Little bird photography can be both rewarding and challenging. Small birds, including hummingbirds and songbirds, are highly desirable and attractive photographic subjects due to their beautiful feathers and sounds. But, capturing some lovely shots of these creatures can be challenging due to their sizes and swiftness. Hence, it is crucial to have the right equipment and correct camera settings to get the best images.
To successfully capture the best shots of little birds, you will need to approach the task with the right mindset, equipment, and settings to capture the best photos. In this article, you will learn tips, tricks, and techniques on how to do little bird photography like a professional.
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Quick Expert Camera Setting For Little Bird Photography To Capture The Best Shots
Here is a quick camera setting to capture the best shots of little birds.
- ISO – 200 to 800
- Aperture – F/2.8 to f/4
- White Balance – Auto
- Shutter speed – 1/800th to 1/1000th of a second (higher is better to freeze the action)
- Image format – RAW
- Camera mode – manual mode (for complete control).
7 Professional Tips, Tricks, And Techniques For Little Bird Photography
Bird photography can be a difficult and frustrating hobby. It requires patience, skill, and sound equipment. Here are some professional techniques, tips, and tricks to help you get the perfect shots of small birds.
1. Prepare Yourself For The Task
Wildlife and bird photography are all about timing, moments, and determinations. You can be incredibly skilled, but nothing else matters if you aren’t at the right place at the right time with the correct equipment.
So, you have to prepare yourself ahead for the task. Learn the kinds of small birds you’d like to capture and map out where to find them. In addition, get the right photography gear for the moment and pre-practice or study the various settings for different situations.
Bonus Tip: The most vital equipment could include:
- A gimbal or tripod – for stability and flexibility.
- Binoculars or a spotting scope- to view birds from a distance.
- A camera – learn the best cameras for bird photography? What to look for?
2. Locate The Small Birds
Birds are everywhere, from your backyard to the busy streets. But, locating or identifying small birds can be tricky because they can be challenging to identify or notice. So, we recommend studying your subjects for easy identification and learning their habitation.
We also recommend using binoculars for distant viewing or detection of movement and the ebird mobile app to identify or track birds on the field. Nevertheless, small birds such as the songbirds, bee hummingbirds, and Northern Parula are often found in wooded areas, lowlands, and wet areas. If you’re having trouble finding such places, try looking for parks or gardens with lots of vegetation. You might also want to try looking for bridges or other structures where birds can perch on top of them. What more about where you can see birds? Find out here.
Another simple technique to discover birds is through their sounds. Discover the birds you see or hear with Merlin Bird ID.
3. Isolate Your Subjects
Birds are often found in the most cluttered locations or habitations, such as thick tree branches and grasses. This could make the shooting difficult or fill the images with unnecessary elements or backdrops. So, isolate your subject from the background by eliminating or blurring unnecessary details from the photos. Use your f-stop, shooting position or angle, and shutter speed to capture the best shots of only the essential parts.
4. Be Calm And Let Your Subjects Come To You
You might frighten or chase the birds away in your attempt to get closer to them. So, it’s best to remain calm and let the small birds come to you. If you plan to photograph a particular species, it is essential to learn their behavior ahead of time. You can capture detailed pictures of their flights, landings, and take-offs by learning about their behavior.
However, if you must approach the birds, do so with utmost serenity. And walk towards them only when they are not looking in your direction.
Quick Tip: While waiting for the birds to come to you, ensure your camera settings are correct and ready to click.
5. Shoot in Full Manual Mode And RAW Image Format
You are recommended to shoot the images in full manual mode or manual mode with auto ISO and exposure compensation. Shooting in this mode will allow you to experiment with your camera features and enjoy the moment. You will also have complete control over what to include and exclude from the photograph.
In addition, shooting in RAW image format gives room for high-quality and well-detailed images of the birds. It allows the changing of white balance in the post-processing phase. If you shoot in low-light conditions, RAW makes it easier to reduce image noise.
6. Make Use Of Natural Background
Clean and natural backgrounds are some of the vital elements of bird photography. The little bird images will appear attractive when the background is clean and natural.
7. Tell A Story With Your Images
It is crucial to capture meaningful bird photos. So, ensure to capture good images of the bird while in action to add extra depth to the photographs. You can capture them taking off, flying, or even picking your food.
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10 Small Birds You Can Capture
Here is a list of small birds you can use as subjects for your bird photography.
- Black Shallow
- Vaux’s Swift
- Northern Parula
- Black-throated Gray Warbler
- Black-throated Green Warbler
- Cape May Warbler
- Bank Swallow
- Grace’s Warbler
- Yellow Warbler
- Nashville Warbler
Conclusion
Little birds are complex photographic subjects to capture. However, you can capture the best shots of these creatures by pre-studying the behavior and habitation of the kind of small birds you want to capture and using the right equipment.
Make your little bird photography moment splendid by capturing images of birds from different perspectives or angles. And finally, we’d like to know your favorite bird photography techniques, tricks, or ideas. Endeavor to share some of your little bird images in the comments box below.