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Basics about Bird Photography


This fall (2024), I began to venture further into bird photography - beyond my initial attempts to capture images of migrating Canada Geese, Cormorants, ducks, seagulls and other birds that I would see near bodies of water. I recently learnt a lot during my (7am) Early Birders group walks at FortWhyte Alive (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) on four consecutive Wednesday mornings. While the majority of those present across all of our groups on those mornings used only binoculars, there were a few of us with cameras. (Note: Some binocular users also tried using smartphone cameras, some with adaptive accessories, but smartphone cameras are very limited in their focal length range - for reasons that are expanded below.). Of at least three of us with DSLRs with zoom lenses, one person had a 500mm lens and another had a f4 400mm prime (fixed/non-zoom) lens. While I commented to the latter gentleman that I was shooting at 400mm also (see next paragraph) and that I'm realizing that it would be nice to have a 600mm lens, he responded that he prefers shooting with his 400mm (he also has a 600mm lens) because of the "atmospheric" quality. Interesting. And noted.

(Red-breasted Nuthatch)

Equipment: I shot with a full frame camera (Canon 5D Mark IV), an f2.8 Canon 70-200mm IS L-series lens, and a 2X lens adapter (giving me potential focal length of 400mm). With each lens adapter option (1.4X or 2X), a camera's aperture drops by one full stop. So, with a 1.4X lens adapter, my f2.8 lens could then shoot at f4.0, and with my 2X lens adapter - f5.6. Shooting in daylight, this reduction in aperture was not a problem. I was still able to shoot with relatively low ISO and fast shutter speeds (i.e. 1/1250).


(Black-Capped Chickadee)

With birds moving fast (and small ones - erratically), and their head positions moving suddenly and often, I usually shot in high speed burst. When a bird was observed, I wanted to take full advantage of that opportunity.


(Cormorant)

I quickly learned about the existence and helpfulness of certain apps related to birds:

Such apps such as Merlin Bird ID and Smart Bird ID give the user options have the app identify a visual image of a bird, record audio with the app identifying bird calls and songs heard in the vicinity in real time, as the recording takes place.


A good place to venture into bird photography can include observing bird feeds, as was the case on my first Early Birders morning.

(American Goldfinch)

The next week, I embraced the challenge of trying to capture birds in trees or in flight.

(Yellow Warbler)


With the eyes of birds (and squirrels, and rabbits, just to name a few examples) being in the side of their heads, profile captures of birds seem to be the strongest, in one way.

(Gray Catbird)


It's not only birds that visit bird feeders.


In editing images of (female - red on the back of the head) Downy Woodpeckers, I enjoyed choosing which one of the beak in relation to the wood seemed to look best. (It is one type of bird that uses it's feathers to support itself against the tree/post as it peck. Here are just four examples. Which one do you like the best?:

(Downy Woodpecker - male [red on head])


I learned that shooting through tall, wild grass, or other 'obstacles' can have them appear to be transparent.

(Mallard duck [female])


One morning, I observed a squirrel take a small tree branch into a small hole in a tree. With my camera already set in high speed burst, I set my frame on the hole to see if the squirrel came back out of the tree ...


One of my favourite birds now is the Black-Capped Chickadee. Such a beautiful combination of black, white and browns.


And the Belted Kingfisher - with its head!


Different angles can sometimes help to identify different birds. For example, for some birds it's the chest, or back, or head (or the back of the head.) Sometimes I would intentionally choose captured images of the back of bird to keep (and not delete) to show the identifying backsides of birds.

(Northern Flicker)


(Downy Woodpecker [male])


(Grey-Cheeked Thrush)


(Fox Sparrow)


Sometimes you don't get the image you hope for. This was the best image of a Blue Jay that I captured one morning. Even though the branch runs between the bird's eye (which can be seen in its entirety) an beak (which last half can be seen), almost all of the bird can be seen. And, for a Blue Jay, such a profile shot shows its beautiful colour and shades of blue. Again, I was glad that I shot in high speed burst.


Finally, I was glad I was shooting with a full frame camera. Here are two examples of the original capture, and then the cropped image. Here some examples.









 
 
 

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