For years I tried to photograph swallows in flight, usually without much strategy – just shooting them wherever I might find them. That typically meant while they were freely flying overhead or buzzing the surface of a pond or stream as they picked off insects and it always meant failure on my part. They’re just too fast, too small and too maneuverable for my autofocus and reflexes.
Then one day I decided to change strategies and shoot them as they were buzzing around their mud nests at a bird refuge pavilion. As they flew around their nests I was finally get a few (very few) sharp and detailed shots but I’d waited too long in the day – the sun was just high enough that the undersides of the birds were nearly always in shade.
Time to fine-tune my strategy.
So the next time I made it a point to be there at sunrise on a bright, clear morning. What a difference an hour or so made!
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 800, 500 f/4, natural light, part of nest and building cloned out
The sun was low enough that the ventral surface of the birds wasn’t shaded and there was just enough light to get the shutter speed I needed.
Don’t get me wrong, the shooting was still tough. I probably shot about 600 images that morning and kept 16 – some of them marginal.
But it was a vast improvement over my previous, dismal track record with swallows in flight.
Ron
Note: I’m delighted to be “on the road” again – it’s been a very long time between camping trips! As per usual I won’t be able to respond to comments for a few days (extremely spotty phone signal and no computer) but I do get your comments via email on my phone and enjoy them very much. Hope to have some interesting shots to share when we get back!
Wow. Wow. And Wow again. All things come to those who wait, and plan, and try, try, try again. This is beautiful – thank you Ron.
Dang, nice work! On my best shots so far, I have to point a finger at the fuzzy blot and say “See, that’s a Swallow, right there, yes, right there.” You do rise to a challenge!
Ron, I just love your images! This one is superb, of a species that is sooo hard to capture with lens.
Hi Ron,
One of the things that is so wonderful about your sight is your sharing so freely of information. I love your pictures but what makes it so worth wild to a photographer is all the details you share. Many Thanks !
Len
Ron,
Some months ago I also tried that at their mud nest they built at a Home Depot nrarby and I can totally feel what you said— nearly impossible!!! I activated all my focus points, and stayed there for an hour and finally was able to get zero good shot, yes zero. 🙂 these guys fly so fast and erratic.
Tin man
Sensational! Good to know your strategy. Thanks Ron!
Charlotte
Ron, As a new follower of your blog, I just wanted to thank you for the excellent job you do educating us and allowing us to share your fantastic photographs. Many Thanks!!
I can almost feel his plump, yet feather-light little body…nice wing spread, nice shot..looks like he’s dancing.
Thanks for the tips! I have a couple of photos where you can barely see it’s a cliff swallow–they were accidentally flying through the frame when I was photographing ducks–all of the photos where I intended to photograph swallows have been a complete failure. I really appreciate you sharing your strategy!
Excellent job Ron! And, thanks for cluing us amateur photographers in on your strategy; what a neat idea!!
What a complete gem of a shot, Ron!
Well done to capture such an appealing swallow flight shot. I’ve found shooting over water when they’re flying into a stiff breeze helps too.