Shooting Birds in Flight!

TheNissanMan

TheNissanMan

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Ryan
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Well today has been learning curve!! Unfortunately figuring out I haven't a clue what the hell I'm doing so really, really need some help!!

Around the corner from me is a Hawking centre which has some stunning birds that luckily fly extremely close to the audience so I thought I would pop along and have a play, I'ld have to get one shot right, wrong!

The closest I got to a shot I would be ahppy with was:

gotit_600x325.jpg


or...
pool3_400x408.jpg


To me the look close but the focus is not right soooo.... Tips please!!

On the plus side I was happy with this one lol!

owl13_600x400.jpg
 
Its no where near as easy as it looks is it?
Something I wrote a little while ago
might help
LINKY
 
Thanks
 
Looking for something similar for an excercise in my photography course, thanks for the link, bookmarked :thumbs:
 
:thumbs:
 
Birds in flight is very challenging, fast shutter as much DOF as you can reasonably get with a satisfactory ISO. If shooting against the sky either pre meter and go manual or else you will need to dial in some compensation to preserve detail against a light sky.

Focusing is the tricky part, AI Servo and I have it set to back button, try and pick up the bird early and follow it in until you get a decent frame then press the shutter, probably on multiple rather than single shot. Shoot RAW so you can better adjust afterwards if the image needs tweaking.

Hopefully you should get something like this

1/640 f7.1 ISO6400
Img_0320.jpg
 
Shooting birds in flight depends on two things, the speed of the bird and the bore of the shotgun.Once you experience these two things and understand them, one can learn to aim the distance in front of the flying creature so as to bring it down to earth with a satisfying bump......................:D
 
artyman said:
Birds in flight is very challenging, fast shutter as much DOF as you can reasonably get with a satisfactory ISO. If shooting against the sky either pre meter and go manual or else you will need to dial in some compensation to preserve detail against a light sky.

Focusing is the tricky part, AI Servo and I have it set to back button, try and pick up the bird early and follow it in until you get a decent frame then press the shutter, probably on multiple rather than single shot. Shoot RAW so you can better adjust afterwards if the image needs tweaking.

Hopefully you should get something like this

1/640 f7.1 ISO6400
Img_0320.jpg
Click to expand...

That shot is AMAZING. Nothing more to add.

*mindblown*

:lol:
 
Artyman, was that shot taken with your Sigma 150-500 & the 7D?

Respect!

(still struggling with BIF :'( )
 
Yes it was, one of the early shots whilst trying to figure out how the 7D worked :lol:

Here's another more recent one

http://SPAM/c3whur/feb/Img_1616.jpg
 
fracster said:
Shooting birds in flight depends on two things, the speed of the bird and the bore of the shotgun.Once you experience these two things and understand them, one can learn to aim the distance in front of the flying creature so as to bring it down to earth with a satisfying bump......................:D
Click to expand...

And how long does it need to hang before it can be eaten?:D:lol:
 
CT said:
X2 :thumbs:
Click to expand...


Why people hang hare is beyond me.Eaten fresh it is simply lovely, hung for days to rot and it becomes overpowering and far too strong.........yuk.
 
LOL. A guy I used to shoot with used to leave pheasants hanging until he could pick 'em up and shake the maggots off! :puke:

It was usually late when I got home from a shoot what with the drive and the pub beforehand,, but the birds used to get dealt with next day at the latest.
 
Here's my favourite bird in flight pic i've taken:

Image4.jpg


With was on a moving boat at 300mm on a crop camera. I probably took around 20 shots to get it right :)
 
What lens was it SIB? You have some strange bokeh effects there - including donut oof highlights. Mind you I've had similar effects with a 100-400L.
 
That was with the Canon 70-300 IS USM. Forgive my igonrance but what is a donut oof highlight? :)
 
SIB said:
That was with the Canon 70-300 IS USM. Forgive my igonrance but what is a donut oof highlight? :)
Click to expand...
If you look at the bg in your shot you'll see some circular oof highlights with a hole in the centre which look a bit like donuts. The effect is usually associated with mirror lenses, but lots of lenses can produce the effect sometimes under certain conditions.

Nothing to worry about I was just curious. :)
 
TheNissanMan said:
The colours on that are superb :)
Click to expand...

If that was directed at my pic then thank you :)

I've never really nothiced those donuts before CT and thanks for the description. As i say, i was on a boat on a really sunny day panning the camera so plenty of light being reflected everywhere which may have caused that effect.
 
I wrote an article on shooting birds in flight a while ago that may also prove helpful.

You can find it here: http://www.wz2k.co.uk/?p=13

HTH

Paul C
 
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