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Capturing Birds In Camera; A Test Of Patience

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Alyssa Powlett
Capturing Birds In Camera; A Test Of Patience

Wildlife photography has its own challenges and it gets even tougher when you decide to capture birds in camera. Birds are fast-moving especially when they are in flight and some of the best shots we admire are from their flights. Action photography of birds is always difficult but it can give you marvelous results. Let’s begin with camera equipment and settings required to get good pictures of birds.

Equipment

Camera equipment is essential when it comes to wild bird photography. Even Australian wildlife photography workshops insist on investing in quality camera gear. You can only get as far as capturing ducks and geese from close proximity with normal cameras because they are not afraid of human company.

If you want to do more than that you need at least one solid camera with one or more telephoto lenses. Now, the next question is which camera is suitable for capturing great bird shots? You need a camera with 1/2000 of second shutter speed and six to nine frames per second.

A large camera buffer is also recommended which can handle large bursts. A quick autofocus addition will also help. Then there are lenses that can literally make or break you as a photographer. It depends on how much you are willing to invest in lenses. If you want to go high-end there are many from 200-400mm to 400mm to 500m to 600mm to 800mm lenses available. Lenses with teleconverters and optical stabilization work best.

Settings

Fast shutter speed is vital if you desire to photograph birds in flight or even small birds who move quickly. You can fix a lot of things in post-production but not blur so make sure to get clear pictures. Shutter speed between 1/1000 and 1/1600 is ideal. Select “Aperture Priority” mode and if your camera has auto ISO then set it on maximum ISO so, it can capture detailed images. These are just the basics to get you started.

Approaching Subject

This can be tricky because birds tend to fly away at the slightest movement. You need to remember that birds have a sharp vision so there is a high probability that they will spot you first and from far. Birds feel threatened when anyone approaches them and they don’t take even a second to fly away. Here’s what you can do to get close:

  • Try to camouflage with the environment and don’t stand out by wearing bright colors.
  • If you are walking fast and you spot a bird, slow down marginally just don’t stop suddenly or lower your speed suddenly. They should not sense any sudden changes in your behavior.
  • Avoid making sudden moves even if you want to raise your camera. Do everything really slowly around birds.
  • Keep your phone on silent and when capturing birds in dark switch it off as a sudden light can also scare them away.

When you spot a bird, don’t rush and don’t walk towards it directly instead make a zigzag path but really slowly.

 

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Alyssa Powlett
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