Photographing small birds


Minolta Maxxum 9, 300mm f-2.8 APO lens, 2X teleconverter, Fuji Provia 100, Bogen monopod.
Spot meter, exposure not recorded. Aperture priority and manual focus.

One of my favorite subjects are birds. Photographing larger birds are easier than smaller ones. Small birds are very active and very fast. They are harder to approach and difficult to photograph because they are constantly moving and rarely stay in one place for long. An autofocus camera and a lens with at least 300mm focal length can make the job much easier. 300mm and 400mm lenses are best for larger birds, but if you can get close, you can use these focal lengths to photograph smaller birds as well. Fast lenses come in handy by providing faster shutter speeds.

Image right: Nikon 300mm f-2.8 Lens in white finish.


500mm and 600mm f-4 telephotos
are ideal for this type of photography. Since these lenses are heavy and expensive, you can try a 300mm
f-2.8 with 1.4X and 2X converters
to shoot small birds. Another option
is the 300mm f-4 telephotos with teleconverters. Zooms can also be used if they include 300mm or 400mm setting. Sigma's new 50-500mm or
any of the newer 100-400mm zooms can provide the coverage you need. You can use faster films such as ISO 200 or set your digital camera to ISO 200 to compensate for the slower f-stop. I use 300mm f-2.8 with 2X teleconverter when photographing small birds. ISO 100 is my film choice and I push it one stop to ISO 200 if necessary to gain an extra speed. I prefer monopods over tripods. Monopods are more maneuverable and let me keep up with the bird's movements. Approach is the key to successful photographs. Any sudden or direct movement will scare away the birds. Once you spot a bird, move very slowly and cautiously. Avoid direct eye contact with the bird as they are very aware of eye contact and see it as a threat. Depending on the species, each bird allows a certain distance between them and others before the fly away. Even at close distances, it is difficult to fill the frame.

Image Below: Canon EOS EF 500mm f-4 with Image Stabilizer feature.
Click on the image to see description from Amazon.com
 

500mm and 600mm lenses let you fill the frame without getting too close. With a 300mm, you must be twice as close as a 600mm lens to get the same shot. I attach my 2X teleconverter to my 300mm f-2.8 lens and set the lens on a monopod. The combination along with fast autofocus gives me sharp close shots most of the time. You need 1/250 sec shutter speed or faster to freeze action. Even f-2.8 and f-4 apertures may not provide fast shutter speeds. Small birds are very fast so even a slight movement can cause blurred images.

 I sometimes carry a flash and set it off camera to freeze action or solve low light situations. Metering can also be difficult. Spot meters are great tools but the size of the subject can prevent a good reading if you can't get too close. Meter something middle tone in the same light as the bird and lock reading using AE-Lock or shoot in manual mode. Try to focus on the eyes especially at closer range. Expect blurred images when photographing small birds. They seem to move just as you press the shutter release. Working from a blind is one option for bird photography. I never done this simply because of having to carry and set up a blind. I prefer to be able to move to another location fast if I have to. I find learning about birds and their behavior is a better approach. You can also set up bird feeders on your back yard to attract birds. Many will return and they usually bring along a friend.