SHOOT IN BURST MODE
This is one I’m still coming to grips with: I feel like part of the challenge of bird
photography is to identify that moment when you’ll get the best shot and to
press the shutter button exactly then. Nevertheless, photographing action at 5,
7, or even 10fps — depending on what your camera can manage — increases the
chances of getting the best shot. The setting is called Continuous shooting on
some cameras. You’ll just have to spend a little more time culling images later,
but you’re more likely to get an avian portrait in which your subject’s inner
eyelid isn’t closed.
CHECK YOUR SETTINGS
On more than one occasion, I’ve gone out and shot an hour or two’s worth of
SLFWXUHVRQO\WR¿QGODWHUWKDW,¶GSUHYLRXVO\VHWWKHH[SRVXUHWR0DQXDOIRUD
PXFKEULJKWHUVXEMHFWRUWR(9IRUDGDUNVXEMHFW,¶GJHWEDFNKRPHORDG
WKH6'FDUGLQWRP\3&DQG¿QGDFDUGIXOORIQHDUO\EODFNLPDJHVRU
RYHUH[SRVHGLPDJHV2QFH,VHW,62¿[HGDWDQGFDPHEDFNZLWKDORWRI
noisy images. (Using a mirrorless camera, which shows you the actual exposure
LQWKHYLHZ¿QGHUFDQSUHYHQWWKHVHVLWXDWLRQV $JODQFHDWP\FDPHUD¶V
VHWWLQJVZRXOGKDYHSUHYHQWHGWKHVH¿DVFRVLI,KDGQ¶WEHHQVRHDJHUMXVWWR
start shooting.
Photo^ credit:^ michaeljung/Shutterstock.com