A day in the garden
Unfortunately not in my garden :-( … rather 4,200 miles away in Kenya. Sadly not a trip one can make too often. Shot at 280mm @ f/7.1, 1/1600s, ISO 500.
Happy New Year!
Any outing with my camera is fun. Packing the gear and heading off on foot, in a car or on a plane for a day, days, weeks or even a month to explore the wilderness and connect with wildlife is a real privilege.
But, alas, photography trips or expeditions are not possible every day. Not to worry, great wildlife photo opportunities can often be found a mere yards from the kettle in the kitchen. Most gardens attract wildlife, even small gardens in a city. Here in England that mostly means birds.
Long-tailed Tit on my arranged perch with the low winter sun glowing against the dead leaves on a hedge in the background. Shot at 800mm @ f/6.3, 1/4000s, ISO 1800
Targeting birds in the garden is a great way to keep your photography skills refreshed. It is an easy place to practice, hone skills and experiment, to tune the muscle memory and sharpen reactions. It is a good way to test out new equipment and configuration changes. Indeed, you don’t want to use your new kit for the first time on a once-in-a-lifetime wildlife adventure. The garden is a great place to practice and learn to fully take advantage of all the features of modern camera gear.
Male Chaffinch on my perch. Light is key and the low sun brings out the colours of the bird. The tail shadow is a tad distracting though. Shot at 800mm @ f/6.3, 1/400s, ISO 200
With a bit of planning and patience good bird photography is possible in your garden. Here are some considerations for great garden images:
A feeder: First you need to attract the birds. There are many inexpensive options for garden feeders and bird food. Set up a feeder and let the birds get used to it over time. Winter is great as birds will have fewer food options and are more likely to be attracted to a feeder, although all times of year work.
My feeder and branch deployed as a perch. Notice the distance to the background, which is key to cast it well out of focus and separate it from the bird on the perch.
A perch: A photo of a bird on a feeder isn’t going to create a great image. You want to capture the bird in a more natural looking environment, not with a man-made feeder as a prop. You need a perch: A good-looking branch that you arrange next to the feeder. The aim is to put this perch close enough so that birds will land on it occasionally before or after visiting the feeder, but out of sight of the feeder itself. See the picture above for the set-up I used this week.
Nuthatch on my perch. The distance to the background is key to create a creamy out-of-focus feel. Shot at 800mm @ f/6.3, 1/4000s, ISO 2000
Positioning: This may be limiting for some gardens, but with a bit of thought a good location should be possible. You want the sun behind or to the side of you when you photograph the perch. Also, the background is important. Ideally you have a clear background with any vegetation, clutter or walls etc as far back as possible. Optimally the background is further back from the perch than your shooting position. This will throw the background way out of focus and create a pleasing blurred framing for the bird. In the images I shot this week I positioned myself so that the far away background was mostly a hedge with dead brown leaves. With the low sun this created a warm orange-brown background. Test out the composition carefully to optimise the background.
Chaffinch. Remarkably this is the same perch only 5 days after the above photos. The weather changed dramatically creating a totally different atmosphere in the images. Shot at 800mm @ f/6.3, 1/800s, ISO 5600
Lens: A telephoto lens is required to allow you to sit well away from the perch, so you don’t disturb the birds. Too close, and they will be too frightened to come. Also, a long lens (400mm or longer) will help throw that background well out of focus as these lenses have a narrow depth of field. Shoot with the aperture wide open.
Light makes an image. A low sun can create a wonderful warm glow. Diffused light can also work well to expose the bird and avoid nasty shadows. Choose the time of day carefully to optimise for the light. Gloomy light with rain or snow can create dramatic effects. Winters are great with the sun low on the horizon for most of the day, and if you get snow even better ;-)
Robin on the perch. Shot at 800mm @ f/6.3, 1/320s, ISO 5600
Be patient and be comfortable. Invest at least a couple of hours shooting. First, the birds will fly away when you get into position, but after a while they will ignore you if you are patient and careful with your movements. A stool to sit on and warm clothing help. There is no point being uncomfortable. I use a monopod or a tripod to ensure the lens is always pointed at the perch as the moment to capture a good shot can be fleeting.
Nuthatch. Observe the birds’ behaviour and anticipate when they jump for the feeder. Shot at 400mm @ f/5.6, 1/5000s, ISO 5600
Finally, do experiment. Capturing a portrait of a bird against a good background is rewarding but try to experiment to capture behaviour and action. Observe how the birds approach the feeder. There is often a pattern to their behaviour. Try to predict movements, such as when they fly off from the perch and try to capture this action. Use the opportunity to explore the camera’s potential, experiment with setup and particularly how to optimise your use of the auto-focus system. Practice and familiarity with your camera equipment will increase the keeper rate more than anything else.
A female Siskin aiming for the feeder. Shot at 400mm @ f/4, 1/1600s, ISO 1000
Enjoy wildlife at home :-)
Siskin. Vary the set-up with different perches. Here a Blackthorn branch has been used. Shot at 400mm @ f/4, 1/1000s, ISO 640
Marsh Tit … or is it a Willow Tit? Shot at 800mm @ f/6.3, 1/1600s, ISO 1400