Advantages of a Ring Flash

Ring flashes are made for macro photography. They are not designed to be powerful enough to provide lighting on subjects many feet from the camera. Instead, they are intended to be used close to small subjects. When I use a 50mm macro lens, for example, the camera is typically 4 or 5 inches from the subject. This means the flash output doesn’t have to be as bright compared to using a typical on-camera portable flash.

When doing macro photography, there are two options for lighting: natural light, either diffused or direct sunlight; continuous LED light; and flash.

If you opt for ambient light outdoors, the pic-

PANTANAL PHOTO TOUR

October 30 to Nov. 7, 2021

Jaguars in the wild Exotic birds in flight Caiman Giant river otters

tures will look natural. You don’t have to carry extra gear, and there are less technical considerations.

The LED continuous light brightens a subject considerably. Many macro subjects tend to be in darkened circumstances such as deep shade on the forest floor. The additional light helps you see the subject well, it helps you manually focus with accuracy, and it means you can use a smaller lens aperture for depth of field.

If you opt for flash photography, there are again three options. You can use a typical portable flash, you can choose a twin flash macro setup, or you can use a ring flash.

The problem with the normal on-camera flash is that it sits on the top of the camera, several inches above a small subject. The light skims

UPCOMING PHOTO WORKSHOPS

Carnival in Venice workshop

Photograph outrageous costumes in a medieval environment! Incredible colors, design, and creativity in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Learn how to use off-camera flash, photograph models in sumptuous interiors, produce great images at night, and all the while enjoying Italian cuisine. This is a workshop not to be missed.

February 18-25, 2022

Frog & Reptile Workshop

This is a macro workshop to photograph beautiful, colorful, and intriguing frogs and exotic reptiles. Learn how to use flash with closeup work, how to use extension tubes, and how to take perfect exposures. Held indoors in a hotel conference room in St. Louis.

January 22 - 23, 2022

Winter Wildlife Workshop

Stunning pictures of North American animals including wolves, red foxes, arctic foxes, mountain lions, Canada lynx, and more. The animals will be in their winter coats and very beautiful. This is based in Kalispell, Montana.

February 2 - 5, 2022

across the top of the subject which illuminates the dorsal side (if it’s animal or insect) but leaves the ventral side in deep shadow or possibly black.

The twin flash macro setup is, in my opinion, the second best choice. It’s good because the two small flash units can be rotated around a circular support to provide illumination from various angles, you can set up a light ratio, and the flash units provide even illumination on the small subject.

A ring flash is more compact than the twin flash setup, and it also provides the softest possible light for macro work providing you are physically close to the subject. That’s why I use the ring flash with a 50mm macro lens. It forces me to work very closely with the insects, reptiles, frogs, or other small subjects. The close proximity of the flash means the light is shadowless and diffused. Look at the light on the velvet ant on page 13. I took this with a ring flash and yet it looks like soft daylight from an overcast sky.

Using a flash close to the subject means there is enough light to shoot with the smallest lens aperture, typically f/32, for excellent depth of field. An LED light doesn’t have

near the kind of power output you need for complete depth of field (unless you raise the ISO extremely high).

The primary disadvantage of the twin flash macro setup is that the flash units stick out to either side of the camera and as you move in close to a subject, such as a frog or insect in a jumble of leaves or flower petals, the flashes might be blocked by some part of the vegetation.

If you want directional lighting, such as side or three quarter light, its a simple matter to detach the ring flash from the macro lens and hold it to the side of the subject. Actually, you can move it around until you like the angle of light.

In the picture of the green tree python, below, I held the ring flash below and in front of the snake. And for the juvenile alligator, above, photographed during one of my frog and reptile worksops now held in Kansas City, I held the ring flash to my left and in front of the gator.

So, even though ring flashes produce ultra soft light, they can also be used for dramatic side light as well. §

W i n t e r W i l d l i f e Workshop

February 2 - 5, 2022

Based in Kalispell, Montana