Creative, commercial photographers.

Tips on photographing wild birds

August 6, 2009

The photographing of birds in their wild environment can be carried out for many reasons and can yield stunning results. Images of birds are often used by a commercial photographer for advertising campaigns and the photographing of birds is also a common theme amongst amateur photographers because of the amazing shots that are possible when working with creatures like this.

When hoping to photograph wild birds successfully, it is firstly recommended that you visit local areas and photograph local birds. Birds that live in populated areas like Leeds or London are often more tame. By choosing local birds, you have a starting point. If you choose a location such as a nearby lake or country reserve, the birds are also more likely to be accustomed to visitors and therefore may be a little bit more trusting as you approach with your camera.

It is also possible for you to encourage birds to enter your shot and for you to choose the setting of the photograph. By getting creative and building a feeder for the birds, the birds will come to you where you can be prepared to photograph them. Choose an appropriate background for your photograph and place food on the feeder to see which birds you can attract.

When a bird does come into view and you wish to photograph it, try to get as close as possible without scaring it away. Use the different functions such as the zoom on your camera to help you do this. Try to photograph the bird from different angles and positions to improve the likelihood of you taking the perfect shot. Always be aware of the background that you have in the photograph and how it will affect the image.

The lighting in the photograph is an important issue to consider. The time of year and time of day will greatly affect the lighting in your photograph and the final image. Determine when you photograph the birds by the purpose of your photography. Photographing wild birds at sunrise and sunset is often preferred by professional photographers because of the warm and golden light that is captured in the shots. Experiment with this and see what works best for you.