What I wish I knew when I first started Bird Photography

These are the 4 things I wish I could tell myself 3 years ago when I was just beginning my journey in bird photography! Photographing birds is a wonderful activity, however it comes with its own set of very specific challenges (and frustration). Why it looks like birds are always so far away? When it is best to take bird photos? Where should I focus?... Well, it took me a while to figure out or fully understand the importance of these things, but once I reached that awareness it really made a huge difference in my bird photo results.

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[chiaratalia_wild]

If you could tell something to yourself when you first started bird or wildlife photography, what would you say? Let me know in the comments! 👇

[GiuseppeGessa]

For some kind of birds, birds of prey in general, I wake up at 3 o'clock in the morning, because I want to go in the spot before them, and because I don't want to be seen 😁

[Lucamitm]

That’s great advice to photograph surroundings

[wpqhisq]

You crack me up getting distracted by that cockcoo bird. I’m also easily distracted by birds! I’ve been to known to stop a conversation to check out a bird and rant to a non birder about what I’m seeing! I just can’t help myself!

[waegnw]

One option not mentioned here (in this video) for bird photography is to bring the birds to you instead of you driving a long distance to get to where the birds might normally “hang out”. If you live in an urban environment, try putting out a bird feeder (or 2) to entice birds to your backyard. The longer you install and maintain these feeders, the more birds that will learn about where to come for a free meal. Of course, taking pictures of a bird sitting on (or clinging to) a commercial bird feeder is not going to produce the most amazing photos of that particular bird. To avoid this downfall, one just needs to do a bit of planning. Some possibilities include:

(1) Place the feeder near a relatively small tree. Birds usually like to fly to a perch near the feeding area to "check out the surroundings" before continuing to fly (the remaining short distance) to the feeder (or feeding area). Take the photo once the bird has landed in the tree, and before it goes to the feeding area. With a bit of practice in composing the shot, a person who later views the photo will swear that it must have been taken in the "wilds" of an expansive national park.

(2) The above technique can be refined even further. To entice the birds into a "tree" type environment for your photo(s), one can essentially make their own tree. Do this by finding a relatively small tree branch with smaller branches extending from it. Stand this tree branch upright near the feeding area and anchor the base to the ground. This can be done by digging out a small hole in the ground and placing the tree limb base in it. If the branch is still too "wobbly", dig the hole deeper and/or add some rocks at the base of the branch to help with the anchoring. Once in place, this tree branch will provide a perch for the birds to come to before proceeding to the feeder (or feeding area). One could also (possibly) use a xmas tree stand to anchor the branch in one location.

(3) The technique in number 2 (above) can be enhanced in the following way. If the tree branch is sufficiently large enough, one can drill (and/or cut) out a concave/hollow area (i.e., a hole) on the branch in an area that will not show in the photos. Place some bird seed into this hole to attract more birds to the tree branch to feed. It might take a few days, but eventually the birds will recognize the fact that there is food to be had at the tree branch without proceeding to the feeder. As the birds come to feed at the tree branch, watch to see if they have a favorite/convenient landing spot as they arrive. If so, put the camera on a tripod, adjust your camera settings as desired, and focus on this spot on the branch. When a bird (worthy of a photograph) does arrive, some minor adjustments to the focus may/will be needed, but for the most part you are completely ready to take the photograph without wasting a moment; a moment in which the bird might change position, or fly away.

I hope these suggestions prove useful to the viewers of this video. Thanks for reading my long comment.

[youritguy]

I stumbled upon your channel today and wholeheartedly concur with your views on social media. It often gives the impression that one must possess top-notch equipment, capture flawless shots consistently, and adhere strictly to all the rules. Personally, I relish the simple joy of taking photos. It's a delightful learning journey for me, pushing me to familiarize myself further with my camera. I'll certainly be tuning into your videos from now on. Keep up the commendable work, and thank you for sharing your insights.

[Froggywentawandering]

Things I do now that I wish I knew back at the beginning :
1: learn bird behaviour - the "dip" in body before they take off or how some species clearly don't like each other and will chase / attack / harass, there's so much of this behaviour to learn but it's good for predicting movements for action shots :)
2: don't pack up in harsh light - head into the forests when the light is harsh, always some nice sunbeams shining thru the trees to photograph ;)
3: definitely don't be afraid to get dirty and get down on the belly to get those low level shots ! I always laugh at my friends saying " oh he's in sniper mode again " when I hit the deck to get a shot lol
4: Have fun and don't get hung up on craving likes and shares, do it for yourself - always :)

[MattH]

As someone that is in the same position as you were; brand new to photography and no experience, these tips are invaluable! I had the exact problem of feeling like I wasn't close enough. I cannot wait to try some farther away shots!

[harrr]

I agree about repetition. I've been to some spots so many times, I think the birds know my face by now!

[dnegron]

Thank you for the time and the video I learned a lot quickly! I really appreciate the straight to the point style and the common sense throughout the video

[acbcfoto]

Thank you for the great advice. Totally agree!

[randyschwager]

Great advice! Thanks for taking me along!

[przemcio]

Hey Chiara,
I just dropped by to say that you channel was instant revelation for me. I'm almost 100% positive that you have done some teaching before because of the extreme ease that you manage to put all those tips into well condensed sentences that are not boring at all. Your content is very well organised and the presentation side gives it even more edge. I hope that you will keep posting here for some time in the future. Keep up the good work!

[fleckjr]

Thanks Chiara, , , , enjoyed your points made especially about the environment shots to

[jacquidarnell]

Thanks Chiara, I loved your video and it was super helpful. Everything you said makes total sense & I feel more hopeful about my skill level improving now 😊

[QVL]

Awesome video. Very easy to understand. I love it! Excellent tips.

[johnhitchon]

I'm so pleased I came across your channel. I've really enjoyed your video. Negative space in an image is very important as it tells a better story than just taking an image of a bird and like you say if hives one a chance to become more creative in their photography. I look forward to watching more of your amazing videos. Thank you.

[ianmcfegan]

Excellent video, all things I wish i had known when I started. My advice to myself when starting out is to photograph EVERY bird, not just the 'exciting' or rare ones. Firstly you get more practice so when the 'exciting' bird turns up you know what to do, and I would rather have a good photo of a common bird than a poor photo of a glamorous bird. You shouldn't rely on the rarity or exoticness of the bird to make your photo interesting.

[PhilThach]

These are all excellent tips and suggestions. Well done!

[pmryhce]

Thanks for shareing your thoughts, very helpfull !