5 Top Tips For Better Bird Photography

We regularly see tips for birding here at Eschenbach. Where, when and how do you observe birds the best and what has to be taken into consideration? Birding experience can be essential for 'capturing' bird images and sharing them with others. To help you succeed, we have summarised the five most important tips on bird photography:

1. Bird knowledge pays off!

Whether you bird spot as a hobby or part of your profession, knowledge of your birds is key. Nothing is more important to a bird photographer than knowing the photo opportunities - the behaviour and habitat of the bird. And "know" in this case means much more than just "see". If you want to have high quality and bold pictures of birds it's essential to know how they behave. Where do they generally live? Where do they nest? What do they eat? When are they active? Do they have quirks? Are they shy or active or even aggressive? The more you know about your chosen bird, the better you can adapt to it and increase your chances of seeing it. Once you know when and where to find the bird chances of finding it increase enormously.

2. Local knowledge pays off!

When you have learned where which birds can be found, the next step is obvious: you have to know where those places are. Again, the more details the better. It is not enough to know that birds like to sit on trees and where such trees stand. Much more important is the nesting sites for the birds. Where is their food? Where do they retire? This applies to local and migratory birds alike. Both types have preferred places that you need to find and to remember. It shows again that passionate birdwatchers have a clear advantage. But don't worry, even beginners and amateur photographers can shoot good pictures. However, the principle of "Information Gains" also applies. Before thinking of taking pictures, the photographer should explore the environment in order to locate possible bird spotting places and, of course, possible hiding cover for the photographer too!

3. Patience and perseverance pays off!

Bird photography doesn't just mean shooting the bird but also capturing its behaviours and getting high-quality portraits. It is therefore worthwhile to focus on one species during a photo session, perhaps even on one or two particular bird specimens. If you watch an animal over a long period, the likelihood that it will do something particular enough to add value to your photography increases. In addition, you learn how the bird behaves better and you can adjust to what it does. So stay stubborn and do not get discouraged if you have not caught the perfect shot after half an hour!

4. Photographing from large to small

The next tip first sounds strange: bigger birds are slower. Birds rarely stand still and are motionless; they move, they run, swim and fly. Movement makes pictures really interesting - but even more complicated to take. Generally, the golden rule 'small birds move faster than large' applies. It is, therefore, much easier to photograph a buzzard gliding rather than a swift, whizzing around the houses. Birds float on the water slower than flying in the air. So, for beginners, it’s worth photographing floating birds or large gliders and then adapting to smaller, more agile birds as your skill improves. From a technical perspective the smaller and faster the bird is, the shorter the exposure time will be.

5. Situations can be created!

Photographers have a helping hand - birds can be attracted! The simplest means for this are small branches and sticks. Many species of birds like to preen or explore the surrounding area. They especially find safe havens on water surfaces. It may be worthwhile to let some branches drift on a small lake or pond. A bird will certainly settle down on it! But branches can also be stuck in fields, meadows or gardens to give birds something to sit on too. If the area is not fenced or the birds cannot sit anything, this step is always worth considering. However, it is important to set it up away from roads and at a good distance from birds’ own hiding places, so you will not frighten them through movements.

Learn more! 

Those were five basic tips for bird photography. Like any other form of photography, bird photography is an art, and there are many more tips and tricks. For those wishing to go into more detail with the technical tricks should check out "The Handbook of Bird Photography". The authors describe, with great attention to detail and numerous practical examples, how to get the perfect bird photo. The book was published in May 2013 and is available from Amazon for £22.78.