How to Take Bird Pictures
Photographing birds has all the elements that make for compelling pictures: beauty, color and texture. Birds are active creatures, however, so capturing them on digital images can be difficult. You have to be quick and precise with your camera. Be prepared to have a lot of patience.
- Setup a small area to entice birds to your location. A couple of platform feeders and a birdbath will work wonders at luring the birds to you. Allow a couple of weeks for the birds to become accommodated to the area. Place a comfortable chair close to the feeders, so you will blend into the surroundings.
- Adjust your camera settings to correspond with the amount of light available for your location. Expect to do some tweaking depending upon cloud cover and the time of day.
- Use a tripod. The number one difficulty in bird photography is blur and movement. Many pictures are ruined from camera shake. If you have one, a remote control is a handy tool for bird photography. It allows you to snap the image without having to actually handle the camera.
- Shoot early mornings or late evenings for best results. The biggest mistake one can make is to shoot in the middle of the day, when the sun is most harsh. The bright sun will wash out color and texture and ruin an otherwise delightful picture every time. In addition, the birds are more active and plentiful in the early mornings and late afternoons.
- Snap several shots so you will be sure to capture that breathtaking pose.