Birds
may be fascinating to watch but they're notoriously
difficult to capture on film. One NYI student, who had
been trying to photograph birds in his backyard, recently
contacted us with his concerns.
"How
can I get close enough to the bird in order to get a
good photo?" he wrote to us. "And how can
I more effectively freeze the action? The birds in my
photos are always too far away and hard to see, or they're
blurry and poorly-positioned within the frame. What
can I do?"
Whether
trying to close the distance between camera and subject
or attempting to photograph a bird in flight, a bird
photographer confronts an almost bewildering array of
technical questions-which lens to use, which shutter
speed-and occasionally an even more bewildering and
unpredictable subject-there goes the Peregrine Falcon,
and, oh no! You just ran out of film. The birds require
patience; the techniques take some practice. But read
over our suggestions, give it some time, and soon enough,
you'll be photographing birds more effectively and with
greater confidence.
Let's
begin with the basics.
Should
I use slide or negative film?
This
is entirely up to you. If you just want to take some
photos to show the family, or to keep as your personal
collection of "Birds I've Known," negative
film may be the best thing for you. It's easy and convenient
to get negative film developed and to have prints made.
Slides, on the other hand, depending on the type you
use, may need to be sent to a special lab for processing.
And slides can be horribly unforgiving: If your exposure
isn't correct, we assure you, you'll see it.
Slide
film, however, has many advantages over negative film.
You can't beat the colour saturation and if you're interested
in working up a portfolio of bird images with an eye
to submitting your work to a stock agency or nature
magazine, then you should definitely consider shooting
slides. Most publications and stock agencies work solely
with transparencies, though many of them are now starting
to archive and publish images submitted digitally as
well.
Should
I use fast or slow film?
The
answer to this question is always, "well, it depends."
But you should keep in mind this basic rule: Faster
film means an increase in grain, less sharpness, and
less colour saturation. So whenever you can, especially
when taking colourful close-ups of peacocks at the local
zoo, try to use the slowest possible film that your
lighting environment and subject will allow. If you're
wanting to freeze action, though, and the light is low,
you're probably going to need to use a faster film,
like a 400 ISO. NYI graduate and published bird photographer
Dodie Ulery says she almost always uses 400 ISO film
when shooting songbirds in her backyard, because they
move so quickly and unpredictably.
Play
around with the options and see what you can come up
with. It's a good idea in any case to have a selection
of slow, medium and fast film on hand at all times.
What
brand of film is best for bird photography?
This
is a tough one. Ask three photographers, you'll get
three different answers. So we suggest you dive in,
test out different brands in a variety of lighting situations,
and see which brand produces the colours and effects
you prefer. A few popular slide films used by professional
bird photographers are Fuji Velvia, Fuji Sensia, Fuji
Provia and Kodak's Kodachrome.
What
about shutter speed?
Okay,
birds can be fast and you're therefore going to need
a fast shutter speed if you want to freeze the action.
A few photographers we know suggest that if you're photographing
a bird in action, you should use a shutter speed of
at least 1/500, though others would argue that 1/250
also provides an adequate minimum shutter speed.
If
you're photographing a bird at rest, keep in mind that
different species exhibit different types of movement.
Some are slow and languid, like the Great Blue Heron,
and others, like the Yellow Warbler, will move quickly,
the head going this way and that-so you may be able
to drop your shutter speed for the heron, but you should
keep it up for the songbirds. And if you're keeping
up your shutter speed, you will need to use a relatively
fast film.
For
this photo of a Hooded Merganser splashing in the water,
NYI student photographer David Hunter used a 1/250 shutter
speed with a Fujichrome 100 ISO film to capture the
action.
What
kind of equipment do I need?
Heck,
it's a bird, and assuming it's not an ostrich, you will
need to get up close to ensure that you're able to capture
more than the image of a small, indistinct object on
one of many branches in a stand of trees. A telephoto
lens, in this regard, is essential and the longer the
focal length the better. Some photographers recommend
no less than a 300mm lens, which could be coupled with
a tele converter to extend the focal length. Using tele
converters will help you to avoid the cost of longer
lenses without sacrificing the ability to get on top
of your subject. In fact, most professional bird photographers
use a 500 mm or 600 mm lens coupled with a tele converter
to extend the focal length as much as possible.
As
for the f-stop, remember that a large aperture (i.e.,
f /2.8 - f /5.6) gives you a shallow depth of field,
allowing you to isolate the bird in your frame against
the colours but not necessarily the shapes in the background,
as we see here in this photo of a Peregrine Falcon.
A large aperture is great for keeping the focus on the
beauty or form of the bird; it also lets in more light,
which allows you to use faster shutter speeds and slower
film. A small aperture (i.e., f /16 - f /32), on the
other hand, captures less light and increases your depth
of field, which gives you the chance to take an "environmental
portrait" of the bird in its habitat.
While
you're considering these variables, don't forget the
tripod and lens mount, which are essential for maintaining
stability with these longer lenses. Camera support translates
into sharp, detailed photos, so if you're ever caught
without one, remember that any form of camera support
is better than none at all. Use the roof of your car,
a windowsill, a table or bench, whatever is available.
If
you're having a hard time swallowing the idea of a telephoto
lens but really want to get some great bird photos,
consider this possibility: If you're an amateur birder
who wants to observe and take photos, you could mount
your lens on a tripod in front of your favourite viewing
window in your house and use it much like a pair of
binoculars. But if you are a committed point-and-shooter,
or would rather not add another SLR lens to your collection,
don't despair. You can still find ways to capture creative
and clever images without the flexibility and close-up
potential of a telephoto lens.
Consider
this photo of a white duck, for example, which was taken
by NYI student Debra Fleshman. Debra got this photo
without an especially long lens and with a minimum of
equipment and preparation-just a tripod, her Minolta
X-370, a 135 mm lens, and a bag of bread.
"I
feed the bread to the ducks at a nearby pond,"
explained Debra, "and afterwards they usually get
into the water to bathe. I watch them very closely,
concentrating on a single duck through the viewfinder
on my camera until I see a moment I like. It took me
two rolls of film to get this picture without any other
ducks around."
Debra's
timing was helped by her knowledge of bird behaviour.
She knew that after the ducks bathed themselves in the
water, they would often rear up and flap their wings
to dry off, as shown in the photo. To get this shot,
Debra used Fuji Reala ISO 100 film with her shutter
speed at 1/250 and her aperture at f/8.
Here's
another trick for the backyard bird photographer. NYI
graduate Dodie Ulery, who we mentioned earlier, has
engineered a handy system for capturing songbirds on
film without necessarily using a strong telephoto lens.
She positions the camera near a feeder, sets the focus,
aperture, and shutter speed, then retreats to the porch.
She waits there until a bird comes to the feeder, then,
when the moment is right, she uses an infrared control
to trigger her Canon's shutter. Birds approach her feeders
and perches because she's out of sight, and, as a result,
she's able to get closer shots.
Do
I need to use a blind?
In
some cases, when an infrared control isn't an option
or you're wanting to photograph birds in the wild instead
of in your own backyard, you may need to use a blind.
The decision to use one will depend on where and what
species of bird you want to photograph. Particularly
if the bird isn't accustomed to the presence of humans,
you will most likely need to use a blind in order to
get close enough for a good shot. If so, keep in mind
that you're going to have to position the blind somewhere
for a substantial length of time and expect the birds
to come to you, so find a place with lots of bird activity,
like near a lake, along a known flyway, or near feeding
areas.
Bring
a comfortable folding chair, food and drink, plenty
of extra film, batteries, and whatever else you might
need during the next few hours. There's going to be
a lot of waiting, watching, and twiddling your thumbs,
but you can use this time to anticipate and resolve
problems of lighting, composition, and movement before
they arise. Expect to be there for awhile: You don't
want to leave the blind until you're done taking photos.
And even then, try your best to exit without startling
the birds. As bird photographers, we want to try to
minimise, at every opportunity, our potentially negative
impact on the wildlife.
Some
birds may need time to adjust to the presence of your
blind; others may accept it quite readily. Learning
about your bird's behavioural patterns will help you
to determine how to proceed. As for entering and exiting
the blind, photographers differ on this point. Some
say you should enter the blind with another person,
then have that person leave, so that the bird, who supposedly
can't count, will think the blind is empty. If you can't
persuade a friend to help you perform this magic trick,
do your best to enter the area and the blind with a
minimum of noise and preferably before the birds you
hope to photograph have arrived.
Commercially-made
blinds specially designed for bird photographers are
available in some outdoor equipment stores and through
mail-order catalogues. Most bird photographers familiar
with the work of Leonard Lee Rue III know of Rue's venture
into the mail-order business. His company, L.L. Rue,
specialises in equipment for wildlife photographers-blinds,
all sorts of tripods and arms for attaching your camera
to a tree or the roof of a car-and though we're not
out to sell you on acquiring more gear, we want you
to know that if you want it, his company probably has
it.
L.L.Rue
sells portable blinds ranging from $80 to $200. The
$80 blind looks-very simply-like a large camouflage
blanket or tarp that is supported by your head, tripod
and lens. A cheaper alternative of course would be to
make one yourself. You could Jerry-rig a blind from
a camouflage cloth, or use a small tent that you don't
mind modifying. If you'd rather go for the prefab design,
or maybe just want inspiration for your home-made creation,
check out the blinds and other cool gear at www.rue.com
If
you're photographing waterfowl, you might want to consider
using a floating blind, which would allow you to move
through the water undetected in pursuit of the best
angle and the most favourable light. We don't know how
to make these floating thingamajigs here at NYI (though
we imagine it would be quite interesting to test one
out in a Central Park pond), but we've heard from people
in the know that these floating blinds are available
at some outdoor supply stores, and there's bound to
be a Web site out there that'll instruct you on how
to build your own.
A
word about the ethics of photographing wildlife
If
you're interested in bird photography, you're probably
quite passionate about birds and already concerned for
their conservation and welfare. However, for those of
you who are just starting out, keep in mind that a consideration
of the bird's well-being should be of utmost concern
to the bird photographer, right up there with getting
a great image. If you're thinking of setting up a blind
near a bird nesting area, think twice. Your presence
could be disruptive to the nesters and might attract
predators to the site. In all cases, avoid stressing
the bird, and if the bird does begin to show signs of
stress, back off, leave the immediate area, and take
up a position elsewhere.
Birds
are particularly vulnerable and weak during their migratory
period, during which they're travelling extremely long
distances, exhausting themselves nearly to the point
of death, and stopping off only to rest, refuel, and
move on. Treat these birds with respect and caution.
More
warnings and suggestions are included in "The Principles
of Birding Ethics" published by The American Birding
Association on their Web site at www.americanbirding.org/abaethics.htm,
which we suggest you read.
With
these introductory tips and gentle admonitions, you're
on your way to taking better bird photos. Remember-bird
photography, as with all kinds of photography, takes
patience and practice. Don't give up if the hummingbird
at your feeder is still a little blur in your photo
after just one roll. Cross your fingers and hope that
the bird returns, then when she does, shoot another
roll, test different shutter speeds, get creative about
camera positioning.
We
invite you to return to our site next month for a continuation
of our discussion in "Bird Photography Part II."
We'll suggest methods for approaching birds in the wild
without the use of a blind, discuss bird behaviour and
image composition, offer a list of useful online and
print resources, and critique a bird photograph submitted
by one of our students.
––Anne
Townsend |
