Bird Photography Methods – Page 37 – Feathered Photography

Greater Scaup – Using Knowledge Of Behaviors To Get The Shot You’re After

I’ve been yammering for years about the advantages to bird photographers of being familiar with the behaviors of our subjects. Here’s yet another example.

Peregrine Falcon In A Snowy Setting

Two days ago I was delighted to photograph my first Peregrine Falcon of the year.

Faked Out Of My Shoes By A Rough-legged Hawk

You know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men… and bird photographers.

Male Rough-legged Hawk At Takeoff

I’ve taken the low-road with this beautiful hawk and done some significant image manipulation in one version of the photo..

Male Common Merganser In A Natural Vignette

I’m generally not a fan of vignettes in nature photography because to me they seem unnatural and pretentious.

Rough-legged Hawk On Snow-mounded Rabbitbrush

Seldom are the settings as dominant as the birds in my images. These two are exceptions.

A Common Merganser And A Depth Of Field Issue

It’s my contention that “muscle memory”, fast reflexes and quick thinking are more important in bird photography than they are in most other types of photography.

A Butter-butt Reprieve From The Dreariness Of The Season

I’m not yet tired of cold and snow but this morning I felt the need for some temporary brightness and color.

A Drama And A Mystery Involving Cormorants, Gulls And A Hapless Fish

Some behaviors I witness in nature remain unexplained even after much thought and review of multiple images documenting them. Such was the case three days ago at a pond near my home.

Northern Harrier In Golden Light

I strongly prefer to photograph birds in early morning for a variety of reasons:

A Golden Eagle In Flight And A Lesson In Depth Of Field

Flawed images can still be of value to the photographer – they can teach us new lessons or remind us of old ones previously learned but temporarily forgotten in the heat of the moment.