Bird photography - something for you?

Bird photography can be very interesting but also very challenging. As most birds are small photography subject it can be difficult to get close enough to fill the frame.

Professional bird photographers have very expensive telephoto lenses and other expensive equipment. Bird photography don’t necessarily need to be done with such expensive gear. There are many ways you can photograph birds.

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Where to photograph birds?

Birds in the wild
The most obvious is to photograph birds in the wild. This is one of the most challenging types of nature photography. It can be very difficult to approach and get close enough without a long telephoto lens. Further the birds never stay for long in one place. Bird photographers often spend hours waiting for the birds and right moments. But often even with a 500 mm lens or better they will have to crop the final image

Backyard birds
Fortunately, there are easier and more accessible ways of shooting wild birds. Your own backyard is often a good place to start. The good thing is you have easy access and to a great extent you can be in control of the subjects. By photographing your own birds in your own backyard you can get close-up photographs of birds without the need of very expensive equipment. And even better you have a lot of days to choose from compared to the limited time if you are trekking in the wild.

Rehabilitation centers
Another place you can take photographs of birds are in centres where birds in rehabilitation are displayed. Rehabilitation centers often display rare and unusual birds. Many of these centres make parts of their income from visitors. You can watch the feeding and training of the birds. The possibilities of getting nice close-up shots are good.

Birds in parks and zoos
A day in the zoo is an obvious place to spend some time for bird photography. You will find all kind of birds on display. The challenge is often the birds are behind wire netting or bars of a cage. Some species are even behind glass. Another challenge is the backgrounds which often are very fake looking.

The fake backgrounds can be blurred by using a shallow depth of field. Another way is to try different shooting angles. Shooting from a low position and upwards increase the possibility of getting real trees and sky as the background instead of a fake background or fences. When shooting through glass there is a risk you will get glare and reflections in your image. You can avoid this by shooting at different angles through the glass.

Many zoos today have changed positively and are displaying the birds in almost natural surroundings. This is also an advantage for the bird photographers. Also remember to check the zoo's feeding schedule. The birds are often very active just before feeding time and it might be you only option to get the perfect shot.

Continue reading about which camera gear you need to photograph birds.



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