Photographed through a slightly open window at home, you can often get closer to birds when they are visiting your feeding station, which was the case when this yearling male Orchard Oriole was feeding on grape jelly.
Before photographing, be you have cleaned and filled your feeders, especially if you include a feeder in some photos. Although a fast shutter speed stopped the motion of the wings, considering how the wings and beak of this female Ruby-throated Hummingbird don’t stand out very well against the dark background, this image could have been improved if the background was lighter. Try a test photo or 2 before photographing to ensure the background is a pleasing color that will emphasize the features of the birds.
Watch for birds that perch on nearby branches while you photograph at your feeding station. This female Orchard Oriole provided a nice portrait as it landed near the oriole feeder. You can also add a vertical branch for birds to perch on adjacent to feeders or a bird bath. The background of this portrait is a pleasing shade of green that is blurred out of focus, which highlights the features of the bird.
More of a documentary photo of a uniquely plumaged partial albino (leucistic) male Baltimore Oriole, it’s always worthwhile to document some of the birds that visit your feeding station. Will the white-winged Baltimore Oriole return to Paul’s feeding station for the third year in forthcoming days or weeks?
The trunk of an ash tree adjacent to Paul’s feeding station provides an initial landing pad for nuthatches and woodpeckers, like this Hairy Woodpecker.
When photographing ground-oriented birds foraging under your feeding station, like this White-throated Sparrow, try to get into a lower position as you photograph, rather than photographing from above it (when standing).
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During May, as a variety of songbirds, including warblers, orioles, thrushes, buntings, native sparrows, and more touch down almost daily, it’s especially exciting to see new birds at your feeding station and in your yard. This spring, consider breaking up your day by enjoying an occasional 20 minute photo session to try to take a few simple photos of some of the birds that arrive, stop over, and visit your feeders day by day. Not coincidentally, the month of May, during the peak of songbird migration, can be the best time to take photos of a variety of songbirds and even hummingbirds.
Even if you already take some photos of birds in your yard and at your feeding station, anyone’s photography tends to evolve over time, and you can always make a simple improvement or 2 to get some better bird photos this spring. It’s easy to start by taking some simple portraits when birds are perched at a feeder, then try some at adjacent perches, and build from there. I bet it will renew your interest in photographing birds in your yard. And realistically, bird photography is can be simple, or at least easier than you may think.
Let’s start with birds that are less concerned about a person standing 20 feet away – hummingbirds. As hummingbirds visit your nectar feeder, try taking a few photos of them perched on the feeder; then try photographing one as it hovers next to the feeder. It can be that easy, but there are a number of things that will help to ensure you get the best quality photos possible, starting with lighting.
Sunlight – Plan any photo session while the sun is out, so you can position yourself with the sun at your back – so you see your shadow pointing at the feeder or another perch. Mid-morning and late afternoon tend to be the best times to photograph, when the sun is lower in the sky, which provides the best angle of sunlight on your subjects.
Shade – As the day progresses, watch how the direction of the sunlight changes, and watch for shadows in your planned photo area. It’s usually best not to photograph when your feeder is in the shade, but one thing you can do is to move a given feeder to a sunny location, or add a perch nearby in a sunny position.
Add a Perch – That’s right, you can easily position a natural-looking perch that extends about 4 feet high near a feeder or bird bath. Some birds prefer to perch near a feeder before committing to feed, or they perch nearby after feeding; when they perch on your new addition, which gives you can photograph the bird without the feeder in the frame. To add a perch, you can simply push a branch with a sharpened end vertically into the ground a few feet away from the feeder. It’s worthwhile to select a branch that has a pleasing look to its top end, which is where birds will perch. Sometimes the look of a perch can be as important as the bird in a photo’s composition, and this way you can provide a best-case perch option.
Background – As with any photographs, the background is an important part of the composition, and it’s always best when you can create an unobstructed background to emphasize the birds rather than positioned with an unattractive background, filled with branches for example. The first step is to create as much space as possible between the feeder and any objects in the background. Then, by using an f-5 aperture for example, the background will likely be blurred out of focus in photos you take.
Background Color – Another background element is to try to position yourself to get a pleasing background color. A lighter shade of color is best – a very light green or pale olive shade, a beige or tan – these are good natural colors.
Sample Photos – Take a couple sample photos so you can check the background color even before a bird arrives. A keep in mind that by taking 2 steps to the right or e steps left might improve the background look.
Feeding Station Studio – In essence, you are creating a simple outdoor studio that birds visit as they access food or water, and you photograph them in the process. Sometimes this doesn’t require any extra effort beyond using an f-4 to f-6 aperture setting to blur the background, or adding a natural perch near the feeders; or adding or moving a feeder to a sunny location. Anything you can do to improve your backyard photos will be a worthy effort.
Feeder Photos – Of course, the birds you photograph at your feeding station will be dictated by the foods you offer. At this time, a nectar feeder for hummingbirds, an orange and jelly feeder for orioles, a suet feeder for woodpeckers and nuthatches, and shelled sunflower seeds for native sparrows and towhees – plus water for all kinds of migrating songbirds from warblers to doves.
Clean Feeders – Before photographing at your feeders, be sure your feeders are clean and filled with fresh food, which obviously photographs better than a dirty needs-to-be-filled feeder in your photos. While photographing at feeders, you can focus your camera lens on the feeder in advance as you wait for a bird to arrive; then the action can be fast-paced.
Bird Bath Photos – One of the nice things about a simple bird bath is that you can position this avian attraction in any part of your yard to take advantage of sunlight and open backgrounds. And you can always reposition it into the best location for photos. You can also add a photo element to any bird bath by placing a rock or cut branch in the basinor birds to perch on, while it also provides a more natural-looking photo setting.
Photo Equipment – Although you don’t need an expensive camera and lens to take bird photos, you will need something more than a cellphone’s camera to take photos you are happy with. Of course, you can try using your cell, but you will likely be disappointed. Hopefully you have, or can access, a simple digital camera with some level of magnification – maybe a small zoom lens. Or, if you don’t have a camera now, consider a camera as essential birding equipment, like binoculars and a field guide – there is no better time to do some camera shopping, with your budget in mind.
Positioning – Some birds, especially hummingbirds, tend to be very trusting and you can usually photograph them from close quarters, say 15 feet, as long as you stay pretty motionless. Other birds will probably be more wary, so step back until you see a change in their behavior – when they return to the feeders or water feature. It can also be helpful if you “hide” behind a tree, bush, or fence as much as possible in order to position a bit closer.
Window Photos – Another option is to photograph at a slightly opened window in your home – using your house as a photo blind. This can be an easy and productive way to photograph birds at your feeding station and adjacent trees or landscaping.
Using a Mobile Blind – Would you believe that I have pretty good luck using my car as a mobile blind, parked on the street in front of my feeding station? Well, believe it. I used this photo technique last Friday when I returned from a birding drive and saw a White-throated Sparrow outside my car’s window as I was parking my car. After photographing the White-throat, I continued to sit in my car a while and photographed a White-crowned Sparrow that appeared, and eventually found myself holding out for a chance to photograph a Hermit Thrush.
Although 2 Hermit Thrushes flew into position, they were actually too close, and flew off as soon as they landed, instantly reacting to me in the car. In essence, different birds react differently, and if the Hermits had landed 30 feet away instead of 10 feet away, I’m sure I would have had better luck. Such are the variables of bird photography, whether in your yard, at your feeding station, or in the field.
Keep it Simple – As we try to keep things simple, the main thing is to start photographing birds. Once you get started, it’s easy to improve your techniques and you will surely be rewarded with a variety of pleasing bird photos. Give it a half-hour of your time, try it a couple times, and see if bird photography adds something interesting, even exciting and creative, to some sunny days.
Then too, this article is only an introduction to photographing birds; but you can also refer to our weekly Bird Photography feature for more information and for examples of the stories behind photographing birds through the seasons.
Article and Photographs by Paul Konrad
Share your backyard birding experiences and photographs with The Birding Wire at editorstbw2@gmail.com