perfect your technique Whatever the brand, master bird photography in six simple steps
1
Continuous shooting When you
use a high-speed drive rate, it improves
your chances of getting the perfect shot of
a speedy bird. The camera will keep firing
while the shutter button is held, giving you
several frames to choose from.2
Continuous focus ai servo, or
continuous focus on some models,
suits most bird photography. With this
setting, the camera continues to focus on
your subject as you move. it holds focus
as long as the focus button is pressed.3
Back-button focus on canon and
nikon dsLrs, you can set your camera
to focus by using a button on the back of
the camera. Focus is controlled with your
thumb, and the shutter button is then used
purely for taking the picture.4
Set up your lens advanced
telephoto lenses have two or three
image stabilisation modes to choose from,
including for panning. set the right option
for the picture you’re taking, and turn the
lens to quiet.5
Use a focus limiter super-
telephoto lenses have a focus limiter
switch, designed to lock off the closest part
of the range and prevent ‘hunting’ while
focusing on distant birds. Limit the focus
range if your subject is close.6
Go wide and low approach bird
profiles as you would any typical wildlife
portrait. Focus on the eyes, get down low
and shoot with the lens wide open, so that
the background and habitat around them
slip into a beautiful bokeh blur.The feeding frenzy
Sean Weekly spent a lot
of time photographing
Dalmatian pelicans, and
used a 1/8sec exposure to
deliberately blur their beaks
x6 © Lauren ScottBird PhoTograPhY