Photography - How to Take Close-Up Photographs of Small Birds Using a Digital Camera - Part One

Taking a really great photograph can take a lot of planning, setting up, and patience. Though it may be a lengthy period to achieve the results the end can be so worthwhile and rewarding that it makes every minute that was spent putting the whole thing together worth all the headaches and heartaches. So what is actually involved and how do we go about planning and setting up for some great camera shots?

I can only go by my own main example of some great close-up photographs that I took of birds, Blue Tits and Great Tits in particular. I do not mean close up as in spotting them in a tree and using a big lens to get a close up shot. I mean using an 18-70mm lens on a Sony alpha 200 DSLR camera and taking the photographs from only inches away, in other words, getting them to stand in front of the camera.

Before you can set up any shot it is a good idea to have a bit of knowledge in regard to the subject that you have chosen to photograph. In the case of animals and birds this would relate to feeding habits, likes and dislikes and so on.

Having always had a healthy interest in wildlife means we have had bird feeders of various shapes and sizes set-up all over the back garden for some years now. This in turn has provided quite a good knowledge base for determining which birds like each of the different foods. I will not go into the variety of birds that we get, but needless to say that it is quite a few.

I decided some months ago that I wanted to get a close up shot of some of the smaller variety of birds as they tended to be the most frequent visitors, all be-it extremely fast. I did not really know how I was going to do this as most of our feeders were high and I certainly did not want pictures of them feeding. I wanted them looking straight at the camera.

This is Part One of a Three Part Article series. You will need to see Part Two to continue reading.

Why not visit and check out myphotographblog.com where there is a selection of photographs and information relating to the world of photography. On top of that there are some great photographs to view.

Clive Anderson

Related posts:

1. How To Attract Birds Of Different Species - Part 1
2. Do You Know The Types Of Feeders For Various Types Of Birds? Part 1
3. Tips To Help You Find Proper Feeders For The Birds - Part 1
4. Turn Your Backyard Into A Haven For Wild Birds
5. Why You Should Feed Garden Birds A Varied Diet