What's the score?

Flight & action bird photography is very easy & very difficult.

A strange statement? No.

It is easy because rules applicable for portrait work (composition, imtersection of thirds, shine of eye etc), do not apply. You simply point & shoot at a mega quick moment in bird time.

It's difficult because:

1. You need to get close to your subject (like portrait work)

&

2. You need to have the fieldwork skills, using your gear extremely well to be able to capture such quick moments in time.

That is why I love my chosen form of bird photography...on balance, it's SO difficult...GREAT!!

These are some of my images

& I'll tell you how I manage to get some okay images.

Rock Pipit....took a few hours, but worth it.

I love Golden Plovers...who needs rarities?

Exquisite & elegant birds - Common Terns are top birds for me.

Swallows - underrated birds!

Oystercatcher - food for it's new family (This pair raised 3 young despite the terrible weather of 2007 Summer).

My second most favourite birds - Hobbies are top top birds. In my opinion, better than Peregrines.

Nice! - Juvenile Peregrine...an awesome bird, even when just fledged.

My most favourite birds - Short-eared Owls...The best!

My Set up

This is my gear & how I use it. It has been really successful for me over the past two & a bit years, as I have tried to make flight and action bird photography my specialism. In my opinion it's the best equipment available. I know that many people cannot justify spending so much money, but many of the tips I will give apply to all DSLR cameras & general fieldwork techniques.

My Camera - Canon EOS 1D Mark 2.

Camera Settings

Exposure Mode - I always shoot in Aperture Priority mode (Shown as Av above). Fast shutter speed is the name of the game & with this mode you will get the fastest shutter speed available wherever you point your camera. TIP - Look at the worst case scenario in terms of shutter speed available by checking dark backgrounds which a bird might appear from or to. I like a minimum shutter speed of 1/1250 of a second, if you've not got it step up the ISO accordingly. What's the point of having a 'clean image' if the shutter speed does not allow a nailed flight shot?

(Theory applied - Sparrowhawk with Snipe - I knew I had sufficient shutter speed over the dark grassed areas).

Auto focus Mode - I always shoot in A1 Servo mode (Shown as A1 SERVO above).

Exposure Control - I always shoot based on the evaluative metering (Shown below Av above).

Drive Mode - I always shoot in High Mode (Shown below A1 SERVO above & as pointed to by Ben The Plumber's fag).

(I managed to get six frames in the bag as this fabulous Barn Owl dived. However, only two were in focus...be prepared for a modest hit rate, even with a Pro. specification camera).

ISO Settings - I go up to ISO 640. TIP - Use image cleaning software like NEAT IMAGE (as per 'My Essential Tip' on my home page) or NOISE NINJA to clean up images taken at high ISO levels.

Focus Point Selection - 95% of the time I use all 45 points (Known in the trade as 'The ring of fire'). NOTE - Many entry level cameras have 9 point auto focus systems & having owned some myself, I know that the only way to track moving birds is to assign the centre focus point only. Even then it can then be frustrating difficult. RECOMMENDATION - If you are serious about mastering flight photography, sell your car, wife or kidney to buy a fast Pro camera like mine...you'll always struggle otherwise. Currently, second-hand Canon EOS 1D Mark 2s are going for approx. £1,000 on Ebay.

My Main Lens - Canon EF 500mm IS USM f4 (Used in conjunction with a Canon 1.4 Teleconverter).

Lens Settings - Starting from the top

Focus Range - 95% of the time I shoot at 10m - infinity (As pointed to by Ben The Plumber's fag above). This will give the quickest auto focus of the lens under normal conditions. DO NOT set it to 4.5m - infinity..you'll be waiting until next Christmas to attain lens focus!!

Focusing Method - For flight & action work I always shoot using Auto focus (Shown as AF above).

Image Stabilizer - 95% of the time I shoot with the Image Stabilizer on (Shown as 1 above).                NOTE - Many photographers query the use of image stabilization when a lens is on a tripod. As I am always panning with my lens I am 100% convinced that you should keep the IS on & set to 2..if you've got an image stabilizing lens.

Stabilizer Mode - I always shoot in mode 2 (Shown as 2 above).  NOTE - This mode is ESSENTIAL as it allows for predictive panning movement. Your lens moves to track a flying bird, & it allows for this movement. A seriously important feature without a doubt.

RECOMMENDATION - Bite the bullet & buy a fast lens (f4 - f5.6 minimum) and one with image stabilization, I firmly believe that IS lens are vital to gaining consistently good flight shots.

My Camera Head - Wimberley Gimbal

My Tripod - Gitzo Carbon Fibre 1548.

Other crucial bits - My camera head and tripod set me back £1,000. This is a huge financial outlay but is necessary when using a big telephoto prime lens.  I see many photographers struggling with lightweight tripods and small heads..I've been there myself. I regard these two components to be as important as any other part of my flight set up.

RECOMMENDATION - You don't have to spend so much additional money, buy a handheld lens like the Canon 300mm f4 or 100-400mm f5.6, both have image stabilization and are great lenses for flight photography.

Fieldwork Technique

Don't rely too heavily on auto focus - There will be situations where autofocus will fail you.

I knew from past experiences, the only way to nail a bird just about to fly from a perch is to switch off auto focus & manually focus on it. THEN...wait and hope your reactions are up to the job.

Stay close to your camera - I am always amazed when I see photographers rushing back to their cameras to nail a flight shot. I stay very close to my camera at all times. You need all the time available to nail a great flight shot.

(Diving Kingfisher - split second timing needed)

Anticipation - The difference between a 'nearly' and a nailed flight shot is being able to pick up the bird as early as possible. Learn to see longer away, you'll have a couple of valuable seconds to compose and lock on to a bird.

(Coots doing what they do best - this was the start of a prolonged session of violence!!)

Do not preview in the field - I am as guilty as the next but it really can be SO painful as a Peregrine flies past carrying a Lapwing, and your buddies alert you to it as you're thumbing through your 'new' images!!

Use all the speed available - Irrespective of make & specification of camera, use the most frames per second available. Birds in flight can be so fast that your eye doesn't register what's really happening.

(Lapwing - Photographed at speed as it displayed in Spring)

Dismissed by many - Greylags are out there in the wild, I like them!!

Stay true to flight  & action photography - I have seen many photographers chopping & changing between portrait and flight work during a day's shoot. The result tends to be mixed fortunes. This is because the camera settings are so very different. I am 99% dedicated to flight work & my camera settings stay the same (set up for speed)...it makes things so much easier.

(Shoveler - Anticipated with camera set for flight)

Using hides - I've tried using dome & other hides and I have to say...it is not a good idea (generally). Your field of view tends to be very restricted and before you know it, the birds are past you. Cars make slightly better hides for slower flight work as you have a much greater field of view & can therefore anticipate and compose more quickly.

Set up strategically - When birds take off they generally do so into the wind..use this knowledge accordingly. Many photographers make a bee line for public hides at Reserves such as Titchwell RSPB in Norfolk. I spend much of my time here set up on the main path down to the beach (always ensuring I am not blocking anybody's use of the path). Many birds fly freely in front of you and because you are not crammed into a hide, you see them coming a long way off.

(Pintail - from the path at Titchwell RSPB Reserve, Norfolk.)

My Recommended Starter Flight Photography Equipment - 'Money very well spent...until you get to the mandatory UPGRADE ZONE!!!' (AND YOU WILL).

Camera - Canon EOS 400D (£365).

Lens - Canon EF 300mm f4 IS USM (£878).

My Recommended Upgraded Flight Photography Equipment - 'You're entering a seriously good flight & action work zone!'

Camera - Canon EOS 40D (£749).

Lens - Canon EF 300mm f4 IS USM (£878).

Teleconverter - Canon 1.4x (£250).

My Top Flight Photography Equipment - 'The bee's knees'.

Camera - Canon EOS 1D Mark 2 (£1,000 approx. second-hand on EBay).

Lens - Canon EF 500mm f4 IS USM (£3,700).

Teleconverter - Canon 1.4x (£250).

Tripod - Gitzo 1548 Carbon Fibre (£500) Now replaced, but try & get one on EBay if you can. (£300??)

Head - Whimberley Gimbal Head (£500) Now replaced, but try & get one on EBay if you can. (£300??)

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Ben The Plumber (who really is a plumber) for his help in developing this article, by using his fag to point at camera and lens settings.  Despite his questionable pose, he is not a fag.

Hoping this article has been of some use to you, email me for more info.

Richard.

17th November 2007.

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