A Beginner’s Guide to Wildlife Photography Birding
With wildlife photography birding, individuals have the chance to combine their passion for wildlife photography and birdwatching in a single pastime. If it’s your first time to take this kind of trip, here are a couple of tips that could ensure you come home with the best shots – figuratively speaking, of course.
Choose the best equipment.
SLR cameras are always the best if you are aiming for professional quality photos, but digital or even old-fashioned film cameras would also do just as long as they offer excellent autofocus features. With autofocus, you get to spend more time tinkering with other details of your photos while the autofocus ensures that the subject is right where you want it in your photo.
If applicable, purchase various types of lenses to use with your camera. This would allow you to take pictures from various angles and distances without having to disturb birds from their activities and risk frightening them away.
Look for something lightweight. Even if your camera comes with a tripod – and hopefully it does – there are a number of shots that you have to take with the cameras in your hand. Anything that’s not lightweight could prevent you from enjoying a great shot since wildlife photography birding is mostly about waiting long hours to find just that one perfect photo opportunity.
Practice with gull photography.
Find out where the best places are to photograph gulls. They make excellent subjects for practice because of their size and nature. Gulls are larger than a lot of birds and this makes them easy to focus on even without the use of special camera equipment. They are also very active and most of the time, you’ll find gulls doing something that’s interesting and sure to look great on photo.
Know your subjects well.
When you have enough practice, it’s time to choose which species you’d like to truly photograph. It’s important to familiarize yourself not just with their appearance but also their typical behavior and habitat.
This way, you’ll know where and when to look for them as well as the best time to photograph them. With enough research, you’ll also know how to woo them and keep them in place while you photograph them up close.
Learn how to move slowly, quietly, and efficiently.
Birds are sensitive creatures and are easily rattled. Any rash or noisy movement in your part could have them fly away. If you want to be good at wildlife photography birding, you better learn how to move with stealth.
 |