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| When the bird is in shadows, its best to have the whole subject in the shadow, use slower shutter speed to use as low ISO as possible, increase aperture to allow more light, I usually remove the extender to get better image quality |
| Fast birds needs fastest shutter speed possible, Image Stabilizer is on, sometimes removing extender to get the best focus possible. Taking lot of shots helps to improve probability to get focused shot. |
| Dusk, dawn and night shots require flash, regardless of how far the bird is, I take few test shots to different subject to verify the best flash setting before seeing the bird |
| Bright harsh light can produce unpleasant shots especially if there are shadows, the contrast is so strong, the dark areas have no details, try to underexpose to recover the dark areas and not loose the bright area details, in most cases, the photo would need some post processing |
| If the light is soft, which is usually morning or evening, always use angle with 90 degree to the sun, touch of soft shadow makes the shot more dynamic |
| Foggy weather is the toughest to photograph in, usually the subjects are very soft and light is detracted away from the sensor, remove the extender, reduce shutter speed and decrease the aperture to reduce the ISO, this way, post processing is possible. |
| If a dark colored bird is perched against overcast background, use spot meter to maximize the bird details when capturing the shot. |
| Shy birds that hide inside trees and bushes are very tricky, focusing is tough because of obstacles, if the bird stop moving, I try to change the angle constantly until I see the best opening, sometimes it is better to use manual focus |
| Taking shots with moving birds and blurring wings is rewarding, a slow shutter speed is required, between 1/150 and 1/400, a stabilized lens helps keep the bird face sharp |
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