Jason, I SO enjoy well - made presentations like this! I live in South Africa, 20kays outside a little agricultural town and I think I'm the only person in a 100kay radius who's interested in bird photography and I sometimes feel very isolated. These videos help so much. I have a Canon Powershot SX60HS - a lovely camera but like you say you have to manage your expectations and learn how to think around the 'problems'. Frustration, also, can be the spice on the French fries. Frustration is wonderful. So thank you for inspiring me. By the way, of the roughly 971 birds in the Southern African Avian Demographic Region, about 249 of them are to be found where I am. So, 250 including me... And the dollar/rand rate is currently very favourable for the American bird photographer...
Hi Sue. Not sure if you will read this but here goes anyway. I too live in South Africa and have a keen interest in bird photography. Not only that but I also live out of town and have an amazing variety of birds in my area. I would love to connect and talk birds if you are up for it. Thank. Bruce
little brown birds = boring / bird on a stick= boring. haha this is a great video, you did a great job explaining the struggles and perspective of a passionate bird photographer, I have been trying to learn, I had my first opportunity to photograph wood ducks at a friends farm, they were swimming out in a beaver swamp, and I quickly learned how hard it was to get close and also how inadequate my 30D and 28-135mm lens were for this situation, I photograph wide and macro landscapes, candid portraits, and documentary and advertising for local businesses, just to say I am not new to my gear, but the woodpeckers and ducks really challenged me , and I have been just learning more about how to get better at wildlife ever since and your video posted here is a great great learning experience thanks for sharing!
The birds of Trinidad are really beautiful - I cannot wait to go back and get some great images, especially the Birds of the Northern Range and the Asa Wright Nature Centre & Lodge. Great video Jason, really learned a lot.
A great video, with all kinds of useful tips - I'm glad to say that I am used to using most of these, but as always it's the photographer, not so much the gear, that produces the great shots! Your "pine warbler" at 59:18 is actually a Prairie warbler.
*Let's Talk Bird Photography!* My webinar is now available for viewing online. I shared some of my favorite bird photos and discussed gear, settings, and locations for getting great bird photographs. #photography #webinar #birds #birdphotography
I upgraded from a Nikon 70-300 to a Nikon 200-500. What a big difference. Sharper. Better color and contrast. And a lot less cropping. Next is to upgrade my camera. My D300 focus struggles at times and I can't crop much. Maybe by this time next year. Great video with great information.
thanks sharing these beautiful pictures and some of your tips. Very nice tutorial ! Less opportunities in Belgium to find such beautiful birds but we have some zoos to try :-) marc
Allow me to start off with a compliment: I love your work. Keep it up! it's very inspirational. Now, I am a dedicated NIKON shooter. I just purchased a pair of binoculars for capturing birds for sake of enhancing my bird photography. After several weeks of internet research and a few store visits to play with various models, I decided to stay with Nikon and purchased the Nikon Monarch 7, 8x30. There are so many manufacturers and models to choose from. It was a slight bit overwhelming. I even made a purchase and returned them for a binocular with a wider angle of view. Most bird photographers seem to always focus on camera equipment, technique, etc . . . I've never heard any mention their binoculars. I'm sure they use them. I would think that binoculars are a critical tool for successful bird photography, especially when you have to seek out your subject, and it's not sitting right in front of you. What do you use and why? Just curious. Thanks again.
I own a vveeeerrrryyyy looooonnnng Super Zoom. When I want to look at something I just fire up my camera and look at it through my camera. And if I want to photograph it my camera is already stoked up and ready to go.
Just took a ton of bird & gator pics at Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. Thought I'd look up how to do a better job. Thanks for all this info. Also nice to see some pics a pro took from my area. Most of my pics look like "Where's Waldo" in the camouflage. lol
*South Texas is one of my favorite birding destinations!* Two spots open to join me there in May on an all-inclusive photo safari: www.meetup.com/jason-odell-photo/events/186733472/
Could you please explain using a flash for shooting the hummingbird. Freezing the wings would have required a very high shutter speed so how did you manage to sync your flash?
hello, mr. Odell. I hope u can help me out. I still haven't found the set-up I have in mind for shooting bird pics from my car. Window open of course, lots of car mount options available. Then the beanbag, and so on. All clear. Yet I have the following in mind (for flexibility AND being able to minimize camera movement/blur): a. a camera car mount (mounted inside the car); b. a combi of a gimbal- sort of device to b mounted on this car mount, having a vertical rail combined with a horizontal rail. So the cam is connected to this combi, and I can set up the camera/ fixate it in almost any spot within the rectangular area of the open window. I hope I have been able to communicate this idea clearly enough in words. So the question is: have you ever used or seen such device? I simply can't find it on the net. Thanks and I think I will use many of your tips!
Thanks for this very informative video! Seems like many of your examples are from Florida. I live in SW FL and am always looking for new venues/locations to photograph birds. Can you say more specifically where some of the SW Florida / Everglades locations are? ... Again, great video; thanks!
Everglades National Park has two really good spots: Shark Valley and Anhinga Trail. These are really easy access locations. In SW Florida there's Ding Darling and also Corkscrew Swamp.
Thanks so much! I've been to Ding Darling and love Corkscrew, but have not been to the others in the Everglades National Park -- I'll check them out! Thanks again!
Great video, great shot! I have been shooting a couple different cameras over the past 10 years; 1DMark ii, 50D, 5DMarkii, and more recently 7D Mark ii. I have the L series 70-200mm f2.8 which I use for my birding photos. I recently bought the newest 2x 2.8 extender. I haven't been very disappointed with the images I am getting with the 2x on the 70-200 on my 7D. From what you said, and in your opinion from the gear I have; do you think I should just shoot the 70-200 on my 7D/5D Markii without the 2x and just crop down in lightroom if I need to?
I am thinking to do somebirds photography; I have a d810 with 70-200 f/ 2.8 with a tele-converter 2x. I can't afford another lens at the moment. is this 400mm f 5.6 fast enough and sharp to do bids shoot?
+TheCloudpuncher Thank you so much for your recommendation! I went there last week and saw a large variety of cool birds! Do you have any spots in mind for big eagles?
Cool! Glad you liked it. There has been a bald eagle show up at that park. I have several pictures of him. Also there is a couple of Osprey that hang out there as well. You just have to hang out and be patient, and they will show up. That is really the only place I have been able to see a bald eagle. I have several cool shots with Osprey snatching fish out of the water, and carrying them off.
Interesting you used the 80-400 in your demo. I have the new version but... some friends are encouraging my to trade it in for the 200-500. They clam it's sharper. Find that hard to believe. Mine is version 2 which cost about a grand over the 200-500. I shoot with D500. What's your thoughts on both lenses?
Hi Jeff- The 200-500 probably isn't any sharper than the 80-400, but I haven't done that comparison. I have, however, tested the 200-500 and it is fantastic. If you need the reach for birds, the 200-500/D500 kit is my go-to combo, especially given the price! www.luminescentphoto.com/2017/06/25/the-ultimate-nikon-birding-kit/
Good presentation! Three more things: I take wildlife from a kayak. I never know what will appear. Thus: 1. When I finish taking some shots, set up the camera for what may suddenly appear. Example: A BIF suddenly appears. When you have only a second to snap the shutter, you'll miss the shot if you have to adjust your camera. 2. Learn about your subject. Many birds squirm and/or poop before taking off. That's when I switch to high-speed continuous shooting. 3. As tempting as it is, don't "chimp" your pictures. You should have already set your camera for the correct exposure. Don't lose a good shot because you're reviewing past shots. Been there...done that!
Yes! Particularly changing your settings back to 'normal'. I've lost more than one shot because my aperture was too wide or too narrow or my shutter speed wasn't fast enough.
Question from a newbie: I would like to take videos of birds in my backyard similar to this example on RUclips: ( ruclips.net/video/xbs7FT7dXYc/видео.html ) where the camera is stationary on a tripod and pointed at one spot while recording birds landing and eating food ( not flying in the air ). I have am considering buying a Sony A7Siii and a Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS Super Telephoto Zoom Lens but don't know if that is the best option. I am concerned the SonyA7Siii does not have enough pixels and I am concerned the Sony FE 200-600mm will not work well at dawn or dusk which I read is a problem with that lens. Do you have any advice on which camera and lens to buy to take bird the type of bird videos I want to capture ? Thank you.
Your camera should have a display - you should be able to switch it on and off - two lines across and two lines down. For optimal composition it is always suggested that you try to put your bird/whatever where the lines cross. It's called the Rule of Thirds. Try also to get your bird facing INTO the picture, i.e. facing AWAY from the nearest edge of the photo. Funnily enough, a picture seems to work better if the bird is facing from left to right - because that's the way a person reads so your eye is accustomed to reading an image that way If you photo faces the other way, flip it on your computer.
1 thing I will say....your common birds are only common to you. Some where else they are not common. If you photography a Mockingbird it might not be a big deal but perhaps in another country they will think it's awesome and they wish they could see a bird like that. What is common to you is uncommon to some one else far away and vise versa.
Bill, you are SO right. Here in South Africa we have a super bird photographer by the name of Isak Pretorius. He wrote a super book called 'How and Where to Photograph Birds in Southern Africa. Anyway, he became famous by taking unusual photos of 'common' birds. I have some lovely photos of sparrows and bulbuls and suchlike.
Jason, I SO enjoy well - made presentations like this! I live in South Africa, 20kays outside a little agricultural town and I think I'm the only person in a 100kay radius who's interested in bird photography and I sometimes feel very isolated. These videos help so much. I have a Canon Powershot SX60HS - a lovely camera but like you say you have to manage your expectations and learn how to think around the 'problems'. Frustration, also, can be the spice on the French fries. Frustration is wonderful. So thank you for inspiring me. By the way, of the roughly 971 birds in the Southern African Avian Demographic Region, about 249 of them are to be found where I am. So, 250 including me... And the dollar/rand rate is currently very favourable for the American bird photographer...
Hi Sue. Not sure if you will read this but here goes anyway. I too live in South Africa and have a keen interest in bird photography. Not only that but I also live out of town and have an amazing variety of birds in my area. I would love to connect and talk birds if you are up for it. Thank. Bruce
Fantastic course, Jason. I greatly appreciate the time you took to pull together the material and webinar.
A very good and simple video explaining nuances well. Great job Jason!
Thanks for all the comments! I appreciate the feedback.
little brown birds = boring / bird on a stick= boring. haha this is a great video, you did a great job explaining the struggles and perspective of a passionate bird photographer, I have been trying to learn, I had my first opportunity to photograph wood ducks at a friends farm, they were swimming out in a beaver swamp, and I quickly learned how hard it was to get close and also how inadequate my 30D and 28-135mm lens were for this situation, I photograph wide and macro landscapes, candid portraits, and documentary and advertising for local businesses, just to say I am not new to my gear, but the woodpeckers and ducks really challenged me , and I have been just learning more about how to get better at wildlife ever since and your video posted here is a great great learning experience thanks for sharing!
Thanks Jason for the great Bird Photography tutorial!
The birds of Trinidad are really beautiful - I cannot wait to go back and get some great images, especially the Birds of the Northern Range and the Asa Wright Nature Centre & Lodge. Great video Jason, really learned a lot.
Excellent introduction to bird photography with many tips based upon special experience. Thanks for creating this Jason. I will tell many about it.
Very informative ,interesting and comprehensive !!
purchased and am using and enjoying your textures !!
A wonderfully informative talk,given me some great tips for my next effort at bird photography. Thank you very much Jason.
I thoroughly enjoyed your video-it was very informative and easy to understand!
A great video, with all kinds of useful tips - I'm glad to say that I am used to using most of these, but as always it's the photographer, not so much the gear, that produces the great shots! Your "pine warbler" at 59:18 is actually a Prairie warbler.
create your impeccable online portfolio with image backup on www.srril.com
Excellent presentation! I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned a lot.
Thanks a bunch Jason. Excellent lesson!
*Let's Talk Bird Photography!*
My webinar is now available for viewing online. I shared some of my favorite bird photos and discussed gear, settings, and locations for getting great bird photographs.
#photography #webinar #birds #birdphotography
Loved this bid it helps alot watched the whole thing from begging to end
thumbs up on the video.
great tips for amateurs like myself.
i agree with the high shutter speed especially for me almost always going hand held.
Your trips sound fun, i wish i was still in the states :)
Thank you Jason for a great discussion
Great tips. Thank you so much for sharing!
Enjoyed this video very much Jason, big thumbs up...
I upgraded from a Nikon 70-300 to a Nikon 200-500. What a big difference. Sharper. Better color and contrast. And a lot less cropping. Next is to upgrade my camera. My D300 focus struggles at times and I can't crop much. Maybe by this time next year. Great video with great information.
create your impeccable online portfolio with image backup on www.srril.com
I am quickly developing a strong passion for wildlife photography and I related to a lot of the things you said. Also, I'm a bio major! Great video
thanks sharing these beautiful pictures and some of your tips. Very nice tutorial ! Less opportunities in Belgium to find such beautiful birds but we have some zoos to try :-)
marc
Great presentation. Thanks!
Allow me to start off with a compliment: I love your work. Keep it up! it's very inspirational. Now, I am a dedicated NIKON shooter. I just purchased a pair of binoculars for capturing birds for sake of enhancing my bird photography. After several weeks of internet research and a few store visits to play with various models, I decided to stay with Nikon and purchased the Nikon Monarch 7, 8x30. There are so many manufacturers and models to choose from. It was a slight bit overwhelming. I even made a purchase and returned them for a binocular with a wider angle of view. Most bird photographers seem to always focus on camera equipment, technique, etc . . . I've never heard any mention their binoculars. I'm sure they use them. I would think that binoculars are a critical tool for successful bird photography, especially when you have to seek out your subject, and it's not sitting right in front of you. What do you use and why? Just curious. Thanks again.
I own a vveeeerrrryyyy looooonnnng Super Zoom. When I want to look at something I just fire up my camera and look at it through my camera. And if I want to photograph it my camera is already stoked up and ready to go.
Love this. All the right things are said....... wayto go.
Amazing pictures, and explanation, thank you very much. I will follow you on fb.
Thank you so much for shows this Great work ✨✨
Just took a ton of bird & gator pics at Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. Thought I'd look up how to do a better job. Thanks for all this info. Also nice to see some pics a pro took from my area. Most of my pics look like "Where's Waldo" in the camouflage. lol
*South Texas is one of my favorite birding destinations!*
Two spots open to join me there in May on an all-inclusive photo safari:
www.meetup.com/jason-odell-photo/events/186733472/
Jason Odell, Those pics are on point! Nice Job Jason keep up the good work!
Jason Odell e
Could you please explain using a flash for shooting the hummingbird. Freezing the wings would have required a very high shutter speed so how did you manage to sync your flash?
How does sigma 150-600 mm work with Canon m 50?
hello, mr. Odell. I hope u can help me out. I still haven't found the set-up I have in mind for shooting bird pics from my car. Window open of course, lots of car mount options available. Then the beanbag, and so on. All clear. Yet I have the following in mind (for flexibility AND being able to minimize camera movement/blur): a. a camera car mount (mounted inside the car); b. a combi of a gimbal- sort of device to b mounted on this car mount, having a vertical rail combined with a horizontal rail. So the cam is connected to this combi, and I can set up the camera/ fixate it in almost any spot within the rectangular area of the open window. I hope I have been able to communicate this idea clearly enough in words. So the question is: have you ever used or seen such device? I simply can't find it on the net. Thanks and I think I will use many of your tips!
Thanks for this very informative video! Seems like many of your examples are from Florida. I live in SW FL and am always looking for new venues/locations to photograph birds. Can you say more specifically where some of the SW Florida / Everglades locations are? ... Again, great video; thanks!
Everglades National Park has two really good spots: Shark Valley and Anhinga Trail. These are really easy access locations. In SW Florida there's Ding Darling and also Corkscrew Swamp.
Thanks so much! I've been to Ding Darling and love Corkscrew, but have not been to the others in the Everglades National Park -- I'll check them out! Thanks again!
I'm confused. If Gary wrote a message saying he couldn't hear the audio, how would he hear your suggestion on what to do to correct it?
Great video, great shot! I have been shooting a couple different cameras over the past 10 years; 1DMark ii, 50D, 5DMarkii, and more recently 7D Mark ii. I have the L series 70-200mm f2.8 which I use for my birding photos. I recently bought the newest 2x 2.8 extender. I haven't been very disappointed with the images I am getting with the 2x on the 70-200 on my 7D. From what you said, and in your opinion from the gear I have; do you think I should just shoot the 70-200 on my 7D/5D Markii without the 2x and just crop down in lightroom if I need to?
Sir, you are master.. Thank you
I am thinking to do somebirds photography; I have a d810 with 70-200 f/ 2.8 with a tele-converter 2x. I can't afford another lens at the moment. is this 400mm f 5.6 fast enough and sharp to do bids shoot?
Really got a lot out your video.. Thanks
could you explain about the setting of these shots thanks anyway
Great lesson Thank you Jason
Great presentation, very useful!
A note: Gitzo pronunciation is Zhitso I think ;) (it's a french name)
Do you have any spot recommendations for bird photography near houston (hour or more drive is fine)? Using tamron 70-300mm with d3100
+N Z This is my favorite spot for shooting birds in Houston! Bishop Fiorenza Phase II 13551 Westpark Dr, Houston, TX 77082
+TheCloudpuncher Thank you!
+TheCloudpuncher Thank you so much for your recommendation! I went there last week and saw a large variety of cool birds! Do you have any spots in mind for big eagles?
Cool! Glad you liked it. There has been a bald eagle show up at that park. I have several pictures of him. Also there is a couple of Osprey that hang out there as well. You just have to hang out and be patient, and they will show up. That is really the only place I have been able to see a bald eagle. I have several cool shots with Osprey snatching fish out of the water, and carrying them off.
TheCloudpuncher Amazing! Do you have any links to the pics?
Interesting you used the 80-400 in your demo. I have the new version but... some friends are encouraging my to trade it in for the 200-500. They clam it's sharper. Find that hard to believe. Mine is version 2 which cost about a grand over the 200-500. I shoot with D500. What's your thoughts on both lenses?
Hi Jeff-
The 200-500 probably isn't any sharper than the 80-400, but I haven't done that comparison. I have, however, tested the 200-500 and it is fantastic. If you need the reach for birds, the 200-500/D500 kit is my go-to combo, especially given the price!
www.luminescentphoto.com/2017/06/25/the-ultimate-nikon-birding-kit/
THANKS FOR THE INFORMATION.
Wish your links were active. Good video.
Hey Jeff-
My webpage for my Long Exposure tutorial is here: www.luminescentphoto.com/eshop/stretching-time/
Super pics!
Thanks!
I survived watching this awesome vudeo 1:11:26,
CHEERS!!
Good presentation! Three more things: I take wildlife from a kayak. I never know what will appear. Thus:
1. When I finish taking some shots, set up the camera for what may suddenly appear. Example: A BIF suddenly appears. When you have only a second to snap the shutter, you'll miss the shot if you have to adjust your camera.
2. Learn about your subject. Many birds squirm and/or poop before taking off. That's when I switch to high-speed continuous shooting.
3. As tempting as it is, don't "chimp" your pictures. You should have already set your camera for the correct exposure. Don't lose a good shot because you're reviewing past shots. Been there...done that!
Yes! Particularly changing your settings back to 'normal'. I've lost more than one shot because my aperture was too wide or too narrow or my shutter speed wasn't fast enough.
Question from a newbie: I would like to take videos of birds in my backyard similar to this example on RUclips: ( ruclips.net/video/xbs7FT7dXYc/видео.html ) where the camera is stationary on a tripod and pointed at one spot while recording birds landing and eating food ( not flying in the air ). I have am considering buying a Sony A7Siii and a Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS Super Telephoto Zoom Lens but don't know if that is the best option. I am concerned the SonyA7Siii does not have enough pixels and I am concerned the Sony FE 200-600mm will not work well at dawn or dusk which I read is a problem with that lens. Do you have any advice on which camera and lens to buy to take bird the type of bird videos I want to capture ? Thank you.
I'm sorry, but I don't have any advice for shooting videos. I shoot stills.
Try Costa Rica, you'll love our diversity, there are more than 850 species of birds, kinda of paradise ...
good
Thanks
12:32 that's a black-crested titmouse i believe. =)
Probably. They changed around the sub-species in Texas again.
40 min in and you start teaching no mention of where to place the bird on the camera lineliall line no explanation what this is
Your camera should have a display - you should be able to switch it on and off - two lines across and two lines down. For optimal composition it is always suggested that you try to put your bird/whatever where the lines cross. It's called the Rule of Thirds. Try also to get your bird facing INTO the picture, i.e. facing AWAY from the nearest edge of the photo. Funnily enough, a picture seems to work better if the bird is facing from left to right - because that's the way a person reads so your eye is accustomed to reading an image that way If you photo faces the other way, flip it on your computer.
single point cross type AF = dead on balls accurate
1 thing I will say....your common birds are only common to you. Some where else they are not common. If you photography a Mockingbird it might not be a big deal but perhaps in another country they will think it's awesome and they wish they could see a bird like that. What is common to you is uncommon to some one else far away and vise versa.
Bill, you are SO right. Here in South Africa we have a super bird photographer by the name of Isak Pretorius. He wrote a super book called 'How and Where to Photograph Birds in Southern Africa. Anyway, he became famous by taking unusual photos of 'common' birds. I have some lovely photos of sparrows and bulbuls and suchlike.