Help/Advice Please

Spooks · #1 (**permalink**) 20-03-2008, 07:20 AM

I've got a couple of days off work over easter, and I would like to try photographying some wild birds (just the normal common variety).

Couple anybody please give me some helpful tips on doing this, ie, len: wide angle or zoom, best sort of shutters speeds, and recomended ISO settings?

I've tried a few times to capture birds in the garden, but always end up with camera shake (not used a tripod!).

Any help here would be greatly received.

TIA

MARK

**Ogofmole** · #2 (**permalink**) 20-03-2008, 08:37 AM

Hi Mark, I have been quite successful in getting bird shots, I see that you have a 70-300 Sigma which should be suitable. I genially shot from the kitchen window where I can rest the camera lens on my arm which in turn is holding the window frame to form a support. even in good light I would use 400ISO and a quick shutter speed and matrix metering, focusing is fixed to a single area (middle) once focused I will compose shot (this is assuming the bird is still). If you intend catching the bird in flight then you will have to rely upon continuous focusing. Plus you will need to take plenty in order to get one descent shot

.

Mello · #3 (**permalink**) 20-03-2008, 10:03 PM

EY UP Spooks,
can't say iv'e done a lot of this kind of photography but i try not to get to much clutter & use a large F/no 2.8-3.5 as not to have too much in the BG to distract from the subject....

Spooks · #4 (**permalink**) 21-03-2008, 09:04 AM

Thanks for the tipsm guys, will give it a go today. I've got a couple of bird feeders in the garden, so will see what I can come up with.

MARK

starpixie · #5 (**permalink**) 23-03-2008, 09:45 PM

I often take shots like this when I am visiting my parents, they have lots of bird feeders in the garden. I found any shutter speeds under 1/100s were just too slow and I used the largest aperture my (rubbish) lens would allow to get rid of the messy background. I set the tripod up and just focused on the feeder until the birds came. Make sure you turn off any beeps etc on your camera and if you wrap as much of the camera as you can in a jumper or something similar you can insulate it and try and muffle some of the sound of the shutter which normally scares them off!

Exposure: 0.01 sec (1/100)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 270 mm

**genese** · #6 (**permalink**) 24-03-2008, 11:48 AM

what barry said
the settings as above are great but its looks a tad dark so up the ISO

Spooks · #7 (**permalink**) 24-03-2008, 01:10 PM

Genese, Beth, thanks for the info. I got a couple of bird feeders in our garden, so will set up the tripod and get some practice on the way.

To all, thanks for your help with this subject

Tawny · #8 (**permalink**) 24-03-2008, 02:58 PM

How i began with birds in flight photography,is go down to the where you find the bigger birds, ie gulls, ducks, swans etc, harbours, rivers are good places, and if you can take someone else with you to start accompanied with a bag of bread! (although at places like this gulls dont need much tempting!) get the other person to throw the bread upwards and get the gulls flying, you'l find the bigger birds alot easier to focus on as they are slower and more methodical in flight than small birds,and they make good subjects to practise panning techniques on.

I find this sort of photographing easier hand holding my camera, but after a few attempts and the pictures get better its kind of addictive!

Your lense sounds fine and Barrys settings are great, i use Aperatue priority mode (my preference) usually ISO 200 depending on light and if using the 100-400L i keep between 250 & 300mm, and again individual prefence is on motion blur to wings etc, i try and work between Sspeeds of 1/250 and 1/700, and on very dull days may go up to 1/1000.

Spooks · #9 (**permalink**) 01-04-2008, 08:29 PM

Thanks for the info and tips here Bev, really appreciate it. Am hoping to but all these tips into practice next week while I am off