunning "love it" Great job... i could go on and on.


Much appreciated.....:cheers:


----------



## z06-jim (Aug 27, 2009)

Overread said:


> As other have said you have produced some great work already!
> I'm most certainly looking forward to seeing more of your work


Thank you very much...:cheers:....I'm planning on keeping at it until I get it right....


----------



## Overread (Aug 27, 2009)

I am shocked no one did this yet

Nominated: http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/tpf-photo-month/173252-august-photo-month-nomination-thread.html

It was hard to pick just one to enter


----------



## Lazy Photographer (Aug 27, 2009)

Second last one is amazing! I could look at it all night. Nice work.


----------



## z06-jim (Aug 28, 2009)

Overread said:


> I am shocked no one did this yet
> Nominated: http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/tpf-photo-month/173252-august-photo-month-nomination-thread.html
> It was hard to pick just one to enter


Wow, thank you very much for the nomination....:cheers:
I sure wasn't expecting this......


----------



## z06-jim (Aug 29, 2009)

EhJsNe said:


> Wow. Those are absolutely stunning.
> Those are millions times better than the couple of humming birds shots I was lucky enough to have....


I appreciate the nice comments.....:cheers:


----------

