Taking Flight: Essential Tips for Capturing Stunning Bird Photograph

Photographing birds is not without challenge, especially when flying in the air, and you can take captivating pictures of birds in multiple situations, such as standing on a branch, when they courts each other, when they care for their young. The beauty of the picture you will get is worthy of this challenge and you will be very proud of the results.

Freezing motion to photograph birds

Birds are very moving creatures, and capturing this movement often gives very beautiful pictures; So capturing this movement requires significantly increasing shutter speed (1 / 200s or more) but you have to balance the isolation with the clarity of the captured image. Some birds, such as the hummingbird, are characterized by their very fast movement, and this high speed requires the use of a shutter speed of up to 1 / 400s, and you may also need to set the value of ISO between 800 and 1600 to be able to use a narrower lens aperture that will ensure a good focus and we will get a body The bird is well-defined, except for the winged wings.

Filming birds flying

Stabilizing the focus in the image is an important and necessary matter in photographing birds flying in the air, and this skill should be well practiced before going into this field of photography. The continuous movement of birds in the sky requires the use of continuous focus mode (AI Servo AF Canon / AF-C Nikon) in order for the lens to be able to focus continuously on the movement of the bird. High shutter speed (1 / 1000s) also plays a big role in freezing movement and holding the bird in the shot. And if the bird is flying high in the sky then you will have to use a zoom lens or telephoto lens with a focal length equivalent to 200mm or more, to be able to take close-up pictures of the bird, but keep in mind that the smaller the element, the more difficult the focus will be on it.

Photographing birds from far away

Photographing birds in the wild requires preparation, as you may have to photograph the bird from a distance, and using a large telephoto lens with a focal length of 300mm to 500mm will help you a lot for this task. This lens allows you to take a picture in which the bird fills the frame of the image, thus avoiding poor images in which the bird is small. Try to get as close to the bird as possible, you may need to use a tripod at times, especially when the lens is too heavy. The minimal depth of field (f / 2.8-f / 5.6) will allow you to focus only on the bird and the branch that it lands on. As we mentioned above, the wilderness is full of surprises, and you have to prepare to take pictures at any moment, so it's nice to use serial photography.

Close-up photography of birds

Picturing birds in reserves and zoos becomes easier. This is because birds are close to the lens. Perhaps in this case, you will not need a huge telephoto lens, but you can only have a focal length of 200mm that will allow you to reach the closest possible point of the subject to photograph. When you want to photograph the bird, start focusing on its head. If you have difficulty with that you can focus on his body, and if the bird is not fixed in one place, you may find yourself having to chase him for a while until he settles on a branch, rock, or the like.

Water Bird Photography

Waterfowl such as ducks, geese and swans are perhaps the easiest to photograph. These birds are spread in parks, rivers, lakes, beaches and nature reserves. Approaching these birds is necessary and easy to obtain beautiful pictures. The use of lenses with a large focal dimension remains recommended to avoid frightening them, and some types of ducks and geese - especially those in public parks - consisted of human presence, and this makes approaching them easier.

Conclusion

Picturing birds is not difficult, and mastery requires much patience and skill. If you are a beginner in this field, try photographing pigeons or birds in the zoo before heading out into the wild. Try using different shutter speeds (high and low) to see the speed that will give you the desired effect, and practice using telephoto lenses, as they are very necessary in this type of photography. Be patient, wait for the birds to come to you instead of chasing them. You may not get great shots every time, but the continued workout will significantly raise your level. 

• And always remember: the bird should fill in the photo frame as much as possible to get beautiful and wonderful pictures.