Foto at top: Holland jan 2024 sun Goosander (Grote Zaagbek) size 62cm distance 45m equivalent 1050mm D500 Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR APERTURE mode Birds 1/2000 f/8 ISO 560 -1.5.EV standard camouflage. Crop 4500 x 3300.
Bird photography
Bird photography is an almost extreme type of photography. The subject, the wheather, amount and direction of light, the environment and background, the size, action, distance and several other chracteristics of the subject bird(s), every one of those, may change any moment when you are in the field.
This requires high quality equipment, optimal settings thereof and sufficient knowledge of bird specific behaviour and a few special skills like anticipation, reaction speed, clever camera handling and resetting in continuously changing conditions.
These are the prerequisites:
Equipment
- Camouflage: car, hide/screen, other.
- Picture format: RAW
- Lens/lenses & converters: high quality [zoom] Nikon Canon Leica Zeiss
- In case of long distance photography: telescope + high quality digicompact
- Camera: DSLR and or Mirrorless and or high quality Bridge camera
- Support: tripod, monopod or handheld
Optimal settings
Optimal settings camera & lenses
- Small or large birds close by or far away
- Stationary birds, active birds or fast moving birds.
Examples of various birds, action, wheather, available light and equipment used:
- Action and or still and or long distance (short EXPOSURE time versus high ISO)
- Available light: twilight … direct sunlight
- Epected type bird & behaviour: shy, speedy, … diving, hunting, mating, feeding, nest building, etc.
