I need help

xDarek · Jan 31, 2016

Can someone give me so tips or some tutorials at how to shoot birds that are flying.I know about the ISO and the shutter speed, I also have a tripod but I don't know how to position myself, how to control the camera to get the photo.Does the bird have to fly or shoud I scare her and then take the shot.If the bird is flying how can I get the shot? I can't zoom in because the bird will fly too fast.I don't know, if someone could help my I will apreaciate.

jimmerjamma · Jan 31, 2016

Don't use the tripod if your trying to get a bird in flight because you won't be able to track the bird properly. What lens are you using? What AF points are you using? You can start by leaving your lens zoomed out a little when your walking around that way when you spot something in flight you can locate it easier through the viewfinder then zoom in however much is needed. By any means don't scare the bird!! Patience is your best friend. Most times you can wait the bird out for it to fly, if not then move along.

goodguy · Jan 31, 2016

Very important to have AF set to continues.

DarkShadow · Jan 31, 2016

Spot on above post and fantastic advice. Don't get caught up on this filling the frame thing you can always crop in post later.The hardest part is patience and or waiting for the bird to take flight on its own.Try to anticipate its flight path if its parked on a stick why you keep focus on him.her.but of course holding a hunk of glass up for a length of time waiting for it to take flight on its own is challenging. They hear and see everything even the slightest movements. Might suggest practice on larger birds first before trying to tackle little ones that fly like a fighter jet.Seagull make great practice birds or something similar in your area.

spiralout462 · Jan 31, 2016

What kind of bird do you have to scare to fly? I have more of a problem with them flying too much. The best practice is buzzards and seagulls.

jaomul · Jan 31, 2016

Don't ever "scare" a bird to get it to move also

DarkShadow · Jan 31, 2016

Yes one bird thats large is a GBH Great Blue Heron but for some reason I cant even get them still.They see me coming a 100 yard away and must say guy with camera and haul off into the distant horizon.Not my ideal picture of one cropped to a little tiny 1 pixel bird from 24MP.LOL Maybe oneday I will get one thats been partying all night and to mucked up to move.

xDarek · Jan 31, 2016

Ok, I keep my AF to continous but I can't get a photo of a bird.It's harder than I thought, thank you for your feedback, I will try my best to get a photo of flying bird

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dennybeall · Jan 31, 2016

Any wildlife photo is more about patience and positioning than photography. You have to get in position either by stealth or by waiting in a blind. The mechanics of taking the photo are well described and good advice provides HOW to take the photo. Talk to a hunter instead of a photographer about getting in the right place to get the shot.
We've seen some great bird shots from blinds and from baited setups. The other option is to buy one of those 40K$ telephoto lenses..............................

spiralout462 · Jan 31, 2016

Don't forget to use not only continuous focus, but also continuous drive. That way you can fire off a series of shots to increase the odds of a good one.

Designer · Jan 31, 2016

xDarek said:
Can someone give me so tips or some tutorials at how to shoot birds that are flying.

Remember to take a four-leaf clover, a rabbit's foot, your lucky cap, your lucky shoes, and toss a coin into the fountain. You know; the usual.

zombiesniper · Jan 31, 2016

What I do in a new location to help get into position is frequent the area near daily either in the morning before sunrise or evening at least an hour before sunset. Do this for at least a week. This will let you know their flight patterns from the nest to their feeding/hunting area.

Once you have this info you can pick a decently covered location that still allows for good line of sight with the flight path and as a bonus you have the best light of the day.

Now the problem of getting the bird in frame? There's no substitute for practice. Get out and frame up every bird you see. As stated starting with less erratic birds at first. Then you can try the meth addicted finches.

Good luck.

xDarek · Jan 31, 2016

zombiesniper said:
What I do in a new location to help get into position is frequent the area near daily either in the morning before sunrise or evening at least an hour before sunset. Do this for at least a week. This will let you know their flight patterns from the nest to their feeding/hunting area.

Once you have this info you can pick a decently covered location that still allows for good line of sight with the flight path and as a bonus you have the best light of the day.

Now the problem of getting the bird in frame? There's no substitute for practice. Get out and frame up every bird you see. As stated starting with less erratic birds at first. Then you can try the meth addicted finches.

Good luck.

Thank you, I hope I will learn how to shoot flying birds, you guys helped me a lot. Thank you all, you rock...

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