NOT Getting Great BIRDS IN FLIGHT Photos? Here's What To Do!

[@GlennBartley]

We hope you all enjoy the show!

[@godsinbox]

it was a Gun show. 'Better take me shirt off'

[@ArnaudLerondeau]

Awesome. Very insightful one. Highly practical. Love your prefocus trick. Can totally see myself not doing it…. and miss 😂 Many thanks to you both 🙌🙌

[@richardhilton2000]

This is the type of post I find inspiring as compared to all the posts that just push products. Thank you!!

[@GlennBartley]

Glad you enjoyed the show

[@jan_wegener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@markwalker8374]

On the subject of predictable flight paths, I was at Bempton Cliffs in Yorkshire trying to practice bif with my then Sony A7III and not having much luck when I noticed that the just fledged Fulmars were doing short practise runs presumably to strengthen their wing muscles. They flew in a figure of 8 returning to their nest 20 seconds later. Got some good shots once I knew where they would turn and fly home.

[@GlennBartley]

Thats the right idea for sure. Identify a pattern and then get in a good spot to take advantage!

[@paulrossibirds]

All good advice on getting the best quality flight images. I would add - shadow line is important in sunny conditions, and it is important to shoot near your shadow line. And it is important to gain focus before the bird flys through your shadow line. It is useful to put something in front of you, such as a little pole sticking up, that is on your shadow line, so when you are looking around and locating a potential subject (after looking left, right, etc), you can easily reference the pole without moving your eyes away from the flying bird. Also, when you choose wide zone focusing, on say, the Canon R5, and you pre-focus at the distance you expect the bird to arrive, the autofocus will be quicker to gain focus than if you use eye tracking, where you need to center the subject well. In wide zone the autofocus is looking for the subject, and will find it even in complicated backgrounds, and will initially focus on the part of the subject closest to you, and quickly find the eye or head (within 1/10 sec for the R5). It will do this quicker than it will with eye tracking in most instances, unless you are so good at bringing the camera and lens up to your eye and centering the subject perfectly that it does not matter. Then, after acquiring focus quickly, in wide zone, you have to keep the eye of the bird within the square outlining the zone, which is not very hard to do most of the time. Gaining focus as quickly as possible is top priority in many circumstances, such as when a bird flies out of a forest, or comes from the left when you were looking right. When you have the opportunity to test this well you will see what I mean. Your success rate will be higher. And that is what it is all about - doing the things and making the settings that give the highest success rate for the best images possible. How quicky you can gain focus and start shooting is more important than the ability of eye tracking to track a subject to the edge of the frame, in many cases, even in the example of the erratic fluttering of the parrots around the water, in the video. It is more important with hyperactive songbirds that land very briefly in good spots, as well. Wide zone will focus on them quickly and you can start shooting quicker, and even if the subject is not centered ideally you can often crop to get a great image.

[@ottokite]

Some great tips - thanks.

[@GlennBartley]

Glad you enjoyed the episode.

[@jan_wegener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@MrTmiket0007]

Thanks so much for sharing another wonderful video like always, remember where to stand is the key for a great photo, I love to use 1000 shutter for my hummingbird photography because I love the blurry wing effect, it looks more natural than using 4000 or 5000 shutter 🐦👌👍🤗

[@GlennBartley]

Yes some blur can be great. Especially as they hover and the head and body will be sharp.

[@sfmaximo]

Thanks for highlighting my image of the honeyeater. Really happy about that. It's actually a Sulawesi Myzomela and not a Scarlet, but they are so much alike.

[@jan_wegener]

Ha! Had me fooled! Thank you

[@joshuaziff3302]

Excellent and concise. Thank you.

[@jan_wegener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@wildcat1065]

Great video guys, lots of good tips illustrated with some superb images.

[@GlennBartley]

Glad you enjoyed the show!

[@michaelpeppersack8599]

thanks for the tips I have been struggling with bif and my canon r 6 1 I will use all of these Tips soon!

[@GlennBartley]

Great. We hope they help you!

[@jan_wegener]

Happy to help!

[@przybylskipawel]

From what you are saying I think that the most important attribute for BiF shooting is your upper body muscles strength and stamina. As for the locating a bird in frame I struggle a lot at 800mm and longer eqivalents. I find dot sight invaluable tool. Many of my most favourite BiF photos would not be possible for me without it.

[@danielkaranja7978]

I can relate to difficulties finding a bird at 600mm or 800mm. What I do is to zoom out a little and when I get it in frame and in focus, I zoom in and then click away

[@gaucphotography]

Great advice on this episode. BTW programmable focus distance limiter, beyond those offered in the lens body, could a great addition to the camera firmwares. Thanks….

[@GlennBartley]

Yes thats something I've been hoping for for a while!

[@Chris_Wolfgram]

I've always felt like in-flight shots were cooler, while perched shots were prettier {with exceptions of course} and I've always leaned towards perched shots. But you guys showed SO many examples of absolutely gorgeous in-flight shots ! Really makes me want to try more for beautiful in-flight shots :) I know there are a few birds, which really just have to be shot in-flight, to get the most beautiful patterns and colors the bird has to offer, birds with more (most) of their cool colors and patterns in their wings, such as a Northern Flicker. I'm not going to do any better with these "until" I get a great shot of one in-flight. Great video :) Thank you guys :)

[@GlennBartley]

ii definitely love doing both. Its always great to create a diverse portfolio.

[@brianlemke6017]

Agree that practicing targeting is a critical skill; especially as I migrated to lenses with longer and longer reach. My Olympus 150-400mm TC pro gives me maximum equivalent reach of 1000mm so the field of view is incredibly small. So my tip for targeting is keep both eyes open, DON’T close the left eye that’s not on the viewfinder. That eye actually picks up the wider field to allow me to swing the lens onto the bird. Then I shift to my viewfinder eye when it comes into the lens field of view. Sounds tricky - and it is somewhat so - but with practice, it’s improved my targeting immensely. Plus ….. pro-capture. Game changer.

[@GlennBartley]

Great to find the technique that works best for you 🙂

[@garymeredith2441]

I love the shot of the Toucon in-flight that you got there Glenn , it sure would have been nice if you said what lens and what setting on that lends when you took that shot . When you guys are now doing your Bird Photography episodes that you are doing here to help out other bird photographers don't just talk about your photo editing talk , tell us Bird Photographser's about how you got the shot and how you set the camera and what lens you used to get the shots that you guys are getting .

[@Norm4man]

Hi Jan, thank you so much for your knowledge and inspiration. I have recently upgraded to an R7 and this has re-ignited my passion for nature. As an ex-Zimbabwean now living in NZ I am getting into birds. looking forward to sharing my photos and progress with you. I am interested that you now live in Oz. May I ask where you originate from and where in Oz you based. Many thanks again Norman

[@jan_wegener]

Germany and now Sunshine Coast

[@jimreimer6140]

It is one thing to focus on flying birds, I can't even get my camera on a sitting bird 15feet away. Here I'm slowly learning to zoom out, quickly locate the bird, and then pull the bird in.

[@GlennBartley]

Hopefully some of the tips will help...

[@danielkaranja7978]

I use the exact technique for BIF as well. It just took practice

[@ForbesPhoto]

Glen: "hey Jan, oh! are we filming this morning? I'm doing my workout, but I'll be right there."

[@GlennBartley]

Haha

[@clairehachey2189]

Thank you Jan for another informative video. I've learned to keep my Canon R7 in electronic 1st curtain mode for better shots of birds in flight. It works for me! Have a great day! Cheers from Montreal, Canada :)

[@jan_wegener]

You are so welcome!

[@alansach8437]

On my R7 I have found EFC to provide the best results, but the sound of the shutter has been too disruptive for sensitive birds, so I have gone almost exclusively electronic. I just accept that a certain number of images will be unusable due to rolling shutter wobble and warp, but it really hasn't been that many. The silent shutter, on the other hand, has been a game changer for shooting sensitive birds from a blind.

[@gaitazampogna32]

thumbs up for the cat tail!

[@terencetang4990]

Thank you for the advices. They help a lot🤩

[@GlennBartley]

You are welcome!

[@prateekgoon8803]

Thank you Jan and Glenn for bringing up this topic. As we can see there is not much video on technicalities / standard practice on photographing birds in flight over internet. Definitely this video will help me and fellow budding photographers to understand the artwork behind an in-flight masterpiece.. Thanks a lot!!

[@GlennBartley]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ScottRitchie-bw9ls]

Really useful video guys. I do use a dot sight (PGD Tracker) for small fast birds like swifts. It also works well for impulsive "snap" reaction shots to a flying bird. Dot sights get the bird in the frame. But you are at the mercy of the AF. For medium to large birds I try to find them by eye.

[@jan_wegener]

Thanks for sharing!

[@Robinshahidullah]

Thank you both for the great tips, that would guide me nicely in my practice of inflight shots...❤

[@GlennBartley]

Cheers!

[@davepastern]

super video guys. It seems that I am doing what you are saying in this video. I need more practice and experience. Not all locations will give you the opportunity to get at the same level as the bird, or be able to use favourable light etc.

[@adinew8920]

Thanks.....

[@mustafakasapoglu]

Thanks for the great presentation. I belive the bird presented as scarlet honeyeater should have been Sulawesi Myzomela, Myzomela chloroptara. Thanks for all.

[@jan_wegener]

Correct! I missed that

[@sueellen7]

Thanks

[@GlennBartley]

Glad you enjoyed the show!

[@jan_wegener]

Thank you!

[@ForbesPhoto]

Awesome, as always!

[@GlennBartley]

Cheers!

[@jan_wegener]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@NECPER]

Thanks for the great tips for BIF. I will try to practice using your great advice, as I find this disciplin very difficult. Greetings from Denmark. / Per

[@GlennBartley]

Thanks for watchinG!

[@jan_wegener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@RvR-Photography]

Great video on the BIF subject matter. If I may add another tip; when you experience strong winds, it might be harder to follow your subject smoothly partly due to wind catching on to your lens hood. Removing the lens hood might improve your stability and especially with the light coming from behind this shouldn't bring any flare issues. And what is your take on using animal tracking without eye detection? For some this seems to improve keeping the AF on the bird, as you're not forcing the system continuously trying to find an eye. Does either one of you have any experience with this method?

[@davepastern]

Canon CPS recommends flexible zone + AF tracking for my R3 overy animal eye detect AF. So far, I have been use eye AF, but getting low keeper rates. I am using a mark 1 500f4 though and that is probably a part of the equation. 100% agreed on the strong wind - I was up at the Sunshine coast 4 weeks ago trying to shoot 2 Brahminy Kites and the wind was very strong and really making my life difficult, to the point where I gave up.

[@叶礼思齐]

Another tip about the lens settings is that in many lenses(like the sigma 150-600) the image stabilization has three modes, one is completely off; another is the only horizontal stabilization; and one is the complete stabilization. if you use the only horizontal mode and take photos of crazy flying birds(like the swallows), you'll get vertical blurs in the background, that's a point to note because I suffered a lot from it😂

[@michabielski3824]

What a fantastic episode! Great tips and, as always, interesting discussion at the end of the video. I find those little debates stimulating and helpful for understanding how to think about many photos from different angles and perspectives. Love your work, love Jan's master class, and Glen's ebooks. Please come to NZ one day for some workshops! :) Now I can get back to practicing that targeting skill and wait for another video. Thank you!

[@jan_wegener]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@JohnDrummondPhoto]

Hot day in the studio, Glenn? 😆💪 Great tips, guys!

[@GlennBartley]

It is a heat wave here!!

[@JohnDrummondPhoto]

@@GlennBartley you just wanted to flash those guns. Admit it!

[@WernerBirdNature]

Hey Jan and Glenn, thanks for these great insights in this challenging topic ! Certainly with your heavy 600/4 glass it must require plenty of practice to get a fast flying bird in your EVF !! Last month I saw each day hundreds of swallows, but they were flying so fast and erratic that I didn't even attempt to get one in my EVF .. until I suddenly found one returning to the same stick. Got some good landing poses, but I wasn't yet able to shoot him right before landing ..

[@jan_wegener]

Yes finding the right spot is most important with swallows

[@KurtisPape]

Great episode, i've done hardly any bird in flight photography despite having a great camera for it the sony A1 but hopefully this summer I will get some good practice in when the local flying foxes skim along the river to cool down.

[@GlennBartley]

Thanks for watchinG!

[@mzeeshanch]

Very nice insights for not so experienced people like myself... a LOT of really really nice things to work on... Greatly appreciate you making quality stuff for Birders... Hope you are feeling better as well too...

[@jan_wegener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@cambodiabird]

Great talk and tips.

[@jan_wegener]

Glad you liked it!

[@0123nikon]

Love it thank you so much

[@GlennBartley]

Thanks for watching!

[@iTrollCrits]

I thought I'd watch an episode of the bird show but it became first row to the gun show apparently xD glen be lifting that 600mm lens like it's a 35m lens 😂

[@GlennBartley]

Haha....gotta work out cuz I'm too cheap to buy the RF 600mm 😆

[@jan_wegener]

Hehe 😂

[@janlewis8879]

Thanks guys for another great video. BIF is a huge problem for me... one who has a camera shake issue anyway, I struggle even getting the bird in the frame and the camera (R5 with mostly a 100-500) to FIND and FOCUS on the bird not the background. One thing I felt you did not address in this video was the Focus Mode.... by which I mean... the spot, or expanded spot, or area, etc. I have heard recommendations of every single one of those, so I am interested in your take on it.

[@jan_wegener]

I always use eye tracking for birds in flight

[@janlewis8879]

@@jan_wegener Yes, I understand you would use eye tracking ... but the initial focus mode to actually grab focus ... single point, expanded area, etc.?

[@jan_wegener]

@@janlewis8879 my base AF is spot, but I don’t engage it, I got straight for the eye tracking button

[@sillydg]

Thanks guys! What do you think about using dot sight viewfinders to help find the birds?

[@GlennBartley]

They can be a great help....kind of like training wheels for finding the birds.

[@jan_wegener]

NEver tried it myself

[@edwardleary9250]

I love your videos, very helpful and well produced. I’d be curious to get your thoughts and experience on a particular scenario of BIF images that I find really challenging. I’m the area I live in, Osprey feed in lakes and ponds, all with treelines surrounding the water. Shooting with an R5 and an R6 II, and a variety of native lenses (100-500, 400 2.8, 600 4.0, 800 and 600 11, etc, autofocus is great while the birds are circling the water, but as soon as their dive is low enough that the treeline becomes the background, autofocus fails completely. I have tried all autofocus areas, brightening the image with higher ISO, straight servo and eye tracking, 1:1 and the crop mode, etc etc. Trying to pre-focus on a spot on the water is not reliable. After probably 100 plus hrs, I’ve settled on using tracking AF while the sky is the background, and releasing the AF when I see the treeline. This “freezes” the focus and as long as the remainder of the dive is more or less parallel to the plane of last focus, I get acceptable images hitting the water. I’d be really curious if you, or any of your followers has found a better way. I did spend considerable time trying autofocus worth peaking, obtaining focus while circling and trying to maintain the parking through the dive, but even though this can work, I’ ve found the other method to be more consistent. Thanks!

[@edwardleary9250]

Typo-I meant considerable time trying manual focus with peaking

[@jan_wegener]

If you only want the diving moment I’d pre focus and not start focusing until the bird is close to the water

[@Prokambiumrest]

Maybe the last photo of the week ist special because the branches lead in the same directions as the beak (two to the left) and tail and wingtips (three to the right).

[@GlennBartley]

Ya that's a cool observation 🙂

[@cathco9]

Another great tutorial, Jan and Glenn. You mention using the focus limiter, but what about the focus mode on the lens. I'm a Canon shooter using the RF 100-500mm on an R5. I just leave my lens mode set to 1 even though I know modes 2 and 3 have to do with panning. The majority of my shots are stationary, but there is that occasional flight shot. There isn't time to switch modes. So, what's the best all around mode to use, Jan? Thanks!

[@GlennBartley]

Those have to do with the IS mode. I always leave mine on mode 1.

[@cathco9]

@GlennBartley That's right, Glenn, IS mode. What was I thinking when I was typing. Thanks for replying that you just stay on mode 1. I will continue to do this as well then.

[@jan_wegener]

I always use mode 1

[@cathco9]

@jan_wegener Thanks, Jan. I've always used 1 myself. There's no time to change when all of a sudden, a bird flies by. I'll continue to do so since this is working well for you and Glenn.

[@ghlocal1]

Not sure how you didn’t mention aperture! I usually shoot at f/8 to ensure the whole bird is sharp 😊

[@jan_wegener]

In the end whichever aperture gives you enough dof and fast enough ss is best. F8 is definitely a good choice

[@danbrown8979]

Great advice! Thanks guys. Glenn, I just got some second hand news regarding a bridge collapse on the way to Porto Jofre! OMG! Horrible if true! Here's a copy and paste with some details "A busted bridge that sent Porto Jofre in to complete chaos for days now... Seriously only one road in to one of the main touristic hotspots in Brazil and TWO thirty ton trucks decided to challenge a 5-ton bridge....the bridge lost. Meaning hundreds of travelers who had cars on the Jofre side of the bridge were and are screwed....The rest of the endless stream of tourists get to fight for a ride on the ONE small motorboat that ferries people to and from the opposite sides of the river"

[@GlennBartley]

Ugh...that doesn't sound fun at all!!

[@Twobarpsi]

Great advice from two experts!

[@jan_wegener]

Glad you think so!

[@skakdosmer]

Thanks a lot for this video! Although I knew most of these tips in advance, the way you presented them kind of emphasise the importance of them and also makes the tips easier for me to remember. As always I disagree a little bit when it comes to the photos of the week. All great pictures, obviously. But in Glenn's first one of the owl in the dark I wouldn't remove any of the branches! This is not a suitable picture for a book about bird species anyway, so why bother? The branches are part of the environment. Even the branch right behind the bird doesn't really give the impression of coming out of the bird's head, so I don't find it to be a disturbance. On the other hand in Jan's first pick I agree that it looks weird that the owl almost seems to be growing out of the tree. You could remove the branch, of course, but I'm still debating in my mind if I don't actually like the mystery of it. If you want full attention on "here's a nice owl", then remove it by all means. But if you want the viewer to look longer at the picture and be a little puzzled, then keep the branch! In Glenn's last pick of the day you seem to be worried by branches again. To me this shows that you're too obsessed with branches. I wouldn't for a second want to edit out any of them. The thought wouldn't even have crossed my mind. In fact I'd suspect the composition to become worse, no matter which branches were removed. Thanks for the great work, I love your videos!

[@GlennBartley]

Its always a matter of personal preference for sure!

[@aarong2374]

the swift shot 🤤

[@blisteringbooks2428]

Sometimes, like when photographing swallows it seems impossible to find the birds, especially when using a 600 mm lens, have you ever tried a dot sight?

[@GlennBartley]

Yes they can be very tough. You definitely need a great spot to try. Ive used one that a workshop client had. Handy for birds on perches. But not sure it would help for BIF.

[@piotrnowinski655]

Hello, Please tell us if you turn off IS/IBIS when you are shooting fast and erretic moving birds with R5+RF100-500 at fast shutter speed. Last time I was shooting fighter jets on air show and I noticed that number of tack sharp images increases on my R6 + 100-500 when I turn off IS complitelly.

[@jan_wegener]

I have it on

[@bambyrandhawa9957]

Hi! How does one qualify for a coupon for your world famous master class , want to know so I can proceed. Many thanks

[@jan_wegener]

You can try and send me an email 😆

[@leoguedes6781]

I'm new around here, starting out in wildlife photography and I have an R7+ RF 100-400mm, I've always thought about buying the RF 100-500mm, do you think it's worth it for me to sell mine and go for 100-500 or add an extender of 1.4x on my 100-400 ?

[@GlennBartley]

I'm never a fan of TCs on zoom lenses. And the 100-500 is a great lens for sure!

[@jan_wegener]

100-500 is definitely the better lens. But it won’t feel like a monumental upgrade, but better than adding the TC

[@barryfrost4399]

Hi Guys, for A Canon R5/6 what AF method do you use? Is is Face + Tracking or a zone focus? Also for servo AF what case settings do you recommend with regard to sensitivity and accel/decel? Thanks.

[@jan_wegener]

I have both set to -1 on case 1 and eye eye tracking

[@gaucphotography]

Can you tell us again, how to submit to your photo of the week?

[@GlennBartley]

Post to Instagram with the hashtag #birdphotoshow

[@Chris_Wolfgram]

Feel dumb to ask, but how do I submit a photo for critique on your show ? I don't really use IG anymore, as the file sizes are so small, and the crops don't usually work for me. Surely the beautiful shots submitted from your viewers were not subject to IG limits ?

[@jan_wegener]

They’re directly taken off IG. I guess you could email me a couple and we take them into consideration

[@Chris_Wolfgram]

@@jan_wegener honestly, I'm surprised they look as great as they do ! But yes, I'll email you a photo or two very soon 🙂 TY.

[@tonyw3250]

Glen do you have a licence for those Guns

[@spencergiles72]

I wish you guys mentioned the ethics of spot lighting owls!!! This ruins their night vision temporarily and could impact their ability to see a threat or be able to hunt. Really disappointing to see! We need to keep in mind that the birds and being ethical observers is more important than the final image.

[@colintraveller]

Top Drawer .... You ever had the misfortune of noisy folks appearing scaring the birds away ?

[@GlennBartley]

All the time

[@OkwyUgonweze]

I shoot with nikon Z8 and finds 10 fps great for bif.

[@GlennBartley]

The more the better!

[@piussullivan3746]

I would say ditching the tripod should be at the top of the list for birds in-flight photography..., if not close to the top. ... and that's not obvious to most photographers.

[@GlennBartley]

That is actually a VERY good point. I totally agree and we forgot to mention that!

[@piussullivan3746]

@@GlennBartley To be fair one could argue its very obvious on the front page with both you and Jan hand-holding but worth a mention for sure. :)

[@jan_wegener]

depends on the lens for me and the situation. Ideally you handhold but in certain situation sit can get very tiring

[@piussullivan3746]

@@jan_wegener Depends on the weight of the lens you mean, then again why would you choose a lens that's to heavy for you for great BIF shots.

[@godsinbox]

1: Go to the gym 2: always do arm day 3: singlet for guns out 4: 600mm prime, and goto 2

[@jan_wegener]

pretty much sums it up

[@ClipCaptain]

I noticed you guys occasionally use Photoshop to extend backgrounds or fix a clipped wing-are there unspoken rules/ethics in wildlife photography for how much editing is too much? I personally come from an advertising design, Photoshop heavy background so would be interested in a video covering this if it doesn't already exist.

[@jan_wegener]

The only real limit is your imagination It’s your photos in the end. If you’re into competitions it’s different

[@Hummingbirder1]

Glenn in tank top:💪

[@markwalker8374]

Benefits of working out with the 600mm and heavy tripod

[@gossamerwarner]

it was distracting and not in a good way...Glenn, please wear a shirt LOL

[@GlennBartley]

Haha