MUSHROOM HUNTERS
Keep in mind that the end of winter (February and March) are tough for birds because much of their food supply is gone. The natural foods such as seeds, berries, fruits, insect eggs and larvae are behind them and the birth of Spring is held captive by Old Man Winter.
Even when the area appears green and lush, it may be deceptive as it takes time for Mother Nature to bring forth her fruits for the birds.
Keeping your feeders in stock during these crucial months may not only assist the birds in surviving, it may also bring forth very good bird pictures!
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How to Take Good Bird Pictures
Songbird Gallery 1 | Songbirds Pictures 2 | Songbird Pictures 3 | Songbird Pictures 4 | Woodpecker & Owl Pictures | Colorful Birds | Shorebirds, Waterfowl, Eagle Pictures
This article provides tips, suggestions and our personal experience on taking good bird pictures. The vital elements in taking good bird pictures are: camera settings, available light, and subjects.
The Three Standard Elements for Good Bird Pictures
Shutter Speed + EV + ISO
Shutter Speed, EV, ISO & Image Stabilization for Good Bird Pictures
Shutter Speed - For shooting birds a high shutter speed is desirable because birds are notorious for moving about quickly. The closer you are to the subject of action (bird), the faster the shutter speed needed.
For example, a bird in flight picture will require a shutter speed of 1/1000s or above. For perched birds, or feeding birds, freeze the action by shooting at 1/50s and above in favorable light.
EV - The Exposure Value refers to the amount of available light for a given exposure and can be adjusted with an increase or decrease. Increasing the EV will automatically lighten the image while a decrease in EV will darken the image.
ISO - The ISO number indicates a camera's sensor's sensitivity to light and has the ability to increase or decrease shutter speed. For the best bird pictures, use the lowest ISO possible. The higher the ISO, the noisier the image becomes which lowers image quality.
Image Stabilization - When shooting ANY picture, stabilizing the camera is a must for razor-sharp results. Because birds don't perch for long, we highly recommend a tripod or a monopod, or some form of stabilization for your camera while taking pictures. If you're taking pictures from your vehicle window, placing a bean bag on the base of the window will help cushion your camera while providing stabilization.
Camera settings revolve around the available light, so they won't be the same for every situation.
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As a note, when using a tripod you may wish to turn off the internal image stabilization option on your camera, particularly when using older lenses. Many of the more modern lens can detect when a tripod comes into play, so disarming the IS is not necessary in this event.
Image stabilization helps offset handheld motion; when the shutter is clicked the image stabilization option creates a small movement which is unnecessary when a tripod is in play. Less movement equals a sharper picture and disarming the IS equals slightly-increased shutter speed. And no need to stabilize something that is already stable.
RAW or Not for Good Bird Pictures?
During the normal processing of the JPEG, the camera sharpens the photo, compresses the photo and reduces the noise of the photo based on the settings - some of which are defined by the photographer via the camera's menu options.
We prefer to skip using the RAW option because we feel that the benefits aren't enough to warrant the detailed process only to end up with images that are so huge that one cannot possibly work on them without a NASA computer - and download time is huge! However, please note that this is our personal opinion and certainly not set in stone as many photographers highly prefer shooting RAW. If you feel that you'll achieve better results - then by all means, go forward. If you've never shot in RAW before, a program disc should have accompanied your camera. Simply install and go from there.
Which Camera Modes to Shoot in for Good Bird Pictures?
So many choices and so little time to experiment! Frankly, the cameras in this day & age are so sophisticated that even Auto mode performs amazing results.
I enjoy shooting in Aperture mode as I am able to select the f-stop based on available light, and the camera automatically selects the proper shutter speed. Shutter mode works in the opposite direction with the photographer setting the shutter speed and the camera, the f-stop. For example, if my camera has an f-stop of f2.8 to f8 and I'm shooting in very bright light, then the brighter the light, the higher the f-stop (a decrease) which means that I'd set it at f8 and work from there. When I first got interested in photography, the f-stop was so difficult for me to understand because in my world, an increase means going up in value, not down.
Telephoto Lens for Good Bird Pictures
A tele lens brings the birds closer allowing the birds adequate space so that they don't feel intimidated or threatened which equals more subjects into the shooting area. According to the camera used, 'macro mode' may need to be activated.
Using tele to zoom in close to the birds may make some setting modes unavailable, depending upon the camera used.
Filters for Good Bird Pictures
When shooting bird activity in water, experiment with star filters which can create stunning light effects.
Which Camera to Use for Good Bird Pictures
A camera is much like pots and pans used by a chef. It's not the pots and pan that create masterpieces, rather the chef. It's not the camera that creates masterpieces, it's the photographer. ALL cameras available in today's market are capable of taking a good bird picture. Let's look at a few good bird pictures taken with a variety of cameras - from the basic film camera to an SLR. Unless one is into pixel peeping, there is little difference that can be noticed by a computer monitor. However, if you plan to print out your bird pictures, opt for a higher-end camera with good IQ as that's where you'll notice the difference - particularly with prints over 8 X 10. All the following photos were taken using a telephoto lens attachment.
These bird photos were taken with the Sony H9, a basic super zoom camera.
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These bird photos were taken with a very inexpensive film camera many, many years ago.
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These bird photos were taken with a bridge camera - the Fuji S100fs.
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These bird photos were taken with the Sony H2, a very basic inexpensive super zoom camera.
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These bird photos were taken with a Nikon D200 (SLR) and a 400mm lens.
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Backgrounds for Good Bird Pictures
When shooting take advantage of the areas where the background is most pleasing to the eye. In some situations, the background can be controlled as in hummingbird pictures when the feeders are next to the house or a manmade structure. Simply set up a background of your choice just behind the feeders such as a piece of fabric or natural material. Just make sure it's attached well and doesn't fall into the feeding area.
Shooting Angles & Composition for Good Bird Pictures
Burst Mode - Burst Mode instructs the camera to take a series of pictures as the shutter button is depressed. For birds that are extremely difficult to photograph, the Burst Mode can prove productive.
From the Ground UP - Experiment with different angles. Some of my best bird pictures were taken when I was either sitting or laying on the ground when shooting. Ground level also adds depth to the picture. OR - go up! Shooting from above can add a different perspective, too although we don't recommend climbing into a tree while one has an expensive camera slung around their neck. 
Bird Feeder or Branch - Personally, I love photos with birds perched on feeders! I also love pictures of birds holding seeds in their beaks, or eating a divine, natural, bloodless creation. However, many photographers do not appreciate such photos and often speak loudly of their displeasure in seeing such. So I say - shoot your subject in the manner that pleases YOU! Photography is subjective. What you like, someone else will not. It's a given.
Bird in Flight Pictures - As to getting a good BIF of a songbird - because they are so tiny, accomplishing such is almost a non-human feat!
Background Interference - Be on the watch for those branches and twigs that flow directly behind the bird you're photographing from the background area. In my day, I've spent a good deal of time cleaning up pictures by erasing a stick that appears to be coming out of the bird's head or hind-end.
Composing the Subject - Aim to fill as much of the screen or viewfinder with the bird itself to obtain best feather details as well as to decrease the necessity of cropping once the picture flows into the post processing stage.
Because birds are speedy, the photographer generally doesn't have time to think about a composition. It's generally - shoot now and hope for a good composition later! With this said, our area is mined with goldfinch who winter here and I have so many good goldfinch pictures that I'm hesitant to keep shooting them. But look at the goldfinch picture to the right to see what I would have missed if I had went that route.
Lighting is Vital to Good Bird Pictures
Harsh and sun-dappled light is difficult for even the most experienced photographer to work around. Fortunately, the best hours for shooting outdoors tend to be early morning and late evening, the less harsh hours of the day with the most equal natural lighting available. And this is the time of day when birds congregate most at the feeding stations.
Flash - Although fill flash can be used to counter harsh lighting, we do not recommend using flash unless absolutely necessary. First, it frightens the birds. And second, the camera is usually too far away to impact lighting reflecting from the bird. Flash can assist in picking up the shutter speed a tab.
Bracketing - When unsure of the lighting, you can set the camera in Bracketing Mode and assign the increments of light you wish to have applied. In turn, the camera will render three photos with three different light settings: light, normal and dark.
Exposure Issues - In some ways I regret that my Eye for Photography developed over the years. What I used to miss - I now see in complete details. A good example is the chickadee picture to the right. On the surface, it's a nice, sharp picture; the eye shows up clearly and contains the necessary reflection. But in looking closer at the area just below the eye, I can see that the feathers are overexposed.
Metering & Shooting Preferences for Good Bird Pictures
Typically, when I'm taking pictures of birds, my camera is set on multi-metering. Also, I set my camera to 'Single' rather than 'Continuous' shooting. This also saves battery life, as does using the viewfinder over the LCD.
Proper Focusing for Good Bird Pictures
- If you're a new photographer, you'll need to be aware of the adjustment function for the viewfinder. It's usually a wheel of sorts and it will adjust to focus based on personal vision by a simply turn.
- Practice focusing if you find that you're experiencing trouble in this area. Simply half-press the shutter button while practicing; just to ensure that your subject is in focus. Once you get to the shooting area, if you experience difficulty getting the subject to focus, try shifting the focal point to the edge of the subject - close to where the bird is perched, then half-press the shutter button. Generally, a clear shot will materialize and you can complete the shot by completely depressing the shutter button. Whenever I'm shooting hummingbirds, they move so quickly that it's difficult to get a clear shot. Concentrating the focal point on the edge of the feeder OR flower will almost-always bring the bird into focus.
- Where birds are concerned, trees and twigs and branches are also a concern for the photographer as the camera struggles to focus on a tiny dot in the distance - your prize bird picture. At times, these little twigs and branches can be so small that one cannot see them from afar, and they may be the reason why the camera is having difficulty focusing. Exercise patience rather than frustration.
Reducing Sound/Noise AND Camera AND Body Positioning for Good Bird Pictures
Noise - The slap of a SLR mirror can send birds scrambling for cover. That of course, is out of the photographer's control. However, if you're not using an SLR (and as a note, I don't but my husband Tom does) then you can go into the menu and disarm many of the sounds of the camera.
Body & Camera Positioning - When I get settled into the feeding area to take bird pictures, it takes the birds about 5 to 15 minutes to return as they adjust to my presence. I usually hold my camera close to my face because once they return, the slightest movement - such as crossing my legs or bringing my camera up from my lap when I'm shooting hand-held, is enough to send them flying away. And then it's another wait until they return. So position the camera near and don't make any sudden moves.
Pets - If possible, shoot alone without a pet as birds are cautious and pets, particularly dogs and cats, will only serve to rile the birds sensitivity levels.
Color of clothing makes little difference. I wear every color of the rainbow - from red to brown and the birds seem unaffected.
Distance Positioned from Birds - I tend to sit 20 feet or more from the birds and make use of a tele lens.
Post Processing for Good Bird Pictures
- The most experienced post-processor or software program cannot rescue a bad picture so the first rule is to aim as high as possible and achieve good results before your picture hits the post processing stage.
- Because songbirds are so small, a crop of the picture typically ends up on the 'cutting board'.
- Different software programs perform different actions but a good route for bird pictures is to simply sharpen if necessary and adjust contrast if necessary. If the picture was shot using high ISO or with a small-sensor camera with minimal mega-pixels, then a bit of noise removal might be necessary.
- The bird's eyes should always have a dot or so of reflection on them. If they don't, consider creating a duplicate layer and manually painting in a dot. You can adjust the strength by adjusting the 'Opacity' of the layer. Finally, merge or combine the layers.
- Always work on a copy of the picture rather than the original. And be certain to save the original in its original state. Reducing the photo automatically reduces the resolution of the picture.
Establishing a Feeding Area to Lure the Birds
The most important key to taking good bird pictures is having the luring the subjects in for your shooting event, because after all - without birds, there can't be any bird pictures! The good news is that birds can be lured into almost any area. The not-so-good news is that to do such it takes time and dedication in maintaining the feeding area, as well as money for seeds and during migration and winter, those costs can indeed soar. And of course, one can simply visit bird management areas for bird photo opportunities.
Tom, cleared out an open area which is surrounded by trees on the outskirts. We simply hung feeders in the trees and we refill them when necessary. In the wintertime, it may be twice daily; in the summertime the feeders may go a week or more without needing a refill. However, during this time of 'dormancy' the work is transported to care of the hummingbird feeders which require a daily cleaning amid the hot temperatures of our region.
It's important to keep in mind that different birds require different feeding methods. When we fill our feeders, we also sprinkle seed on the ground for the ground-feeders. So don't forget those ground feeders! Or the squirrels. We never protect our feeders and make an effort to put out sunflower for our squirrels. Everyone is happy.
Best Times of Day for Taking Bird Pictures - After years of bird feeding and taking pictures of birds, we know the birds feed heavily in the early morning hours and again about an hour before dusk. A bonus indeed - as these hours compliment the lighting necessary for good pictures.
Water - Increase your opportunities for bird pictures by ensuring that fresh water is available for the birds. They not only need it for survival, but they love to play in it which opens up a whole new range of photography opportunities.
Hummingbird Pictures
Tom and I always have an abundance of hummingbirds that visit our feeders usually beginning in early spring and lasting until early autumn.
Our formula to lure in hummingbirds is simple: 1 part sugar and 3-4 parts water. Forget the red dye, but do clean the feeders regularly. If one becomes lazy, mold will settle into the feeders quickly due to high sugar content. This puts the life of the hummingbirds at risk if they feed from dirty, molded feeders as they can catch a fungal infection and in turn, die. Remove ALL visible mold. Thoroughly wash feeders, using bleach if necessary to remove mold - but be certain to thoroughly wash away the bleach as it too can hard the birds.
To deter an ant invasion on your hummingbird feeders, simply attach a thin strip of duct tape at the TOP where the feeder reaches the ceiling or branch, wrapping the tape inside-out and leaving NO gap so that the ants are unable to crawl past the tape, and the birds won't get caught in the tape. Just a tiny piece will suffice as too much tape can put the birds at risk as they might stick to the tape and experience wing damage (or worse).
Type of Seed
For years, Tom and I spent a fortune on birdseed. So many times, the variety that we liked was phased-out or simply disappeared from the market. Many times we were left to the mercy of inferior birdseed for steep prices. And the birdseed at that local 'Super-Mart' - FORGET IT! It's among the worst, containing a gross amount of milo which most birds turn-up their beaks at.
Instead, opt for 50 pounds bags of millet and sunflower and do the mixing yourself. Almost all birds love sunflower. Even our winter goldfinch prefer it over thistle seed.
Recipe for High Protein Bird Mix
This is a lovely mix that can be fed year-round as well as stored in the freezer until ready for use. Simply mix the following, shape into blocks and place into wire feeders OR smear onto tree trunks, pinecones or a mesh sock:
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup all-purpose flour (or use wheat flour or a mix or white and wheat)
2 cups mixed birdseed
1 cup oats (not instant)
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup of chopped peanuts
- During the winter months, particularly late winter, I prepare cornbread for crows and toss out bread for them. Large batches can be prepared and sealed for distribution throughout the week.
- Woodpeckers are fond of peanut butter, which is fine to feed from time to time. Spread on tree branches, or place into a wire feeder or mesh sock, or spread onto an unsalted cracker.
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Objects to Lure the Birds for Good Bird Pictures
- Birds are drawn to brightly colored objects as well as objects that reflect. Try adding a few gazing balls to lure them in for photo opportunities.
- In addition to a feeding area, or if you're limited on space and are unable to set up a feeding area, try tossing out a few peanuts in the shell and see what materializes.
- We always carry a bag of nuts and/or seed with us in the car for those spontaneous moments.
A Few Final Notes on Taking Good Bird Pictures
- Keep in mind that a 'good' picture isn't always 'perfectly correct'. Photography is subjective. Therefore, if a picture pleases you - go no further for validation because in the process, others with differing opinions may slice and dice your pleasing photo apart so that it turns your feeling of pleasure into a feeling of displeasure.
- Many birds look differently based on the time of the year. For example, in our area we have so many goldfinch appear in late autumn and winter. Their attire is not the vibrant yellow that they slip on once spring approaches. And by that time, they have migrated northwards.
- Expect molting issues during late winter which may require an adjustment in composition.
- Seek out information regarding the bird's diets which will offer foods that will lure them into your area.
- Not all birds perch equally. While some birds might enjoy a feeder with an edge they can rest upon, they may not be attracted to hanging feeders with pegs. Also keep in mind that not all birds will feed from a hanging feeder - so don't forget to put out seed for the ground feeders. In addition, while some birds enjoy the security of a thick woods or brush, others feed out in the open. And some birds are much more timid than others and will require much patience. Some of the friendliest birds we've encountered are titmice, chickadees, goldfinch, juncos, common sparrows, bluebirds, cowbirds, red-bellied woodpecker, wrens, kingbirds, mockingbirds and cardinals. Some of the most timid are the towhee, the painted bunting, bluejays, roadrunners, hairy woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers, meadowlarks, scissortails, white-crowned sparrows, hawks, owls, red-winged blackbirds and Harris sparrows.
- Keep in mind that the end of winter (February and March) are tough for birds because much of their food supply is gone. The natural foods such as seeds, berries, fruits, insect eggs and larvae are behind them and the birth of Spring is held captive by Old Man Winter. Even when the area appears green and lush, it may be deceptive as it takes time for Mother Nature to bring forth her fruits for the birds. Keeping your feeders in stock during these crucial months may not only assist the birds in surviving, it may also bring forth very good bird pictures!
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How to Take Good Bird Pictures
Songbird Gallery 1 | Songbirds Pictures 2 | Songbird Pictures 3 | Songbird Pictures 4 | Woodpecker & Owl Pictures | Colorful Birds | Shorebirds, Waterfowl, Eagle Pictures
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