Photographing Birds Fine Tune My Photography Skills

Nov 7

**Personal Growth**

For years, I admired bird photography from a distance. My attempts at photographing birds was mediocre at best. Without the advantage of a telephoto lens and not fully paying attention to my technical settings that my camera was capable of providing, my images often suffered from being out of focus or plagued by motion blur. Determined to enhance my bird photography skills, I sought guidance from one the best bird photographers I know and who happens to be my uncle, Doug Fletcher in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Birding

Birding is the hobby of watching wild birds in their natural environment. It's a popular pastime with people worldwide, often involving the use of binoculars, field guides, and notebooks to enhance the experience. For me, birding involves my Nikon Z 8 camera, a telephoto lens, polarized filter, and the Merlin Bird ID app. This trip I rented the Nikon 180-600mm, F5.6 lens from Lensrentals.com. I highly recommend Lensrentals. They have great customer service and equipment. I find bird photography to be an excellent place to fine tune my photography skills and a way for me to connect with these remarkable creatures.

Tricolored Heron
Exposure: 1/3200sec, F:6.3, ISO 800
Focal Length: 600mm
Camera: Nikon Z8
Lens: Nikon 108-600mm, F5.6

Technical

On our first outing, we ventured to Huntington Beach State Park to explore the marshland during low tide. Armed with my Nikon Z camera and Nikon 180- 600mm F5.6 lens, I thought I was all set to capture great bird photographs. Well, I struggled. It was difficult to get focused on the birds if they were doing anything besides standing still. If a bird was flying or catching a fish, my photograph was out of focus or blurry. It soon became clear that user error was the issue. I switched to mirrorless this year and I am humbly reminded at times that this is not the same as using a DSLR camera. My camera required a firmware update and my technical settings needed an overhaul specifically tailored for bird photography. Below are settings that I found to be helpful.

Firmware Update: Nikon Z8 2.0 and above firmware update has bird detection and pixel shift. This is a game changer for tracking birds in flight and in motion.

Focus: I prefer to set my AF Activation setting to back button focus. I use Single Point Focus and control the focus point with the joystick.

Subject Detection: I set to bird detection. A reminder that you will not see the eye detection until the bird is in your viewfinder.

Area Focus: I set to Wide Are Large

Frames per Minute: 20fps

Little Blue Heron
Exposure: 1/1600sec, F:3, ISO 800
Focal Length: 300mm
Camera: Nikon Z8
Lens: Nikon 108-600mm, F5.6

Embracing the Challenges

Bird photography presents a set of unique challenges that demand patience, precision, and adaptability. Birds are dynamic subjects, often in constant motion and capable of flight at a moment's notice. Capturing these fast movements requires a quick eye and understanding of camera settings, especially shutter speed and autofocus capabilities.

Lighting adds another layer of complexity. Natural light can be unpredictable, with conditions changing rapidly from one moment to the next. The golden hours of dawn and dusk offer beautiful, soft lighting that enhances the vibrant colors of feathers, yet midday sun can create harsh shadows. Learning to work with these variables has improved my ability to adapt to any lighting situation, making me a more versatile photographer.

With a lens aperture of only F5.6, I found myself constantly adjusting my polarized filter to maximize shutter speed in the available light. I aimed for a speed of 1/3200 or higher whenever possible, as the swift movements of birds demanded it.

Great Blue Heron
Exposure: 1/1000sec, F:6, ISO 800
Focal Length: 300mm
Camera: Nikon Z8
Lens: Nikon 108-600mm, F5.6

Location

Huntington Beach State Park is considered to be one of the best birding spots in South Carolina anytime of the year. Over 300 bird species have been noted at the park. My uncle taught me to look for the tide schedule and go out just before low tide to have the best view of the birds fishing. Through these experiences, bird photography has not only enhanced my technical skills but also deepened my appreciation for the art of photography and the natural world. Each outing is a new lesson, a new story waiting to be captured, and a step towards mastering my craft.

For fellow photographers and nature lovers, I encourage you to embrace the challenges and rewards of bird photography. It’s a path that leads to both personal growth and a greater appreciation for the beauty that surrounds us. Enjoy a few images from my week photographing at Huntington Beach State Park in Myrtle Beach, SC.

P.S.

Be aware of your surroundings. Wear bug spray and dress appropriately. Alligators, snakes, mosquitos, and swamp flies like birding too!