Taking pictures of birds takes practice. Birds have their own territories and will leave when they feel threatened. Plus, any noises you or your camera make will also affect your ability to get good pictures. In addition to lighting, background, and shutter speed, you have a lot of other factors to consider.
Get the Right Camera Equipment
When it comes to taking photos of birds, you’re going to need a very high shutter speed and good equipment. Using fast frames of at least 1/2000 per second and even faster is required for capturing birds. You can use a DSLR camera that has fast auto-focus to get the shot you want. Check out the Nikon D500 for a great option. (https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product/dslr-cameras/d500.html)
Learn Your Camera Settings
Once you buy a good camera for shooting birds, you’ll want to practice using all the settings. Take the time to sign up for a course either online or offline so that you can learn the settings faster than if you read the manual and try it yourself. A “Dummies” book can be a lifesaver too.
Know the Best Spots to Locate Birds
In your area, there are some spots to find birds that are used to being around people. That’s the best way to practice because you don’t want to have to find the birds while learning how to shoot them. Focus on less rare birds for now until you learn.
Understand Something about Bird Behavior
The more you understand about bird behavior, the easier it is going to be to use that information to get your shot. For example, different birds have different distances of territory that they guard. If you traverse that territory, they’ll fly away. If you know about the type of bird you’re shooting, you’ll be more likely to get the shot you want.
Avoid Wearing Bright Colors
Birds have better vision than you and if you wear bright colors, they’ll be attracted to it faster and repelled from it. That means they’ll see you coming a long way away, probably before you see them, and fly away.
Avoid Making Sudden Moves
Just like they can see you coming a long way away due to your colors, if you’re near a bird and they’re not moving as you set up the shot, don’t move quickly. Instead, avoid all sudden moves to avoid scaring them off.
Turn Off Your Electronics
Like sudden moves and bright colors will startle and scare off the birds, so will your electronic device. You can’t stop the camera from making the sounds it makes, but you can turn off your mobile device or put it on silent.
Keep the Noise to a Minimum
Any type of noise will scare off the birds. Try not to talk or let your cell phone chirp, and be aware of taking photos too fast; the sound of your shutter is going to startle the birds, and they’ll fly off.
Don’t Stare at Birds
This may seem strange, but birds don’t like it if you stare at them. They do respond to the human gaze, and it might not always be a good thing when you’re trying to take pictures. If you stare them in the eye as you approach, they’ll take this as a threat and fly off. Sometimes they might even go in for an attack first, depending on the breed.
The Objects Behind the Bird Matter Too
When you’re framing up your pictures, you have a lot to think of. You need to consider the bird, but you also need to consider what’s in the background. The right background will help your bird stand out better.
The main thing you want to do is get out there and practice. Try going to locations that you’re familiar with, and that have birds that are used to traffic and humans while you’re learning your camera. That way, you can get some good shots without too much frustration before you move into the rarer sightings.
