Small birds in flight advice

[Tobyh]

Hi all,

A few weeks back I visited my local wood and whilst messing about with my macro lens in a cleared part of the wood I was lucky enough to be visited by a pair of Hobbies. I have never tried in-flight shots so thought I would have a bash at them.

I got a few "ok" ones, this is probably the best..



I was pretty happy with that as it's my first ever in-flight shot attempts.

As it was on my mind I thought i'd try again in my garden, trouble is I think I picked a very difficult subject in my local nuthatches, mainly because I knew I could rely on them to take peanuts and fly

Here are my attempts. They aren't great and don't stand up to being viewed at 100%. They were shot at F8 (to allow for a bit of deviation in their flight path) ISO 800 at 1/2500s (or thereabouts - did vary)




My main question is - how do I try to improve on these - I used a remote release and am thinking that if I can't freeze the action at 1/2500 I'll need to probably pan with it? or just bump the ISO and the shutter speed?

Any advice appreciated.

TobyH

PS - go easy on me, this was my first attempt at in-flight. I guess I decided to start at the deep end :O

[Gaina]

Toby, they are great! Far better than I could have done with a bird that fast

[momji1971]

great shots.

You could try panning but with the size and speed of the bird it would be extremely hit n miss but worth a try! As you say, you've gone in at the deep end. Its much easier with larger birds who tend to fly in predictable path.

regards.
Stu.

[glsammy]

These are a very good attempt.
Were you using manual or auto focus?

I've had my best success when using manual focus, especially for birds like these. They often use the same route so you can pre focus, then pan with them, hoping they keep on your expected route!

[Ollie]

Very good efforts in my opinion. I would have been pleased with them anyway. Always very difficult to get small birds in flight. I've tried many times with limited success and any that I have managed have come with panning and upping the ISO to 1600 but then you have the problem with noise.
Roger

[dan-fisher]

Excellent pics and lucky you too for getting those birds.. i'd be over the moon just to get a snap of either of them on my mobile phone !!

As far as the speed goes.. my personal preference but i like to see plenty of the rush and speed captured and that shows it..

[Tobyh]

Thanks for the kind comments all.

Graham - I was manually pre-focused as I couldn't trust the AF to behave. I think maybe next try I'll attempt to pan with them, I don't think it'll be much more hit and miss than this was

TobyH

[colincurry]

Good shots and ones to be pleased with.

Unlike you and Graham, I always use AF. I was trying for starlings yesterday afternoon in very good light. Marginally easier than house martins. Took lots of shots and hope for that one will be not too bad. I always pan.

Herons are good for practising on, and swans. I will even try a green woodpecker as they always seem to fly off laughing before I can get near.

Colin