How to Photograph Birds in Flight | Tips and Tricks Bird Photography

[@scriptosaurusrex]

Just a quick FYI for nikon DSLR users (don't know about their mirrorless cameras). The spot metering mode mentioned at around 4:55 meters from your selected autofocus point, not from the centre like on Canon DSLRS.

[@EspenHelland]

Thanks, good point!

[@scriptosaurusrex]

@@EspenHelland Happy to help! :)

[@tonyesposito9602]

@@scriptosaurusrex it depends on which Canon camera you have, in my DX2 I can choose this in the menu spot meter to selected autofocus point the 1D series have this option.

[@scriptosaurusrex]

@@tonyesposito9602 1Dx?

[@tonyesposito9602]

@@scriptosaurusrex Hi yes 1 DX MK2 has this feature.

[@malcolmseager7371]

IEspen I started bird photography only last year I am aged 72 so got a lot of catching up to do Your video was so informative I think it gave me 10 years more info Looking forward to next thank you

[@EspenHelland]

Thank you Malcolm, that's really encouraging to hear! Very happy you could take so much away from the video :)

[@usernamemykel]

When I was 73 I bought a birthday present for my upcoming 74 th birthday - a Kawasaki Ninja 400 sport bike, and have since joined a chapter of the Blue Knights Law Enforcement Motorcycle club, where everyone else rides a comfortable “cruiser”. Point is, age doesn’t matter - it’s your own spirit which moves you. And yes, I started relatively “late” with bird photography, and I’m getting great images with my Canon 7D Mark II plus a Canon 400mm L series lens. SO - enjoy the ride!!!

[@Bassmunchkin1]

Hi Espen and many thanks for a brilliant video packed with great tips. For a 62 year old newbie like myself getting into wildlife photography, I've obviously liked and subscribed and as I'm now retired due to ill health, I'll be taking my R6 MKII and 100 to 500 out tomorrow and putting your great tips into practice. Many thanks for all your help Espen of which I seriously am extremely grateful.

[@EspenHelland]

Thanks Terry, glad to hear it 🙂 hope you got on well!

[@keithjames9423]

Lots of useful tips Espen. And some timely reminders for an old mind! Thank you.

[@aytchroberts5850]

Thanks I like the idea of having birds come to you as the tide rises. Smart!

[@WillSteffen1]

Absolutely on point, great approach to manual settings I had most of it but its taken me months to get what you packed into one video, it's like you just filled in the gaps in the way I've learnt to shoot. 👍 I shoot garden birds and fynbos and the light varies a lot so I find sometimes there's a good case for locking the aperture wide open and iso auto and then I play with the shutter speed trying to stay as high as what the light will allow. It helps you to land shots you wouldn't otherwise with little hoppers in thick foliage.

[@EspenHelland]

Good approach! Cheers Will

[@lornesabo7306]

I enjoyed your video and explanations. Your technique closely resembles my approach. I'm now a new subscriber to your channel. I live on the west coast of Canada and will be following your photography Channel!!

[@bbsphotography2187]

If full manual is too daunting for you, using manual mode with auto ISO is an ecellent alternative "between" aperture priority and full manual. It gives you the vital control over aperture and shutter speed allowing the camera to complete the exposure by selecting the iso automatically anytime you focus. You can even do this and then set the iso manually to what the camera had selected if you want to.

[@EspenHelland]

Good point Barry! That's often my go-to if the light keeps changing :)

[@paulinefollett3099]

I really enjoyed this video Espen. It was full of useful information. Thanks.

[@EspenHelland]

Very happy to hear! Thanks for checking it out Pauline :)

[@seamydobbsno1]

I'm always amazed at how fluently Scandinavians speak English. Great video mate, your in a beautiful part of the world!! I miss the cold weather sometimes! Australia gets a little one dimensional lol

[@EspenHelland]

Thank you very much!

[@chrismulvaneyphoto]

Hi Espen. Beginner photographer and wildlife enthusiast, amongst other aspects, but this is by far my favourite element of camera work. Subscribed and looking forward to watching more of your videos.

[@EspenHelland]

Thank you 🙂

[@derekjones2657]

Thank you Espen - great video!

[@EspenHelland]

Thanks!

[@mikeholgate445]

Very helpful. Many thanks for all the information. I know it is a lot of work putting these videos together and it is much appreciated.

[@EspenHelland]

Thanks Mike! Really appreciate the supportive comment :)

[@basilboris]

Hi thanks for a great video. My top tip is this... When trying to photograph fast moving wildlife its often difficult to get spot focus on the subject. So I often switch to manual focus, and then focus on an object just below where I predict the birds will fly. Make sure you have a decent depth of field and wait! When the bird flies through the pre-focussed area its just a matter of taking a series of shots in burst mode and hoping you get a sharp and interesting picture. The tricky part is finding a place where the bird often flies (it's flight path) to enable this technique to work.

[@helenoreillylong9497]

Hi Espen, I loved the settings shown on the pics. It does stay up long enough and of course with rewind and pause it is really helpful. Have subscribed and will be looking forward to watching all your videos. Keep'em coming!

[@EspenHelland]

Thank you very much for checking that out for me Helen :)

[@fernandoneirapaz]

Wonderfully explained and executed ❤

[@RRNaturePhotography]

Hi Espen. Another great vid and timely for me, I’m in South Devon about to go photography birds along the coast. I’ve been using aperture priority but I will definitely try manual mode today, I’ve been struggling with shutter speeds and sharpness so this video is great, some really useful tips. Thanks 👍👍

[@EspenHelland]

Excellent! Glad to hear it, I've gone through the same experience of constantly using to slow shutter speeds and ending up with blurry images. Hope it goes well, good luck!

[@jerryeisner1]

I just found / discovered you and your wonderful videos today! I love the way you explain your craft and will continue to be a BIG HUGE fan of what you do! I can't wait to see much much more!!!!! Thanks for being out there for all of us. By the way, I am just aching to get out there and try out some of your techniques!

[@EspenHelland]

Thank you very much for the kind and encouraging words 🙂 Hope you get on well when you go out to give it a try, and just ask if you have any questions!

[@RickTOutdoorAdventure1969]

Loved it fella, great film. Thanks for sharing 👍👍👍. Just starting out with the photography so that was very helpful , regards Rick

[@EspenHelland]

Thanks Rick! Glad you found it useful 🙂

[@VideoNatur]

Interesting information, great shots. I like it! Thanks for sharing!!!

[@EspenHelland]

Video Natur thank you very much 🙂

[@YabannPenceresi]

Great job... Enjoyed watching. Thanks for sharing. Greetings from Turkey. :)

[@EspenHelland]

Wildlife Videography thank you 🙂

[@grephusingati7807]

Besides teaching ,the music in background is cool.

[@EspenHelland]

Thanks Grephus!

[@billrogers2204]

Hi Espen, just found you on here and really enjoyed the video! Great tips and presentation! That’s coming from a Nikon shooter :) I subscribed and looking forward to more! Thank you!

[@EspenHelland]

Thank you very much Bill! Appreciate it :)

[@camplinpb]

Great video I really enjoyed this video . It was full of useful information i'm still learning and flying birds are causing me quite a few problems. Thanks

[@EspenHelland]

Thank you very much Paul! Glad you found it useful 🙂

[@touchedbynature5445]

Excellent video, very helpful and informative, many thanks.

[@EspenHelland]

Thanks Paul! Glad you found it useful 🙂

[@RadioShackSeven]

Nice work once again Espen. Keep it up 😊

[@EspenHelland]

Thank you very much Dan! Appreciate it 🙂

[@tobywoolgar9517]

Great video lots of straight forward useful tips!👍

[@EspenHelland]

Thanks Toby!

[@robj1366]

Great video I am really enjoying all your tips on bird photography. Would you ever use a tripod and gimbal or stick to hand held for birds in flight?

[@EspenHelland]

Thanks Rob! I've used a monopod for longer sessions, but my setup isn't that heavy so handheld works fine for me now. I'm eager to get a gimbal head soon though, I've just been getting on with a travel tripod which isn't ideal for wildlife.

[@OAPMrTickle]

Wow, I've been struggling to get sharp images with birds in flight probably 2 in 10 shots are sharp. Maybe because I've only been using 1/1000sec @ f5.6 and auto ISO. I'm using Canon 77D and my 400mm f5.6. Now I have something new to try. Thanks for your video :)

[@EspenHelland]

Thanks Showa! 2 in 10 isn't too bad, it can be tricky to capture flying birds. But, increasing shutter speeds for fast flying birds and trying out some higher f-stops can definitely help :)

[@moegirls1]

Wonderful video! So glad to have found your channel...I'm using the same gear as you (don't have the extender) and was wondering which F case you are using on the 7D II? I find that I can't obtain focus fast enough and the camera doesn't lock well on my BIF. I use BBF and usually find myself on the F case #2...Tried them all and can't seem to find the right one for BIF... I use to have the original 7D and it was so quick to focus and locked well on my subjects. Did you have to do adjustment to one of the F cases? Or perhaps you already have a video on that?

[@matlynwood6225]

One video in and I am learning already thank you. I am about to purchase the 7D Mark ii for wildlife and sports, how do you like it and it’s focusing system? Right now I am using the 5D Mark ii and its great for landscapes and portraits but terrible for fast focusing. Ant tips you can give to tweak it or just follow the manual and it’s recommended settings? Matthew(Focus On Imagery)

[@EspenHelland]

Thanks Matlyn, glad to hear you find it useful! I really like the 7Dii and the focus system is very good for photography, though I don't find it amazing when I shoot video, suppose I should just learn to manually focus my videos ;) I have a video on tweaking the focus settings for the 7Dii for a bit more efficiency: bit.ly/2BWfz5z. I might do another video on slightly more advanced topics as many people seem to be using this camera, it's a bit much to put in a comment :)

[@robertharlton3850]

Thanks for the sharp info!

[@gonewild1220]

Nice one interesting hearing your knowledge, cheers mate

[@EspenHelland]

Thanks Jodz!

[@justinholding02]

Hi Espen. Nice video, thanks. I'm using the same setup as you as well as a 5d4. Can you tell me which mode you put the IS on when you catch birds in flight? Cheers

[@EspenHelland]

Hey Justin thanks for that! I've actually just keeps it in IS 1 when I take photos of birds in flight. But only cause it's a relatively new lens and I haven't taken the time to explore the other functions properly. I might do a video where I experiment with the different modes for birds in flight. From what I understand IS 2 is best for panning shots and probably IS 3 is best for regular birds in flight shots as the IS only kicks in last minute and apparently makes it easier to find the bird mid air. Good question, I'm going to try IS 3 to see if I can tell a difference 👍🏻

[@justinholding02]

@@EspenHelland cool. Let me know. I sometimes find that the shots lack sharpness if IS is in mode 1 and you use high shutter speeds. As if the IS is trying to fight against your movement, but at the same time having a stabilized viewfinder makes tracking the birds much easier

[@ravindrbhadarwaltalchhapar1758]

Very good sir

[@gavinbrandrick3465]

Great video very informative, can I ask what’s track playing the background?

[@EspenHelland]

Thanks for that Gavin! I get music from Epidemicsound and this one is 'When the sparks fly' by Martin Carlberg :)

[@DavidMorris-pq4jq]

My lens (Tamron 150-600) is very heavy, and hard to hold. I do have a "sort of" rifle stock kind of handle, which may help. Do you ever use a gimble type of tripod head?

[@deb8183]

Rifle stock handle? Does it work well& is it a small fortune. I got the Oben gimball head but it makes everything heavier to carry. I can only use one arm. So I struggle with it more than a person who can use both arms.

[@shardayhilliard4214]

I have a canon 7d mark ii with a tamron 16-300mm and a sigma 150-600mm contemporary lens. Overall i have been disappointed any advice?

[@EspenHelland]

Try using the 150-600 at 400-500mm and try using f8 more - or sell the lenses and get the 100-400mm Mark ii

[@DxShutter]

good

[@siddhartharoy2773]

Wonderful

[@EspenHelland]

Thank you Siddhartha :)

[@kartikdwivedi8028]

How about a 200-500 on a D500 Nikon??

[@J_bar_S_Photography]

Hey, bud. Did you ever announce the winner for the tragabon photo hide?

[@EspenHelland]

Hi Benjimen, aiming to have the next video for Tragopan out next week and we're hoping to have a special guest announce the winner in the video :) If you hit the bell icon on the SuperTragopan channel you'll get notified when it comes out.

[@J_bar_S_Photography]

@@EspenHelland Oh ok. Right on. I didnt know that. Thank you sir. Hope your day is going well.

[@JoeMaranophotography]

Sadly my Lumix G80 is not the best for birds in flight. I mean its kick ass in all other areas but thats its big weakness. I compensate for my lack of results by using the 4k burst mode or e shutter and hoping something will be in focus 😂

[@EspenHelland]

Joe Marano 🤣 most important to do the best with what we have 👍🏻

[@JoeMaranophotography]

@@EspenHelland I have found using a smaller aperture does help and having a larger single AF point but it is still frustrating at times. I need that G9 in my life lol

[@alanscott.online]

Nice vid Espen...Who is the singer please

[@EspenHelland]

Thanks Alan, sorry it's been so long since I made this. It's from epidmicsound

[@brodiebasterfield1923]

Get a good camera, I've got a z7 and figured out how to shoot birds in flight extremely sharp in one afternoon. Autofocus works wonders.

[@usernamemykel]

I've a Canon 7D Mark II, and I'd greatly appreciate it if you were to advise me of the QUICKEST way to change from a BIF AF array of 5 points , to spot focusing for when the bird lands in a tree and must be isolated from branches. Thank you!

[@EspenHelland]

Check out this video I did a while ago: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4KvqJiqaNydnZI (apologies for bad audio, early days:) I'd also suggest using back button focus so you can easily use manual focus if you need to get in between branches.

[@usernamemykel]

@@EspenHelland Your referenced video wonderfully answered my question, and yes, I already have my camera set to back button focusing. MANY thanks. Stay healthy!

[@jtepsr]

are you shooting raw or jpeg

[@EspenHelland]

Always RAW! It's quite easy to get the wrong exposure when shooting birds in flight because of the constant different lighting conditions, so it's good to be able to "rescue" a good sharp image in post when you can :)

[@Narwaro]

Yeah, close your aperture they said, you will have higher depth of field they said. On a 600mm you can close the aperture to f22 and you still dont have any depth of field ;D Joking aside, one stop to 1.5 is usually enough for those longer distances even if your AF isnt spot on.

[@deb8183]

I can only use one hand & therefore I can’t use manual talk abt. AV or TV mode

[@rory5780]

What about for small bridge cameras lots of people can’t afford these cameras

[@EspenHelland]

Unfortunately bridge cameras aren't the best for capturing birds in flight as far as I'm aware. Maybe some of the newer ones would, but then the price are probably high. Maybe some older second hand dslr would be on the table?

[@burkholdst.rudderberg3574]

My advice: You can't get good at it unless you are out there all the time! Canon 7d mark ii ! Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L ( with Canon EF 1.4X III Telephoto Extender) ! Shoot in Manual with Back Button Focusing! Always wear Camo with the sun at your back!

[@EspenHelland]

Absolutely, shoot as much as you can! 👍

[@Narwaro]

I have the wrong lens for birds in flight. My 600 f4 is a fantastic lens, but it is too long and too heavy for birds in flight. 300 2.8 or 400 2.8 is perfect for that but hell no, I cant justify another 13k lens.

[@EspenHelland]

Narwaro I want the 400 f2.8 so bad! They're just so expensive!!

[@Narwaro]

@@EspenHelland You should look out for a used one. Like saving searches on eBay with instant notifications. There are maybe 2-3 listings in the country at any given time and it lets you know if there's a new one. If a listing is there for more than a day, its a bad price. If you are patient for a couple of weeks you'll find one in good shape for around 4000. Under 3000 if really lucky. €€€ that is.

[@EspenHelland]

Narwaro good tip 👍🏻 thanks!

[@Narwaro]

@@EspenHelland There was noone to tell me anything except that everything is too expensive so I am glad if I can help with things I had to find out by myself ;D

[@ArcanePath360]

Birds seem to know when you point your camera at them and then change direction to avoid being photographed. Birds are assholes.