Stop doing this for great bird in flight photos
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- Опубликовано: 4 июл 2024
- If you want to step up your bird in flight photography there is one thing you should stop doing. I will share with you my top tip for making beautiful bord in flight photos as well as my thought process on the technical aspects and camera settings.
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Chapters:
0:00 My top tip
2:05 Achieving great backgrounds
5:06 Example photos
6:41 Bird in flight phot reviews
8:45 Technical tips
10:11 Camera settings
13:10 Lens settings
15:01 other photos at the coast
17:03 How to take part in a photo review
Wow, this is the best video on bird in flight I've seen on RUclips so far. I love the way you explained and presented. Loaded with great tips, information, and beautiful photos. Your video recording itself is very artistic and professional. Can't wait to watch your other related videos. Thank you for sharing!
Wow, thank you. I'm so happy to hear that and glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching.
Wow Albert on the wing, so special and the shrike bonus. Another thought provoking video,I’m registering as much info as the grey cells will accommodate. Thanks Scott.
Yes, that was a good day. Thanks for watching and I'm glad you're enjoying the videos.
Will try your tips next time I'm at the coast.Thank you.
Have fun with it and thanks for watching.
I truly enjoy your videos. Very good, honest, content.
Glad you like them. Thanks for watching.
Hi Scott, another great video with very usefull tipps - love the pictures you took.
Happy to help. I'm glad you like the photos and thanks for watching.
So good and you tips are fantastics. Wonderful pictures. Thank you for the good work.
Excellent tips on improving the type of bird shots we're all striving to achieve.
Looking forward to your future videos.
Hi Peter, cheers, glad you enjoyed it and thanks for watching.
Glad you're back - I always learn something from your videos and enjoy watching them. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.
Always a pleasure to hear from you. Thanks for watching.
Amazing video.... so grateful to have found your channel. They have so many tips and love the examples. Very inspiring!!
I'm pleased it's helpful. Thanks for your lovely comment and for watching.
Fantastic, Scott! Wonderful tutorial with excellent examples! Thank you! Glad you hear you're feeling better. I was down with it for about a month, finally starting to feel like myself again. Take care. -Jody
Hi Jody. Sorry to hear you've had it too and glad you're starting to feel better. It's crazy how the effects can drag on. Thanks for watching and best wishes to you and Chris.
Im going to go through all your videos. Amazing teacher ❤
Hi. I hope you'll find the others as useful. Thanks for watching.
Awesome tutorial with great tips and amazing shots as always mate! Hope you’ve been well !🙏
Thanks Peter. Much better now. Hope all's well with you too.
Thank you for this video , I am new to birding and have been taking sky shots . Now I will follow your suggestions with backgrounds . Thx
Thanks Dan. Yes, give it a go. I'm sure you'll get a lot more pictures that you like. If you do end up shooting against a plain sky, try to be at least level with the bird - you're standing on a hill or some cliffs or something else that's elevated because you'll still get some background it in. Best of luck and thanks for watching.
Wait a minute. If Albert is the only Albatross in the Northern Hemisphere, it must have been him that visited the Swedish west coast a while back. He eventually flew south again, fighting off five white-tailed eagles on the way back from his northern adventure.
Hi Axel. It's the same bird. It's been hanging around the North Sea and Baltic Sea for a couple of years. He spent his summer 2021 on the UK East coast then flew to Scandinavia with some gannets. He came back to the UK with the gannets in summer 2022, and then left again. The last I'd heard of him was that he touched land in Denmark. Ornithologists say he'll probably never make it back to the Southern Ocean, and it was probably a freak accident of the necessary winds that brought him to the Northern Hemisphere. Thanks for watching.
Merci pour ces conseils et ces belles Photos.
Je vous en prie. Merci d'avoir regardé la vidéo.
I rarely comment when it comes to this kind of video but an exception has to be made. Your shots are magnificent! Well done.
Hi Gerald. Thank you very much, that's very kind of you to say. Much appreciated. Thanks for watching.
Some great tips & hints in this vlog Scott, as well as some lovely footage & images of the gannets, puffins, Albie & the Turkistan Shrike. Bempton is a great site with lots to see.
Thanks for sharing.
Keep on keeping on!
Best,
Nick
Thank you so much Nick. Glad you enjoyed it.
excellent tutorial, agree completely with you on what makes a great flight shot
Hi Ian. Glad you agree. Thanks for watching.
underrated channel !
Thank you for your nice comment and for watching.
Sir, I greatly appreciate your sharing your approach to bird in flight photography. You're having a positive and needed impact on my photography. MANY THANKS! I would appreciate a description of the tripod setup you used briefly in the video. Continue to feel better.
Thanks you very much. I'm glad it was useful and thanks for watching. My main tripod for wildlife photography is the "3 Legged Thing Winston 2.0" amzn.to/3POdLzJ with the "Kenro Carbon Fibre Gimbal Head" which is no longer available. But here is an updated version amzn.to/3OQR4tf. If you're interested in tripods with gimbal heads here is a video on how to set one up properly ruclips.net/video/TEmy8s6-Rhc/видео.html and here is a recent video I made about tripods ruclips.net/video/JYpSClZoe1k/видео.html
I'm not a fan of sky shots myself but I do have an exception - when the sky is interesting, eg a dark grey stormy sky behind a sunlight subject or puffy misty cloud over hills/mountains and the subject in front of that.
I agree. I'm not suggesting people never do it, but it needs to be something more interesting than a blue or white sky. Thanks for your comment and for watching.
Gorgeous images!
Much appreciated. Thanks for watching.
Interesting video! Only recently started paying more attention to the backgrounds. Sometimes it would require quite a lot of planning, knowing the birds habits etc before you can get the shot…
Would be great to see how you plan for more difficult shots with birds who are more difficult to find!
Hi. Generally it is just about being aware of your surroundings and choosing to take the photos at the right time. I've made a video before about how I prepare and research though: ruclips.net/video/Wzyvy7y9b0A/видео.html Thanks for watching.
Sorry to hear that you caught covid Scott , glad that you are on the mend. Excellent video though - fantastic tips and superb photos as always. I'll hopefully be using some of your techniques in Somerset. Thanks, William
Hi William. How are you? Hope all's well. Thanks for your lovely comment and I look forward to seeing some more photos from you at some point.
Thanks for the video👌🏼
Cheers, thanks for watching.
Great video Scott, glad you got some excellent shots of the albertross. All the best, Steve.
Many thanks Steve. Hope all is well with you. Thanks for watching.
Hi Scott, I'm ok now but like you I had Covid a few weeks ago which was horrible to be honest. It's great to be feeling normal again. Keep well, all the best, Steve.
Sorry to hear that. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Worse than any flu I’ve ever had. Glad you’re feeling better though Steve.
Outstanding review of very pertinent techniques. Thanks! Although many articles refer to Albert as the only albatross in the northern hemisphere, here in the North Pacific, we have three species of albatross. Two and a half million Laysan and a smaller numbet of Black Footed albatross will soon arrive in Hawaii to breed and I'll probably take a few thousand photos of them - my favorite birds.
Thanks Kevin. I believe you're right. I've since learned that it's the only black-browed albatross, not simply the only albatross. It sounds like I might have to head over to Hawaii to get some more photos of albatrosses. Thanks for watching.
Nice share🥰😘
Thank you.
Thank you
Thanks for watching.
eat video, great shots-stay healthy my friend.
Thank you René. Much appreciated, and thanks for watching.
First I have come across of your videos, will look at the rest as it makes a change for things to be on our side of the pond. I also use the Sony 200-600 and would ask what you think of the 1.4 with that lens? Thank You, Russ. (up in Cumbria)
Hi Russ. I love the 1.4 TC and I use it regularly. For some people the down side is that you lose some of the wider apertures, but I rarely shoot very wide. I'm, typically in the f/8 - f/10 range even when I don't have the TC on. If you're interested, I've covered the reasons why I photograph in mid range apertures in a previous video. ruclips.net/video/tG5guMnJjI0/видео.html But for people who rely on shooting wide open (which too many people do in my opinion) they dislike TCs because of the aperture restrictions. I sometimes use the x2 TC, but never in bright light - it's too contrasty when shooting at f/13 or f/14. Slightly overcast days are better suited for the x2. Thanks for the question and for watching.
Thanks, Scott. I had three days at RSPB Bempton Cliffs last week - looks like you were there at the same time judging by the weather. Pity you published this after I got back.......If I had seen you I would have said hello - that red beard is very recognisable! Now I have to review my photos to see whether I got any backgrounds but I'll heed your advice for future occasions.
Hi Geoff. Yes, if you ever see me out and about please do come and say hello. Always happy to chat. I hope you got the photos that you wanted. Thanks for watching.
Scott, you are so generous with your information and tips to help others- I you applaud you for that. I totally agree with your approach about lifting photographs to another level and the series of Albert the Albatross really exemplify your point; just beautiful. Was this early morning?
On a separate note, I see that you are a Sony shooter do you only use the R9 or do you sometimes shoot with an A1 ? Thanks
Thanks Dave, and I really appreciate you continuing to watch these videos. I shoot with the A9 and don't have the A1. It would be great, and I have been very tempted to get it, but I can't justify it. The photos of Albert were in the evening golden hour light. I'll let you into a secret. I knew I wanted to spend my last couple of hours looking for the albatross and I didn't want to record the ending in the dark. So I recorded two different end to the video that I could use, depending on whether or not I got any photos of him. (Tricks of the trade).
@@WalksOnTheWildSide Thanks for the info Scott. Good foresight and planning again. And it paid off 🙂
Great video tutorial. But I feel so sad for Albert. They mate for life, and he must be so lonely so far from his home and his mate waiting for him down here in the bottom half, where I live too.😢
Hi. I agree. But he seems to have befriended some gannets and he hangs around with them. He's spent the last couple of years following them to Scandinavia for the winter and comes back to the UK for the summer. Gannets are probably the most similar birds we have in terms of size and behaviour. So at least he has some company. If he has a mate in the Southern Ocean, I hope she's doing OK too. Thanks for watching.
Great video, your take on including environmental features in the bif photos is a game changer for me, thanks. Question for you about image stabilization though; most lens manufacturers will say to turn off IS while on tripod, does this apply when using a gimbal??
I've noticed the same Gord - that manufacturers recommend not using image stabilisation with a gimbal head. I can't say I know why this is, but I think the assumption is that the gimbal will give you perfect steadiness. I mainly only use it when I'm a little exposed to wind, such as on the coast or high up in the hills - where you can still get some vibration, even with a gimbal head. But having tried it both with and without, I don't believe it does any harm to use it. Thanks for the question and for watching.
@@WalksOnTheWildSide thanks for your reply, I’ll soon be doing some experimenting with my set up (D850 and 200-500)
thank you for this great video. Could you tell me what you recommend for a beginner as autofocus mode with Sony A7.
Hi. That would be quite a long answer, depending on what you were photographing and what your skill level is. But assuming you want to photograph birds in flight, set your drive mode to continuous shooting to get the most photos possible with a burst of shots. Set your autofocus mode to AF-C, this will continually autofocus on the bird. Set your autofocus area to Expand Flexible Spot and choose the large option. When you shoot, position the focus area over the bird's head and it should all be ok. As you improve you can move from large to medium to small. Small is the hardest to use, because it's the smallest area, but it's the most precise, so it take practice and some muscle memory to move the camera smoothly. You will also want to consider the tracking sensitivity option. Just set it to 3 - Standard to start with. People assume the 5 - Responsive is the best one, but whilst you're still learning, it can be easy for the autofocus to lock on to other things in the frame. As you learn, you will want to vary the tracking sensitivity. Sometimes, lower sensitivity can be better if there are more objects in the background. Finally, there's a lot of advice out there about back button focus. This might be something you find makes your life easier in the long run, but don't worry about it at first. Just learn to use your camera and then you can think about back button focus as you develop. There's a whole heap of other stuff I could go into, but this should get you going.
@@WalksOnTheWildSide Thank you very much for this precise answer and these precious advices.
About stabilization, what about when having the camera on a tripod and gimbal? Mode 2? Or Off?
Very helpful. Thank you. The location...is that Bempton?
Hi, yes, it is Bempton. Thanks for watching.
What mode do you use in camera when shooting birds or wildlife e.g. Av, Tv, Manual, do you fix your ISO or you use Auto? Thanks for amazing videos I really learned a lot
Hi. I always use full manual exposure including manual setting of ISO. I like to take control of as much as I can and I actually find it a lot easier than using a semi-manual mode when you start to account for things like exposure compensation and ISO limiting. I've actually been thinking about making a video on this exact topic. Do you think people would find it useful? I'm glad you like the videos and thanks for watching.
@@WalksOnTheWildSide I think that's going to be a useful video... many enthusiast photographers like me want to know how professionals or more experienced photographers use their camera :)
Nice video Scott, I had a day their but found light quite tricky especially because birds are often below you , razorbills I found hard to get right as when exposing for white its head was underexposed , I guess you have to wait for light to be correct, would appreciate your comments, thanks
Hi Mike. It is definitely tricky there on bright days with dark birds like the razorbill. My previous video from Bempton covered this exact point ruclips.net/video/hbebXZFpoxg/видео.html (It's in the second chapter, I think). With so many birds below you I would suggest to generally ignore them. Sometimes you can get nice shots looking down. The previous video covers this point too. However, all the time you spend looking down means you'll probably miss when a bird goes flying by at eye level. So I try just to ignore the bords lower down. Thanks for the question and for watching.
@@WalksOnTheWildSide Thanks Scott, you do make the point re picking your moment, my weakness at the moment , too trigger happy! Cheers
In all kinds of photography I do, backgrounds are always an issue for me.. I know that it's important but I always tunnel vision on the subject, it's so hard for me to think about it at the right time and not 5 hours later when reviewing the pictures :P
Hi. Yes it take a bit of practice and getting used to it. Some people like to have their other eye open so they can see both the surroundings and the subject through the viewfinder. It doesn’t work for me though. I just take the time to familiarise myself with what is around the area and only press the shutter once the bird gets near to it. Thanks for watching.
Great tutorial again! Thanks for sharing these tips. A quick question: I have read a few times that some wildlife photographers do not use image stabilization when the shutter speed is high (say 1/1600 or more) for different reasons like the fact that it would give more computer power for focusing. Assuming that we have at least 2 to 3 times the focal length. Have you tried with and without for BIF?I also understand that gear is a factor! I am using the same lens and the A9. Would value your input. Again thanks for the great videos and photographs and I do hope you feel better soon.
Hi. Really interesting question and I think there are a lot of myths about IS, but I pretty much have it on all the time, unless I specifically need it off for something like motion blur and ICM. Oh and I never use it for macro. I have tried it with and without, but I can't say I've noticed a difference, certainly not with focussing speed. On the point of computing power I think it makes more of a difference to be using an auto exposure mode than using IS, which is the reason I always manually expose. I've noticed that the frame rate drops off much more quickly in aperture priority or when using auto ISO. But a lot of this will depends on the camera and the way it is programmed. But if you're using the A9 you should have no problems using IS. Thanks for the question and for watching.
@@WalksOnTheWildSide
Awesome, thanks for taking the time to answer my lengthy question! I haven’t been doing wildlife photography for long and as you know, there is a lot of info out there (some good some maybe not so much!...) So I value the experience of more experienced photographer!
I really appreciate your input! Looking forward to the next part of BIF!
@@eos4life I've had issues with BIFs and IS on my Tamron 100-400. Virtually all my shots were blurry regardless of my shutter speed.. I blamed the lens sharpness/autofocus for a while before figuring out that the IS was the culprit.. Sure enough, after disabling it or setting it on mode 2 (panning), it fixed the issue! Probably not an issue on higher end prime lenses. I'd suggest testing for your particular gear and adapt depending on the results.
Yes you definitely need to use the right IS mode. I cover this in the camera settings section of the video.
Awesome tip. New subscriber here.
Welcome to the channel. Thanks for subscribing and for watching.
Question about the stabilisation modes, I often heard at a certain shutter speed that it is better to switch off OSS, is that correct? If yes what SS are we talkig about? thx
Good question, and like everything in photography, there's not a set answer, but let me explain. So firstly, at really low shutter speeds - for example if you're trying to get motion blur into your picture and you're using shutter speeds like 1/5sec or 1/2 sec or even longer - turn off stabilisation because it will be trying to counteract the motion blur and will lessen the effect of it. At the other end of the scale if you are using mega fast shutter speeds, there is no point having stabilisation on because the shutter speed will be acting faster than the stabilisation does. This really depends on your gear and how good/fast its stabilisation is. I find that on my A9, stabilisation still helps up to 1/4000 sec. But I would guess that for any camera and lens combination from 1/8000 sec and higher stabilisation won't help. Not that it will harm anything by having this on for these fast shutter speeds, but you'll be using needless processing power to do something that is having no effect on the photo. I hope that helps, give me a shout if you've got any follow up questions. Thanks for watching.
@@WalksOnTheWildSide thanks for rhe explanation!!!
Hi Scott sorry if I’ve missed this information but just wondering wether you were shooting in aperture priority or shutter priority or manual ?? Thanks in advance
Nigel
Hi Nigel. No it's not something I've mentioned very often, but I always manually expose. I can't remember the last time I used aperture priority or shutter priority. This is mainly because I like to be in full control, but also other reasons too. I've always believed with machines that the fewer things you ask them to do, the better they'll do the things you need them to do. So all the computing power it uses to calculate exposure might mean it has less computing power available to autofocus. I need it to autofocus for fast moving subjects, but I don't need it to expose, so I do it myself. It's a bit like they say that to make your mobile phone run faster you should close down all the apps that you're not using, because they all consume processing power and take it away from the app you are using. As well as that, I very often like to deliberately under or over expose. (Such as the two puffin portraits in this video - they are under-exposed with a very dark blue background, but that's what I like about them). In order to under or over expose in a semi-manual mode I would need to start using exposure compensation. So I might as well just do it manually rather that fiddling with extra dials. That being said, I think people should use whatever mode they are comfortable with. If someone can get better results in a semi-manual mode than they could in full manual, they should use it. These are all just different tools to be used to achieve the results that you want. Thanks for your question and for watching.
@@WalksOnTheWildSide Thanks Scott yes I prefer manual I must admit I use it Virtually all the time you are like you say in control of how you want the exposure to look .
Keep up the good work 👍
Regards
Nigel
Another great informative video and with excellent tips here Scott, love those albatross images, good to here that your getting over that dreadful covid too.
Thank you Raymond, much appreciated. Hope all's well with you too.
👍📷😎
👍😀
Nice video..
I have sony a7riv with 200-600 lens.
I don't know why each and every picture have motion blur. Bird Eyes are not sharp even not moving birds.
If possible please reply..
Thanks for watching. It could be your technique or your camera settings. What mode are you using? Auto, aperture priority, manual etc. And if you are not using auto, what sort of settings are you using for a bird that isn't moving. Also what focusing mode are you using?
Thanks for your valuable reply..
Iam using manual mode, f8, ISO auto, focus- continues, ss- 3200 to 5000. Focus - wide.
@@basiljose6233 Hi. I would definitely say to stop using 'wide' for your focus area. Your camera will pick the area to focus on that the algorithm thinks is most important. Better to use 'flexible spot', or 'expand flexible spot' for still subjects. You might find 'tracking' a better option for moving subjects. The two flexible spot options will have small, medium and large options. Small will always make your focusing more accurate, but as it's smaller it's more difficult. Also a shutter speed of 1/3200-5000 is way to fast for a still subject. You will be fine with less than 1/1000. As you get more used to it you will be able to start getting down to 1/200. But the high shutter speeds you've been using will cause the auto ISO to introduce too much noise to the pic.
Scott... Many Many thanks for giving your support...
@5:43 You believe in that bunk?