Bird Photography Tips
Photographing birds in the wild is notoriously difficult. Not only are most species
small, meaning you need to get close to fill the frame even with a powerful telephoto
lens, but their senses are also highly tuned and they are very timid, making this
task all the trickier.
Back Yard Birds
An easy way around this problem is to concentrate on the species that visit your
back yard. Robins, blackbirds, thrushes, sparrows, blue tits and starlings are the
most
common, but if you have large trees in your garden you may also see magpies, jays,
jackdaws, even the odd woodpecker or two. To attract plenty of birds into your garden
put food out on a regular basis. If you scatter food on the ground close to your
house you may be able to take successful pictures by hiding behind the curtains
and poking your lens through an open window. A good bird photography tip is to erect
some kind of perch from an old branch driven into the ground. That way you can hide
morsels of food out of sight so they do not appear in the picture, and the birds
will be on your level, giving more pleasing results.
Remote Photography
If you do not have a long enough lens to fill the frame with the bird from a distance
— a 200 mm or 300 mm lens will be required — you can have a go at remote photography.
This involves mounting your camera on a tripod close to the perch, focusing on it,
setting the exposure controls, then tripping the shutter from a distance using a
long cable or air release. Covering the camera with a sack or sheet or drab canvas
will disguise it and dampen the noise of the shutter, as well as protecting it from
any little presents the birds leave behind if they decide to use it as an impromptu
perch!
Expanding your horizons
As a nation of animal lovers it is natural that at some stage you will want to try
photographing the wonders of mother nature, not least the many species of birds
and beasties that inhabit your local country side. The path you follow will mainly
depend upon how interested you are in nature and the amount of time at your disposal.
True nature photography demands much knowledge and patience, because wild animals
are not renowned for being co-operative when it comes to posing for enthusiastic
photographers. But if you do not fancy the idea of spending many hours waiting silently
in a hide for a fox or badger to make an appearance, there are other options open
to you. Family pets make fascinating subjects, and are by far the most accessible
animals. Or a visit to your local zoo will give you the opportunity to capture all
sorts of species, from the common to the exotic, in a controlled environment that
makes life much easier for the photographer.
Here at Bird Photography Tips we hope you’ve enjoyed this article on bird photography.
Why not try one of our other Photography Tips article. Check the menu down the left
of this page.