I love photography for millions of reasons, for its ability to freeze a single moment, for the possibilities of capturing magical lights and scenes, for finding beauty in corners where no one else sees it, for that mixture of subjective reality that we create every time. We frame, adjust and pull the trigger, for its ability to capture fleeting looks and expressions? for millions of reasons. But one of the ones I love the most is that photography has no end, you can take photos of everything, you never stop learning, you can specialize in millions of things, from cells to space, from dwarf insects to huge creatures, even wars of newly born. . Everything is in photography. Everything, land, sea or air, what are you saying? What do you want from the air? Then you are in the right place, let’s discuss what you will need on your flying bird photography trips.
The first thing you should carry well loaded from home is patience, you will rarely get to a place and the birds will pose for you with the best background, the best light or the best pose. Bird photography is for those who like to cook pictures. simmering, for lovers of travel, processes, nature and valuing work before making a photo. In short, it is not for impatient souls.
- Sharpness is the key to bird photography.
- Because we will work with large focal points.
- Which is implicitly associated with a loss of quality.
- Not only by optics.
- But also by the space that takes us away from what we want to photograph.
- In this case birds.
- The greater the distance between us and our focus.
- The more particles in the air we will have to cross to achieve our goal.
Therefore, it is very important that our camera has good image quality, being the ones that we recommend the most because of the size of its sensors, the SLR or the EVIL.
To photograph birds, a telephoto lens of at least a focal length of 300 mm, with a focal length of 400 to 500 mm ideal for full-size sensors (35 mm), that is, you should take into account that a Camera mounted on a full-size camera (FX) is not the same as for an APS-C (DX) camera. I suppose the conversion factor sounds familiar, otherwise it is very well explained in this article, but in a quick and practical summary. , the difference between a Full Frame sensor and an APS-C sensor is its size, this is why it happens to us implies that when we buy a lens for an APS-C or DX (non-Frame Full) sensor, we need to multiply the focal length x 1. 5 or 1. 6, depending on the model of our camera.
That is, if we only have a 300mm camera but we have an APS-C camera, this focal length would become an effective focal length of for example 450 or 480mm (300 x 1. 5 or 300 x 1. 6), which is already more than enough for this type of photography. Or if we have a 200mm and we convert it to APS-C, it would become 300mm or 320mm (x1. 5 or 1. 6).
Another aspect to consider besides the focal length is the brightness of the lens, which in this case is of vital importance, because we will have to work with high speeds to freeze the movement, so the brighter the better (and the more expensive too?).
Finally, it is more than interesting that your lens has a stabilizer to compensate for the apprehensions of our pulse when working freehand.
Before you start photographing like a madman (with the camera shutter, you understand) the first thing to do is to find your protagonist, and you probably won’t be able to do it if you don’t have good binoculars. There are several prices, features, size and weight, but to begin with, you don’t need the most expensive range, heavier or longer, an increase of 8x will give you very good results and for example about 40cm in diameter, weigh little and have enough increase.
If you are passionate about the subject and do not mind scratching your pocket (a lot), you can opt for a specific telescope for this type of photography, with one of these telescopes you can go up to 60 times.
A skin is what would be a hiding place. Some are built in some bird watching areas, and are usually a kind of huts or buildings with gaps where you can observe birds unseen, but these constructions are only found in specific places, so if you’re in this type of photography, you may want to get a laptop. They come in different sizes, patterns and characteristics (such as windows, materials, etc. ). Depending on the location and conditions you’re going to work on, you must choose one or the other.
You can also choose to dress according to the environment in which you are going to work and camouflage the camera and lenses, although at the moment you only think about trying, wearing discreet clothes, not making noise, and going to a place where bird watching is simple. , you’ll get more than enough ;-).
Yes, plural ;-). I think that after the camera, the lens, a protective lens filter and a good strap, the most necessary investment is another set of batteries to always carry the feeling of being in a magical place, in a magical environment, so you got up. early, walked, etc. , and ran out of battery is terrible. No light no photography, but no even less battery ;-).
For the same reason that no one wants to run out of battery, because they can run out of space, can it get damaged or lost?Always have a few or three memory cards in your backpack. We always recommend a smaller size than a larger one. size, if it loses or is damaged, you will never lose as many photos if you distribute them on multiple maps as if you were using only one.
A monopod can be very useful in such situations, where you have to combine the freedom offered by freehand work with the stability of a tripod, even if it sits straddling the two (you’re not as “free” as without it or you have as much stability as with a tripod), it gives you more stability than your own pulse and is lighter than a tripod , which is much needed to photograph moving elements such as birds.
It is essential if you want to know not only what you are photographing, but also where to find it, what are its customs and habits, its habitat, the best months of the year to photograph each species, etc.
If you’re passionate about the topic, it can also be interesting to sign up for group outings to share experiences, knowledge, tips and, why not, make a friend, it’s always worth it, and more if you share a hobby with it. or her: -).
Does the arrival of good weather make you dare to photograph birds?The truth is that it is a valuable, frustrating, hard job and, like all it costs to get it, a wonderful specialization ;-).
I hope you enjoyed the article. If so, share it on your favorite social network. Thank you and soon :-).