In Bird Photography Which Exposure Mode Should You Be Using?

^{Note: This tip comes from SLR Photography Guide’s article - Bird Photography Tips for Beginners}

Tip #1 – Aperture Priority

One of the most straightforward settings for beginners is Aperture Priority. The following settings are recommended when using Aperture Priority.

Change your ISO to 600, and set a low Aperture F number (f/4.0 – f/5.6).

On a sunny day, these settings should automatically set your camera's shutter speed to at least 1/1000th of a second.

Fast enough to freeze most action but with a smaller depth of field window to blur the background.

If your camera shoots significantly faster than 1/1000th of a second, you can set a lower ISO number (for example, ISO 200). This will also result in better image quality.

Tip #2 – Shutter Priority

Shutter Priority is a favorite bird photography choice, as you can almost guarantee sharp pictures when things are moving quickly, and depth of field is less of a concern.

Like aperture priority, shutter priority allows you to shoot quickly without worrying about the other exposure settings.

When using Shutter Priority, the following settings are recommended: Change your ISO to 600 (for starters) and set your shutter speed to 1/1000th of a second.

After you’ve taken a few shots, check the Aperture number your camera is automatically selecting. If it is higher than f/6.7, lower your ISO number for better image quality.

Tip #3 – Manual Mode

For those choosing Manual Mode, I’ll presume you know your camera well, and you can make setting changes quickly without a lot of fuss: Set a low Aperture number (below f/8), coupled with the lowest ISO possible that still enables your camera to shoot at 1/1000th of a second minimum.

Every photographer has heard the advice, “Manual mode is the only mode you should be using.”

Well, that is terrible advice for bird photographers.

Even the most seasoned photographers can take a second or two to change settings, and they must keep an eye on the exposure meter while doing it.

In bird photography, everything is in motion (most of the time). The bird moves, the background or foreground might be swaying in the wind, and the lighting may significantly change as clouds drift by the Sun.

The two auto modes discussed free the photographer to concentrate on the subject and let the camera do the heavy lifting for exposure accuracy.

That being said, if you have a static situation (such as the flamingo above), by all means, take your time and use the manual mode.

It has its purpose as well.

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