Bird Photographers Get Creative Because of Natural Light

^{Note: This tip comes from Audubon’s article - Use Blur to Paint With Birds—and Other Creative Avian Photography Strategies}

Relying heavily on natural lighting to produce an artistically pleasing image means that wildlife photographers must often think outside the box when light doesn’t cooperate. While some might pack up and move on in low light conditions, the key to making unique and often otherworldly images lies in letting go of the concept of the “standard bird portrait.” Here are some strategies you might try.

Tip #1 - Set your camera to either full Manual or Shutter Speed Priority mode to dive into the realm of intentional blurs and the magical wealth of creativity this technique allows.

Try a slow shutter speed to achieve zoom blur, an effect achievable only with a zoom lens.

Results can range from mildly coherent to supremely abstract, but all zoom blurs tend to have a vortex effect.

This technique is best suited for low-light conditions with stationary subjects. Select a slow shutter speed such as 1/20s or 1/8s, focus on your subject, and press the shutter button while simultaneously zooming in or out.

Tip #2 - Flying birds in low light are perfect for panning blurs, another kind of motion blur. Extreme care needs to be taken to follow the flight path of your subject such that it will remain sharp, or portions of the bird will remain sharp, while the background would be rendered entirely blurry.

Further reduction in the shutter speed will yield more abstract images with panning and motion blur. Start by setting a shutter speed of 1/100s and gradually try slower speeds.

The key is experimentation, as each situation is different.

Fast-flying birds like swallows and sandpipers may not allow for a coherent image at a very low shutter speed, but a lumbering Great Blue Heron may suit that approach rather well.

Tip #3 – When photographing flocks of birds, you can vary your shutter speed to keep the entire flock sharp, or only portions of the flock will be sharp with slower shutter speeds. Try combining this with panning.

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