On making and viewing pictures of wild birds
This page is under
construction.
Making pictures of wild birds is
challenging. Most wild birds are small, they flit around a lot, the few species
that are more stationary rarely let you get too close, and none of them pose or
follow instructions. TheyÕre frequently in locations that are especially
demanding of the photographer—high in the canopy, on the open ocean, deep
in the underbrush, high up on a cliff, etc. The light conditions are almost
always challenging—the bright light of high noon, the sun behind the
bird, a dark canopy with bright sun beyond, the dim light of dawn or dusk or a
rain storm, etc. And the birdsÕ colors—one of the features of the birds
that the photographer especially wants to capture—are usually tricky;
e.g., black and white, deep purple that appears black in most light, etc.
Further, it generally takes hundreds of shots until you get a single good one,
and most shots come after a long hike, with heavy equipment, in the snow or
rain or heat or cold. These challenges are, of course, one of the chief reasons
that making pictures of wild birds is so rewarding.
As with paintings, knowing what to look
for in a photograph of a wild bird can deepen your appreciation of both the
bird and the photograph. And as with paintings, there are, of course, many
different ÒtypesÓ of photographs of wild birds, each of which invites a
different kind of response from the viewer, a different ÒmeasureÓ with which to
judge the photograph. Here, then, are a few of the main types of photographs of
wild birds, broadly conceived, as well as a few brief thoughts on each of them,
and (roughly) arranged from least-to-most desirable.
(1) The close-up (usually also highlighting the
photographerÕs expensive optics). This type of
photograph is usually the preferred mode for birders who are new to photography
and have recently purchased a good lens. Sometimes, this type of photograph can
be quite useful (e.g., in field guides, especially to point out hard-to-see
diagnostic features). Often times, though, a bird that takes up the entire
frame, and is so sharply focused that you can see dust mites on its primaries
is less-than-rewarding to the viewer. But for the serious birder who also makes
photos of wild birds, itÕs difficult (in fact, nearly impossible) to resist the
urge to make a tight close-up photograph on those rare opportunities when they
present themselves. Here is an example of this type of
photograph. I made this photograph on 29 December 2007 in Dublin on St.
StephenÕs Green. It was a rainy day, and my family and I were waiting out the
storm under a gazebo. This curious little European Robin was so bold with us
that he almost seemed to be begging me to make a photo of him. So I did! This
is my least favorite type of wild bird photo, but as with this Robin photo,
sometimes the results are okay.
(2) The flight (or extended wing) shot. (Description
of this forthcoming.) Here is an example of this type of
photograph. Here is another example.
(3) The singing shot. (Description
of this forthcoming.) Here is an example of this
type of photograph.
(4) The shot that emphasizes the bird Òas it really looks in
the fieldÓ (with a special emphasis on the ÒsettingÓ). (Description
of this forthcoming.) Here is an example of this
type of photograph.
(5) The artistic (or its lesser cousin, the mood) shot. (Description
of this forthcoming.) Here is an example of
this type of photograph.
(6) The documentation shot. In
this type of shot, all artistic aspects are subordinate to visual documentation
(usually, of a rare species). Here is an example of this
type of photograph, a crude disgiscope shot I made (before I had my DSLR
rig) of a White-winged Dove from my yard in Crawfordsville, Indiana, the
stateÕs eighth accepted sighting of this species, and Montgomery CountyÕs
first.
(7) The field guide shot. (Description
of this forthcoming.) Here is an example
of this type of photograph.
(8) The shot that combines both (3) and (4). does, but also
with ÒartisticÓ merits, e.g., balance, composition, etc. (Description
of this forthcoming.) Here is an example of this
type of photograph. Here is another example.
Is it a coincidence that both were taken in Prague?
My camera equipment: Originally, a Canon 20D, digital SLR camera,
with 100–400 image-stabilizing zoom lens. Two years ago, my camera died,
and I replaced it with a used Canon 30D. The 30D is adequate, but the images
are not as sharp as those produced with my 20D. I still use the 100–400
image-stabilizing lens.