PICTURE PERFECT
Expert tips on photographing your favourite garden birds
More and more birdwatchers are taking photographs of birds. In this modern digital age, photography in general is so much easier, so much cheaper and frankly so much better than it used to be in the bad old days. And, in some ways, the best place to start bird photography is at home. In your own garden, you can control the environment, the background, even to an extent what birds appear, and it can all be within reach of a nice hot cup of tea. Here are some tips on photographing garden birds in autumn and winter.
Put out feeders and perches
Garden birds are essentially woodland birds and many can be tempted by food and water. By putting out food and water, you can lure birds within range. But photographs of birds on feeders or at artificial drinking sites can look artificial. So, it is a good idea to place nice looking perches (mossy branches are a favourite) near the feeders, but with the feeders out of shot. Similarly, drinking pools can be ‘disguised’ with some logs or leaves to look more attractive and realistic. Experiment with different perches in different positions so that the birds’ favoured routes to and from the feeders are exploited.
Hide food
Artificially provided food can look ugly in shots of wildlife. So, it can be a good idea to conceal food in crevices or hollows on your chosen perch area. You could use a mossy log for example.
Think about light direction
In an ideal world you want the light behind you when photographing birds. Sometimes, for an artistic effect, you may want to backlight a subject, but mostly it is best to set up a hide or screen with the light behind you.
Use the right camera
For photographing birds, you will need either a camera (bridge, Micro Four Thirds or DSLR) with either a decent zoom range or a long focal length (say 300mm minimum). Digiscoping with a compact camera or a phone is another way of getting the birds within reach.
Be patient
All bird photography requires a degree of patience. Garden bird photography is no exception. So, prepare everything first, settle into position and be prepared to wait for the best action.
Shoot movies
Movies can be great in their own right. But with some cameras, it is possible to ‘capture the action’ by extracting individual frames of your favourite poses from short snatches of movie action. This can be particularly useful for catching birds in flight.
Get close
Ideally, you want to be close enough to the subject to get some detailed photographs, with the bird large in the frame. The easiest way to do this is to use a portable, tent-like hide, preferably one of those camouflaged ones with a built in seat. Or, if you are lucky enough to have a shed with windows, you could use this as a hide, and set up the feeders and perches, accordingly.