Lens camouflage?

[KeithB]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I was shooting hummingbirds yesterday with my 430EXII flash, and I *think* the IR focus assist light startled them. If you are using a flash, another thing to look out for.

[Frank Kolwicz]

Hi, Keith,

I've noticed that the common North American hummers get used to the flash pretty quickly: they'll flinch and flee from the first one or two flashes, but the reaction decreases quickly and eventually they completely disregard it. The same thing happens in response to the sound of the shutter, if you are close by.

It's been a while since I've used flash for birds or anything else, but I recall other species also having similar reactions when I photographed at a feeding area where they would return after a disturbance.

[KeithB]

They were startled *before* the flash, I think it was the IR assist.

[Frank Kolwicz]

Keith,

That's quite possible. I remember seeing Ruby Throats evading crossed IR beams set up to photograph them automatically as they approached a feeder. A professor at the Itasca Field Station where I was taking a course used the setup to demo the process, but the birds would suddenly veer under the IR beams which were a foot or two in front of the feeder.

Frank

They were startled *before* the flash, I think it was the IR assist.

[Frank Kolwicz]

It turns out that there is something to camouflage lenses, it just isn't suitable for high-resolution photography: I have a pair of hunter's sun glasses that are printed with a camouflage pattern of dots that effectively reduces reflections from the surface. The "but" is that you can see the dots, so, of course they would seriously degrade a photo, although after wearing the lenses for a while the viewer's effect diminishes.

They probably wouldn't affect an optical sight, but I can't imagine using them with open sights.

[Frank Kolwicz]

Vehicle - NOT!