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The Rules - Nine essential rules for great garden bird shots

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The Rules

Digital SLR User Magazine
Digital SLR User is a magazine and web site 100% dedicated to helping you get the most out of your Digital SLR camera and further photographic gear. Assisting you on the path to taking better pictures. Digital SLR User cover everything you need and want to know about your camera with their fresh, exciting and informative attitude to DSLR photography.
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The Rules - Nine essential rules to get great garden bird shots

Nature photographer Colin Varndell shares his essential tips to help you get great images of garden birds.

 

1. Understand your subject

Luck doesn't come into capturing good photographs of any type of wildlife, it's far more important that you have an understanding of their behaviour. That way you'll learn to be in the right place at the right time.

 

2. Pay close attention to the background

Try to avoid cluttered backgrounds, which have a tendency to detract interest from the main subject. Ideally, shoot your birds on natural perches with plain backgrounds.

 

3. Think about composition

Small birds look best side on, showing their shoulder or wing edge and head. It is important to ensure there is always more space on the side to which the bird is facing. This is simple psychology suggesting that the bird's interest is contained within the picture.

 

4. Focus carefully

Although your digital SLR has a highly sophisticated autofocus system, it may struggle to work effectively on birds as their movement is fast and skittish. Given this, you should try switching over to manual focus.

 

5. The birds come first!

Never jeopardise a bird's well being for the sake of a photograph. Although garden birds may be familiar to us, generally they are extremely camera shy and for much of the year it is difficult enough just getting straight portraits of them.

 

6. Establish a feeding routine

Offering food can provide photo opportunities and at the same time the birds will benefit. For authentic looking shots, provide convenient perches in the form of twigs close to the feeding device. Birds will have a more natural, wild look when shown on a twig rather than hanging onto a seed feeder.

 

7. Open a public bath

All birds need water every day, both for drinking and for their ablutions. A birdbath, set up in a quiet corner of your garden can produce opportunities for action shots of birds splashing in the water or preening nearby.

 

8. Be prepared to wait

Always exercise patience with your garden birds. When your subject comes into the viewfinder for the first time, don't trip the shutter straight away. Let it come and go a few times and allow it to relax into normal behaviour before you start taking pictures.

 

9. Stay out of sight

Birds are nervous creatures, so you won't be able to get good pictures if you simply walk into your garden with a camera. As a starting point, try shooting from indoors. It's best not to shoot through a window, but try closing the curtains and poking your lens through. It's a good idea to have your camera on a tripod - your arms will soon get tired otherwise.

A better option is to hide yourself out in your garden and for this you'll need to construct a hide.

 

  • Rules for Garden Birds