How do you photograph birds? You might be thinking that it’s easy, but it can actually be pretty challenging.
Birds are fast and they move around a lot. There are also so many different types of birds out there!
The key to capturing great photos of birds is to have a lot of patience and practice; these 17 tips will help you get started:
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Bird photography can be a challenging but rewarding hobby. |
| To capture stunning bird photos, it’s important to use the right equipment. |
| Understanding your camera settings and the bird’s behavior can help you capture better images. |
| Lighting is key to good bird photography, so try to capture images during the golden hour or in diffused light. |
| Practice and patience are key to becoming a skilled bird photographer. |
Set Your Camera To Shutter Priority
If you want to capture birds in their natural habitats, it’s important to understand how shutter speed and aperture work together.
Your camera has a shutter priority mode that allows you to set the shutter speed without altering any other settings.
When shooting wildlife or birds in flight, it is helpful to have a fast enough shutter speed so that they don’t appear blurry.
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Use “Back Button” Autofocus
Another way to focus on a bird’s eye is by using “back button” autofocus. This is a technique where you focus on the bird when it’s in frame, then take your thumb off of the shutter release button so that it stays in focus while you’re shooting.
If you want more detail on this technique, check out our article on Getting Sharp Shots With Back Button Autofocus.
Shoot In Raw
RAW is the best format to shoot in because it gives you a lot more flexibility when editing your photos. JPEGs are compressed files, so they don’t have as much data and can’t be edited as easily.
If you don’t know how to edit photos, this doesn’t matter much to you—but if you want to learn how to edit your bird pictures, start by learning how to shoot in RAW!
In order for your camera to shoot in RAW mode (if it even has that option), there are some steps involved:
- Go through all your settings and turn off things like auto-focus and autofocus tracking
- Set up your camera so that it shoots everything manually; this includes setting aperture, shutter speed and ISO manually too
- Set focus on infinity (∞) or hyperfocal distance; these modes allow for focus lock when shooting longer distances from the subject
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Underexpose Your Image Slightly
I know what it’s like to be stuck in a rut. You think you’re on the right track with your bird photography, but it just isn’t happening. You feel like the light is just never right and you can’t seem to get those shots that are truly beautiful.
Well, guess what? There’s an easy solution! It’s called underexposing your image slightly. Sounds weird, right? But it does work! And I’m going to show you how this works today so that next time you go out for some bird photography fun, your images will be gorgeous!
To start with we’ll need some pictures of birds flying over green fields and trees in blue skies with puffy clouds overhead (you can find these at any park). Then take any one of these pictures and open up in your favorite editing software (I use GIMP).
Tips for Underexposing Your Image Slightly
| Steps | Description |
|---|---|
| 1. Adjust the exposure | Start by adjusting the camera exposure settings until the image appears slightly darker than what you want to capture. |
| 2. Use exposure compensation | If your camera has an exposure compensation feature, use it to underexpose your image by a small amount. This can help you capture more detail and contrast in the image. |
| 3. Evaluate the results | Take a test shot and evaluate the results. If the image is still too bright, adjust the exposure or compensation setting slightly and try again. |
| 4. Pay attention to the light | Shooting in low light conditions can also make it easier to underexpose your image slightly without losing detail in dark areas. |
| 5. Experiment with editing | You can also experiment with underexposing your image during editing to achieve the desired effect. This can be especially useful if you were unable to capture the image as you wanted in-camera. |
Use The Right Teleconverter, If Needed
When you are using a teleconverter, you will notice that the magnification of your lens increases. This means that if you are using a 100mm macro lens with a 1.4x or 2x teleconverter attached, your effective focal length will be 140mm or 200mm respectively.
In other words, this makes it easier to capture birds in flight and also creates more opportunities for taking pictures from afar.
Here’s an example: Let’s say that you have an image stabilized 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom lens attached to your camera body (100-300mm) when photographing wildlife subjects such as birds at times when they are active during daylight hours but usually hidden from view due to their nocturnal habits – making them hard targets for photographers looking for great shots!
If this happens often enough then using one of these two popular options may become necessary because both can increase the amount of light reaching the sensor by quite large amounts – so much so that slower shutter speeds can be used without sacrificing image quality too much (which may happen if too fast).
This would give us greater flexibility when shooting at night under low light conditions – perfect!
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Raise Your Iso Setting
You can also use the ISO setting on your camera to brighten up your photos. If you have a low-light situation and want to get a good shot in less time, raising the ISO is one easy way to do it.
The higher you set your ISO, however, the more noise (graininess) will appear in your image and may ruin what would otherwise be an awesome picture!
Tips for Raising Your ISO Setting
| Steps | Description |
|---|---|
| 1. Assess the light conditions | Start by assessing the level of light available in your shooting situation. If the light is low or you’re shooting indoors without a flash, you may need to raise your ISO setting to capture sharp, well-exposed images. |
| 2. Adjust your camera’s ISO setting | Check your camera manual to learn how to adjust the ISO setting. Increase it incrementally until you can achieve the exposure you want. Be aware that higher ISO settings can introduce noise or graininess, so you’ll want to strike a balance between exposure and noise. |
| 3. Experiment with different settings | Try experimenting with different ISO settings in different lighting conditions to get a feel for what works best for your style of photography. You may need to adjust your shutter speed and aperture settings to maintain the desired depth of field and motion blur. |
| 4. Use post-processing to reduce noise | If your images appear too noisy or grainy after you’ve raised the ISO setting, experiment with post-processing to reduce noise. Many image editing programs have noise reduction tools that can help you achieve a cleaner final image. |
| 5. Be mindful of the tradeoffs | While raising your ISO setting can help you achieve better exposure in low light, it can also introduce noise or graininess into your images. Be mindful of this tradeoff and experiment with different approaches to find the best balance for your needs. |
Focus Manually On The Bird’s Eye, Not The Beak
When you’re taking photos of birds, it’s easy to focus on the beak and the bird’s eyes at the same time. But they aren’t one in the same; The eye is where color is and the beak is not.
If you focus on both at once, your images will look muddy you’ll have a lot of gray wherever there isn’t a red or blue eye or yellow-orange beak. Instead, try focusing on just one thing: either their eye or their beak but not both!
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Keep A Lookout For The Light
The time of day you shoot can make or break your photo. If you’re shooting during the middle of the day, you’ll find that your images are washed out and full of harsh light.
There is no pleasing your subject when they’re sitting in front of a blank wall! Instead, try to look for shooting times that offer some shade so as not to ruin the overall image with glare from sunlight.
The earlier in the morning (or later in the evening) that you go out for bird photography, the better—you’ll get better shots because there will be less light pollution obscuring your view and more birds available for viewing at those times.
Shoot In Continuous Focus Mode
When you’re using a long telephoto lens, getting sharp images can be more challenging. If your camera has a continuous focus mode and you’re shooting in low light or against the sun, this is where it comes in handy.
In order to take advantage of this feature, set your autofocus mode to continuous and choose an autofocus point that’s a little farther out than what you think will be the bird’s final distance from you.
If necessary, use manual focus as well (focus on something else close by).
If your camera has Eye AF or Face Tracking AF modes, those are also great for birds because they’ll automatically follow them around as they fly—and even if they land briefly before flying off again!
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Use The Right Settings For Bif (Birds In Flight) Photography
Although it might seem like the perfect opportunity to get in touch with your inner Steven Spielberg, bird photography can be a challenging art form. Luckily, there are plenty of things you can do to capture great shots without having to get up at 3:00 am every morning.
The first thing you should know is that birds love flying around in flocks. This makes them easier targets for photographers because they’re all going in the same direction and will often fly right over your head (and into your lens).
If you want to take advantage of this behavior, make sure that both yourself and your camera are ready when they come along.
You’ll also want a telephoto lens so that you can zoom in on all those feathers as they fly past at incredible speeds—but don’t forget about lenses with wide open apertures! This will allow more light into the camera so it’s easier for it take great shots even when there isn’t much natural light around.(#)
Get Down Low To Shoot Up At Birds
If you want to make your subject look big, get down low. This is especially true for birds in flight. The bird will appear larger and more impressive if you shoot from a lower angle (think: crouching or lying flat on the ground).
Shooting from below also gives you a better chance of getting the bird in focus—it’s much easier to get a sharp image when zooming with your telephoto lens than it is to snap off shots using a wide-angle lens while standing up straight.
Listen For Birds Before You See Them, And Take Note Of How They Sound
To help you get started, it’s important to listen for birds before you see them. The best way to do this is by listening to their calls and learning what they mean.
For example, if a flock of geese fly overhead on the way south, they may be calling out “follow me!” in order to direct other geese in their path towards warmer weather.
If a group of crows screech from above your head, they might be announcing that an owl has been spotted nearby and that the other crows should keep an eye out for it or risk becoming its next snack!
You can also use this knowledge about bird behavior to predict where birds will be at certain times of year
For example: when migrating season begins, listen for flocks overhead calling out directions so that other birds can follow suit; once nesting season begins (and depending on where you live), these same species may also begin making nests in trees close by so as not too far away from each other because they need more time together during this time.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this article has given you some great bird photography tips that will help you capture the birds in your backyard.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with different settings on your camera, and remember that getting close is always better than getting far away. You never know when a new opportunity may arise!
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources that can help you enhance your bird photography skills:
Bird Photography Tips: Check out this article for tips on bird photography, including equipment and settings to use, finding the right light, and more.
How to Photograph Birds: This article shares tips and tricks for photographing birds in various situations, including shooting in flight, capturing motion, and more.
20 Tips for Bird Photography: This guide covers a wide range of tips for bird photography, including selecting the right gear, choosing the best settings, and techniques for capturing stunning images.
FAQs
How can I improve my bird photography skills?
Improving your bird photography skills can involve a few different things, such as mastering your camera settings, using the right equipment, and finding the best lighting. You can also try focusing on capturing the bird’s unique behaviors or trying out different angles and perspectives for more creative shots.
What lenses should I use for bird photography?
When choosing a lens for bird photography, it’s important to consider factors like focal length and image stabilization. Most bird photographers prefer telephoto lenses, which allow you to zoom in on the birds and capture more detail. Image stabilization can also help you capture sharp photos even when shooting handheld.
How can I find the best locations for bird photography?
One of the best ways to find great locations for bird photography is to look for natural areas where birds tend to congregate, such as wetlands, forests, or coastal areas. You can also research local birding hotspots or join a birding group to discover new locations and learn from other bird photographers.
What camera settings should I use for bird photography?
The best camera settings for bird photography will depend on the lighting conditions and other factors, but some general tips include using a fast shutter speed to freeze motion, setting a wide aperture to isolate the bird from the background, and using a low ISO to minimize noise.
How can I get sharp bird photos?
Getting sharp bird photos can be challenging, but there are several things you can do to improve your chances. This includes using a tripod or monopod, selecting the right camera settings, and focusing on the bird’s eye for the sharpest results. You can also try using burst mode to capture multiple shots in quick succession and increase your chances of getting a sharp image.
Hello! I’m Hellen James, and I’m a birdwatcher and birder. I have a personal interest in bird behavior and classifications and have been following the latest research on the topic for years.