Beginner Advice for shooting birds.

Tom_the_great

Tom_the_great

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Good afternoon all,

Just looking for a basic starting point, if anyone has time.

I'm new to the world of "proper" photography, have had a point an shoot for while but now got myself a Canon D750 with 18-55 and 55-250 lens set up.

Typically I am shooting motorsport and mountain biking and starting to get the hang of it (shutter speeds/manually focusing etc). However I get a fair amount of birds in the back garden usually sparrows, robins, blackbirds, tits and thought it may be a good chance to practice/learn more skills.

So what makes a good photo of a bird?
What sort of things should I be aiming for?
What should I be avoiding?
Any starting points for settings...

If it makes a difference I will be shooting them about a distance of around 30feet and either out or through the window, usually they sit on the bird boxes/feeders or hop along the floor.

Regards Tom.
 
I don't photograph wildlife very much but here are a few thoughts - I'm sure others who know far more than me will be along soon.

The garden is a good place to start because of the relative predictability of the birds.

Learn about the subject. For example the finches tend to sit and feed whereas the tit family tend to be more 'grab and go'

For practice, shots of bird on feeders are OK, but feeders can be very distracting. Its fairly easy to rig up a dead branch and drill holes out of sight of the camera and fill the holes with fat cake or peanuts. Nailing a small container out of sight can also work.

Natural items can also be distracting, eg, a twig that crosses the image or an intrusive background. Such distractions can be a bit more difficult to deal with. Using a shallow depth of field might help or taking the shot from another angle. However, the depth of field on a telephoto lens is pretty small anyway and trying to reduce it further could mean you miss the focus.

For birds on the ground a low viewpoint gives a more interesting image

30 feet from something, for example, the size of a robin with a lens at 250mm is going to produce a very small image. You might need to practice getting closer, or getting the birds to come close to you.

One food that is virtually guaranteed to bring some birds close is live mealworms. Almost all the garden birds will take them, the only drawbacks are they are not cheap and when the large birds, eg blackbirds, and especially magpies if you have any in your area, they disappear very quickly.

Like any other type of photography, just practice, practice. I don't want to think about the number of shots I've taken where I've pressed the shutter just after the bird has left.

Dave
 
Cheers @Tringa , a lot of that makes sense, I have a few basic images from yesterday which I will post soon for an idea of what I am current doing. I do feel you are going to laugh as some of them are exactly doing what you have said :oops: :$:)

Kodiak Qc said:
Just visiting the bird section in TP should be a good starting point! :cool:
Click to expand...

Don't you worry I am all over this (you have some spot on photos btw), but it is quite hard to figure out what it realistically achievable in my situation (hence the questions) I am still new to this and trying to get my head around "why doesn't mine look like that"... is it me? is it the environment? is it the camera? is it the settings and and and...

Always good to learn from those who have experience and can send you on the right track.

Regards Tom.
 
The d750 and 55-250 is a good starting point. Shooting in the back garden will not over extend the lens. Use a1 servo mode as that will track the birds. Everyone is different but use av mode and set my iso to keep the shutter speed up. Others will use tv mode or full manual mode. I would also try back button focusing. Good luck
 
Do you have a tripod and a remote release, Tom? If so, then you could set the camera up much closer to the place where the birds will land. If you do this make sure you cover the camera with something. The look of camera and lens won't disturb the birds, but birds will perch on anything and it would not be good to have your camera 'decorated'.

I certainly would not laugh at any images you post - in all areas of photography, we have all started somewhere, and some, like me, haven't got very far. The main thing is enjoying it and learning.

Dave
 
Tringa said:
Do you have a tripod and a remote release, Tom? If so, then you could set the camera up much closer to the place where the birds will land. If you do this make sure you cover the camera with something. The look of camera and lens won't disturb the birds, but birds will perch on anything and it would not be good to have your camera 'decorated'.

I certainly would not laugh at any images you post - in all areas of photography, we have all started somewhere, and some, like me, haven't got very far. The main thing is enjoying it and learning.

Dave
Click to expand...


Sorry for the delay, been abit under the cosh last week, i have posted some photos in the main photos area. Have a look if you get chance.

In answer to your question I have a small gorilla pod but no remote trigger so I may have to hide in the bush ... I'm sure my next doors prefer that then the constant messing with my motorbike.

Regards Tom.
 
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