WINTER
BIRDS
|
Despite travelling
to many great locations in the U.K. and some abroad,
and despite photographing a range of stunning and exotic
species - I still revel in the beauty of our most common
garden birds. Watching them flit between the trees and
seeing them perch at close range is an absolute delight,
and to photograph this, for me... is one of the most
rewarding ways to spend my time.
A
local park just outside
of Leeds has been a popular location for me for a number
of years now. Little did I know however, that set back
from the main path was a virtual feeding station where
a congregation of small birds could regularly be found.
Slightly secluded - the spot is a scrubby area, with
a number of tree stumps, bushes and trees providing
a perfect little dining area for blue, great and coal
tit; blackbird, robin; nuthatch - and even the local
Jay!
|
The
birds are flocking around you before there's even
any food out. Place the food below a bush and
they'll perch in it for you... positioning the
food specifically enables you to get the birds
as close as possible to where you want them. Backgrounds
can vary here: shoot from one viewpoint and there's
good light backgrounds; shoot from a different
angle and dappled foliage comes into play - both
work quite well.
This
is probably the best place I have ever seen for
small bird photography. Trees are a bit of a problem,
blocking out the light often, but the perches,
backgrounds and sheer number of birds is superb
- and they are virtually tame! It couldn't get
much better - but it does... the dozen or so tree
stumps make perfect places to place the camera
so there's a ready made support there too, without
the need for a tripod. A simple beanbag does the
job, and makes it easier to follow their quick
movements.
|
 |
One of the
best things about this 'feeding station' is the sheer
number and variety. Blue tits are common, as are great
tits; but probably outweighing these in number, is the
smaller and daintier coal tit which looks particularly
good on a frosty or snowy day.
 |
Two
winter images of coal tits. For the image on the
left I used the blue sky as a backdrop, whilst
the image on the right shows just how much snow
their was on this day. |
|
|
Technique
for this kind of photography is pretty
much - use the fastest shutter speed you
can at a wide aperture (f4 or f5.6). However,
when using longer lenses of around 400mm
or more, depth of field can become so
reduced that if possible, it's best to
use a slightly smaller aperture - between
f6.3 and f8. (This will reduce your shutter
speed though). Above all, always aim your
focus on the eye - this is obviously difficult
with a bird that's capable of moving many
times a second, but as long as you focus
on the head area, you'll be o.k.
Althought
it's possible to shoot with manual, you
really do need autofocus to capture pin
sharp images. There's different ways to
use this facility: With servo (tracking
mode), the lens will constantly track
and re-adjust as you follow the subject,
but with fast moving small birds this
can struggle - and if the lens picks up
the background, it will throw you completely
out of focus and keep 'hunting'. I find
the best technique is to use the 'one
shot' mode. With my finger primed, and
reactions ready... as soon as a bird hits
the perch, I get the focus point on it
and fire at as many frames per second
as I can.
If
you have a number of focus points, then
try to use the one which will be closest
to the bird's head when it lands. Of course,
you can't be sure whether the bird will
adopt a vertical or horizontal pose, so
this is really a case of practice - but
the less you have to adjust/move the camera
when your subject arrives, the quicker
you will react and the more chance of
getting a good image. Remember, with tits
in particular, you might have 2 seconds
at the most to compose and fire the shutter. |
|
It's
great having a location to visit that you know is productive
- and the potential images are never-ending. All the
images on this page were taken during a very cold spell,
which is ideally the time to try this type of photography
- but the changes that spring, summer and autumn will
bring, mean that the changing trees and surrounding
colour will provide different perches for me to use,
different backgrounds - and even different light. And
if all that isn't good enough, then I don't see why
I couldn't take my own 'perch' along..?
|
|
|
A
blue tit on frosted perch. The combination of
soft light, wintry surroundings and the pose,
make this one of my favourite images from the
winter.
Shot
with a canon 20D and 300mm lens at 1/250 second
at f5.6 using beanbag. |
|
|
|
|
|
