Expert Tips for Photographing Pigeons, and Yes They Do Count!

^{Note: This tip comes from Audubon’s article - Pigeons Are Beautiful, so Start Photographing Them}

Ask most city dwellers how they feel about the ubiquitous Rock Dove—a.k.a. the pigeon—and their response will likely range somewhere between indifference and outright loathing. But pigeons have a beauty and a place in the bird world that is quite interesting and beautiful. Most certainly worth your time to photograph them.

Tip #1 – Follow the sun . . . 

At first glance, most pigeons appear to be a rather drab gray. But if you look closer—and get your lighting right—you’ll find an iridescent rainbow of color hiding in their plumage.

To capture it, head out on a sunny day and aim to get your light 90 degrees to the camera. In nice direct sunlight, you’ll pick up a lot of the coloration and texture of the feathers.

Tip #2 - Let the birds come to you…

You’ll also have better luck if you get up close with your subject—which, fortunately, is easy to do when you’re dealing with pigeons that tend to see humans as crumb dispensers. Sit down and don’t move too abruptly, you’ll be able to get them to come pretty close.

Tip #3 - Integrate architecture into your shots…

Look up at a building, statue, or light pole, and there’s a good chance you’ll find a pigeon staring back at you. It’s common knowledge that pigeons are like two things: an architectural roost and humans nearby for a food supply. An SLR or DSLR camera and a telephoto lens that zooms to 400mm will let you pull the birds in from a distance.

Tip #4 - Go for action…

Pigeons are natural acrobats. They’re very maneuverable birds. If you’re looking to freeze that action, start with a shutter speed around 1/2000th of a second for subjects that are close by, and crank it even higher if the birds are flying above you.

On the other hand, if you’re going for a shot that emphasizes all that kinetic energy, try experimenting with lowering your shutter speed to around 1/500th of a second and panning in the direction of the bird’s flight, which will give you an in-focus subject against a blurred-out background.

Want more? If you want to learn more about bird photography, and capture beautiful shots of your own, we recommend downloading and printing out Photzy’s 10 Bird Photography Cheat Sheets (Special bonus available now!)