By Matata Mercy
If you love photography and particularly you are interested in taking photos of birds out there in the wild, then you are actually in good company with me.
The colour and also the texture the bird's feathers does actually make it an appealing subject for photography.
All this becomes very exciting since these are subjects that will keep moving and they are seldom stationary.
But with more practice and patience, you will just enjoy the experience of taking photos of these feathered friends. Here are some tips that will help you to take great shots of the birds.
1. Get hold of the right Equipment
In order for you to be able to take great shots of these birds, you will need to get hold of the right equipment in your hands.
While engaging in bird photography, the most important equipment that you will need is actually a lens that has a very long focal length.
I might not be in position to tell you how long but it is important that the lens has a very long focal length.
The longer the focal length of the lens the better since it will provide maximum magnification. You should remember that the lens actually become very heavy when you climb up into the mountains.
For my case, i love using 70-300mm Zoom lens because it is very versatile and also since some them are actually light weight.
But you will be able to get images that are sharper with fixed focal length lens. I urge you to try out a 300mm or a 400 mm prime lens.
The extra weight of the hand lens will most likely make the images blur as a result of the handshake.
If you are working with a heavy lens then you should actually make use of the tripod or monopod since it will help you carry the weight of the lens.
If you do not want to make use of the tripod or monopod, then you will need a very fast shutter speed to compensate for the blurring of images out there.
2. Setting up your Camera
When doing bird photography, you will need to use shutter priority modes and also a faster shutter speed that will actually ensure that you are ready for any of the actions that may take place even if the bird is actuallty still at the moment.
You just never know when the bird might take flight and you truly would like to be ready when that happens.
Make use of a wide aperture just like f/2.8 or f/4 so that you can get a shallow depth of the field and this will help isolate the bird from it's background and will also pay great attention to the shape and colour of the bird.
If you would like to have great control over the shutter speed and aperture, then you will need to make use of the manual mode and also set the ISO mode to auto.
This will help the camera to decide which ISO is actually the best to balance the exposure.
3. Setting the Focus
The way that you will be able to focus on your subjects will most likely depend on the approach that you are taking and also the equipment that you actually have in your possesion.
Some of the lenses and also some of the cameras actually auto focus faster and are even more accurate than the others.
You will therefore need to experiment how fast your autofocus motor is actually able to move.
Since birds are moving objects, then you will need to change the autofocus to continous focus mode which is able to track the motion easily.
You might actually be able to get better results when you start focusing manually instead.
Your camera must be having an AF/MF switch. Switching to the maual focus will allow you to turn the focus ring on your lens so that you can be able to adjust it by hand.
This becomes very easy when your subject is still but it will take you alot of practice for you to be able to do this quickly so that you are able to lock the moving subject in.
4. Getting the shot at the subject
During the spring time, birds are normally very active and since seeds are beginning to get out of the ground and the bugs are everywhere, they will be feasting and this will be the perfect time for getting your shots most especially at the right location.
During the autumm time, they will be gathering food before the winter actually sets in.
These seasons are actually the best for you to be able to find the birds on the ground whether it is very early in the mornings or in the evenings, they will be there.
If you are lucky enough, you will be able to take some pictures of the birds while walking through a forest path but since these birds see us as predators, they will most likely flee when they hear your footsteps approaching.
The other alternative that you should find a location that the birds love and enjoy being in. Then you can hide yourself somewhere and start taking the pictures. You will need to be patient as you wait for the birds to come.
You can start by just photographing the birds that are residing in your own backyard.
You should ensure that your camera is ready with the right lens and also camera settings so that when the birds land on your yard, you are ready to take the shots.
You can also look for the birds in their natural habitats like the local forests, water ways and also the beaches.
You could also be able to discover some interesting species when you visit the zoo, bird sanctuaries and also some national parks out there. These birds in such places are used to the humans and will not likely run away.
5. Composition
You should make sure that you do not neglect your background, the background should be clean and also simple.
When there is too much clutter, it will most likely distract the attention from the subject in question.
You should use your perspective and also the point of veiw to be able to remove the unwanted backgrounds objects out of the frame and then you can choose a large aperture to blur them out easily.
6. Tips that will help when you are in the field
When you have a very good camouflage, the birds will most likely come near you.
You can cover your camera with a green or brown sweater so that it's strange colour is properly masked from the birds.
You should wear neutral clothing and ensure that you actually avoid bright colours. When you want to get closer to the birds, make sure that you do not approach them directly but instead move towards them in a zig-zag pattern.
You should keep very quiet and avoid making movements that are quick. Ensure that you turn off any beeps that might be made by your camera including the flash so that you do not scare away the bird and it ends up leaving just after your first shot.
If you have any other bird photography tips, you can add them in the comment section.
If you love photography and particularly you are interested in taking photos of birds out there in the wild, then you are actually in good company with me.
The colour and also the texture the bird's feathers does actually make it an appealing subject for photography.
All this becomes very exciting since these are subjects that will keep moving and they are seldom stationary.
But with more practice and patience, you will just enjoy the experience of taking photos of these feathered friends. Here are some tips that will help you to take great shots of the birds.
1. Get hold of the right Equipment
In order for you to be able to take great shots of these birds, you will need to get hold of the right equipment in your hands.
While engaging in bird photography, the most important equipment that you will need is actually a lens that has a very long focal length.
I might not be in position to tell you how long but it is important that the lens has a very long focal length.
The longer the focal length of the lens the better since it will provide maximum magnification. You should remember that the lens actually become very heavy when you climb up into the mountains.
For my case, i love using 70-300mm Zoom lens because it is very versatile and also since some them are actually light weight.
But you will be able to get images that are sharper with fixed focal length lens. I urge you to try out a 300mm or a 400 mm prime lens.
The extra weight of the hand lens will most likely make the images blur as a result of the handshake.
If you are working with a heavy lens then you should actually make use of the tripod or monopod since it will help you carry the weight of the lens.
If you do not want to make use of the tripod or monopod, then you will need a very fast shutter speed to compensate for the blurring of images out there.
2. Setting up your Camera
When doing bird photography, you will need to use shutter priority modes and also a faster shutter speed that will actually ensure that you are ready for any of the actions that may take place even if the bird is actuallty still at the moment.
You just never know when the bird might take flight and you truly would like to be ready when that happens.
Make use of a wide aperture just like f/2.8 or f/4 so that you can get a shallow depth of the field and this will help isolate the bird from it's background and will also pay great attention to the shape and colour of the bird.
If you would like to have great control over the shutter speed and aperture, then you will need to make use of the manual mode and also set the ISO mode to auto.
This will help the camera to decide which ISO is actually the best to balance the exposure.
3. Setting the Focus
The way that you will be able to focus on your subjects will most likely depend on the approach that you are taking and also the equipment that you actually have in your possesion.
Some of the lenses and also some of the cameras actually auto focus faster and are even more accurate than the others.
You will therefore need to experiment how fast your autofocus motor is actually able to move.
Since birds are moving objects, then you will need to change the autofocus to continous focus mode which is able to track the motion easily.
You might actually be able to get better results when you start focusing manually instead.
Your camera must be having an AF/MF switch. Switching to the maual focus will allow you to turn the focus ring on your lens so that you can be able to adjust it by hand.
This becomes very easy when your subject is still but it will take you alot of practice for you to be able to do this quickly so that you are able to lock the moving subject in.
4. Getting the shot at the subject
During the spring time, birds are normally very active and since seeds are beginning to get out of the ground and the bugs are everywhere, they will be feasting and this will be the perfect time for getting your shots most especially at the right location.
During the autumm time, they will be gathering food before the winter actually sets in.
These seasons are actually the best for you to be able to find the birds on the ground whether it is very early in the mornings or in the evenings, they will be there.
If you are lucky enough, you will be able to take some pictures of the birds while walking through a forest path but since these birds see us as predators, they will most likely flee when they hear your footsteps approaching.
The other alternative that you should find a location that the birds love and enjoy being in. Then you can hide yourself somewhere and start taking the pictures. You will need to be patient as you wait for the birds to come.
You can start by just photographing the birds that are residing in your own backyard.
You should ensure that your camera is ready with the right lens and also camera settings so that when the birds land on your yard, you are ready to take the shots.
You can also look for the birds in their natural habitats like the local forests, water ways and also the beaches.
You could also be able to discover some interesting species when you visit the zoo, bird sanctuaries and also some national parks out there. These birds in such places are used to the humans and will not likely run away.
5. Composition
You should make sure that you do not neglect your background, the background should be clean and also simple.
When there is too much clutter, it will most likely distract the attention from the subject in question.
You should use your perspective and also the point of veiw to be able to remove the unwanted backgrounds objects out of the frame and then you can choose a large aperture to blur them out easily.
6. Tips that will help when you are in the field
When you have a very good camouflage, the birds will most likely come near you.
You can cover your camera with a green or brown sweater so that it's strange colour is properly masked from the birds.
You should wear neutral clothing and ensure that you actually avoid bright colours. When you want to get closer to the birds, make sure that you do not approach them directly but instead move towards them in a zig-zag pattern.
You should keep very quiet and avoid making movements that are quick. Ensure that you turn off any beeps that might be made by your camera including the flash so that you do not scare away the bird and it ends up leaving just after your first shot.
If you have any other bird photography tips, you can add them in the comment section.
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