Spot Metering

Different metering settings tell the camera where to look to determine how to set the exposure. Other types of metering evaluate more of the scene and can cause shadows on the bird, especially when birds are perched in a tree. Spot metering exposes for a small point in the center of the camera which ensures the subject is always adequately exposed. This may cause an overexposed or underexposed background, but that’s ok because it will help create a cleaner background and enhance the visibility of your subject.

Wide Aperture

A wide aperture (lower f-stop number) blurs the background and allows for more light to reach the sensor, so this is another way to minimize the need to increase the ISO.

SHOOT WITH AUTO ISO

Birds are quick little creatures and you don’t have time to fuss with manual settings; use auto ISO to compensate for exposure differences when you adjust the shutter speed, which is the only setting you should try to control while taking pictures of birds.

DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE COMPOSITION

I’ll get into editing techniques later in this post, but don’t worry about trying to frame the perfect shot. Just concentrate on focus and exposure so you can create the perfect composition during post-processing.

TIPS FOR FINDING BIRDS

• Birds are most active in the morning and evening
• Search for birding hotspots in your area; birding hotspots are known locations where birds tend to gather and increase the likelihood of spotting birds.
• Backyard Birds: Improve your skills by practicing on common birds such as doves, sparrows, and cardinals. Allow yourself to try new settings and learn about common behaviors on birds you’ll see again so you are prepared for less common birds.
• Approach the birds slowly and quietly; inch your way forward by taking a step and shoot so the bird gets used to you and the sound of the camera.
• Go on a guided bird walk with the National Audubon Society or other organization in your area
• Be patient and wait around for a bit if the birds fly off when you first approach, they usually come back if you stand still.
• Listen for chirping

POST-PROCESSING AND CROPPING BIRD IMAGES

Birds are fast-moving subjects and you won’t have the time to think about composition when capturing images of birds. Forget about the myth that photographers don’t edit their photos and consider these minor adjustments in Lightroom to enhance the output of your bird pictures.

SHARPENING

To sharpen the edges and improve the details of the image, increase contrast and clarity in Lightroom’s Basic panel in the develop module. For more sharpening options scroll down to the detail panel and tweak the sharpening slider; the default in the sharpening tool is to sharpen everything, but you can hit the alt/option key on your keyboard while moving the masking slider to the right to be more selective in the parts that sharpen. The parts of the image in white while using the masking tool are the parts of the images selected for sharpening.