• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

New to bird photography - advice needed (1 Viewer)

robbo23

New member
I'm a novice to wild bird photography. Been taking photos for a couple of years but now have decided to go back to my main passion - birds!!

I have a Canon 40D and an EF 75-300mm zoom lense.

My main area for taking wild bird photo's is an estuary but im struggling to get close enough to take a decent shot.

could anyone please provide this novice with any advice i.e. technique/equipment/approach etc

Thank you
 
I'm a novice to wild bird photography. Been taking photos for a couple of years but now have decided to go back to my main passion - birds!!

I have a Canon 40D and an EF 75-300mm zoom lense.

My main area for taking wild bird photo's is an estuary but im struggling to get close enough to take a decent shot.

could anyone please provide this novice with any advice i.e. technique/equipment/approach etc

Thank you
Hi,
You could try either a 1.4x or 2x teleconverter on your lens (the 1.4x is usually better and keeps the autofocus etc) check out the Kenko one's
Also good solid tripod or monopod is very handy and also what about a pop hide? I use one from Ultimate Addons (Stevies on the forum) they are brilliant and now they have one with a built in seat!
Cheers
Brian
 
I'm a novice to wild bird photography. Been taking photos for a couple of years but now have decided to go back to my main passion - birds!!

I have a Canon 40D and an EF 75-300mm zoom lense.

My main area for taking wild bird photo's is an estuary but im struggling to get close enough to take a decent shot.

could anyone please provide this novice with any advice i.e. technique/equipment/approach etc

Thank you
Hey Robbo

I am sure you're aware of the ways to 'get closer' using lenses, teleconverters etc... but a little bit of advice I can offer is something I have recently discovered... grab yourself a superb hide. Here's mine:

http://www.reflectingme.com/p936087280/?photo=975254874

My wife purchased it for me a few weeks ago for my birthday and I love it. It really has enabled me (a relative newcomer to photography) to get some really decent shots. Have a look at the gallery to see what can be achieved with a hide.

Can't recommend one enough... :)

Good luck.
 
The classic way of taking photos of birds on an estuary is to put up a hide and wait for the high tide to push birds towards you. It depends on correct placement of the hide though, if you get it wrong you'll either get specks in the distance or very wet. I've never actually done it myself so I can't give any more advice than that. Another useful tip might be to get down onto the mud and crawl towards the birds on your front, but that might not be practical depending on the type of terrain you have to work with. Of course the other thing you could do is get yourself a bigger lens, but I appreciate that's easier said than done!
 
I live on an Estuary so I can appreciate the difficulties. I could do with a hide though I tend to make do with just settling in place on the rocky shore just above the high tide mark at a point where I know the birds congregate to roost over high tide. As long as I sit still the birds sometimes come as close as the toes of my shoes but usually get to 15-20' before moving elsewhere. Knot, Terns, Dunlin, Redshank and even Curlew Sandpiper have been within 20' using this technique.

A 300mm lens isn't ideal for most bird photography, even the 400mm lens I use isn't enough. Coupled with that adding even a 1.4x teleconverter to a zoom lens usually gives very soft results. At least using a teleconverter with a 400mm prime lens gives decent results using a tripod - though perhaps this type of photogrpahy is still more suited to digiscoping.
 
I'm a novice to wild bird photography. Been taking photos for a couple of years but now have decided to go back to my main passion - birds!!

I have a Canon 40D and an EF 75-300mm zoom lense.

My main area for taking wild bird photo's is an estuary but im struggling to get close enough to take a decent shot.

could anyone please provide this novice with any advice i.e. technique/equipment/approach etc

Thank you

Hi robbo.

With a 300mm, you will need to get close to birds.
My top tip for you is to start in the garden.

If you get something that would make an attractive perch/setting - i.e a log, bird bath etc. then either set it up close to a window or cover (or hide in a hide!), and either place seeds and fat / water in it, or position it in such a way that birds can use it to queue up for a feeder - the latter way only really works if you have a lot of birds. This way, you get some very close birds in a nice setting, in your own garden. You can easily change it to how you want too.

Not only will this give you close birds, but it means you can do it at home, and keep retrying until you have what you want. By then, you skills will probably have developed and you can get better shots of birds elsewhere

Hope that helps! :t:
 
Last edited:
hi
Try nesting birds,I remember a friend from england who use to come all the way to kenya for photography but on breeding days to get more closer.
moses-lake baringo
 
I wouldn't advise shooting nesting birds as without very long range lenses you will disturb the birds which is a good thing, your best bet is going the hide/feeding station route that way everyones happy
Cheers
Brian
 
As said above the 1.4 extender will help you but will lower your image quality and performance of your AF. Hides can be helpful to get closer to your subjects, there are many to choose from, seat hides, pop up hides, hub hides. Im testing a new one me just go in stock the 360 elite photography hide, this might suit you it might not as everyone has their own preference.
 
I wouldn't advise shooting nesting birds as without very long range lenses you will disturb the birds which is a good thing, your best bet is going the hide/feeding station route that way everyones happy
Cheers
Brian

I would agree with this post if you dont have a large enough lens to stay a distance away from nest i would not recommend it. Feeding stations can be desgined to look natural by adding twigs etc for the birds to land on then crop out the feeder.
 
Hey Robbo

I am sure you're aware of the ways to 'get closer' using lenses, teleconverters etc... but a little bit of advice I can offer is something I have recently discovered... grab yourself a superb hide. Here's mine:

http://www.reflectingme.com/p936087280/?photo=975254874

My wife purchased it for me a few weeks ago for my birthday and I love it. It really has enabled me (a relative newcomer to photography) to get some really decent shots. Have a look at the gallery to see what can be achieved with a hide.

Can't recommend one enough... :)

Good luck.

That hide looks great John, just like a rock, does it have a seat inside, how much
does it weigh, how much does it cost, where did it come from, so many questions :-O
 
That hide looks great John, just like a rock, does it have a seat inside, how much
does it weigh, how much does it cost, where did it come from, so many questions :-O

Agree looks a great piece of kit but more questions how long do you need to leave hide in place before birds and other wildlife get used to it and you can start to get pictures? If you do need to leave for a period of time how secure are they? Guess that depends on where you site.:h?:
 
Agree looks a great piece of kit but more questions how long do you need to leave hide in place before birds and other wildlife get used to it and you can start to get pictures? If you do need to leave for a period of time how secure are they? Guess that depends on where you site.:h?:
Hi Mad... no time at all actually. Each time I have used it I have only had to wait minutes for birds to start coming back around the hide. Last weekend I went to a local bird spot in the dawn and as the tide was coming in about 1.5 hrs prior to high tide - called Peterstone Gout. When I arrived there were hundreds of birds there but try not to as I might, I spooked them when setting up the hide and I launched flocks of birds into the air! It was only 10 minutes before there were flocks of birds about again.

I have even had birds on the roof of the hide!!

@Nikon_Kid - yes, there are two seats inside the one I have, and it is very sturdy when up. Can't fault it really, I am very happy with it.
 
Agree looks a great piece of kit but more questions how long do you need to leave hide in place before birds and other wildlife get used to it and you can start to get pictures? If you do need to leave for a period of time how secure are they? Guess that depends on where you site.:h?:

It all depends on where you are planning on using the hide. A few people i have spoke to use the chair hides as and when they want to, they don't leave them up. I have left my Elite hide up in the garden for a few days now and plan on putting it up the hills soon for a few days to try and get some deer shots.
 
Thanks both I always imagined you would have to leave in place for certainly few hours if not longer. Take the point though Stevie that it depends what you are after as having stalked deer with my son many moons ago trying to get a shot (camera not gun!) they are pretty aware of human presence.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 16 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top