Photo Projects

Step 1

Find a good spot in the garden where the birds will happily come to feed. Like Ade, you can use certain foods and flowers to attract the birds. He found lavender and clematis attract insects, and also suggests pyracantha for its berries and dogwood tree for cover. It’s best if you can leave the area to overgrow with deadwood piles to attract insects as a food source, and you can also leave your own treats too. For the black background, Ade stapled some black capillary matting to the fence.

Step 2

The basic kit you will need to try this is a camera, lens and flashguns (ideally two or three units, but if you only have one, this will suffice), plus a triggering system. Ade found that covering the flash units with clear ziplock bags gives the opportunity to shoot in the rain, which gives an interesting and almost starlight look.

Step 3

When it comes to setting up the flashes, place one to the side of the feeding area and one behind. Angle the flashes at a 45-degree angle from the log to give an even light. Ade started with the flashes on extremely low settings, then boosted the power in stages to see how the birds would react. Ade found that the birds got used to the flash, so it may take a few days of firing to get them happy with the set-up.

Step 4

When you shoot with flash under a controlled set-up, it’s easiest to put your camera into Manual mode and set the shutter speed to 1/200 sec. You can then balance the aperture, ISO and flash power to get the desired result. For most of his images, Ade has his ISO set between 50-200, aperture around f/14 and the flash firing between 1/16-1/4 power.

Step 5

You’ll need to devise some type of triggering system to take the shots, as it’s best to leave your camera setup on a tripod while you stay off to the side, hidden from view. Ade used a variety of methods, from a trap focus, where he was able to set a single-point focus that would trigger the shutter, to remotely being able to fire the camera and flashes himself. He found the latter the better system, as he had more control.

Step 6

When it comes to editing your images it’s best to shoot in raw and switch to monochrome in editing. This can be achieved in a variety of software, including Lightroom and Photoshop. Ade uses the light and dark controls to bring out or hide details. The Dodge and Burn tools in Photoshop will come in handy for bringing out detail, and you’ll also want to boost the contrast.