Photographing birds - the best tips

If you happen to be out in nature as a hobby photographer from time to time, you may have already tried to photograph birds. The animals are always a popular motif and can be easily photographed with the right technique. We show you what to look out for.

Photographing birds and other animals - what equipment?

Of course, good equipment doesn't make a good photographer. However, certain equipment is very useful to get good shots in nature.

• The first thing that is important is a manually adjustable camera with interchangeable lenses - such as an SLR.
• You also need a telephoto lens. Since you will usually be a few meters away from the birds, you need a particularly long focal length. 300 mm or more is optimal.
• You can also use a teleconverter. This is screwed between the camera and the lens and extends the focal length by a certain factor. The disadvantage here is that the light intensity of the lens also decreases.
• A monopod can make work easier if you take more photos in nature. Especially with the heavy telephoto lens it can be exhausting to hold the camera in the long run.

Creating conditions for bird photography

Photography often has something to do with planning. This also applies to the photographing of birds:

1. Find a place where there are a corresponding number of birds. It can be in nature or in the city. In any case, it is good if you inform yourself beforehand and drive to a suitable place.
2. Once there, you can attract the birds to increase your chance of a great picture. Place a little lining and seating in the form of branches or thin tree trunks near your camera.
3. Then it means above all: be patient. Animal photography thrives on staying in one place and waiting for the right moment.
4. You can make the most important settings on your camera in advance. Because of the long focal length, it is especially important to keep the shutter speed low. To do this, open the aperture as far as possible and increase the ISO value a little.

Image design in animal photography

Whether birds or other animals - with these three tips and tricks for image design you can get more out of your photos:

1. Use the third rule or the golden ratio. It usually seems more coherent if the bird is not placed exactly in the middle, but is slightly moved to the edge. If the bird looks to the left, move it closer to the right edge of the picture - it looks to the right to the left edge of the picture.
2. Make sure the background is calm. In order for the photographed animal to come into its own, other parts of the picture should not be distracting. Therefore, try to create a background that is as solid as possible and avoid foreign objects such as colored food bowls in the picture.
3. Take photos in soft light if possible - in the morning or evening. Here you have fewer problems with hard shadows and too large dynamic ranges. However, the surroundings should not be too dark, since you need a very short exposure time due to the long focal length.

The best tips for taking pictures at night can be found in our next practical tip.