Bird & Wildlife Photography Tips

[@davegrenier1160]

Chelsea says get to know your camera so you can get your subject in the viewfinder quickly. Here is way to do it: Look directly at the subject. Do not take your eyes off the subject. Bring your camera up to your eye. The subject should be in the viewfinder. The trick is to train yourself to not look at the camera when you need it. You already know where it is! It does take practice, but it works. If you're missing your target, note if you're consistently missing it in one direction (say, you're aiming too high when you look through the camera). If so, adjust your aim accordingly so it become automatic. (I'm a birder of more than 40 years and an amateur photographer for longer than that. This technique works with binoculars too when birding, looking at aircraft in the air, or whenever you're trying to look at a small target through bins with a narrow field of view.)

[@gabewrsewell]

that’s what i do as well, you can learn to use both eyes at the same time and process them independently. just overlap the middle of the viewfinder in one eye with the middle of the bird visible with the naked eye, when they overlap then the bird will appear in the viewfinder, it’s super easy. Parallax will mean there’s some offset when the bird is closer, but it’s easy to compensate.

[@patricksmith2553]

They forgot the best tip of all, fortunately I had an excellent world renowned wildlife photographer as a mentor growing up and he taught me so much. The best tip he ever gave me for wildlife photography was get low, get high, get dirty... but always try to shoot wildlife at eye level. Which often means laying on the ground or even standing on your tippy-toes, etc. This not only helps your viewer better connect with your subjects, but it can also mean much better results, such as cleaner backgrounds due to better background separation. Which leads me to another good tip, which is to always watch your backgrounds and by just moving slightly to the right or left or up or down can really improve the image.

[@NexVoidGaming]

This is my technique as well. That and simply lining the barrel of the lens up at "mouth level" so I am kinda peeking above the camera and able to line up the animal down the barrel of the lens.

[@longliveclassicmusic]

I love how Chelsea talks first. In an extremely male-dominant field and particularly niche of photography (birding), it is just so awesome having a highly intelligent woman instructor giving fantastic advice and tips. 👸🏻

[@zacjohnson452]

Is this satire? Why does it even matter who talks first? They’re both giving great advice.

[@neilb9937]

Wish you guys would bring the live show back. Miss it.

[@lupevalenzuela5818]

I love all Tony and Chelsea videos at 0.5 speed. Its the only way to watch them.

[@TheSlageSaga]

This is legit. I want whatever Tony at half speed is smoking.

[@zacharybennett3249]

7:13 to 7:23 Lmao

[@captinktm]

Well I have been wildlife snapping for a couple of years now and all your tips are used daily. So thanks for confirming them. I also like to do landscape photography which sometimes takes up a whole week. But you still have to practice with the long lens to promote muscle memory. So the big gun comes out everyday. My tip is, study your subject, know where they live and there flight pattern. Make a note of when they are active. Then set up (use a tripod when ever possible) and wait. A great example of this happened only yesterday, We knew there was a Kingfisher pair patrolling the area so simply waited, sure enough they turned up within minuets of us settling down. The only problem was their perch was on a shady branch. So here's the trick, find a branch or log and make a new perch obviously where there is more light and maybe a better back ground, pop it in the river bank and scurry back behind the camera, because in minuets or in our case seconds the male was using it. Bang! great shot. Thanks for another great video much appreciated.

[@filton12]

Before packing my gear away I always (or at least try to remember) do a quick 360 scan around the parking lot. It sucks when the gear is stripped and stowed and there is a noisy, brightly colored cutie, begging for its picture to be taken. Saved more than a couple of rough days this way.

[@stephenbarlow2493]

As an experienced wildlife and nature photographer I was prepared to give some witty responses to a formulaic KZbinr video. But what I saw was some great advice, distilling lots of experience and guiding beginners through lots of the error all beginners make, so a first class job of explaining the basics. My only advice is to stick to the formula that first made me watch this channel and forget the speculation about new cameras. Not that your thinking is bad, just that the camera companies don't follow the path of common sense.

[@Frontdesk99]

This is nothing but a formulaic KZbinr video, only aimed at getting views and likes for the money involved. "Shoot RAW"? "Exposure compensation"? "Be still"? Really? If *THAT* is new to you, you probably bought your first camera yesterday. No wait, you never even *saw* a camera before yesterday. And IF (and only IF) this is a video aimed at beginners: use beginner gear. These two lost all touch with reality.

[@stephenbarlow2493]

@@Frontdesk99 - I suspect that you have got little experience taking bird and wildlife photos, which is why you don't get how useful the advice is. I don't need the information, because I've been taking bird and wildlife photos for 40 years, and my photos appear in books, magazines etc. But it is useful information to those less experienced.

[@rockatanescu]

Variation on tip 3: I know it sounds counter intuitive, but I think a good camera mode for shooting wildlife is Aperture priority. That's because most cameras nowadays have a setting to set the minimum shutter speed while in Aperture priority mode that works basically just like auto ISO, so the shutter speed is automatically adjusted to get the right exposure but never goes slower than the specified preset (say 1/1000s). The advantage is that now you can control the aperture and you only need to rotate a dial if you want greater DoF, for example.

[@PhilippWiktor]

I like using manual mode with auto ISO. So I can controll the aperture and the shutter speed for the look I want. Modern cameras can also use exposure compensation in that mode.

[@rockatanescu]

@@PhilippWiktor that's basically what I use, too. The only problem is that I noticed I've been missing shots because I had to fiddle with the camera so I started looking around to see what professionals (aka people that earn a living from wildlife photography) and I noticed that a lot of them use exposure compensation. While I do enjoy the manual control, I'm thinking of relying on the camera a bit more and see how it goes.

[@dominicvideograph6426]

That's right. But on a lens like chelseas there is no aperture - it's fixed on F11. In this case TV would be more useful. Even with a F5,6 lens like my Canon 400mm F5,6 L USM i don't stop down when shooting, except for videoclips of wildlife and landscape photos.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

But you need to be at 1/3200 for some shots or 1/60 for other shots. M is good for also controlling aperture but can lead to overexposing when quickly shifting to longer shutter speeds.

[@kirkp_nextguitar]

@@TonyAndChelsea Why wouldn’t the auto-ISO setting prevent overexposure in manual mode? Of course, you’d still need to be ready to use exposure compensation if the background is much brighter or darker than the subject.

[@QVL75]

I like what you two said about a bad outdoor photography day is still better than a day being in the office 🙂

[@robmagee100]

At the beginning, Chelsea levitating her cap... lol... been there, done that!

[@Ac2091-x1f]

Yes 😂 I avoid wearing hats now. Lol

[@smaakjeks]

She just saw something really surprising, that's all.

[@bigkahuna5477]

Tony you were right about staying put. This helped me photography a lot of birds I would have missed.

[@chrisbainbridge4778]

Hi Guys - fully agree with your tips - but would say probably the most important thing is to read up on your target subject and try and work out where to go, what time of year, what sort of weather and even what time of day - to get the best chance of a good shot. For example I know that for a Bearded Tit in Norfolk UK, I need to look for them end of September to mid October on sunny still mornings when they are most likely to display to each other in the reed beds. However for getting the best results with whatever you happen to find at a location these tips are great (especially pre-focussing the RF800mm).

[@marux1977]

It is SO nice to watch this video in 4K quality on TV - thanks a lot!

[@NeoDon1]

The gull tip made me rethink, thanks

[@artsie8282]

Super sharp shot to share. Say that again 3 times. Wonderful content

[@danigonzalez4299]

Such logical tips. Like prefocus i use it all the time everyday shooting with my Pentax cameras at any Motorsport event i am accredited to as media. No prefocusing is not an option for me anymore. And SV/TV mode of course! That is THE mode with auto Iso :) I believe #2 and #3 are ALL type photography essentials no matter what you do shoot.

[@ElGrecoDaGeek]

Fun fact. Chelsea's tips on awareness of scene also apply if you're a pro sniper as well ;)

[@thelensmanphotography]

Auto ISO is not ideal. Shoot full manual and expose for your subject. With modern mirrorless cameras and exposure simulation turned on it also allows you to make exposure adjustments on the fly as needed. Another important thing is to get to know your subjects so you can anticipate different behaviors... Flying, returning to a certain perch, diving for fish, etc...

[@kazen16]

I know it's not "wildlife" but going to a trip to the Zoo is always fun for practicing

[@peterebel7899]

This is more than right! And the bonus tip: There is quite some wildlife to be photographed in a zoo which is attracted by all thew opportunities found in a zoo and it is not too they as well: Local song birds, bigger birds as well, squirrels, lizards, rodents, insects, .... practicephotography.

[@halschnee9862]

To me, the zoo is not just for practice. You can get some great photos there! It can be a challenge to keep fences and walls out of the pictures, but zoos have some advantages to make up for this difficulty--there are always many animals around, and you can often get closer than you could in the wild.

[@mixeddrinks8100]

I hate the windows and the fences... makes it quite complicated especially for birds at the zoo

[@peterebel7899]

@@mixeddrinks8100 Who have said there are no challenges in a zoo? Who does not want challenges is wrong in wildlife photography. Try different zoos, every zoo has other opportunities and challenges.

[@tomnorton8499]

@@mixeddrinks8100 At least with chain linked fences the closer you can get to them with a telephoto lens you can make them almost disappear. There will be slight distortions but with practice you will learn how to compensate for those areas. Learning this technique has helped me when I was photographing my nephew pitching little league.

[@kevindiaz3459]

I hear you about shooting the common birds. I end up with a lot of gull photos. Sometimes it's just fun to have something. And one of my best photos ever was nothing more than a large flock of sparrows flying across a field, backlit by a setting sun.

[@kylegreene3773]

Setting your cameras metering to highlight priority (or preserve highlights, whatever your's is) will help with white birds not being overexposed without having to remember to adjust exposure compensation. EC is still helpful but I find that doing this gets me close before adjusting it.

[@PhilipSalen]

Fantastic video; in Northrup's are amazing teachers!

[@Alysuis]

I'm here for it!

[@garymeredith2441]

Here are my thoughts Chelsea and Tony you wanted people to add comments here's mine being a good bird photographer means you have to be a good Birder first how many photographers have we seen they go out and they photograph the birds and they have no idea what they're photographing and that means that what you are photographing you have to know what you are photographing , so go out and study the birds with the binoculars first and with a bird book then continue your photography of the birds .

[@Jimmy_Cavallo]

I can identify about 8% of the birds that I see and I still love bird photography. It’s so great being out in nature with a piece of equipment that I also love using.

[@suefinch]

Taking a photo of a bird, and then going back to identify it is also a great way to learn birds. It goes both ways. Learning bird calls(or hiking with someone who already knows them) does help in finding birds and knowing where to look though.

[@garymeredith2441]

Sue you are right listening to the birds is everything , I agree in my Jeep I have a 10 display on the back and when I am driving and listening to the bird calls I'm not getting all stressed out from the traffic here where I live here in Southern California and I like to listen to the sounds of the Birds , Birding for me is 98% so this is one of the ways it helps my Bird photography . Listening to the birds to identify them is everything to ME .

[@PhilippWiktor]

I like using manual mode with auto ISO. So I can controll the aperture and the shutter speed for the look I want. Modern cameras can also use exposure compensation in that mode. My Canon 60d could not do this, but the 80d and my M50 can.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Agreed but the challenge is you can overexpose easily since the camera won't shut down the aperture.

[@PhilippWiktor]

@@TonyAndChelsea Good point that we have to keep in mind! Isn't there a feature in Canon cameras to save you from a very bad exposure? Not sure what it is called.

[@martyd5819]

@@PhilippWiktorAre you thinking F P mode on R model Canon? I use this often.

[@PhilippWiktor]

@@martyd5819 I just checked on my camera. It's called "Safety Shift" and is a custom function.

[@martyd5819]

@@PhilippWiktor I learned something new today! Thanks.

[@jaimeduncan6167]

I will say for many animals dusk and early mornings are fundamental. That is a problem for people shooting with the new Canons but that does not change the fact.

[@djack41]

?? What is the problem and what is the fact?

[@Frontdesk99]

Tony and Chelsea giving useful tips for people who, just like Tony, walk around carrying a lens that costs more than a nice new car. As if people who actually HAVE that gear need tips from these two. How about using Joe Average gear, see if you can take the same kind of shots. That would make an interesting video for many.

[@jackbrumby1892]

Well said.

[@Flashback_Jack]

Been awhile since I've been on this channel, but I thought Tony didn't bother with video over 1080p. Could've sworn I heard him say that in a video once. The upside of going higher, of course, is that we get to see Chelsea in all the glorious 4K, right?

[@tonymorton6036]

On your first comment rather than mapping the area of target I find spot the target then move camera in front of your eye, it’s called muscle memory your hands know where to put the camera to bring it to your eye it’s better than searching for the target.

[@nickpeterson6647]

I like the gull pics, increased my appreciation of gulls. 😉

[@4k4u99]

Learned Lot , Thank you very much for the video

[@mendelsphotography]

wow those lenses are huge thanks for your amazing videos keep it up

[@tremaincheerful4189]

Great video. Really good tips, well presented and explained. I've seen lots of wildlife tip videos, and this one still had more to offer and impressed me. Thanks, Chelsea and Tony!

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Glad it was helpful!

[@junidchohan1219]

@@TonyAndChelsea hi Tony & Chelsea. I have a question about birding photography and megapixels. I often can't get close enough to get good pictures so I was wondering what effect wil megapixels have. I have an Sony a7iii with 24 megapixels and I am considering to upgrade to Sony a7riv with 61mp. How much extra reach wil I be able to get?

[@Pxxro]

@@junidchohan1219 with 61 megapixel you can make a 600mm a 1200mm and still have "your old camera" which is a7iii which is again a 24 megapixel camera... So at the and the photo is sharp enough! Only problem is that it is 'Digital zoom'... Which makes the Background stay in the same position where as, with real zoom the background gets closer the closer you zoom...

[@thekeytoairpower]

It has been over 100 every day for the last few weeks which only gives about 2 or three hours in the morning from when the light gets good to when it gets so hot most of the birds are hiding. I generally take about 4-500 shots in that time of which I get maybe 2-5 keepers. Part of it is that you might get 20-30 nearly identical shots with a modern camera on burst. It is rarer for me to have a day with no keepers but it still happens often enough. Having recently upgraded to an r6 from an rp I can say gear matters but not as much as simply putting in the time.

[@Walts-Travel]

You guys are awesome!!!!

[@michelefoster2879]

What great tips! So helpful! Thank you!!

[@ronjenkins4257]

Great bunch of practical tips!

[@markharwood]

Great video. Could you please tell us what post processing (if any) and colour profile you use on this A7siii footage? Your videos have some extra pop about them but can't pinpoint exactly what it is.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Sometimes I need to lower the shadows because it's very low contrast. That's all I ever do.

[@rudyrodriguezjr.]

Great tips! I'll have to try the shutter priority. It's hummingbird season here in the cold Chicago area.

[@mikenel1000]

Great info. Please keep up this important work thanks

[@alohaleslie9407]

I notice your realllllyyyyy long lens. How do you keep from shaking I only use a 70-300 mm and I still have trouble keeping my camera from shaking. LOL You two are amazing. Love your videos and I've learned so much. Thanks! Oh, I just remembered my lens doesn't have VR. Recently, I ordered a new lens telephoto with VR. I'll see how that works. :)

[@MNDBC]

I’ve been battling on whether to pick 200-500mm Nikkor or 150-600mm sigma contemporary lenses as my starter bird lens. Seeking your recommendations.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

We're doing another full test soon but our past review found the Nikon to be better.

[@alpeshchauhan6814]

@@TonyAndChelsea hi I need help

[@Tilburger72]

@@TonyAndChelsea Any idea when this test is finished and do you take the Nikon Z6II into account? That would be great

[@MarinerKhan_]

Do you recommend to choose AF/c mode and also as you say that you focus on something else and then quickly moves to bird on the sky to take pic do you guys use back button

[@thomastuorto9929]

Get to know your subjects behavior. Camo= get there early, blend in & get close. Move in slowly.

[@Simon-SBL]

I quite like gulls, just as well because we have thousands here!

[@TheDroneAngle]

Thank you for putting this together.

[@kdj.imagery4317]

Chelsea mentioned about pre-focusing on trees near the line of site with the birds, however which focusing method works best for you? I shoot with a Nikon D7200/Tamron 150-600mm lens (not the G2 version but the one before it) and I have a medical condition in which I struggle with handheld imagery, especially with shooting flying birds with this lens. I only have a ball head tripod and can't afford a gimbal and the only continuous focusing method I have found to work is Auto 3D and even then it doesn't seem to work properly even when my shutter speeds are around 1/1200-2000th of a second. Any tips you guys can give on why my camera is doing this? Also, when I pre-focus on something (handheld) when I bring my camera back up, it isn't where I focused at, is the auto focus motor drive in my camera going out or is the lens just being a little creepy? Thanks!

[@Ihavequestionforthemen]

Need a video about how Crop correctly wildlife photos

[@dewittbacon2138]

Sassy Bacon is still here. Been missing you guys.

[@KyeHawkins]

Notifications on!!

[@przemysawromanczyk6700]

I recently bought an 1.4 extender to my bird kit. Now i have extra 160mm in my Canon 100-400 IS II. Also my Canon 6D mk II AF is working good in this configuration. However my shots are very dark. With extender on longest end i got f8. For still object is not a problem because i can go low with shutter speed. But with flying birds i tried higher shutter speeds and i needs to use so crazy high iso. I don't even want to try shutter speeds proposed in this video like 1/2000. How do you guys deal with it? You are using some additional sw to remove noise besides LR?

[@nickfreeman5770]

Great video, thanks. One question about metering. I take on board what you said about exposure compensation (plus shutter priority and auto ISO). What’s the best metering mode? Centre-point? Centre-weighted? Matrix? Thanks.

[@MrDubicz]

Thank's for your wonderful tips, for wildlife photography. I'm used to measure light in this kind of photography, by using spot light metering. What is your opinion about That. Thank's ahead, Dubi

[@TheodoreSchnell]

Great tips, as always. Thanks you two!

[@dannodog]

Thanks for the video! Getting started photographing motion, especially wildlife, is tough to get right. Love the channel!

[@BiggMo]

0:22 can background blur be taken too far? I’m beginning to think so…. Opinions?

[@rudyreimer302]

I do most of those but learned a few new ones. Thanks! Chelsea with the easy to use set up, Tony with the old heavy stuff...hehe! I still got my Canon 500mm f4 but don't use it much any more as its a beast to use. The new 600mm and 800mm f11 are great for most days and along with my 100-500mmL lens it all fits in my backpack and doesn't break my back.

[@ggmanatee]

If you're looking to sell the 500m f4, let me know :)

[@viktorbakai]

You forgot to mention, which situation you are using front lighting, back lighting, side lighting? Or it depends on the subject?

[@KyeHawkins]

Love every one of your videos :)

[@hk530]

I have learned a lot from you guys!

[@IruTheday]

I feel like a skiddish animal when Tony slowly creep walks towards camera. What are you up to Tony?

[@MartinAraka]

Thanks for the tips!

[@MintPlays]

what camera do you guys use to record you?

[@Kevin-sg5xc]

Have you guys reviewed the Sigma 500f4? Can you?

[@maitland1007]

Thanks for the great tips. One comment about exposure compensation: should you not specify which metering mode you're assuming? I think your suggestions assume evaluative metering, and would not work if using spot metering, am I correct?

[@callline7183]

Good Tips. The video in this looks very nice, not sure if this is a different camera or not but it looks great.

[@idahomountainlover754]

Great tips, thank you!

[@EricRoseBahamas]

First from the islands :) Lol Thanks for the informative tips. Waving from The Bahamas!

[@robertdavis1255]

Thanks for sharing your experience with recommended tips... love to have glass like you are shooting with... cheers 😀

[@dorihungerbuhler7885]

Can you use the AF method of "tracking" when pre focusing, or does it need to be 1-point AF?

[@EK14MeV]

I've found visor caps are really annoying to use with cameras, despite looking good ... and pro, if you have a brand logo on it matching your gear. A large body camera and long lens always bump the hat up in quick shots, allowing the wind to blow it away. Biking (workout) hats work well as a compromise, with the small visors and streamlined design that can be turned around, where the visor doesn't pry the hat off at the nape when looking up. Climbing or descending steep slopes with an expensive camera can lead to camera and body destruction. It just takes a heavy lens to swing around and knock one off balance, and suddenly both the photographer and camera gear are smashed up. I saw someone nearly died on a high ledge at Devil's Lake in Wisconsin, because a heavy camera bag swang around, sending the photographer off-balance, his nearly falling off a cliff--worse yet, the guy was also wearing sandals with Velcro fittings, and they started to come off as he lost his footing, thus created quite a scene among witnesses. Nobody likes to clean up others' messes, especially broken glass and human (pink to grey) stuffing spattered over park rocks below. But no family tears (or wallet-whopper Medevac) that day for anyone, AFAIK, except the crazy guy likely soiling himself. Firm footing is essential. Also, pack as lightly as possible when out in the wild. Gahd at people holding up others or themselves, doing U-Haul's work, and the delays in messing with equipment. Nobody likes coming home with a sweat-soaked camera backpack, and the thing smells like a gym bag.

[@paulhuddleston1558]

Guys what are those cool looking lens ? STIG .

[@m3d137]

Hi guys! You are my favourite KZbin channel for wildlife photography! I'm following you for a long time and I learned a lot from the videos. I have a quick question. For wildlife photography are you using compressed or uncompressed settings? I have a Sony A7 III

[@Swamprbt]

Is the Fujifilm x-t4 good for wildlife?

[@marianwhit]

What is Chelsea's lens? Looks light weight.

[@michaelbarbee1401]

If you bring someone with you make sure the person you bring is either a photographer too or at least a very patient person that wont mind hanging out in an area that doesnt seen very interesting to them for long periods of time.

[@ytr8989]

Good tips

[@ttbirds1082]

Great video.

[@therealiamlove]

What cam do you film this video with?

[@stephensenior6825]

Chelsea 😍

[@anthonyhershko]

Amazing video as usual!!! I wish you could do a 2 videos one on Aviation photography, And second video about how to set your camera settings in order to get sharp and crisp pictures, in my case it's (Canon 5D MK IV). Thanks!

[@_systemd]

to get sharp and crisp images you need to improve your photography skills and shoot w appropriate exposure while considering each lens's weak and strong points. I don't own any Canon but I doubt it has checkboxes for unsharp noncrisp settings somewhere in the menus

[@anthonyhershko]

@@_systemd Thanks, I'm holding a DSLR camera since 2008... My goal is the bring the best form my Canon 5D MK IV & from my Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary.

[@SummersSnaps]

Tip No.1, take care when taking your gear in and out of the car.

[@colette8022]

“Even when nature photography is bad it’s still better than being in the office” yes most of the time except if you’ve been in a hide for many hours and it’s -20°C outside and you find nothing that day I probably would’ve rather been in the office. That’s happened to me before.

[@edgarhaner1949]

Reassuring to hear that everyone has rough days!

[@vedranb87]

OMG How did you get the birds to pose for that thumbnail!?

[@thejeetay]

I’m early todayyyy 😴

[@JohnDrummondPhoto]

Does PPA provide insurance for amateur photographers, or just pros?

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Amateurs too

[@JohnDrummondPhoto]

@@TonyAndChelsea thanks!

[@miamisergio]

Great video, Tony's lens looks like a 600mm with the lens hood, Chelsea is an 800mm and no lens hood any reason ?

[@MustafaExplore]

This 800mm lens is new small apreture RF lens, Canon made it slow, low price, and not heavy to get more customers for there new system

[@miamisergio]

​@@MustafaExplore Hi, the lens value is an advantage for the RF800mm the lens hood is optional, she didn't purchased it or left it at home, I've noticed that on another video, you are right Canon provided an inexpensive option under US $1000.00 the EF800mm f/5.6 is about US $11,000

[@ImranKhan-ty6mx]

@40 sec mark, Chelsea fake prop hat broke the fourth wall.

[@CaliAAA72]

Nothing better than TT&A. Lol

[@skagerstrom]

Good tips! I do wonder though... Does anyone with a lens good enough for this need tips? :D Those things costs like a decent car :P

[@mikkelstormhansen9733]

Shutter priority is the worst mode for wildlife.

[@TheGregWallace]

I'm glad to know that you are not a bird raciest.....

[@CincyMike]

How about using gear that your average photographer can afford....

[@jmp622]

Watch….. rinse…..repeat

[@andreasthegreat8509]

Oh Chelsea, how can you use a lens with f11?! It belongs in the dustbin!

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Dude she has access to literally all the best camera gear in the world and that's what she daily's. It's AWESOME. Light enough to handhold all day and shockingly sharp. I'm there with the 600 f4 and she often gets shots I can't get because she's pointed straight up or chasing something fast-moving.

[@brianlemke6017]

I appreciate your observation, Tony. I’m a Nikon user (with a reasonably compact 500 PF for handholding, my preferred method) but I wondered about the Canon compact TPs. I think sometimes we get caught up in being purists, always coveting perfect, creamy bokeh. Personally, if the light is good, I often stop down to get a little more background and context. In the end, if we’re getting more shots and keepers, it makes the game more fun. Very good video and tips.

[@andreasthegreat8509]

@@TonyAndChelsea I get great shoots with my Olympus 100-400, it’s light and sharp! Can you handhold a 200-800 ff lens?

[@callefty3670]

5:19...that's a tern, not a gull. Just sayin'

[@MattCookOregon]

Im a bird

[@arildhagen3820]

Listening to the video with my Sony Proffesional MDR's that are not forgivning at all on errors in audio. Sorry to say, this was really bad with a lot of audio clipping and painful high pitch. Don't know what you guys use for audio and there have been some comments before on audio so you might look into that.

[@jiml989]

No problem with the audio on my system.

[@arildhagen3820]

@@jiml989 that might be due to listenning devices that color the sound or mask the errors. Try headphones if you haven't already and compare to other channels. The sound is tinny and breaks up. That's ok if the video to was 720p and the clip was made with low end gear. I belive high end gear is used here and one could expect more from a photo and video related channel

[@jiml989]

@@arildhagen3820 My audio was just fine and so far no one else has had a problem. Perhaps your ear phones are at fault.

[@arildhagen3820]

@@jiml989 Nope, most other channels are fine. If most others don't hear it they probably won't bother doing anything. So there we are then

[@ian-robinson]

Bit of advice. Stop using chapter markers on your videos. You have removed the ability to scrub to any point I need, especially if I want to go backwards to a specific bit to listen again. I do not want to be forced to watch a whole section again. KZbin’s worst feature.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Oh sorry I didn't realize it did that

[@halschnee9862]

Scrubbing and jumping to any point in the video works fine for me. I find the chapter markers helpful. I don't know why KZbin isn't letting Ian go to any point in the video.

[@jiml989]

@@halschnee9862 Agree, channel markers very helpful. Going back & forth not a problem.

[@ian-robinson]

@@halschnee9862 are you guys not having it snap to the start or end of a chapter when you try to scrub to a specific point? I’m using an iPad what are you guys viewing on?

[@halschnee9862]

@@ian-robinson I'm on an iMac, using Safari. No, it doesn't snap to the chapters at all for me. The video scrubs smoothly and continuously. If I want to go to a specific chapter, I have to approximate the location because there is nothing pulling the scroll "dot" exactly to the start of the chapter.