Bird Photography

Bird Photography

1. Why Bird Photography?

2. Ethics of Bird Photography

3. What Makes a Good Bird Photo?

4. Equipment Considerations

5. Techniques

6. References

1. Why Bird Photography?

• creation of fine art images for display, publication or sales

• documentation/ record for rarities

• study of plumage and behavior

• other personal reasons (for example, memories of birding trips) …

2. Ethics of Bird Photography

Birds and its habitat are more important than photo

don't stress birds by getting too close don't distribute the nests don't create a path for predators to follow to

a nest other good common sense be observed …

3. What Makes a Good Bird Photo?

• basically it’s the one that meets the needs of the photographer

• attention to the basic qualities of the photograph: proper technique and good composition

• Technical factors: exposure, sharpness, accurate color, details

• Aesthetic Factors: lighting, composition, background, decisive moment, artistic feel consideration, habitat & surrounding

• the photographer's technical and artistic abilities

4. Equipment Considerations

Inappropriate equipment can limit the results ...

35mm SLR format for superb optical quality and portability

Auto focus, motor drive, TTL exposure modes

Choice of digital and/or film SLRCamera Support

4.1 Equipment Considerations (cont’d)

choice of lenses: focal length, max aperture, min focusing distance, converter/extension tubes compatibility

400/5.6 AF lens - good choice for portability and hand held flight shots. Highly usable with 1.4x to make an usable 560/8 lens in good light

300/2.8 AF lens - for versatility (works well with 1.4x or 2x converters) and portability

500/4 or 600/4 AF lens – lens of choice for bird photography

avoid mirror lens

4.2 Equipment Considerations (cont’d)

Camera support:

rigid tripod eg Gitzo 1325CF, 1548CF Wimberley Head – gimbal type quick release system for mounting lens to

tripod head – use of "Arca-Swiss" style plates

4.3 Equipment Considerations (cont’d)

Other Accessories:

Tele converters - 1.4x and 2x Extension tubes - 12mm, 25mm Electronic TTL Flash Unit Better Beamer flash extender

Techniques• Long lens technique• Shooting Film - choices• Shooting Digital - DSLR • Getting Close• Exposure• Lighting• Composition• Decisive Moment and Timing

Long Lens Techniques Use a sturdy tripod whenever possible. Tighten all

controls knobs    Ensure tripod can handle the weight of your

camera, lens, tripod head and other accessories with plenty of margin.

Wimberley Head is preferred to Ball Head Use your arms, hands and face as vibration

dampening Use Image Stabilization (IS) or Vibration

Reduction (VR) if available Use faster film, MLU + self timer + cable release

Film ChoiceSlide Film [Fuji Provia 100F]- original & first generation images for sharpness,

contrast and colors- a reference for printing- pushability by 1 to 2 EV stops (E-6)Print Film [Fuji Superia 200, 400, REALA, NPH]- retain max retrievable highlight and shadow detail- wider exposure latitude +/- 3 EV stops- widely available and processing (C-41)

Shooting Digital - DSLR

• RAW Format• Photoshop CS [version 8]

• Curves & Levels

• Image Sharpening Filter

• Web Presentation

DSLR Shooting Format - RAW

• RAW format provides a "digital negative"

• Retain the maximum amount of data in your images

• Use Software to convert RAW files e.g. Adobe Photoshop CS, File Viewer Utility, Capture One etc.

• On to Photoshop for final processing

Photoshop CS

• Powerful and flexible • Work in 16 bit TIFF image • Run NeatImage for noise removal if

necessary• Perform levels & curve adjustments to

maximize the tonal range • Add sharpening as needed using the

unsharp mask, USM, filter

Levels Adjustment

Curves Adjustment

Summary on Level/Curve Adjustments1. Use Levels before Curve to clip off the flat parts

of the histogram.2. If you intend to use Curves for tonal control,

don't shift the gray point (gamma) in Levels: you will unnecessarily lose information.

3. Use an S curve to increase contrast in the midtones.

4. Push up the midpoint of an S curve to brighten an underexposed picture, while nailing down the shadows with a control point to the left.

5. Pull down the midpoint of an S curve to darken an overexposed picture, while nailing down the highlights with a control point to the right.

Image Sharpening Filter

• Selective sharpening• Make use of magic wand for part selection

and only apply sharpening to it • Leave the background alone• Avoid the formation of halos at interfaces

with high contrast • Use 100-150(A)/0.6-1.0(R)/2-6(T) for most

images

For Web Presentation

• Downsize using the Bicubic algorithm to a size of 600 or 640 pixels on the longest size at 72dpi

• Change the color space to sRGB (Image ->

Mode -> Convert to Profile) at this point if you've been working in AdobeRGB

• For print, upsize to the target size at 300dpi

Further Reading – (I)

• Adobe Photoshop 7.0/CS by Martin Evening

• Real World Photoshop 7 by David Blatner & Bruce Fraser

• The Complete Reference Photoshop 7 by Greenberg [McGraw Hill]

Further Reading – (II)

• Art Morris - The Art of Bird Photography, Amphoto

• John Shaw - Nature Photographer's Complete Guide to Professional Field Techniques, Amphoto

• Outdoor Photographer magazine

• NatureScapes.net