Backyard Photography:
Backyard photography is a great way to familiarize yourself with your equipment and your technique. A good way to start shooting is to take photographs of birds either at a birdbath or at a feeder. Some photographers set up feeders close to their windows so they can shoot from the comfort of inside. If you opt for this method, shoot as close to the window glass as possible and try to avoid using the flash to avoid reflection. If you decide to use a flash, then tape a blank piece of cardboard to the window to avoid any flash reflection.
While some, like myself, prefer to set up a camera with a 400mm lens on a tripod and shoot from outdoors at a comfortable distance from the birds, others build makeshift blinds so they can get up close and personal with their subjects. Blinds can be homemade, like a large, cardboard box cut for a camera lens, or they can be the commercial kind hunters use. I’ve also heard of a photographer who constructed a kind of wood-colored body sheath; to close in on his subject, he’d half-crouch and shuffle forward, something like a human larva. Whichever blind you prefer, I suggest you keep it out in the yard a few days so the birds grow accustomed to its presence before you use it.
Keep lighting in mind when you’re shooting. Early morning and late afternoon/early evening light make for more interesting photos. Also try to shoot when the sun is behind you, not in front of you, to avoid silhouetting your subject.
Photographing Elsewhere
When you decide to photograph birds away from your home, you must decide what to take with you. Unlike backyard photography, you can’t just run into the house if you need another roll of film or batteries.
Make a list of what you need to take with you, even for a day trip. Take the camera (of course), the lens or lenses you may shoot with, several rolls of film, a spare battery, and tripod and flash (should you decide to use these). Also bring a cloth to clean your camera lens.
