Photo at the top: Holland 2019 sun, Black-neched Grebe (Geoorde fuut), size 31cm distance 20m, equivalent 1500mm D500, Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR.
At this page we are introducing some photographical techniques, which are usually indispensable in bird photography.
APERTURE Mode Birds
This home made set of camera settings prepares your Nikon camera optimally for almost every situation in bird photography. We have been using and improving ourAPERTURE Mode Birds in many years and found it to be extremely time saving reliable. It is also described in this blog, including specific settings for Nikon D500, Z50 and Z7 II.
Some examples:
“Focus and recompose“
In order to photograph a bird or group of birds partly or completely hidden behind bush, vegetation, waterdrops or the like:
- Establish correct focus distance by directing the camera at something at the same distance as the bird and half press Release button establishing correct focus distance (but not yet shoot picture(s))…
- Subsequently, while holding established focus distance, direct camera-lens combination at the subject bird and press Release button: shoot the “real” picture(s).
Holland cloudy 2025 Grey Heron (Blauwe Reiger) size 94cm distance 30m equivalent 1500mm. Several photographic techniques were used to get an in-focus correctly exposed picture of this Heron while moving and foraging partly hidden behind vegetation. (Next picture shows part 1 of “focus & recompose”-action).
Holland cloudy Aug 2025 Grey Heron (Blauwe Reiger) size 94cm distance 30m equivalent 1500mm. Focus & recompose technique applied. This very picture was used ONLY to focus the camera. This and any following picture contain an in-focus picture of the Heron even if it is still partly hidden behind vegetation like the in picture part 2 being the “real picture” we wanted.
Structural underexposure
In case of sufficient available light one can generally get a far more optimal combination of detail, contrast and colour in bird pictures by underexposing about 0.5 – 1.5 stops when using modern camera’s like D500 and Z7 II.
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