nikonlightbirding – lightweight bird photography

In our lightweight bird photography we always:

Use camouflage and recognise birds timely and try not to disturb them.
Use exclusively high quality Nikon (compatible) lenses max. 1500 gram, preferably handheld.
Mostly switch camera in our “APERTURE Mode Birds“: no camera reset during actual photography.

Enjoying the photographing of the unlikely beauty of birds, but also their behaviour and environment: flying, fighting, singing, displaying, mating, foraging, nesting, feeding their young:

*Spain sun Bee Eater (Bijeneter), size 28cm distance 25m, equivalent 1260mm, total camouflage.* *Notice black feathers wing tops*!

Holland sun and shadow Little Owl (Steenuil), size 22cm distance 12m, *substantial camouflage*, *stretching wing*.

goosander — *Holland feb 2024 Goosander (Grote Zaagbek), size 62cm **distance 60m**, D500 Nikkor 500m f/5.6E PF VR equivalent 1050mm standard camouflage.*

*Holland sun 2025 White Stork (Ooievaar), size 101cm distance 65m, equivalent 1050mm, **APERTURE Mode Birds**. He is caressing her in the way Storks do this.*

red kite — Holland sun Red Kite (Rode Wouw), size 63cm distance 65m, equivalent 1050mm, D500 Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR, **APERTURE Mode Birds** *standard camouflage.*

*Holland river IJssel 2025 sun Black Tern (Zwarte Stern), size 25cm distance 75m, Nikon Z7 II Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR equivalent1500mm. **APERTURE Mode Birds**, total camouflage.*

Holland winter 2024 heavy overcast strong wind Kingfisher (IJsvogel), size 22cm distance 25m, **APERTURE Mode Birds**, *total camouflage.*

*Lesbos 2011 Monarch, distance 15m, Nikon D300, **excellent oldtimer** Nikkor 300mm f/4D.*

*Holland 2025 cloudy (Parasolzwam), Nikon Z7 II and **our beloved lightweight Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR**.*

*Holland 2025 sun Hare (Haas), distance 40m, Z7 II equivalent 1500mm standard camouflage. **Stellar** **detail** by **Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR at 40m**, *e.g. the* white hair (snorharen)!*

Holland 2025 cloudy, Squirrel (Eekhoorn), **APERTURE Mode Birds**, *total camouflage*.

*Holland **2020 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker**, through 2020 a regular guest in our garden, thereafter we onlynoticed it in october 2025! **Numbers are decreasing alarmingly**!*

Interested? Everything you need to know at six pages:

Workshop “Lightweight Bird Photography”:

WS1 Reach (bereik) (camera’s, lenses, settings, tripod)
WS2 Estimating reach (when photographing)
WS3 APERTURE mode, ISO, EXPOSURE TIME (light/contrast, back/front-light, colour)
WS4 APERTURE (optimal depth of field)
WS5 ISO (minimal noise, maximal detail)
WS6 EXPOSURE TIME (in-focus pictures, frozen action).

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Legenda:

Some pages are translated in Dutch, marked “Dutch”, originals being marked “English”.
Distances up to 45 meter are more or less measured, otherwise estimated.
Pictures by default created using tripod or tribike for some stabilisation, otherwise marked “handheld“.
Contact: amevanbaren@gmail.com (Annemiek) or dikbaren@gmail.com (Dik).

NikonLightBirding base version 31 aug 2024 updated through 14 january 2026.