perdidochas
New member
What are some good methods for photographing swallows?
I have a Canon EOS Rebel T5, with the 55-250 AF-S telephoto zoom.
I have a Canon EOS Rebel T5, with the 55-250 AF-S telephoto zoom.
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How to photograph swallows (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter perdidochas
- Start date
If you can find something like an old barn that has swallows nesting inside, and they can only enter via a small hole that is not to high off the ground, you could try pre-focusing a few inches away and then shoot (keep shutter speed above 1/1000) as soon as you see the swallow. A few years back I managed to get some interesting shots in a similar situation using my 600/4 although framing was very hit n miss!
Chosun Juan
Given to Fly
Carry a rabbits foot and rosary beads around in your pocket, say 3 hail Marys, cross your fingers and pray! :-O
These little geewhizzits move so fast, that it is almost impossible to follow them by eye let alone photograph! :eek!:
Seriously, you're best off to spend a lot of time observing their behaviour ...... There are times when they are less frantic .... One time that I have noticed is when visiting small pools of water to collect mud and straw from the edges presumably for nest building. I have often seen them perched courting, or just perusing on perches (such as a clothes line or fence) in their home territories. You should be extremely careful to maintain your distance so as not to spook or worry them as they come and go from their nests. We used to have a pair nesting under the tin roof of our verandah which is where I observed much of this behaviour ....
As far as photographing them 'on the wing' ---- good luck!
)
That's the 'Holy Grail' and several people on the BF photo gallery have managed such feats - hawking for insects over water is a common setting. Look at the galleries to see what tips you can pick up there. :cat:
It goes without saying that high shutter speeds, long fast lenses, good light and positioning, and the best AF systems and techniques are required
Good Luck! :t:
Chosun :gh:
These little geewhizzits move so fast, that it is almost impossible to follow them by eye let alone photograph! :eek!:
Seriously, you're best off to spend a lot of time observing their behaviour ...... There are times when they are less frantic .... One time that I have noticed is when visiting small pools of water to collect mud and straw from the edges presumably for nest building. I have often seen them perched courting, or just perusing on perches (such as a clothes line or fence) in their home territories. You should be extremely careful to maintain your distance so as not to spook or worry them as they come and go from their nests. We used to have a pair nesting under the tin roof of our verandah which is where I observed much of this behaviour ....
As far as photographing them 'on the wing' ---- good luck!
)That's the 'Holy Grail' and several people on the BF photo gallery have managed such feats - hawking for insects over water is a common setting. Look at the galleries to see what tips you can pick up there. :cat:
It goes without saying that high shutter speeds, long fast lenses, good light and positioning, and the best AF systems and techniques are required
Good Luck! :t:
Chosun :gh:
As i said i haven't got them in flight yet but i think the best chance is a windy day near there nest site,they will on occasion turn into the wind and hang for a moment or two,giving you a near stationery target.
Ime lucky with Swallows there local nest site is next to a footpath used by holiday makers all day long,while looking over the bridge edge they will land 5 ft away and sit there preening,they dont have to land that close but if you dont move they are not interested in you.
The first is a picture of there nest site.
Ime lucky with Swallows there local nest site is next to a footpath used by holiday makers all day long,while looking over the bridge edge they will land 5 ft away and sit there preening,they dont have to land that close but if you dont move they are not interested in you.
The first is a picture of there nest site.
Attachments
Persistence. Find a big swarm and shoot away and with luck you'll get a keeper or two--
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fugl/13947823980/in/album-72157602221849079/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fugl/14168929703/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fugl/17085028779/in/album-72157602221849079/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fugl/13947823980/in/album-72157602221849079/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fugl/14168929703/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fugl/17085028779/in/album-72157602221849079/
CalvinFold
Well-known member
Spray and pray?
I was lucky enough to find someplace they landed (once) and where they were gathering mud for nests (so I could catch them just as they hopped out of the hole to fly away; got all of one decent shot).
Otherwise, they are just too fast!
On an "I haven't tried" note: switch to shooting high-res video if your camera can do that, then grab stills from the video.
I was lucky enough to find someplace they landed (once) and where they were gathering mud for nests (so I could catch them just as they hopped out of the hole to fly away; got all of one decent shot).
Otherwise, they are just too fast!
On an "I haven't tried" note: switch to shooting high-res video if your camera can do that, then grab stills from the video.
In warm, dry areas, they also come to ponds/streams to drink or to catch insects right above the surface. If you find a spot where they return to, it is worth it to try for 1/2 an hour or more and test different settings. I have used both autofocus and prefocus with varying luck.
Niels
Niels
I believe this one was taken with a superzoom camera: http://www.birdforum.net/opus/images/d/d3/Blue-and-white-Swallow-P107.jpg
Niels
Niels
Photographing swallows
Hi,
Swifts and swallows are amongst my favourite birds, I have had limited success mainly with static birds. Good light, right location and patience are needed.
As previously mentioned birds stopping for mud is a great place. If you sit still in your car they will gain confidence and you can get good photos see red rumped swallow. Also look for birds returning to regular perches (see barn swallow. File won't attach but can be viewed if you go to my members gallery)
BIF swallows stalling in the wind give rare opportunities. In general pick up birds 50m away and follow as they approach using A1 servo focusing as they approach. Be prepared for a stiff neck and be careful not to over balance
Equipment canon on 500D 7d2 and canon EF 400 f5.6 L
Good luck
Hi,
Swifts and swallows are amongst my favourite birds, I have had limited success mainly with static birds. Good light, right location and patience are needed.
As previously mentioned birds stopping for mud is a great place. If you sit still in your car they will gain confidence and you can get good photos see red rumped swallow. Also look for birds returning to regular perches (see barn swallow. File won't attach but can be viewed if you go to my members gallery)
BIF swallows stalling in the wind give rare opportunities. In general pick up birds 50m away and follow as they approach using A1 servo focusing as they approach. Be prepared for a stiff neck and be careful not to over balance
Equipment canon on 500D 7d2 and canon EF 400 f5.6 L
Good luck
Attachments
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Shaggy2070
Well-known member
If you know where they are nesting you could watch for the young fledging. They will often sometimes perch somewhere and wait for the adults to feed them and you could try and catch them then.
Or watch near a nest sight and if there is a handy perch nearby the adult can use them as a lookout post when coming to the nest.
Or watch near a nest sight and if there is a handy perch nearby the adult can use them as a lookout post when coming to the nest.
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Geoff Pain
Rural Member
CalvinFold
Well-known member
I managed to take these photos with my SX60 superzoom:
- Barn Swallow: Sitting pretty on a walkway at 10m distance. Was really surprised he didn't fly away.
- Barn Swallow: Once again holding still at 12m distance up on some overhead cables.
- American Cliff Swallow: We found where these little ones were gathering mud from a hole just out of view about 13m off the trail. So we simply took bursts of them as they hopped upwards before flapping to leave.
So it's doable...either by "spray and pray", some clever pre-focus and wait, finding someplace they sit still, or finding someplace you can catch them in a predictable spot. Still tough as heck, and I still don't have what I consider a true BiF of these to my name. :eek!:
Tiraya
San Diego CA
This. Unlike swifts you will get luckier with swallows because they often circle around in sight for a while. I have clear, focused photographs of every swallow species I've encountered so far. Doesn't mean any of them deserve being on a magazine but...!
If you don't want to try dynamic focusing and there are lots of birds flying, pick a focus point at a distance away and when a swallow is in that range, snap it!
My favourite is this one although its a bit cheating because it was landing! http://static.inaturalist.org/photos/2261948/original.JPG?1439501175
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My favorite birds to photograph in flight, and the ones that amaze me the most in there flights. I'm probably seeing the last of them soon as they fly south, at least until next spring.
Best luck would be to get a slightly windy day, which slows them down a bit, and also to find a nest, and try and get them as they enter and exit.
Also they like to follow people in the grass, because they stir up bugs which they can feed on.
Also try and shoot at least 1/2000 shutter speed or higher preferably. If your using Aperture Priority, overexpose by at least 1 stop for underneath detail, or better still use Manual and set your exposure before you start shooting and the backgrounds won't make a difference. I'm still working on this myself.
This is my favorite so far:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8779/28442467285_bb2cd035f7_c.jpg
Best luck would be to get a slightly windy day, which slows them down a bit, and also to find a nest, and try and get them as they enter and exit.
Also they like to follow people in the grass, because they stir up bugs which they can feed on.
Also try and shoot at least 1/2000 shutter speed or higher preferably. If your using Aperture Priority, overexpose by at least 1 stop for underneath detail, or better still use Manual and set your exposure before you start shooting and the backgrounds won't make a difference. I'm still working on this myself.
This is my favorite so far:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8779/28442467285_bb2cd035f7_c.jpg
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The best way I have found to even achieve a in focus shot of these plus sand martins, swollows is to prefocus on something, have a high film speed and multiple shots on, use pervious peoples advice then either;
1, Given the relative lightness of the gear your using, you could hold it all while trying to pan along with a bird seen via your viewfinder and wait til its nearly in focus and shot away.
2, Have gear on a tripod aimed at an area you have seen them fly past, prefocus and shot then one comes near.
1 is only for people who like to waste time and shutter counts although if you are patient and stick with it for a few weeks/months with the same birds you may start to see flight patterns/ birds habits which along with ( by this time) a fluid and improved panning action may give you some great results.
2 is for people like me i.e no patients as all you have to do is study your given birds, find patterns, popular flight paths, find locations parhaps where their flight path is limited as shown by my photos below where I daw some fly down paths or a stream.
With these small fast birds using the auto focus is not a good idea, most ( me included) will manage to focus on them in the sky but in most cases all you get is a dark ouline. To compensate for this you try with some background, trees, field, but in most cases again all you have is nice trees and a bird in differing degrees of out of focus.
If your starting this try 2 first, I have per shutter counts achieved more success with 2 then 1. If you do want to achieve a great photo with 1 then your in for some serious devotion time with your subject and if nothing else your get stronger arms.
1, Given the relative lightness of the gear your using, you could hold it all while trying to pan along with a bird seen via your viewfinder and wait til its nearly in focus and shot away.
2, Have gear on a tripod aimed at an area you have seen them fly past, prefocus and shot then one comes near.
1 is only for people who like to waste time and shutter counts although if you are patient and stick with it for a few weeks/months with the same birds you may start to see flight patterns/ birds habits which along with ( by this time) a fluid and improved panning action may give you some great results.
2 is for people like me i.e no patients as all you have to do is study your given birds, find patterns, popular flight paths, find locations parhaps where their flight path is limited as shown by my photos below where I daw some fly down paths or a stream.
With these small fast birds using the auto focus is not a good idea, most ( me included) will manage to focus on them in the sky but in most cases all you get is a dark ouline. To compensate for this you try with some background, trees, field, but in most cases again all you have is nice trees and a bird in differing degrees of out of focus.
If your starting this try 2 first, I have per shutter counts achieved more success with 2 then 1. If you do want to achieve a great photo with 1 then your in for some serious devotion time with your subject and if nothing else your get stronger arms.
Attachments
colincurry
Well-known member
I agree with the comment about trying to catch them flying against a head wind.
We are lucky enough to have house martin nests on our house and several others nearby. We also have swifts and sand martins flying around, but not swallows strangely enough - although these do occur outside the village.
I get endless hours of fun and frustration trying for flight photos from our garden; at one stage with a touch of vertigo which was not at all helpful. Sadly, apart from the occasional house martin, they have left us for this year.
I pan with a 7d Mk2 and 100-400 Mk2. I use 1/5000 f5.6 and auto ISO with a maximum of 3200. I have also set exposure compensation to +2 to lighten up the underwing against the sky. In less than perfect light, Photoshop is a great help with any darkish snaps. I have had some success and will post some snaps later - not up to re-sizing etc at the moment.
It is great to try and capture martins entering or leaving the nest. King's College Cambridge also has a resident house martin population which is fun to watch.
We live near St Ives in Huntingdonshire which has an ancient bridge over the Great Ouse. There are old cast iron drainage pipes protruding from the masonry in which the sand martins nest. The trick there is to wait until one enters the pipe, and then to keep snapping in the hope of catching it on the way out.
Couldn't afford to do this with film.
I don't really live a sad life, and, at least, my wife knows what I am doing.
Colin
We are lucky enough to have house martin nests on our house and several others nearby. We also have swifts and sand martins flying around, but not swallows strangely enough - although these do occur outside the village.
I get endless hours of fun and frustration trying for flight photos from our garden; at one stage with a touch of vertigo which was not at all helpful. Sadly, apart from the occasional house martin, they have left us for this year.
I pan with a 7d Mk2 and 100-400 Mk2. I use 1/5000 f5.6 and auto ISO with a maximum of 3200. I have also set exposure compensation to +2 to lighten up the underwing against the sky. In less than perfect light, Photoshop is a great help with any darkish snaps. I have had some success and will post some snaps later - not up to re-sizing etc at the moment.
It is great to try and capture martins entering or leaving the nest. King's College Cambridge also has a resident house martin population which is fun to watch.
We live near St Ives in Huntingdonshire which has an ancient bridge over the Great Ouse. There are old cast iron drainage pipes protruding from the masonry in which the sand martins nest. The trick there is to wait until one enters the pipe, and then to keep snapping in the hope of catching it on the way out.
Couldn't afford to do this with film.
I don't really live a sad life, and, at least, my wife knows what I am doing.
Colin
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