Pro Tip: Pre-Empting Exposure Settings

^{Note: This tip comes from page 6 on Tobie Schalkwyk’s free eBook - Bird Photography: Exposure, Angles, and Viewpoints}

Is it possible to pre-empt exposure so that you have minimum adjustments to do on the bird you will most likely encounter next? Yes, and it might be a lifesaver!

If you’re not sure what bird you will encounter next, look around and find a spot or object that is not too bright but also not too dark. An ‘average lit’ greyish tree trunk is perfect. Use it for setting your exposure using the Manual Mode.

Be ready to adjust your ISO settings up or down if you expect your next bird to be very dark or pure white. If you are unsure, set your ISO to 400 and use the auto-adjust feature (if your camera has one).

Have your file format set to camera raw.

A bird in flight may play games with your camera’s ‘mind’ as the single metering point moves around between the bright sky and your subject. Fight the urge to adjust settings unnecessarily at this stage.

Your pre-empted settings should at least position your exposure somewhere in the ‘usable scale’ for post-processing, as it will be within your camera’s dynamic range.

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