Photo advice
Carl Bovis has built up a huge social media following with his bird photography. He explains how even photos of everyday birds can be special
Nature photographer Carl Bovis reveals his tricks of the trade
Photographing birds is not easy, but it’s very addictive. That difficulty is actually one of the things that makes bird photography so rewarding. Of course, there’s also huge frustration along the way, but nailing a cracking photo more than makes up for all the effort.
First, I’d like to mention some of the things that can, and indeed do, go wrong. There are countless scenarios that conspire to scupper your chances of getting a picture that’s worthy of gracing the cover of a birdwatching magazine (like this one).
The most obvious one is that very few wild birds ‘play ball’, so to speak. Some species aren’t as wary as others, but even common birds that are used to humans can be challenging to photograph well; mainly because they usually refuse to sit and pose for more than a second! Sometimes, shots will be blurry, out of focus and unusable. Part of the bird will be out of the frame, a wing will cover the head, the exposure will be off, etc.
Another issue is light. Light is the single most important thing in photography, and nearly all your in-camera settings are designed to make the most of the available light. Get your settings wrong, and you’re likely to have an unsalvageable image.
Every photographer has their own way of getting the ‘winning shot’, but this is how I go about getting my bird photos, particularly the in-flight and action ones.
Firstly, camera settings
It took me many years to ween myself off the safety of ‘auto’ settings. When I was new to DSLR photography, and not fully understanding the practicalities of ISO, shutter speeds, and apertures etc, I wasn’t confident in shooting 100% manually. The fear of missing a great picture due to this lack of technical understanding is what kept me in ‘auto’ for far longer than I should have.
The great irony of it all was that my ignorance cost me so many decent photos, as ‘auto’ settings are little better than useless when it comes to nature photography. You may as well use a teapot to get your bird-in-flight pictures, the results would be almost the same, perhaps better!
Nowadays, I always use manual settings to set a fast shutter speed, in order to freeze the action. I tend to use between 1,600 and 3,200 and set my ISO according to the aforementioned available light.
I used to allow ‘auto ISO’ to override this, if the light sensitivity is not enough to allow the best exposure.
For example, if the bird flies down in front of a dark background, such as a hedge or line of trees. But I found that ‘auto ISO’ isn’t always reliable, so now I’m constantly changing my ISO, as I prefer to be in full control. Therefore, if I mess a photo up, I only have myself to blame.
I usually have an aperture of f/7.1 or f/8. This allows in
less light than wider apertures, but the subjects tend to be sharper. It also affects the depth of field, meaning all or most of the bird will usually be in focus.
Next, I need light
Good light is so important for freezing action and capturing details. I make sure the sun is behind me if I can. Even a side light can leave an over- exposed side of the bird, plus dark shadows on the other side. I try to focus on the eye and head of the bird, this is the most important part, get this sharp and the rest can be less so; and I’ll still hopefully have a good photo.
Then, I need the birds
Luckily, wherever you live, there will be birds. Some places will have more, and thereby more opportunities for photos, nature reserves being obvious destinations, and I’m lucky to live on the Somerset Levels, which has many fabulous reserves to choose from, such as Ham Wall RSPB and Shapwick Heath. However, I do enjoy walking around my village with my camera just as much.
I never wear camouflage gear, in fact, I’m often in bright colours! From my experience, I’ve noticed that what disturbs birds most is noise and sudden movement – they really don’t care about the colours you’re wearing. I tend to lie on my front when photographing a bird on the ground. There are a few reasons for this – you can use your arms as a ‘bipod’ to steady the camera, the photos are more dynamic and intimate, and the bird will feel less threatened by your presence, and may even come closer. The only hard part is getting up again! But if I get a good picture, the pain will have been worth it.
I rarely plan to photograph a particular species, nor do I have a desired photo in mind, I’m very much an opportunist. I find and take pictures, I don’t make them. I like the magical, unplanned moments best, and capturing them on camera is my equivalent of a footballer scoring a goal at Wembley. Having said that, if I see a bird, I do try to predict what it is going to do. This becomes easier when you have
experience of watching birds and learning their behaviour. a Chaffinch eating a seed on a post will suddenly change its posture and position if another bird is flying towards it. It’s defending its food source from interlopers, and preparing for battle. I know then when to hit my shutter button, as action is likely to ensue in the next second! This action will occur in the blink of an eye, so the ability to predict what’s going to happen is very useful.
When out and about, I try to find a place where birds regularly come in to land.
I have the chance of more dynamic shots, legs outstretched and wings open to slow themselves down. I also make sure the background is clear – it’s easier to focus on a bird if a clear sky is the only background distraction. Birds taking off also offer a good photo opportunity.
Technique is also important. ‘Panning’ is a term used for following a bird with a camera and turning with it as it flies, keeping it in the viewfinder. This isn’t as easy
as it sounds and takes lots of practice. I use a 150- 600mm lens as it gets me closer to the bird without disturbing it. However, if I’m too close, it’s almost impossible to get all of the bird in the frame. It’s hard to locate a bird in flight with the lens fully extended at 600mm, so I usually pull it back to 200-300mm until I have the bird in the viewfinder, then I’ll zoom in for the shots.
This all has to be done quickly as birds in flight move rapidly. They undulate, they zig-zag, they suddenly drop into a tree, they turn away, change direction, etc. I handhold my camera for all my shots; this is particularly important when photographing birds in flight. They can be taken with big lenses on tripods and monopods, but it’s even tougher to get a good capture. This is especially true with birds that are very erratic in flight and thereby difficult to track.
More than anything, birds are great for my mental health, and photographing them is my happy place. Be they good or bad photos, just being out in nature with the birds calms my body and mind and reminds me of what’s important in life.
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