bird photography

Welsh Jackal · #1 (**permalink**) 10-09-2009, 07:52 PM

I have just taken up bird photography and after visiting local sights around the Swansea area i am looking for help with the use of my camera,it is a nikon d40 with a Tamron 70-300mm lens i am using the camera on auto and i would like to know what would be the best settings to improve the quality of my pics...many thanks

John D · #2 (**permalink**) 10-09-2009, 08:28 PM

I would suggest setting your camera on Aperature Priority (Av) and the ISO to 400 and try aperature settings from say F5.6 to F8 in order to provide a suitable shutter speed for birds of around 1/250 sec min. Aperatures in the order suggested normally will provide an unclutterd background, which is preferable for bird photos in most cases.
The use of a monopod or tripod would significantly help get sharper images but it is possible to handhold in certain conditions.
The golden rule for handholding is to use a speed which is the recipricol of the lens rating in mm (ie if a 500mm lens then a min shutter speed of 1/500sec) However some people with steady hands can handhold at slower speeds.
Personaly I always use a monopod.
Practice and experiment to find what best suits you.
John D

big bill · #3 (**permalink**) 10-09-2009, 08:47 PM

As John stated above all good advice ,,myself personelly would always use a monopod/tripod if using along lens it helps with stability always lets you concentrate on the pic knowing that your image should not be blurred due to camera shake ,as to exposure settings I go with John ,I had the Nikon D40 but got rid due to the lack of available long lens at reasonable prices as they all had to be DX fitting so went back to Canon ,but to each there own it is a great camera had no caomplaints with the camera just lens available.
Using AV (Aperture priority ) gives you better control over the camera the only way to achieve the shots is to practice and practice more and be ready for some knock backs but you will have good shots as well ,Everybody had to start some were get taking the pics and put them up in the forum then we can let you know what you are doing right or wrong best of luck

DaiTheDragon · #4 (**permalink**) 10-09-2009, 10:36 PM

As well as the advice above practice on easy birds like Ducks, Swans and Seagulls at your local lake. If you have feeders in the garden practice on the small birds. Have you thought about going to the Wetlands in Llanelli, plenty of birds there.

Dai

Geoff F · #5 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 08:29 PM

Are you talking about flying birds or branch sitting birds, because I would recommend totally different settings for each.

At 300mm you are on the borderline minimum size for a lot of smaller birds, so some stealth will be needed to get as close as possible.

For fliers, I would use a fast shutter speed. Say 1/1000 sec or possibly more and Tv setting is probably the safest way of guaranteeing that you keep this speed. But also keep an eye on the aperture to avoid extremes. Adjust the ISO setting when necessary. Use AI servo focusing (is it still called this on Nikon) and spot metering, plus or minus a bit of exposure compensation when needed, although manual settings are good if you know what you are doing. I prefer to just use the centre focusing point. Pan the camera to follow the bird and click the shutter at the best time.

For sitters. Use a suitable aperture setting (Av) and adjust to balance depth of field requirements. With a tripod you can use much slower shutter speeds but be aware of wind rock or bird movement. Auto focus can give false readings by focusing on a hard branch etc instead of a soft edged bird. If this is a problem, use manual focusing. One shot focusing setting should be best. Spot metering will still prove useful to avoid the background having too much influence on the overall image.

In both cases, check the White Balance setting. Shooting RAW will give you a second chance to adjust this and improved quality all round; but it does come at the expense of much greater file sizes.

Try to use the manual or semi auto (Tv or Av) settings but if you unsure what to use take the first few photos on auto so you will still have something in the camera if you get everything wrong.

And the next subject is digital editing using Curves and Unsharp Mask etc; but perhaps that is best left for another day.

Jeremy68 · #6 (**permalink**) 12-09-2009, 10:55 PM

If you are in Swansea, Singleton Park is a good place to practice photography. There are quite tame small birds in the Botanic and Ornamental Gardens in winter. Go along with some bird food and you may even get some landing on your hand. Great place to try out various camera settings and techniques on the commoner birds. Also, you could try nearby Brynmill Park for various water birds.

momji1971 · #7 (**permalink**) 13-09-2009, 11:21 AM

Just a quick one. Get low when shooting birds either on water or shore. You will be amazed at how this tip transforms your images. When I say low I mean flat on the sand or bank. Get right down at eye level.

Give it a go. And don't forget to post your pics here

regards.
Stu.

momji1971 · #8 (**permalink**) 13-09-2009, 06:36 PM

PM me if you want the name of another site dedicated to bird photography. Tons of really invaluable info which should improve your bird shots and post production.

regards.
Stu.