How to photograph KINGFISHERS - BUCKET LIST SHOTS

[@DanMace]

Great Video my bru!

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Cheers my BRU

[@davidwebb3076]

Brilliant video, images and, detailing your settings 👌

[@JeremyNeipp]

Great shots man! The real ness of that moment when you’re trying to decide whether to switch to photo while it’s smacking the fish... I constantly get that struggle too haha

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Haha thanks dude. It’s always the battle with wildlife hey. Photo or video!!??

[@thatgirlinokc3975]

Your patience paid off. All the photographs were detailed and clear, as always. The feathers were very colorful and had a beautiful pattern. My favorite one was him holding the fish.

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Thank you very much. I am glad you liked the photos, that's my favourite one too !

[@barrieharwood]

Fabulous images and great video Andrew

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Thanks so much for watching

[@artifexfineartimaging5008]

Always like to see a a kingfisher with a fish!... I've yet to photograph one. Great to see that awesome A1 in action, worth every penny!

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Thank you very much. Hopefully you will be printing it for me soon haha

[@mcs3015]

I really appreciated the technical info you shared about the reasons you chose the settings as the ambient light changes. excellent video!

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Thanks so much for watching! I don’t make too many “technical” videos so I’m glad you enjoyed it

[@mcs3015]

It’s really helpful to understand some of the choices you make based on your compositional and artistic goals. Your photos are aspirational for newbies like me. Such great content!

[@terryreay8790]

Love the way you explain the camera settings. Thank you.

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

You are very welcome. Sorry I missed this comment.

[@robincrawley1475]

Great video I’ve located a kingfisher spot near me and just purchased a tamron 150-600 for my canon m50 can’t wait to get to the site and get some shots hopefully once the weather light is better.

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Awesome!! Good luck!

[@Halmstadfoto]

Thank you for sharing. Great images. 👍👍👍👍👍

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Thank you for watching and commenting !

[@TheGallimorejonathan]

Lovely video, some great shots.

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Thank you very much

[@nathanmoine]

Love it! The way you explain and photograph 👌

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Thanks very much man!

[@markk1873]

Lovely video, love photographing Kingfishers. The bird you photographed was a female. Peter tracking and find them in the wild to hide photography .Looking forward to watching more of your videos

[@momentsinanglingessence855]

I think the Sony A1 is definitely worth the investment oneday. Great video!

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Thank you very much! Glad it was helpful

[@aselasenanayake5355]

Hi lovely shots. Great video too can you please share how to book the hide. I live in dumfries and would love to try it out.

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

@@aselasenanayake5355 hi there. Sure thing. The website is photographyhides.co.uk you will have to ask Alan if the kingfisher hide is active at the moment. Please tell him I sent you 😀

[@Scout-nj7xj]

Enjoyed the vid Andrew. Your shots were first class. I guess that you will be pretty pleased with them. Never tried wildlife photography, I shoot with the xt3 and only lens I have is the 16-80mm which I like but probably not great for Kingfisher sorties. A few hours in a hide wasn't so bad I guess when you go home with a full bag of tip top Kingfishers.

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Hey mate. Thank you very much. Yeah I would use at lease a 400mm for the kingfishers. That's what I love about hides, you get a far better chance of killer shots!

[@sinetwo]

Great video. The one of the kingfisher looking directly at you with the fish is an absolute banger. The standard kingfisher back shots are too common, so it's refreshing to see some emotional response with it looking at you.

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Thank you so much for watching and commenting. I agree!!

[@alanplayford]

Excellent quest and adventure for these beautiful stunning birds. I'm on a similar quest in Norfolk but I expect it to be a long quest needing patience! Thanks for the settings info, but would you recommend shutter priority or manual? I'm using a Canon R5 with RF 200-800 f6.3-9 with 1.4x RF teleconverter, tripod, animal eye focus and a wireless remote shutter release, with LR and PS post-processing.

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

@@alanplayford hi there, thanks for the comment. I shoot in manual mode with an auto iso. I will adjust my shutter speed to suit what the subject is doing and the iso will adjust to suit. My aperture is usually as low as possible

[@alanplayford]

@@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography Thanks! With a 200-800 and 1.4x then my aperture will be limited, of course, so I think I might be able to get away with shutter-priority, leaving the auto-ISO and aperture to sort themselves out. The shutter speed is key here, as you said, for "kingfisher on branch" or "kingfisher in flight" as dictates.

[@animalphotography]

Got my first kingfisher photos within the past year... Amazing experience!!!!

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Awesome stuff. It’s a great feeling

[@wildlifebybrianhoule]

Andrew, I just discovered your channel and will be catching up on your videos so maybe you've addressed this or since added it: have you thought about adding a custom recall to the AEL button on your A1? I have that set for 'perched' birds or stationary animals. It's set to 1/400th, auto iso (can't change that) and I forget the aperture right now. The point being, I leave my front shutter ready for action so if a bird/animal stops and the situation is great for a slower ss, I use the AEL button (plus the front shutter) to take my images. If a bird poops (usually the sign to fly) or animal starts moving, I release that AEL and use the front shutter which is ready to go. It's a game changer. Just thought I'd mention it. Good luck! Beauty set of images!

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Thanks so much for the tip man. There is so much you can customise on the A1 but this sounds great. I usually just quickly adjust shutter speeds but this can result in missing the image. I will look into your suggestion .

[@markk1873]

Love the video, the image with the fish in the mouth is my fav. Love photographing Kingfishers,much more fun doing on my local river in the Scottish Borders in the wild. Keep up the good work. Photographing them is very addictive

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Thank you. Where in the borders are you photographing them? These guys are still very much wild, just have the comfort of a hide to sit in haha

[@markk1873]

@@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography East Borders,Berwickshire

[@davidkelly1427]

all very good loved them all thank you

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Thanks for watching and commenting 😃

[@MrMarkx7]

Love your Content and photography - thanks so much.

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Hi Mark. That means so much thanks man!

[@bowhunter-sf3od]

amazing photos man!!!

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Much appreciated!!!

[@KurtisPape]

Great video! I'm full on into stills myself and don't like to switch to video with the risk of 'missing the shot' but... my favourite image of the whole session was actually the kingfisher video :) Amazing little video clip, I don't think it matters you missed out on the shot then. Lucky you redeemed yourself with the shots in the end, so I guess my favourite still is the 1 used in the thumbnail, that's why I clicked on the video to begin with :)

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Thank you very much! I’m glad you liked the clips and the images and it’s also my favourite shot too 😃. Please check out my other videos too 😃

[@A4DJL]

Andrew, very educational video - thank-you. I assume it is the Sony 200-600 lens you are using. I have the same setup but I have not used it in anger, so I need to get out more. Keep up the high quality work.

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Hi David and thank you very much. I don't normally do so much educational but sitting alone in a hide for hours will have you talking to the camera more haha. It is the Sony 200-600mm indeed yeah. I would highly recommend heading to a wildlife hide for sure.

[@algd26]

Great video, great shots ! Subscribed ;)

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Thank you very much

[@sue.Hoo123]

Nice video, watching Kingfishers is addictive. Also this bird is a female, lower bill is orange, male is all black 👍

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Yeah so I have found out. Thank you!

[@GiuseppeGessa]

Nice video!! My last kingfisher was many years ago, and I have to say that I miss it. Good job

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Thank you very much. You must go and find some more!

[@bonamytravel]

Love the landscape photo of it with fish in mouth

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Thank you kind sir :)

[@williamcinco2489]

Great video bro❤️❤️

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Thank you very much!

[@quarkyman1]

Thanks for the video, just a thought, can you not get individual frames from the video footage?

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

You can but the quality will be very poor. Ideally in videography you shoot so that every individual frame has a tiny amount of motion blur. This then makes the video play smoother and more naturally to the human eye. If every frame of video was pin sharp the footage would play back with a more jarring, jittery look.

[@johncameron6853]

Excellent vid Andrew, some great tips that I wished I'd known about when I was up at Dunnet Head the other day trying to get some shots of Puffins. I made a right pigs ear off it although I did get a few nice shots, I'll certainly be using your tips on my next visit to the clowns of the sea. 👍😎

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Thank you very much John. I was back on the Isle of May last week photographing puffins. Be sure to check out my video from there last year along with my other videos. Consider subscribing and all the best for your next photo adventure!!!

[@johncameron6853]

@@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography subscribed mate, I'll search for the vid. 👍

[@aakashviyyath]

Beautiful pictures brother. I'd love to know which lens were you using. Keep going. All the best

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Sony 200-600 🤟🏼 thanks

[@GregSheard]

Great vid mate, looks like you were at Alan's place which is a great spot 👍 I've done a few vids there myself recently 🙂

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Hey dude, it sure was yeah. Always get good results.

[@robj1366]

Great video, fantastic photos. Early on in the video the camera lost focus when the kingfisher returned to the perch, I was surprised having read such high praise about the A1's bird AF, does this happen often?

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Hi there and thank you. The focus hunt happened during the video clip yeah but it's quite rare, it was also very dark at the time. Overall I find the eye auto focus pretty exceptional.

[@PhilipDSouza]

Great Video ! Did you actually manage to lose focus with the Sony A1 ???

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Haha yeah believe it or not it does happen from time to time

[@PhilipDSouza]

@Andrew Macdonald you are great in your work. You have a great camera. Please kindly get a fluid head, preferably manfrotto

[@toadscrote123321]

This was great. Can I ask, where was this hide? Would love to visit. I'm up in Falkirk. Been struggling for a couple of weeks to catch any decent images of the female Kingfisher that is around the local nature reserve my girlfriend works at. She darts so rapidly between pools. Hard to keep an eye on her. Thinking about buying a pop up hide.

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

These hides are down in Dumfries. If you Google “Scottish photography hides” it’s your top result in the search. Glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for the support 😀

[@polskaeuropa7668]

Thank you for the info.

[@cmparamotors5041]

thank you

[@matthiaskroell6939]

Great video, a pleasure to watch!

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Thank you very much !!

[@momentsinanglingessence855]

So dod you leave your ISO on auto and let the camera choose the best light even when you were adjusting the shutter speed?

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Yes. Essentially I am selecting the shutter speed to best capture the animals movement and the camera is selecting the ISO to get an even exposure. It is also easy to use manual ISO in this situation but it’s not needed

[@momentsinanglingessence855]

Thank you Andrew, I think I would find that much easier, especially when my subject makes such fleeting appearances like your Kingfisher 😄. I've just moved to Sony and bought an A7iv as away from fishing I'm really passionate about wildlife, but its by being on the bank that I've learnt where many animal haunts are, a bit like that branch you stuck with. It's interesting to see you use the Teleconverter in action as well, I may get one eventually. I really enjoy your videos! 👍

[@opaschubser123]

yes

[@MoonsTubeOfficieel]

May I ask what kind of Sony camera you are working with?

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Hi there. I am using the Sony A1

[@josephsermonphotography]

We’re you using topaz labs in post production?

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Yes exactly. It’s fantastic software

[@oneandonlyjaybee]

Whereabouts in dumfries and Galloway is this? I often go there but haven't been able to find a public hide with any regular kingfishers?

[@paulrainford70]

Google 'Scottish Photography Hides'. I was there a few weeks ago myself.

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Yip, as Paul said bellow. You can email them to see which hides are working best.

[@tysonator5433]

What really needs is 2 cameras with mega zoom lenses, 1 for video, and 1 for stills !

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

I wish yeah

[@TheNonsenseAdventures]

I've been to the old hide before. This new hide looks comfy. Nice video, only thing... Red bottom beak is a she 😉

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Hey dude. Thanks for the comment!!! The hide is good yeah and thanks for the clarification on the sex of the bird!! My bad, every day is a school day 🤟🏼

[@TheNonsenseAdventures]

@@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography haha I only learnt that from KZbin & Greg Sheard 😂😂

[@planestrainswildlife]

I was watching looking very carefully at the lower portion of the bill thinking that "he is a she" 🙄😁👍 great video, I have photographed a female kingfisher, but from the riverside not from a hide, it is on my to do list 👍🤞

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

@@planestrainswildlife Yeah I have now learnt the sex of a kingfisher :). Thanks for watching

[@dennisharris144]

Great video and just oner comment/question. I am a hunter and we would never hang our barrel outside of the blind. Just watch any sniper movie😉. If the light is at your back all the bird would see is a black hole if you sat back in the blind. Not sure why all photographers do this???

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Perhaps animals behaviour is slightly different when someone is trying to appreciate them instead of kill them? 😂. We do our shooting in very different ways

[@ndl3932]

Amazing video kingfisher : female kingfisher got a bit of orange on the bottom of the beak think she has lipstick. Male kingfisher got a black beak. Hope this helps to some people.

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Thanks man. Yeah a couple of people have since pointed this out to me. Always hood to learn more. I’m more aquatinted with the African wildlife

[@ndl3932]

That's so cool yeah I just specialise in kingfisher I dunno why I go 4 days a week a take pics thanks man. Ur really good

[@EastLondonKingfishers]

Lovely video. It was a female kingfisher.

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Yeah so I’ve been told. Thank you very much

[@ianparkes5930]

Nah , paid hides are rip off prices and easy to do , just turn up and shoot ,no field craft imo, much more satisfying setting up your own perch on a small river or brook .

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

That’s your personal opinion that you’re entitled to. I see huge value in them when I’m only back home visiting the uk for a week or so at a time. I’ve also sat for 4 days in a hide for just a handful of bear photos. I’ll continue to enjoy them when I’m back in Europe. Thanks for stopping by to spread some positive vibes….

[@ArcanePath360]

30fps is way too high. It makes the editing a real bore as you go through thousands of RAW files and your hard drive is crying out for some recycle bin action. It also makes it too easy if you are a hobbyist who is looking for the reward of using skill rather than technology to get great shots. This is one reason I'm sticking with DSLRs for the minute. Mirrorless AI eye tracking and all the rest of it just feels like you are cheating.

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

I seem to manage just fine with the editing process. I do a quick photo selection, delete the remaining files and then do my editing. There is still great skill, knowledge and talent required to capture images, you also still need to have the natural eye for how to even compose a photo. Modern technology doesn't make a bad photographer great, it simply helps talented photographers increase their chances of capturing the perfect moment. I just don't feel the need for such a negative comment. Keep doing what you do so long as you are happy and I will keep making a living from my photography.

[@ArcanePath360]

@@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography Hi, it wasn't meant to be a negative comment, nor was I implying that amateurs who don't have the skill will automatically get better photos using better cameras. I also wasn't criticising you for using such a tool, as you obviously do it for a living and it makes sense. I was just pointing out that it is more tricky to get certain shots with a lower end DSLR such as a 6D than something like an R6. I feel a sense of pride and achievement after nailing a shot in full manual and spot focusing on such a camera. I think if I went mirrorless (for me at least) it would take some of that sense of pride away. Maybe I'm wrong, I can't say for sure as I haven't tried one personally. If I were doing it for a living then I would definitely invest as they are great tools. I appreciate your comment, and carry on doing what you are doing, thanks.

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

@@ArcanePath360 I understand the point you’re making. I guess it would be similar to someone still loving the are of film photography criticising digital photography. Thanks again for watching and commenting

[@ArcanePath360]

@@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography Thanks, perhaps I should be mindful of how my comments might be received and word them more carefully so as not to offend. I appreciate the feedback. I was coveting the latest mirrorless cameras for a time and started to realize that actually, I need to improve myself first and get the best from my current equipment. I decided to go down the self improvement route and spend the money on camo gear, hides and learning more about getting close and have fun with the camera that I already know backwards before learning a whole new system. Maybe later down the line I will upgrade but for now I'm happy with what I've got, since I know the camera backwards and it does the job well enough.

[@andymiles6443]

love your content but one thing.... its a female !!!!

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Thank you!! Yeah I do realise that now! 😀

[@gaylenenorton6860]

Excellent !!!!! 13.01 photo I loved with it's back view. The video at 16.06 too - but I loved it all. I live in Tasmania (Australia) and have captured many photos on about 20 local river cruises for bird photography (with #levenrivercruises / @levenrivercruises) and I love how you have caught so many beautiful photos and the videos too. Excitement heaven!

[@AndrewMacdonaldPhotography]

Thank you so much for the comment. I am glad you enjoyed it!